Communication Coaching for Engineering and Technical Teams
Reduce friction, strengthen team dynamics, and retain your top performers
Communication Problems Don’t Always Look Like Communication Problems
Sometimes it shows up as missed expectations.
Sometimes it looks like meetings that go nowhere.
Sometimes it feels like people are working hard but not quite pulling in the same direction.
What’s really happening is that everyone on the team communicates, processes information, and approaches work differently.
When those differences aren’t understood or managed well, progress slows down, even with a talented team.
Up to 70% of workplace mistakes are linked to miscommunication, and in engineering environments, those mistakes can be costly.
A strengths-based approach to communication gives teams a shared language for how they think, solve problems, and lead. When people understand both their strengths and how they naturally communicate, collaboration becomes clearer, meetings become more productive, and alignment becomes sustainable.
Hey there!
I’m Sarah Elkins, Chief Storymaker and Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) Coach.
For over seven years, I’ve helped professional teams reduce conflict and improve performance by uncovering their unique Communication Operating System through Strengths + Story.
When teams understand how they’re wired to think, communicate, and contribute, friction decreases and performance increases.
Here’s what that means for your team:
Stronger team dynamics that help retain top performers
Fewer misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict
Current employees become better ambassadors, making your organization an employer of choice
Greater self-awareness and confidence in how each team member contributes
More focused energy and improved team performance
Less wasted time and lost revenue caused by miscommunication
How We Can Work Together
CliftonStrengths Coaching
My Signature Service
Through strengths-based coaching and storytelling, your team uncovers its Communication Operating System — a practical framework for working better together.
Workshops + Courses
Practical, strengths-based programs that build confidence, improve communication, and support career growth at every stage — from public speaking to job interviews and beyond.
Speaking
Thought-provoking keynotes that challenge how audiences think about communication, leadership, and the stories that shape their impact.
I specialize in working with engineering and technical teams. My signature approach also supports professionals and organizations across a wide range of industries who want to communicate more effectively together.
Not sure where to begin?
If you're building or strengthening a team, start with CliftonStrengths Coaching. If you're refining your own communication skills, explore Workshops + Courses. And if you're planning an event, visit my Speaking page.
What Clients Are Saying
“Working with Sarah to implement StrengthsFinder as a resource for our team was a fantastic business decision … We are able to draw from a common language around the best of ourselves to do our work.”
“Sarah’s Get the Offer! Job Interview Storytelling course breaks the interview process into clear, manageable steps and provides practical tools for preparing thoughtful, compelling responses. I walked away feeling far more confident and prepared for my next interview.
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“Sarah delivered a memorable presentation at the Four Corners Professional Women’s Summit through her engaging storytelling and contagious energy. Her message challenged attendees to rethink how the stories we tell shape our perspective and impact. She was also one of the most organized and responsive speakers I’ve worked with when planning a professional event.
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Ready to strengthen how you communicate, collaborate, and lead?
Storytelling in Action
What if the stories we share could actually bring people closer together?
Guess what? They can!
In my recent TEDx talk, I share how personal stories help build trust, connect us across differences, and create space for more meaningful conversations — even around difficult topics.
The Power of Storytelling at Work
My DisruptHR talk gives a brief look at how storytelling shapes communication, influence, and impact at work. Give it a watch — it’s only five minutes, and packed with insight.
Your Stories Don’t Define You
How You Tell Them Will
The Podcast
A podcast about transformation, growth, and the stories that shape how we see ourselves and how others experience us. Through personal reflections and conversations with guests, I explore pivotal moments that spark insight, shift perspectives, and open new ways of telling our stories at work and in life.
When was the last time you took a moment to truly acknowledge just how far you've come and the work you have done to get to this point? No exceptions, no talking down about your accomplishments, just true and genuine acceptance of how amazing you are because of how hard you have worked. Perfection is impossible, but Excellence is achievable. We can always improve, but we must also acknowledge and sit with how well we have done to get to this moment.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Anne Catherine discuss the importance of art and the soul, the necessity of knowing when we are truly excellent, and to encourage it in others and ourselves.
Being present for those in your life can be a difficult matter at times, yes we can be in the same room as them, but it is far more meaningful to be there for them emotionally which can triple the difficulty of a situation. Which is why it is important to take a step back and to take stock of your emotions before responding, so that you can be your best self and not one that lectures or reacts with anger.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Phil Friedman discuss the importance of patience, empathy, and seeking one’s one fulfillment in life that is not tied to a career nor who we associate ourselves with.
Our stories are woven into our very being, they are what make us who we are and how we show others who we are and what we are the best at.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins discusses the many iterations of her business, her newest book, and the power that lies in the art of storytelling.
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Sarah performing with Rocket to Uranus