People and cultureFortune · 28 September 2026

Communication rules need to be discussed, not taken for granted

Many intergenerational workplace conflicts arise from unspoken expectations about interaction rather than poor ethics. CEOs need to make communication norms explicit to reduce friction and lost productivity.

Published 1 October 2026 at 15:04

Two colleagues working on laptops — Photo: Aleksandra Sapozhnikova / Unsplash, CC BY 4.0. Cropped.

Fortune describes how different interpretations of simple workplace signals, from a text message to a deadline, create unnecessary disputes between employees and managers. The article was published on 28 September 2026.

Key takeaways

Leaders should formalise expectations about communication channels, urgency and what counts as a polite reply.
Companies can reduce friction by teaching managers to explain unwritten rules rather than relying on common sense.
The article is a reminder that culture is expressed in small operating norms as well as values displayed on the wall.

What this means for CEOs

The practical lesson for CEOs is simple: communication culture needs to be designed and articulated. When different generations carry different rules in their heads, the organisation pays in time, stress and mistakes.

Communication rules need to be discussed, not taken for granted

Key takeaways

What this means for CEOs

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