Meeting Facilitation Training Organizational Communications

Avoiding Bad Habits that Lead to Miscommunication

At the end of the day, the utilization of an excessive number of words which, taken together, convey no very unique meaning, results in wasted time for a high number of individuals on an ongoing basis.

If you had trouble reading this nonsensical, grammatically incorrect sentence, you probably have a tough time making sense of many of the phrases, written or spoken, used with increasing frequency in the business world. With so many teams pressured to perform in less time with fewer resources, the economy, precision and speed of language are more vital than ever. For geographically distributed teams, the use of unclear language tends to compound problems when face-to-face communications are impossible. And when participants have different native languages, vague or confusing terms cloud meanings even further.

In this edition of Communiqué, Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts, Principal of Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts & Associates (www.sherylwrites.com), and I explore typical examples of unclear and ineffective business language. We then offer some practical tips you can use to overcome bad habits that can lead to miscommunication.

(We recognize that consistency in phrasing and usage is desirable and, at times, critical. However, in this piece we were deliberately inconsistent in our use of quotations. In some cases, quotations were needed for readability, while in other cases, we felt that encasing every word in quotations would make reading more difficult. So we struck a middle, albeit inconsistent, middle ground and used quotes here and there.)

  • Avoid pretentious phrases that say nothing. Empty platitudes such as "it is what it is" and "at the end of the day" fall into this category. Ditto for oft-repeated phrases such as best-in-class, world-class and best-in-breed (unless you're writing about the Westminster Dog Show or Pillsbury Bake-off). Hackneyed phrases are used so often that they fail to hold meaning such as out-of-the-box thinking, walking the talk, taking to the next level, socializing an idea, value-add, synergies, and paradigm. Referring to people as "resources" is another example of confusing language, since resources can mean a host of things, including human beings. Why use going forward when you mean in the future or from now on? Why say utilize when you can say use?
  • Get rid of fillers. Many people use empty phrases to stall for time or fill in uncomfortable gaps. Examples: As you know, by the way, that being said (or having said that), in terms of, as you may have heard, and for your information. Another set of common fillers may have unintended consequences that can erode trust: To be honest, frankly, candidly, sincerely, and to tell you the truth. (Does this mean that the speaker is less than truthful at all other times?)
  • Use words and grammar correctly. Written communications are far more prevalent than spoken communications for most virtual teams, whether it's done via email, text, IM, Twitter, Wikis or blogs. Choosing the right words and using correct grammar is crucial. Common transgressions we see often include: The incorrect use of literally, as in "I literally died when I heard the news." The use of irregardless is never correct. And perhaps one of the most ubiquitous trends: The increasing (and usually incorrect) use of nouns as verbs, such as impact (unless it's a dentist discussing wisdom teeth), architect, solution, workshop, mentor, incentive, dialogue, priority, strategy, and leverage. Avoid redundant phrases, such as current status, past history, totally unique, contributing factor, absolutely essential, and separate out.
  • Avoid imprecise language that is confusing and vague. Clarity is especially important when we are referring to communications within the team. For example, when we say "Let's reach out to John," do we mean that we should involve John, seek his approval, make amends, ask him a question, or request a favor? And do we give him a call, pay him a visit, send him an email, or shoot an IM? Similarly, when someone says we need to "circle back" to Anne with our recommendations, does that mean she has the final review, gets another chance for input, or that she is simply copied on our report? When we say we will be "out-of-pocket," do we mean out of contact, unavailable, or away for an extended period? When you ask a colleague to "ping" you, are you asking for a call, email, IM, text, or some sort of electronic reminder? Vague requests can lead to misunderstandings, unrealistic expectations, and often, failed commitments.


Here are some tips to improve the clarity and comprehension of your communications when working as part of a dispersed team:


  • Pare down your prose. Use the fewest number of words to convey your intended meaning, orally or in writing. Here's a "before" example: "Because we have a small shop with limited personnel whose primary purpose is to support the reactor operations and experiments, I recommend we send all major projects to outside shops that have better machines so as not to tie up our machinists for extended periods of time which can be a problem when an emergency job is required." After: "Because of limited space and personnel, I recommend that we outsource all major projects."
  • Remove ambiguity to minimize misunderstandings. The statement: "I'll submit my report on Monday" begs the questions: Which Monday? What time and which time zone? To whom? For what purpose? Eliminate several unnecessary emails by adding precision to your statement: "I will submit my report to the entire team by Monday, June 1, at 9 AM Eastern U.S. time. I need suggestions for edits no later than Friday, June 5, at 3 PM Eastern U.S. time. I will consider all input but may not be able to integrate all suggestions. I will post a final document on our team portal by Monday, June 15, at 5 PM Eastern U.S. time."
  • Be consistent with wording. For example, if you talk about an organization, an enterprise, a company, and a business, do all of these terms refer to different entities? If so, make sure everyone has a shared understanding of the different meanings. If not, agree on one term to describe what you mean and use it consistently. Or if you refer to a "user manual," refrain from also calling it a reference manual, guide or guidelines document. At worst, people may draw the wrong conclusions. At best, you'll waste needless time by answering questions that could have been avoided.
  • Use positive words and phrases instead of negative ones. It is much better to say, "I hope you'll be pleased with the results," than "I hope you won't be disappointed with the results." Or instead of responding "no problem" when someone expresses gratitude (which implies that what they've asked of you could have been problematic), a simple "you're welcome" will strike a more positive chord. And sometimes it's merely a matter of saying what you can and will do, rather than what you can't or won't do. For example, rather than state that you can't process an order until your client pays the full balance, say that once the client has paid the balance in full, you'll be glad to process the order.


According to the National Center on the Evaluation of Quality in the Workplace, employers list communication skills as one of the two leading job competencies that employees must have. (A positive attitude is the other.) Your ability to speak and write clearly and concisely is one of the elements that measure your success, regardless of whether your colleagues, clients and associates work right next door or a continent away. When your primary form of communications must be written, clarity and precision are paramount.

Company News

Managing a Virtual Workforce - lunch and learn sessions now available

Interested in a "lunch and learn" session on vital leadership skills for a virtual workplace? Guided Insights principal, Nancy Settle-Murphy can deliver a tailored version of her popular session, "Managing a Virtual Workforce," from the recent Employers Association of New England management conference. She can deliver it virtually to organizations everywhere or onsite for organizations in Southern New England.

Guided Insights and e-Work.com join forces

Guided Insights and e-Work.com are joining forces to provide complementary learning activities to organizations that want to sharpen their virtual collaboration skills through a variety of learning activities. While Guided Insights delivers interactive real-time webinars, onsite training, virtual facilitation and coaching, e-Work offers leading-edge, interactive web-based solutions that can be taken any time by virtual workers and their managers.

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With travel budgets shrinking, teams that once relied on face-time to get work done now must work remotely. Guided Insights' Bridging the Distance webinar series models best practices for delivering a blended learning solution, while giving participants vital skills, tips and techniques for working successfully in a virtual world, all in a very compressed period of time. Join one of the many companies and organizations who are signing up for our Bridging the Distance webinars, customized for each group of participants. Click for more details or call us at 978.263.2545 or drop us an email to find out more.

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Whether you work as part of a virtual team or a collated group, our Communicating in Times of Change white paper is especially relevant right now. Also see: Collaborating Across Cultures, the first of a three-part series of white papers by Nancy Settle-Murphy that explore how cross-cultural virtual project teams can successfully navigate cultural and geographic differences.

To find out more about Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts and Associates, go to SherylWrites.com.

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