Workplace
Communication
Skills Audit

COMMUNICATION & RELATIONSHIPS TOOLS

Assess how you communicate and where clarity breaks down

Where This Tool Helps

Communication problems rarely announce themselves as communication problems. They show up as missed deadlines, repeated conflicts with the same people, or decisions that get revisited. This audit maps your communication patterns across four dimensions - written, verbal, listening, and nonverbal - to find where the signal is getting lost.

Most professionals have one or two communication strengths they default to and two or three gaps they have learned to work around. The problem with working around a gap is that it does not disappear - it tends to grow, especially in high-stakes situations. This audit surfaces those patterns so you can address them directly rather than continuing to compensate.

How to Use This Audit

  1. Complete the self-assessment honestly. Rate each skill based on how you typically perform, not how you perform at your best. The goal is a realistic baseline, not a flattering one.
  2. Identify your three lowest scores. For each one, write a specific example of a situation where that gap caused a real problem - a missed connection, a misread message, a conflict that escalated.
  3. Map your stakeholder communication. For each key person or group, note what channel works and where the friction tends to appear.
  4. Build a targeted development plan. Choose your top two priorities and define a specific behavior to practice, not just an outcome to aim for.
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Section 1: Self-Assessment

Rate each skill from 1 (significant struggle) to 10 (consistent strength). Base your rating on recent performance, not your best day.

Communication Skill Rating (circle one)
Written clarity
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Verbal confidence
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Active listening
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Giving feedback
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Receiving feedback
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Conflict navigation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Presentation skills
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Cross-cultural communication
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

For my 3 lowest scores - a specific example of when that gap caused a problem:

Example:
Example:
Example:
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Section 2: Communication Patterns

Complete each prompt with the first honest answer that comes to mind. Sit with it before moving on.

I communicate best when...
I struggle to communicate when...
The feedback I hear most often about my communication...

My default response under pressure:

Fight Become direct, push back, dominate the conversation
Flight Avoid, defer, go quiet
Freeze Shut down, become unclear or non-committal
Fawn Over-agree, smooth over, minimize concerns
How that shows up in my communication:
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Section 3: Stakeholder Communication Map

For each key person or group, identify the channel that works best and where friction tends to arise.

Person / Group Preferred Channel What Works Well What Needs to Change

Section 4: Development Plan

Choose your top 2 communication priorities. Define a specific behavior to practice - not just an outcome to aim for.

Priority Skill 1
Skill
Specific behavior to practice
Context to practice in
How I will know it is improving
Priority Skill 2
Skill
Specific behavior to practice
Context to practice in
How I will know it is improving
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Before Your Next Session

Bring your completed audit to your next coaching session. These two questions are designed to help you go deeper into what the data is telling you.

Reflection Question 1

Looking at your stakeholder map, which relationship has the largest gap between the current state and what you need it to be? What is one specific change in how you communicate that would close that gap?

Reflection Question 2

If your default response under pressure is costing you something - trust, clarity, influence - what would a more effective alternative look like in the next high-stakes conversation you have?

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