Most people think they personally do a great job of communicating, but complain that their peers and managers are lousy at conveying what they mean.

The usual suspects include the boss who never shares enough information, or shares too much; the manager who barks orders endlessly, or doesn’t give enough guidance on what subordinate staffers should be doing; John from accounting, who goes on and on without getting to the point; Mary Ann in sales, who sends seven emails instead of picking up the phone just once.

The truth is that most of us can improve our workplace effectiveness exponentially by becoming better communicators on the job. Here are some of the most common mistakes we make at work and how to fix them:

1. We don’t ask for help in a smart way.

No one knows everything. At some point, everyone needs help with a project or task. But fear of looking helpless or uninformed often precludes us from asking for and getting the help we need.

An employee who asks for help in a smart way, however, demonstrates that he or she is thoughtful and has good judgment. If you’re given an assignment that you do not know how to handle, ask your boss to provide some good, ideally recent, examples of similar assignments that were well done or request a recommendation of someone to speak to who may be able to help. The goal is to position yourself for success by getting the resources and guidance you need up front.

If there are no resources available, then offer to put your initial thoughts down on paper, and come back to your manager with a first draft or an outline. Get your manager invested in the process early on, and make sure you have his OK on your approach before going down the wrong path. You’ll avoid wasted time and energy by making sure you and your boss are on the same page from the get-go.

2. We don’t communicate our expectations clearly.

A group of young managers was recently asked if their subordinates knew how often their managers wanted to hear from them. One manager replied that she liked to hear from one of her analysts daily (because she was new and needed guidance regularly) and from her other analysts on an as-needed basis when they had questions to ask or milestones to share.

The manager was then asked if her analysts knew which group they fell into. She sheepishly admitted that, no, her analysts probably did not know. How are your employees supposed to meet and exceed your expectations if they don’t know what those expectations are? Whether it's timing or deadlines, information you want included in a report or the key outcomes you’re hoping to see in a strategic review, the same thing holds true: If you don’t tell employees exactly what you’re looking for, you’re not likely to get it. The quick and easy fix is to tell staffers what you want and when you want it. If you are a junior employee, ask pointed questions to make sure you fully understand what is expected of you.