Communication Pitfalls To Avoid

Manager: I need to fire my direct report. They've got serious performance issues. HR: Have you made it clear to your direct report that their job is at risk? Manager: Uh... maybe...? --- If you're in HR, this is an all too familiar conversation. Too often, well-meaning managers struggle to give their reports clear and consistent feedback. And even when they do, they struggle to highlight the severity level of their feedback. It's an understandably frustrating pattern for everyone involved. So how do most companies respond? Double down with more manager trainings, more 1:1 check-ins, more guidelines added to a never-ending manager handbook — all of which attempts to force managers to do their job through brute force and sheer will power. And none of which addresses the underlying issue. If your managers are struggling to give clear and consistent feedback, the solution isn't to keep repeating the same refrain through longer, louder messaging while taking up even more of their non-existent spare time. Instead, explore the underlying issues (i.e. fear of saying the tough thing, limited bandwidth to map out difficult conversations, etc) and provide low lift, easy-to-remember tools to get the job done. At Ethena, we use color coded feedback to make it easier for managers to say the tough thing without having to agonize over their wording. 🟡 Yellow = Nice to have, consider this a stretch opportunity 🟠 Orange = Failure to improve in this area will block you from future increases and promotions 🔴 Red = This is an essential requirement of your role; failure to improve quickly and meaningfully will lead to job loss Why this works so well? 💪 It's low lift and easy to remember. 🔍 The severity level is clear; there's no risk for misinterpretation here. 🧠 It makes managing up super easy. When managers inevitably get a little wishy washy with their feedback (let's face it: No one's perfect), our employees just ask, "So to be clear, is this an orange or a red?" Want more resources for empowering effective feedback and performance management across your company? Check the comments below for some of my favorite tips, tricks, and templates. ⬇️ What are your top tips for enabling manager feedback? #hr #managers #feedback

I’ve killed 50+ ERP rollouts before kickoff. Always for the same 6 reasons. And your vendor will never tell you these. If you're about to start an ERP project, pause. Run this 6-question checklist first. (1) Is your CFO actively leading this project or is IT running the show? If Finance isn't in charge, you're building the wrong thing for the right price. (2) When was the last time your Chart of Accounts was redesigned? If it’s older than your finance manager, you're about to migrate legacy chaos. (3) Are you asking for a “like-for-like” system or rethinking broken workflows? If the goal is to copy-paste the past, why even switch? (4) Is Procurement part of your ERP planning team? No? Who’s mapping landed cost, freight margins, supplier controls? (5) Have you audited your master data before selecting the ERP? Or are you planning a $1M migration with duplicate SKUs and ghost vendors? (6) Did the vendor say, “You can customize that later”? That means they don’t understand your business. At all. If you answered “No” or “Not sure” to even 2 of these, stop the rollout. You’re not ready.

When I first started building my personal brand, I made plenty of mistakes. Looking back, here are the 5 most common ones and how you can avoid them: 1️⃣ Waiting for perfection before posting So many of us hold back because we want everything to be “perfect.” The truth? Progress beats perfection. Just start. 2️⃣ Copying others instead of finding your voice It’s easy to mimic successful creators, but authenticity wins. Your unique perspective is your superpower lean into it. 3️⃣ Ignoring engagement Posting content is only half the battle. Respond to comments, connect with your audience, and build relationships. That’s how personal brands grow. 4️⃣ Focusing only on followers Followers don’t equal impact. Focus on the value you provide, and the right people will follow and stay. 5️⃣ Not tracking results If you’re not measuring what works, you’ll keep guessing. Track your posts, see what resonates, and scale what works. PS : If you’re struggling to get results, grow your audience, or make an impact, I can help you turn things around. Check the featured section for more or reach out directly. #personalbranding

It takes 7 seconds to lose a client's trust. (Sometimes with words that seemed perfectly reasonable.) I've watched smart professionals lose deals they deserved to win. Strong relationships. Perfect fit solutions. Gone in seconds. Because here's what nobody tells you about client conversations: Your words can either open doors or close them. After training 50,000+ client-facing professionals… I've heard every phrase that makes clients pull back. The pushy questions. The tone-deaf assumptions. The pressure that breaks trust instantly. 10 phrases that push clients away: ❌ "Do you have a price range in mind?" ❌ "When can we close this deal?" ❌ "Let me tell you why we're the best." ❌ "Are you ready to buy today?" ❌ "Who else are you talking to?" ❌ "I just wanted to check in.” ❌ "You really need what we offer." ❌ "Let me know if you have any questions." ❌ "This is a limited-time offer." ❌ "Can you introduce me to your boss?" Each one risks sounding like: "I care more about my quota than your success." Now 10 that build partnerships instead: ✅ "What outcomes are most important to you?" ✅ "What would success look like for you?" ✅ "Would it help if I shared how we've helped others?" ✅ "What's your timeline for making progress?" ✅ "What's most important when choosing a partner?" ✅ "I had an idea about your goals. Want to hear it?" ✅ "What challenges are you facing that we might help with?" ✅ "Would it help if we scheduled time to dive deeper?" ✅ "What priorities are driving your timeline?" ✅ "Who else should be part of this conversation?" Notice the pattern? Every better phrase puts the client's agenda first. Not yours. Because when you stop selling and start solving, everything shifts. Clients lean in instead of pulling back. Conversations flow instead of stalling. Trust builds instead of breaking. You don't need a personality transplant. You don't need to become "salesy." You just need to change your questions. Because the truth is: Your next client conversation is either strengthening a partnership or weakening one. Your words decide which. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf

Top 5 mistakes that SLOWED my Instagram growth for 2.5 years – I ADMIT it: growing from 100k to 200k wasn’t as smooth as I’d hoped. There were lessons I had to learn the hard way – mistakes I didn’t even realize I was making. But each one taught me something invaluable. Here’s what I learned (and what I’m still working on): 📌 Consistency over quality (unfortunately) We all want to put out high-quality content, but visibility wins in this world of short-form content. When you’re inconsistent, people forget. A long break would undo the momentum even when I had great content. Consistency builds trust and keeps you on people’s radar. 📌 Listening to my audience I used to experiment a lot: storytelling one week, pure education the next. But I was shooting in the dark without really listening to what my audience responded to. Now I’ve learned that they’re telling me what they want through their comments, DMs, and shares – I just need to listen. 📌 Opening up about my life I’m a private person and for a long time, I kept my personal life off the table. But the reality is that people connect with people, not brands. Sharing small things like my skill of the month or my current favorite book has helped others relate to me as a person, not just a creator. 📌 Engaging back It’s easy to post and move on, but the real community is built in the DMs and the comments. Responding, hosting Q&As, and staying active in stories have been a game changer. I’m not perfect at it yet, but the feedback I get makes it worth it every time. 📌 Collaborating authentically I used to feel that collaborations had to be with close friends to be authentic. But the truth is, that collaborations help you expand your reach and build a community. It’s not about showing off; it’s about learning and sharing. Real friendships can lead to real impact online. These were my blind spots.  They cost me time but they also led to growth in other ways. Right now, my journey isn’t just about numbers; it’s about self-discovery and creating content that truly resonates. Let me know in the comments if you want me to share more of such an analysis of my social media journey! #drishtiispeaks #socialmedia #instagram #growth #content #creator

Sustainability Communications Paradox 🌍 This insightful diagram from Gartner shows how sustainability communication can erode trust and have negative effects when done incorrectly. Many organizations believe that sustainability stories automatically strengthen their reputation. Yet, when messages are exaggerated, vague, or overly technical, they often produce the opposite effect. The paradox lies in the gap between what companies think people hear and what audiences actually receive. Executives expect a brand halo, but consumers frequently respond with skepticism. When communication lacks clarity, humility, or evidence, it triggers cynicism rather than engagement. Consumers begin to doubt intentions, question credibility, or simply tune out repeated messages. This gap often stems from poor messaging controls, the absence of a rigorous process that ensures consistency, accuracy, and accessibility in sustainability communication. Overhyped claims, insufficient transparency, and lack of authenticity feed into a perception that sustainability is being used as marketing rather than management. Once this perception takes root, even legitimate progress can lose credibility, and positive actions fail to generate the trust they deserve. The central message here is the need to communicate sustainability with authenticity. That means showing the good and the bad, acknowledging challenges as openly as successes. It also means ensuring that communication is accessible, free of jargon, and grounded in science. Complex data should be simplified without losing rigor or honesty. True transparency builds resilience. When audiences see that an organization reports with honesty, they are more likely to give it the benefit of the doubt when setbacks occur. Ultimately, effective sustainability communication is not a marketing exercise but a trust building process, one that connects facts, progress, and purpose with integrity. Done well, it strengthens both brand credibility and societal impact. Done poorly, it widens the trust gap this Gartner paradox warns us about. #sustainability #business #sustainable #esg

The most common mistakes I see brands making on social media? It’s not the algorithm. It’s not “failing to post at peak times” It’s usually down to one (or more!) of these things instead… 1. No real people in the content → Your grid looks polished but lifeless. → There are no faces, no humans, no *story*. → People connect with people. If your content feels cold, it’ll get scrolled past. 2. Posting without a purpose → Just posting to tick a box? That’s no bueno! → Every post should serve a purpose: build awareness, educate, engage, convert, or inspire. → Random content = random results. 3. Talking at people, not with them → If there’s no question, no prompt, no invitation to engage… don’t be surprised when no one replies. → Conversation is what builds connection. 4. Posting & ghosting → Engagement is a two-way street. → Reply to comments. Respond to DMs. Be part of the platform. 5. Waiting for things to be “perfect” → You don’t need the perfect reel, caption, grid, or trending audio. → You need to be consistent, clear, and human. → Stop stalling and start showing up. 6. Hiding behind a logo → There’s no voice, no personality, no brand character. → If I can’t tell the difference between your content and a stock post, it’s not doing the job. → Stand for something. Show some spark. ✨ 7. Creating in a vacuum → You’re not listening to your audience. → You’re not checking what content worked before. → You’re not repurposing your top posts or learning from what sparked conversation. I say all of this with love 😁💕 When you know what’s not working, you can turn your attention to what DOES. Remember, The best content isn’t the most polished… it’s the most intentional. It’s real, relevant, and rooted in what your audience actually cares about. And when you combine value, personality, and consistency? That’s when your content starts to *connect* and your brand starts to grow. ✨ Hey, I’m Jess 👋🏼 I share tips and advice on how to build your best social content and strategies! Hit ‘follow’ to keep up to date! ♻️ Found this post helpful? Hit that repost button to help others 😊

Nobody tells you this about enterprise sales The biggest deals are lost in the first 5 minutes. Not because of your pitch. Not because of your price. Not because of your product. But because of the language you use. Here's what I discovered after analyzing 1000+ sales calls: The higher the deal value, the simpler the language needed to win. Example: $5K deal (Lost) Rep: "Our value proposition addresses critical pain points in your tech stack integration, offering seamless scalability..." $50K deal (Won) Rep: "We help companies stop losing customers due to slow website loading times." See the difference? I tested this with a struggling SaaS team: Before: Complex sales language - 22% close rate - 108-day sales cycle - $127K average deal After: Plain English only - 41% close rate - 71-day sales cycle - $198K average deal Simple change. Massive impact. The truth is, every exec can smell rehearsed "sales talk" from miles away. Want to close bigger deals? Drop these phrases: - "Value proposition" → Say how you help - "Pain points" → Say what problems you solve - "ROI analysis" → Say how much money they'll make - "Scalable solution" → Say how you grow with them - "Best-in-class" → Say why you're better Top performers don't sound like salespeople. They sound like trusted advisors who happen to sell. Start talking like a human. Watch your deals grow. What's the worst sales jargon you've heard lately? P.S. If you need help with your sales, send me a message Let's talk about finding your breakthrough strategy

Listen up. I’ve coached thousands of sales calls and most reps sabotage their own deals without realizing it. When I started in 2007, I nearly got fired for not understanding how language impacts buyer psychology. Now, after helping teams double revenue in 90 days, I can spot the hidden mistakes instantly. You're probably killing your win rate with these “harmless” phrases. Here are 6 phrases that are absolutely DESTROYING your deals (and what to say instead): 1) "Sorry to bother you..." Starting with an apology tells the prospect, “I’m not worth your time.” You’ve lost before you’ve begun. Top 1% performers NEVER apologize for delivering value. They command attention through absolute certainty. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Hey Alice, Marcus here from Venli. I'm reaching out because we helped Company X increase their pipeline by 37% last quarter, and I noticed your team might be facing similar challenges..." 2) "Just following up..." This lazy phrase screams, “I’ve got nothing to offer, but want your money.” Total momentum killer. Elite reps are wildly precise with their words and always reference specific commitments made in previous conversations. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Alice, you mentioned you were going to discuss our proposal with Charles during your leadership meeting yesterday. I'm curious … what feedback did you receive that we should address?" 3) "I know you're really busy..." Say this, and you’ve just made yourself irrelevant. Game over. Remember: YOUR time matters. Top performers signal status through subtle positioning every time. ✅ POWER MOVE: "I was just wrapping up a strategy session with Lisa, the CEO over at Company X, and wanted to quickly connect about next steps before my afternoon gets packed..." 4) "What are the next steps?" This signals poor process control - no system, no playbook, no real method. The sales machines I build don’t ask for direction - they GIVE it. They own the process. ✅ POWER MOVE: "Based on what we've discussed, here's what typically happens next: First, we'll schedule a technical review with your team for next Tuesday. Then, we'll deliver a customized implementation plan by Friday. How does that sound?" 5) "To be honest..." Wait, Wait... so everything before this wasn’t true? Nothing kills credibility faster. When I turn around failing sales teams, eliminating this phrase is always one of the first habits we break. ✅ POWER MOVE: "That's an excellent question, Alice. Here's exactly how our solution addresses that challenge..." 6) "What do I have to do to get your business?" Is this 1988? This pushy close screams desperation and kills trust instantly. The best reps I've coached understand that closing isn't an event. It's the natural outcome of a well-executed sales process. ✅ POWER MOVE: "It seems like you're hesitating about X. I'm curious … what specific concerns do you have that we haven't fully addressed yet?" Which of these six phrases have YOU been using without realizing it? 

As a recruiter, I hear complaints from unhappy employees... ALL THE TIME. Fact: 79% of employees quit... Because they feel unappreciated. Sometimes, it’s not what you do, it’s what you say that drives them away. Want to keep your team happy and motivated? Avoid these 7 phrases at all costs: 1. Don’t Say: "That’s not my problem." 🔴 Translation: "I don’t care about your struggles." 👉 Instead: "How can I support you with this?" ✅ Show empathy. Even if it’s not directly your issue, help them find solutions. 2. Don’t Say: "You’re lucky to have a job." 🔴 Translation: "You’re replaceable." 👉 Instead: "I appreciate the hard work you’re putting in." ✅ Gratitude breeds loyalty, not guilt trips. 3. Don’t Say: "Figure it out yourself." 🔴 Translation: "I’m not here to help." 👉 Instead: "Let’s brainstorm solutions together." ✅ Be a guide, not a wall. Empower them without leaving them stranded. 4. Don’t Say: "Why are you still struggling with this?" 🔴 Translation: "You’re incompetent." 👉 Instead: "What can we do to help you improve?" ✅ Create a safe space for growth, not shame. 5. Don’t Say: "Because I said so." 🔴 Translation: "Your opinions don’t matter." 👉 Instead: "Here’s the reasoning behind this decision." ✅ Transparency fosters trust and mutual respect. 6. Don’t Say: "I don’t have time for this." 🔴 Translation: "You’re not worth my time." 👉 Instead: "Can we schedule time to discuss this later?" ✅ Balance your priorities without dismissing theirs. 7. Don’t Say: "We’ve always done it this way." 🔴 Translation: "Innovation isn’t welcome here." 👉 Instead: "Let’s explore new ideas and see what works." ✅ Encourage creativity and adaptability—it’s how great companies grow. Final Word: Employees don’t leave jobs, they leave bad bosses. Don’t let careless words ruin your leadership. A little empathy goes a long way. Tell me! What’s the WORST thing you’ve heard a manager say? 👇 Share below and let’s learn together! ♻️ Repost to help leaders get better. And follow Shulin Lee for more. P.S. I’ve caught myself saying a couple of these... P.P.S. Still a work in progress, and always will be. 🙏