The Two Jobs of Communication: Anesthesia vs. Clarity

The Dual Job of Communication

Most MSPs operate with the best of intentions when it comes to communication. We want our clients to feel supported, and we want our teams to stay perfectly informed. Because of this, our default instinct is usually to simply communicate more.

But communication is not a one-size-fits-all tool. In fact, it actually performs two completely different jobs depending on who is receiving the message.

When you blend those two jobs together, or apply the exact same communication style to everyone across the board, it stops being helpful and starts causing friction.

This is why we enforce Rule #9: We Always Have Quality Communications.

In service delivery, quality doesn't mean volume. Quality means delivering the right message, with the right purpose, to the right audience.

Externally, Communication is Anesthesia

When dealing with a client, the primary goal of an update is not to transfer data. It is to manage their anxiety.

Think of it like anesthesia. A surgeon doesn’t wake a patient up mid-operation to explain the mechanics of a scalpel. They administer exactly enough anesthesia to keep the patient calm, remove potential panic, and allow the necessary work to happen safely.

Client communication works the exact same way. The dose matters.

If you under-communicate, the pain of uncertainty spikes. The client thrashes. They start calling the service desk, demanding updates, and escalating their issue because silence feels dangerous.

But if you over-communicate – giving them granular details on every minor internal routing change – you create an entirely new set of risks. The client becomes numb to your messages, or worse, they start trying to micromanage a process they don't fully understand. You aren't building trust by over-communicating; you are just training them to watch your every move.

Clients don’t actually want a window into your workflow. They just want the psychological comfort of knowing an expert has the wheel and the problem is being handled. They want confidence that nothing important is being ignored or overlooked. For your clients, quality communication means managing the emotion, not the technical visibility.

Internally, Communication is Clarity

Inside your walls, communication serves a completely different purpose. Internal communication is not about soothing feelings; it exists to eliminate ambiguity and create clarity. But when internal updates are vague, excessive, or unstructured, they create the exact opposite.

Technicians get interrupted by information that doesn't change their next action. Service coordinators drown in updates that do nothing to resolve their uncertainty. Meanwhile, leadership looks at the sheer volume of chatter and believes everyone is "informed," completely missing the fact that no one is actually aligned.

This is where service delivery breaks down.

MSPs have a habit of broadcasting constantly, copying widely, and messaging reflexively "just to be safe." What they are actually creating is noise, and noise is never neutral – it actively hides the signal. When everything is urgent, nothing is. When everyone is informed, no one is accountable.

The WINS Connection

Quality communication fixes this by becoming strictly action-oriented.

An internal update should do one of two things: tell someone exactly what they need to do (what matters most right now), or state exactly what condition must be met before a ticket can move forward.

This rule binds directly to WINS (What Is Next Step). If the next step isn't crystal clear, your communication never will be. If an internal note doesn't clarify that next action, it isn't an update, it is just adding to the noise. And this is where tickets stall.

Finding the Balance

Delivering quality communication means tailoring the message to the audience.

Externally, keep it emotion-oriented. Your updates should reduce the client's uncertainty. They should log off feeling calmer, not burdened with technical jargon.

Internally, keep it action-oriented. Your updates should explicitly dictate what needs to happen next, or what condition is blocking progress.

When you finally establish a standard of quality communication, the results are undeniable. Clients stop escalating out of fear because their trust in your control has compounded. Technicians stop interrupting each other to seek updates because the handoffs are crystal clear.

Stop confusing volume with value. The moment you commit to true quality communication, you trade chaos for control, giving your clients the peace of mind they crave, and your team the exact clarity they need to execute.

Get the Full Framework

This rule is just one part of a larger system. If you are tired of "controlled chaos" and want to see the full system I use to fix service operations, grab my FREE Info Guide. It’s a fast, no-fluff checklist of the non-negotiable rules for tickets, time, and handoffs.

Download the 10 Golden Rules of PSA

_{Image generated using Envato}