You don’t notice how important communication is… until it breaks.
In 1942, during World War II, the U.S. military recruited Navajo Code Talkers to send messages in a language the enemy couldn’t decipher.
Why? Because in the middle of chaos, unclear communication was deadly.
Your agency isn’t a battlefield.
But if you’ve ever had a task fall through the cracks, a client email go unanswered, or two people “thought the other was handling it”—you know how damaging unclear communication can be.
Especially in a remote team, where you can’t rely on body language or in-person check-ins, communication needs to be more than organic. It needs to be intentional.
The Myth: Communication Will Sort Itself Out
Here’s what we used to believe:
“If we hire good people, they’ll figure out how to talk to each other.”
That worked—until it didn’t.
When you’re running a fully virtual agency with producers, service reps, and leadership all remote, people need structure.
Not because they’re incapable—but because clarity creates confidence.
Without it, you get:
- Missed expectations
- Misaligned decisions
- Stress, burnout, and internal frustration
The Fix: Systemize the Small Stuff
Good communication doesn’t mean more meetings or more Slack messages.
It means everyone knows:
- Where to communicate
- When to communicate
- Who to communicate with
- How to document and follow up
The clearer that is, the faster your team moves—and the fewer fires you have to put out.
4 Ways We Systemize Communication in Our Remote Agency
1. Set Clear Guidelines by Platform
We tell our team exactly which tools to use for what:
- Teams chat for quick questions and informal team talk
- Email for external communication and anything that needs tracking
- Project management system for tasks and status updates
No guessing. No duplicating. Just clean, consistent channels.
2. Define Contacts & Role Clarity
People need to know who owns what—and who to go to if that person is out.
We use a living org chart and update it regularly. It includes:
- Core responsibilities
- Areas of ownership
- Backup contacts
- Preferred communication method
This keeps questions moving forward instead of getting stuck in limbo.
3. Stick to a System—Even if It’s Not Perfect
There’s no one “right” way to communicate. The key is to pick a structure and stick to it.
For example:
- Every client call gets logged in our CRM the same way
- Internal notes follow the same naming/labeling convention
- Abbreviations and shorthand are standardized across the team (like BRB or NOC = Needs Owner Confirmation)
This makes it easy for anyone on the team to jump in, understand context, and keep things moving—without a 15-minute Slack thread.
4. Train It. Reinforce It. Revisit It.
We don’t just write this down once and hope it sticks.
We train every new hire on our communication standards.
We include it in our internal playbook.
And we revisit it during quarterly check-ins to make sure it’s still working.
We’re even recording a short video walkthrough of our Agency Playbook so you can see exactly how we document our processes—watch for that next week.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
When your communication isn’t clear, your culture suffers.
People feel confused, disconnected, or like they’re stepping on each other’s toes.
But when everyone knows where to go, what to say, and who’s in charge—it unlocks speed, confidence, and trust.
And for us, it ties directly into our core values:
- Clarity: Because your team can’t hit a moving target
- Consistency: Because process prevents panic
- Compassion: Because unclear systems create unnecessary stress
Free Resource: Role Clarity & Org Chart Worksheet
If you’re ready to tighten up communication in your agency, this is the place to start.
This simple worksheet will help you:
- Map out your current org structure
- Assign and clarify roles
- Create backup systems so communication keeps flowing, even when someone’s out
We’re also sharing a video walkthrough of our internal communication playbook – check that out below:
Your team isn’t confused because they’re unmotivated.
They’re confused because the system they’re working in hasn’t been made clear enough.
Start there—and watch the stress come down and the momentum go up.