How to Prove the ROI of Workplace Communication Training to Leadership
Let’s talk about workplace communication training. Often, when you bring it up to leadership, the response is something like:
“That’s a soft skill. We need to focus on things that actually move the needle.”
“How do we even measure if this works?”
“Can’t people just communicate like adults?”
It might seem like communication isn’t a pressing issue until it is—until projects start falling apart, until people begin leaving, until a small misunderstanding turns into a full-blown problem that could’ve been avoided.
Start with the Cost of Poor Communication
You don’t need to convince leadership that communication problems exist. They already see it—they just might not realize the full impact. Instead of jumping straight into why training is the solution, begin by highlighting what’s already happening:
Wasted Time: Meetings that should’ve been emails, emails that should’ve been a two-minute conversation, and endless back-and-forths due to unclear expectations.
Missed Opportunities: Deals that didn’t close, customers who walked away, and stalled projects because no one was on the same page.
High Turnover: When people feel unheard, misunderstood, or trapped in a toxic work environment, they leave—and replacing them isn’t cheap.
Before mentioning training, paint a picture of what poor communication is already costing the company. Make it real, tangible, and clearly about the business.
Propose a Small, Measurable Pilot Program
One of the biggest reasons leadership hesitates to invest in communication training is that it seems too broad and hard to measure. Instead of trying to roll it out company-wide, start small:
Choose a Focus: Pick one team, one department, or even one ongoing project.
Set Clear Goals: Perhaps reduce unnecessary meetings, improve feedback loops, or cut down on response times.
Run a Focused Pilot: Implement a short training session and track the results.
Once leadership sees even a small improvement, they’re far more likely to support a broader rollout.
Frame It in Terms of Business Impact
Leadership isn’t going to approve training simply because it “feels” like a good idea—they need to see how it directly affects business outcomes. Instead of saying:
"We need communication training because people are frustrated and misaligned."
Try this approach:
"If we improve communication, we’ll cut down on project delays, improve response times, and reduce errors—resulting in faster execution, better customer experience, and stronger results."
Make it about efficiency, retention, and achieving goals faster. That’s what leadership cares about.
Show Real Examples of Communication Breakdowns
Sometimes the best way to prove the need for training is to highlight what’s already happening:
Delayed Projects: A project got delayed because of miscommunication.
Lost Deals: A deal was lost due to misaligned expectations.
Avoidable Mistakes: A mistake could have been avoided with clearer feedback.
Present these examples not to point fingers, but to emphasize a real challenge that can be fixed. When leadership sees how communication breakdowns directly lead to business problems, they start viewing training as a smart investment rather than an extra expense.
Make It Easy to Say Yes
At the end of the day, leadership wants to know three things:
Is this actually a problem?
Will this training fix it?
How hard is it going to be to implement?
Keep your case simple and clear:
Show the Problem: “We’re losing time and money because of miscommunication.”
Show the Solution: “With a short, focused training, we can improve efficiency and alignment.”
Make It Easy: “We’ll start small, track the impact, and scale from there.”
The easier you make it for leadership to say yes, the more likely they are to support the initiative.