Tips for Overcoming Communication Blunders

Communication is tricky—our words pass through layers of emotions, tone, and assumptions before reaching other people's ears. What we say in our heads often comes out differently in conversation....causing havoc! The slightest misstep in tone or choice of words can completely change the meaning of what we’re trying to say. And this can trigger a negative response in the people around us. This is a BIG problem when it comes to organizations and teamwork. According to Gallup and other studies, miscommunication is a huge source of conflict and inefficiency. However, companies don't have to put up with this problem....not if they invest in developing emotional intelligence (EQ) skills. EQ prevents miscommunication-induced conflict in many ways- as speakers and listeners. First, it helps us recognize and manage our own emotions, allowing us to stay calm and composed even in challenging conversations, which reduces the likelihood of reactive, unclear communication. Second, it enhances our ability to empathize with others, enabling us to better understand their perspectives and respond in ways that are more likely to be received positively. One of the things I've noticed in my EQ coaching sessions is that people's communication skills improve when they realize that effective communication is not just about clarity; it's also about empathy. It's about understanding that your message lives in the mind of the listener, and that your job is to make sure it arrives there intact, not distorted by misinterpretation or confusion. Some tips I give my clients: 👉 Next time you are speaking with someone, ask yourself if you are sure that what you said is what was heard? 👉 Take a step back and reflect on how others might be perceiving your words. 👉 Then, decide if you need to clarify, check-in or adapt your approach. This shift in perspective—from thinking about what you're saying to thinking about how it's being received—can transform your interactions and help you build stronger, more meaningful connections 🚀 Image source: https://lnkd.in/e7H6MEfR #communciationskills #communication #emotionalintelligence #miscommunication #learninganddevelopment

If you think overcommunication is annoying, wait until you have to redo your work because of a simple misunderstanding. Guess which one is worse. As an entry-level engineer, you might feel that overcommunication is unnecessary. You might think, "This could be straightforward, why bother bringing it up?" But here’s the truth: overcommunication can save you time and effort. I learned this the hard way. 💬 I was working on a ticket and followed its description to the letter. I shared my approach during the team standup, got inputs, and started implementing. Everything seemed fine. But as I was close to completing it, I realized the planned outcome wasn’t possible. When I raised this, my manager stepped in and explained that we needed a completely different approach. It turned out she wasn't in the standup where I shared my plan. I assumed approval from the team was enough, but in hindsight, a quick confirmation from my manager could have saved me a lot of rework. This wasn’t a high-priority task, so there was no major impact. But it taught me that overcommunicating isn’t a burden, it’s a safety net. ✅ Takeaway: How to avoid this situation in the future 💡 Use Team Channels. If you’ve shared your approach verbally, follow up in the team’s messaging channel. Write something like: “Here’s how I’m planning to approach Ticket #123. Please let me know if there’s anything I should reconsider or if this doesn’t align with expectations.” 💡 Document Assumptions. When you’re not 100% sure about something, spell it out. This invites corrections early. 💡 Confirm with Stakeholders. If someone wasn’t part of the discussion, proactively loop them in with a summary. 💡 Don’t Be Shy. Remember, you’re not being annoying, you’re ensuring success for the entire team.

Are your communication habits costing you influence and connection at work? One of my clients was technically brilliant and delivered great results. But she struggled with something that was holding her back from her full potential. Getting affected by other people's moods meant her own mood would dampen. Miscommunication led to misunderstandings and wasted time within her team.  Feeling insecure, made her act distant and unable to make real connections with colleagues. From a CEO's perspective, this looked like someone with limited executive presence who might not be ready for greater responsibility. Someone who creates confusion rather than clarity. Someone who might struggle with clients, stakeholders, or high-pressure situations. She could see exactly how this was limiting her career growth, but felt completely stuck on how to change these deeply ingrained patterns. If this resonates with you, here’s how to start your own transformation: First, create the foundation through self-awareness and self-management: 1. Get honest about what truly motivates you. Ask yourself: "What actually gets me out of bed excited?" "What drains my energy?" “What’s important to me?” Owning your authentic drivers helps you perform better but also show up more genuinely. 2. Know your limiting beliefs and emotional reactions. Pay attention to that voice in your head during conversations. Is it criticizing, second-guessing, or creating stories? Quieten that voice down (simply tell it to shut the f*%k up), then focus your attention on the conversation. Next, build better communication skills on that foundation using curiosity: 3. Get curious about their perspective. Instead of preparing your response while they speak, ask yourself: "What's behind their opinion? What experiences might have shaped this view?" This shift helps you truly listen rather than just wait for your turn to talk. 4. Get curious about what might be at play. Look beyond the surface conversation and wonder: "What pressures might they be under? What's driving this reaction?" This helps you respond to the real issue, not just the words being said. 5. Get curious about the person in front of you. Notice their energy, body language, and tone. Ask yourself: "What do they need right now? How are they really feeling?" This genuine interest in them as a person creates deeper connection and trust.   Back to my client: The breakthrough came when she stopped fighting who she was and started embracing it. Today, she's more relaxed, sets clear boundaries, communicates directly, and tunes into others' needs effectively. The result? Meetings that used to drag on with confusion now end with clarity and positive momentum. Her team respects her more. And leadership now sees her as someone ready for bigger challenges. What tips do you have for more effective communication? ***** Hi, I’m Ilse. I support ambitious and sensitive senior female leaders who are tired of getting into their own way. 📆 20/8/25

“what the hell are you talking about?” ... is what my team should have asked me But turns out… they were just too polite to say it. No one pushed back. No one complained. No visible tension. So naturally… I assumed I was a genius. I was not. I was confusing silence for alignment. And that was just the beginning. Here are the 7 communication mistakes I made as a founder, leader, and marketer… The kind that quietly kill momentum ... until things start breaking. Steal them. Use them. Or ignore them… and pay for it later. 1. Mistaking Silence for Alignment No pushback ≠ understanding. Ask better questions: ➡️ “What’s your next move?” ➡️ “What did you take away from this?” Not: “Is that clear?” 2. Task Talk Overload Tactical talk feels productive… But if you never zoom out, your team just checks boxes — they don’t think. Start with the why. Then move to the what. 3. The “I Already Said It” Trap If you said it once, assume they forgot it twice. Clarity isn’t a one-time event — it’s a loop. 4. Weak Feedback = Weak Culture Don’t wait for a meltdown. Strong culture is built on regular, calm, specific feedback. A 10-second nudge beats a 2-week fallout. 5. Confusing Responsibility with Ownership Responsibility = It’s your job. Ownership = You treat it like your business. Want that mindset? Say this: “This is yours. Make decisions like I’m not in the room.” 6. Vague Language = Vague Results Don’t say “make it better.” Say “make it 30% shorter, remove the fluff, and deliver by Friday.” If you’re not specific, don’t expect excellence. 7. Underestimating Communication as a Leadership Tool You don’t just share strategy. You shape how it’s understood. And if your team doesn’t “get it”… It’s not on them. It’s on you. ✅ My actual communication checklist I use every week: Did I repeat key messages at least 3x (different formats)? Did I ask them to reflect back next steps? Did I give quick and specific feedback this week? Did I talk about strategy at least once for every 5 tactical convos? Have I made it safe to ask “dumb” questions? Did I define what “great” actually looks like? Save this. Screenshot it. Use it before your next team meeting. Leadership isn’t about how much you say. It’s about how clearly your message lands. Drop your #1 communication lesson in the comments. One small shift in how you say something... can change everything about how your team shows up. Who am I? Hey. I’m Peter Murphy Lewis. I scaled a company to hundreds of thousands of customers across four cities… and sold it. Now I lead a 15-person marketing team helping CEOs get clear on their messaging — and grow faster. Some call me a Fractional CMO. Others just call me when the marketing’s stuck and the scoreboard isn’t moving.

I used to do this one thing before difficult conversations but it did not help I believed in - Rehearsing possible responses - Playing out worst-case scenarios - Micromanaging every potential reaction Here's the real game: It's not about perfect answers. It's about perfect presence. Because the truth is no amount of preparation can: ↳ Perfectly predict the other person’s response ↳ Control their emotions ↳ Script every possible outcome Instead, before entering a difficult conversation, prepare your mindset to: a) Stay grounded when triggered b) Keep breathing when tense c) Return to center when pushed This is what I do before tough talks: 1) 2-minute breathing exercise The 1-4-2 technique can be a good starter. This helps you think with a sane mind 2) Write down 1 main point This should be how you feel and what you want to do moving forward. The rest develops with the conversation 3) Set intention to listen fully The only way a difficult conversation can be eased is when you listen enough. You don’t need to be on mute. Ask clarifying questions and acknowledge the feelings of the other person to listen better 4) Carry a solution-oriented mindset We feel everyone loves difficult conversation. But it’s as hard for them as it is for you. Having a solution-oriented mindset you ensure that you work things out for the good It may sound easier when said But doing this saves relationships #difficultconversations #relationshipbuilding #personaldevelopment #softskills #communicationskills LinkedIn Guide to Creating LinkedIn for Learning LinkedIn Talent Solutions LinkedIn News India

I had an interview last week, and at one point I was stumbling over all of my words. I kept trying to say what I wanted to say, and it wouldn't come out right at all. In that moment my nerves had fully taken over, and the fact that I couldn't continue meant they were only getting worse. In the past I would have continued to try and move on, but I know nowadays that that only makes me more stressed and flustered. In that moment all I was thinking about was 'oh no the interviewer is going to write me off because I'm not delivering this perfectly'. The reality is we all mess up from time to time, whether in an interview, meetings or public speaking. Interviewers are human beings and so are you. Nerves happen. As a hiring manager myself, I know it's not a big deal if you stumble a bit. The main thing is that you can get yourself back on track. We want to know you can sit in front of clients or stakeholders alone and be OK. Nerves happen, whatever your experience or seniority. It's how you deal with them that's important. I know it's the most obvious advice ever. But breathing really changes everything. 1. Stop trying to speak. 2. Take a deep breath (your tummy should be expanding) 3. Relax your shoulders and chest. 4. Clear your throat or pause. 5. Repeat until you feel calm. Only then should you give it another go. You don't need to apologise. You don't need to ask for time. Just carry on. People will forget all about it once you get going again. 💜 I share my thoughts on building great design teams and culture and how to be yourself at work. Give me a follow at Kristof Hamilton if you'd like to hear more.

This week I had 2 difficult conversations with clients that did not go as expected. One was owning up to a mistake we had made. Another was talking through our proposed fees which came in higher than they had expected. Both were impromptu calls. Both were conversations I did not want to have. I went into both expecting the worst. But they were anything but bad. The first conversation I owned the mistake upfront. No dancing around the issue, straight to the point. The call lasted 20 minutes, 17 of those minutes were catching up about personal lives once the mistake was corrected. The second conversation I talked through how we got to our fee and why it differed significantly from a very similar project we had executed a few years prior. I went into the call wanting to know how best to present all of the facts and circumstances to the group making the decision. I left with an opportunity to expand the scope of the original project. It was a great reminder that: 1. When having to deliver bad news, don't beat around the bush. Get straight to the issue at hand. People know when you're hiding something. 2. Pick up the dang phone and call the other person. It's crazy how quickly issues get resolved with a single phone call. 3. Always be building trust and depositing chips into the relationship bucket so you can cash those in when a mistake happens. And mistakes will happen. Remember, the other person is a human being. They understand mistakes happen and appreciate when you take responsibility for those mistakes.

Here's why your words aren't as compelling as you think. And how to improve in 8 small ways. I've worked with a lot of executives who have great expertise and the track record to match, but when it comes to communicating with others, their presence feels off. Sometimes they're so polished that their message doesn't feel authentic. Or their nerves get the best of them, so they try to fill every moment of silence. There are ways to overcome all these barriers. Here are 8 situations where small shifts in how you speak can change how you're heard: 1️⃣ When You're Speaking in a Meeting Don't: Speak quickly or rush to fill silence. Instead: Pause, breathe, and let the silence create space for thought. 2️⃣ When You're Explaining Something Don't say: "To give you the full context..." Try: "In short..." 3️⃣ When the Room Feels Tense Don't: Ignore what everyone's thinking but no one's saying. Try: "It sounds like what's really on everyone's mind is..." 4️⃣ When You're Describing Your Work Don't say: "Our synergistic approach drives scalable optimization." Try: "We help teams work better together." 5️⃣ When You're Disagreeing or Redirecting Don't say: "I understand your point, but..." Try: "I see your point, and here's another angle..." 6️⃣ When You're Reaching Out Don't say: "I just wanted to check if you had a minute..." Try: "Do you have a moment to discuss something important?" 8️⃣ When You're Wrapping Up a Point Don't say: "Does that make sense?" Try: Staying quiet. Let them respond if they need clarity. 9️⃣ When You're Asking for Feedback Don't say: "Is this okay?" Try: "Let me know where this could be stronger." How you speak can increase your credibility...or cost you big time. When you recognize what habits you need to change, you can gain more presence in any situation. Try one this week and see what changes. The change might feel small, but your team will notice the difference. What's the best piece of speaking advice you've received that I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments! For more posts about increasing your presence as a leader, follow Clif Mathews. ---- 🔁 Repost to help other leaders communicate more intentionally. 📨 Join 6,000+ execs reading The Second Summit Brief, my free weekly newsletter for leaders redefining success: bit.ly/SecondSummitBrief