By Maijastiina Rouhiainen-Neunhäuserer, PhD, Communication Consultant

Position: Founder, Leadership and Communication Consultant
Organisation: FINDINGS

Today’s work environment presents challenges for leadership, teamwork, and organisational communication. Whether it’s engaging employees in hybrid settings, aligning company goals during turbulent times, or motivating teams to embrace change – such as a reorganisation or the adoption of GenAI – leaders and organisational communicators must navigate complex dynamics.

It’s important to recognise that a certain level of disconnect and siloed thinking in remote and dispersed teams is normal. Discrepancies and resistance to change are normal. Differing views on organisational direction are normal. What we often label as challenges or signs of dysfunction are, in reality, natural aspects of the interpersonal and dialectical nature of human interaction at work.

The key to addressing these tensions and balancing them begins with demystifying them, tackling them proactively, and recognising that the solution often lies in relationships -between leaders and team members, among colleagues, and with organisational stakeholders.

Meaningful work, whether in leadership and team roles, or in the whole communication function, ultimately comes down to how we:

  • Connect – Build and maintain strong relationships
  • Collaborate – Work effectively with colleagues
  • Inspire – Motivate and engage one another toward a shared goal

Assess to Improve

There are many tools and frameworks available to support workplace improvement. When choosing a method, first define what you want to understand, enhance, or develop. Then, assess – assess to establish a baseline and measure the real impact of your efforts. Consider the following:

  1. Work is relational.Leadership, teamwork, and organisational communication are not solo performances – they depend on relationships, team dynamics, and collective capabilities. Instead of focusing on individual heroes or scapegoats, assess interpersonal competence, team cohesion, and communication practices.
  2. Include key people in the process. A well-rounded approach incorporates diverse perspectives, fostering shared commitment to meaningful improvements. When people feel heard, they are more likely to engage in change efforts.
  3. Measure what you can actually improve. Avoid vague typologies and personality labels. Focus on competencies, processes, and structures, elements that can be assessed and developed over time.
  4. Prioritise action over endless review and feedback loops. Focus on immediate, actionable insights rather than getting stuck in long, heavy survey cycles. We all know the fatigue that comes from repeated employee engagement surveys with little follow-through.
  5. Establish a baseline and track progress. Just like managing household savings or working toward a fitness goal, ignoring a problem doesn’t make it disappear. Regular assessment not only helps you stay disciplined when following up but also highlights the impact of your efforts. And let’s be honest, it’s rewarding.

These assessment aspects help leaders, teams, and organisational communicators improve what truly matters. They strengthen leadership and team competencies, and organisational practices that enable connection, enhance collaboration, and inspire meaningful work.

Further Reading & Resources.

This article builds on the EACD webinar titled “Strategic Agility in Communication: Tools and Insights for Impactful Planning in 2025.” The webinar was held on 12 December 2024, with the author of this blog and Tobias Huebscher, Director Executive & Employee Communications, eBay Global Markets, as speakers.

About the author: Dr. Maijastiina Rouhiainen-Neunhäuserer is a seasoned communication consultant specialising in leadership communication (https://findings.fi). With a PhD in this field, she brings two decades of experience as both a consultant and an in-house communication director. Recently, she launched a new assessment tool (https://findings.codes) for leaders, teams, and organisational developers to improve the way we connect, collaborate and inspire each other at work. Maijastiina provides strategic advice on change, ESG, and crisis communication, while also serving as an executive team and design thinking coach. Her portfolio encompasses start-ups, SMEs, and multinationals such as Ball Corporation, eBay, and APCO Worldwide. Additionally, she is a sought-after lecturer and speaker at universities and leadership programmes.