Your Employees May Not Have a Communication Problem | Opinion
Summary
Alice Shikina argues that workplace conversations can fail when stress makes it harder for people to listen and process information. She urges managers to first make discussions calmer by asking questions, listening, reflecting what they heard, and allowing breaks when needed.Key Facts
- The article cites an American Psychological Association 2026 report saying 77 percent of U.S. adults consider the cost of living a significant source of stress.
- The article cites Gallup’s 2026 workplace report, which says global employee engagement fell to 20 percent in 2025, its lowest level since 2020.
- The article says Gallup estimated lost productivity associated with low engagement at $10 trillion.
- Shikina describes a divorce mediation in which one participant could not process a buyout offer while overwhelmed.
- The article cites CDC provisional data recording 662,950 U.S. divorces and annulments in 2024, while noting that the figure does not show workplace stress caused breakups.
- The article cites Gallup data saying 27 percent of U.S. full-time employees very often or always felt burned out at work in the second quarter of 2026.
- Shikina recommends that managers ask what is going on, listen without preparing a rebuttal, restate what they understood, and pause conversations when someone is overwhelmed.
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