Say it better, without the second-guessing
You know that feeling before a big meeting? The one where you’re silently rehearsing how to sound confident and competent, but not overbearing?
Or that moment when you're trying to give feedback to a peer, and you second-guess if you're being too soft… or too blunt. Or the performance review where you want to advocate for yourself without sounding like you're bragging.
In all these moments, the hardest part isn't knowing what to say. It's knowing how to say it—clearly, credibly, and in a way that lands.
At work, the way we frame things matters just as much as the ideas themselves.
Whether it’s asking for what you need, offering feedback, or speaking up in a meeting, clarity and tone carry weight. The more strategic and self-aware your language, the more confident you come across.
That’s where swipe files come in.
It’s a personal vault of go-to phrases, prompts, and wording examples you can “borrow” from when you’re stuck.
Think of it as your career communication cheat sheet. Here are a few to get you started:
For meetings:
“Here’s what I’m seeing—and what I think it means for us…”
“I’m wondering if we’re solving for the symptom instead of the root issue?”
For feedback (to peers or reports):
“What’s something you’d do differently if you had to approach this again?”
“One thing I really appreciated—and one thing I’d tweak next time…”
For performance reviews or self-advocacy:
“One area where I’ve grown this year is…”
“I’d love to take on more strategic work in [X]—can we talk about how to shape that?”
The goal is to sound clear, confident, and intentional without second-guessing every word. When you have a few go-to phrases in your back pocket, you show up differently. Not just in what you say, but in how you say it.
So, go ahead and build your swipe file for the conversations that matter most to you.
- What do you wish you could say in meetings?
- What’s a phrase you heard and thought, “I’m stealing that”?
- What would make it easier to ask for what you need?
Add those to a doc. Keep it handy. Edit it over time. Communication is a career strategy not just a soft skill.
Until next time…
Mal
Founder, The Ideas Accelerator
Helping you grow your career with strategic insight and smarter tools.