Communication · Lesson 6 of 6

Workplace communication & meetings

Daily stand-ups, status updates, asking for help, giving bad news early and speaking in meetings.

Once you're hired, communication decides how quickly people trust you. Most of it is simple habits:

Stand-ups — say what you did yesterday, what you'll do today and anything blocking you. Keep it under a minute.
Status updates — share progress before someone has to ask, especially near deadlines.
Asking for help — first try for a reasonable time, then ask with context: what you tried and where you're stuck.
Bad news early — if a deadline may slip, say so as soon as you know, with a reason and a new estimate.
Meetings — prepare, take notes, and send a short summary with action items and owners.
Clients — be polite, avoid jargon and confirm understanding in writing.

Model answer

Adapt it — don't memorise word for word

Daily stand-up update:
"Yesterday I finished the login page validation and raised a PR. Today I'll fix the review comments and start the password-reset API. I'm blocked on the email service credentials — Ravi, could you share them after the call?"

Asking for help (team chat):
"Hi Meera, I'm getting a 403 when the frontend calls /api/orders. I've checked the token is sent and the role is USER. Could you take a quick look at the security config when you have 10 minutes?"

Flagging a delay early:
"Hi Priya, a heads-up: the report export will need one more day because the client's sample file has a different date format.
New estimate: Thursday EOD. I'll update you tomorrow afternoon."

Why it works

• Stand-up: three short parts, with the blocker and who can help.
• Help request: shows effort and context, and respects the other person's time.
• Delay message: early, gives the reason, a new date and the next update.

Names, companies and figures are fictional. Replace them with your real details and practise saying it aloud.

Key points

Stand-ups: yesterday, today, blockers.
Share progress before you're asked.
Ask for help with context: what you tried and where you're stuck.
Raise risks and delays early with a new estimate.

Quick check

You realise on Monday that Friday's deadline will slip. When should you tell your lead?

On Friday evening Only if they ask As soon as you know, with a reason and a new estimate Never — work overtime instead

Practice task

Write a message to your lead flagging that a task will be one day late, including the reason, the new estimate and when you'll next update them.

Interview corner

How do you explain a technical issue to a non-technical person?

Start with the impact on them, use a simple analogy, avoid jargon, give the plan and timeline, and confirm they understood. Follow up in writing for important points.

What do you do when you disagree with your manager's decision?

Ask questions to understand their reasons, share your concern privately with facts and a suggested alternative, and if the decision stands, commit to it fully and professionally.