The [un]common stuff that lives between strategy and execution, that teams don’t talk about.
Your first read every Wednesday morning, meant to be applied and forwarded.
In the spirit of Halloween, here are 10 phrases that might send a small shiver through your team:
- We need more accountability.
- We’ve got some big changes coming up.
- We’re going to be implementing more AI.
- We’ve got some BIG ideas.
- We’re moving to a performance culture.
- Can we jump on a call for a quick chat?
- We’d love your feedback.
- We’re going to need to do more with less.
- We need everyone to be more agile.
- We’re looking for efficiencies.
People don’t hear these phrases in a vacuum. They bring their own experience, history, assumptions, and concerns into the room with them.
If you need people to execute on something significant, finish the sentence.
We need more accountability becomes:
We need clearer accountability on this work. We’re going to define who owns the decision, what they’re responsible for, and what good looks like so people aren’t guessing.
We’ve got some big changes coming becomes:
We’re making changes to X so we can accomplish Y. A, B and C are staying the same. Here’s what we know today, what we’re still working through, and when you’ll hear from us again.
We’re implementing more AI becomes:
We’re introducing AI into these parts of the work to reduce time spent on X. Here’s where we still need human judgement, what we expect roles to look like, and what support people will have as the work changes.
We’ve got some BIG ideas becomes:
We’re exploring a few ideas right now. Here’s what we’re testing, what hasn’t been decided, and when we expect to know more.
We’re moving to a performance culture becomes:
We’re raising the standard in these areas. Here’s what strong performance looks like, how we’ll measure it, and where people will get support to meet it.
Can we jump on a call for a quick chat? becomes:
Can we grab 15 minutes to talk about X? I’d like your perspective on Y. Nothing to prepare.
We’d love your feedback becomes:
We’d like your input on X before we finalize it on [date]. Here’s what’s still open to change and what’s already decided. By [date], we’ll share what we heard and what we did with it.
People stop giving feedback when it disappears. Closing the loop is what earns you the next round.
We’re going to need to do more with less becomes:
We have less capacity, so we’re narrowing our priorities. Here’s what stays, what slows down, and what we’re stopping.
That last part matters. You don’t create capacity by adding another priority to an already full list.
We need this team to be more agile becomes:
We need faster decisions in these areas, with fewer approvals and more ownership closer to the work. Here’s where decision-making is changing and what people now have permission to move on.
We’re looking for efficiencies becomes:
We’re reviewing X and Y to reduce duplication and unnecessary work. Here’s what’s in scope, what isn’t, and when we’ll know what changes.
You won’t always have every answer. Sometimes the most accurate thing you have to say is, “We haven’t decided yet.” That’s useful too, as long as people know what has been decided, what remains open, and when they should expect to hear more.
The words we use create expectations long before the change itself arrives. Accountability makes people wonder how they’ll be judged, and AI makes them wonder what happens to their role. Efficiency raises the question of what might disappear, while a request for feedback makes people wonder whether anything will come of it this time.
If you leave those questions hanging, people will fill in the blanks with whatever experience they already have.
Before you use one of these phrases, give it another sentence.
- What does this mean for the people doing the work?
- What changes?
- What stays the same?
- What do we know today?
- What happens next?
You might still be asking people to do something difficult. Clearer language gives them a better idea of what they’re being asked to move toward.
This year, our focus with teams has been helping them move better together, communicate more effectively, and build their leadership bench.
If that sounds like what you need, here are 3 ways to work with us in Q4 and into 2027:
- Plan 2027 with your leadership team through a facilitated offsite or planning session.
- Take our S.P.A.R.K. Assessment to see how your team works together and communicates.
- Give your managers the tools they need to succeed with our hallmark leadership program (with more than 2000 leaders having gone through it!)
Book a 20-minute call here and we’ll figure out which one fits.
Talk soon,
Kendra
P.S. Which one made you laugh because you’ve heard it before? Hit reply. I have a feeling #6 has some stories behind it.
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