How to Stop Sounding Vague at Work

Episode 261: How to Stop Sounding Vague at Work

Ish and Sacha talk about how to stop sounding vague at work and start communicating with more intention, confidence, and cut-through.

They explore why people waffle, why fear makes us soften our opinions, and why “I was kind of thinking maybe…” rarely helps anyone make a good decision. Ish introduces practical ways to prepare before a conversation, including knowing your point before you walk into the room and practising the words out loud before the stakes are high.

Sacha brings real-world examples, from reading 200 AI-generated cover letters that all sound suspiciously the same, to a fantasy Super Rugby competition where winning the yellow cap and receiving the wooden spoon both come down to being willing to make a bold call. There’s also a glorious rant about uniforms, opinions, leadership, and the burden of actually having to decide.

They also talk about clearer emails, including the RDR framework: Recommendation, Decision, Risk. Simple, practical, and much better than burying the actual point somewhere after three paragraphs of “hope you had a great weekend.”

Clarity is not about being cold or blunt. It’s about knowing what you mean, saying it in a way people can use, and giving others something solid to respond to. Transcript source: 

Key Learnings

1. Know your point before you start talking

If you do not know what you are trying to say, there is a very good chance nobody else will either. Before a meeting, email, or important conversation, take a moment to work out the actual point you want to land.

2. Practise hard conversations before you have them

When conversations are emotional or awkward, it is easy to get swept away and start softening, over-explaining, apologising, or escalating. Saying the key sentence out loud beforehand helps you arrive at a clearer message and less verbal panic.

3. Have an opinion and attach it to a fact

A useful opinion is not just “I reckon.” Sacha makes the case for pinning your view to the fact or assumption you are relying on, so the conversation becomes about weighing evidence rather than trading vibes.

4. Vagueness often comes from fear

Sometimes we waffle because we do not want to be wrong, judged, or held accountable. But teams make better decisions when people are willing to put a view on the table, even if that view gets challenged or changed.

5. Clear emails are a gift to busy people

People do not need more polished waffle. They need to know what you recommend, what decision is required, and what the risk is if nothing happens. RDR — Recommendation, Decision, Risk — is a simple way to make your emails more useful right away.

If you haven’t come across it yet, Working Genius is one of the simplest, most practical models I’ve seen for helping teams understand how they actually get work done. Not personality. Not fluff. Just clarity on where people thrive — and where they get frustrated.

 If you’re planning your next team day, offsite, or work event, I’d love to bring this to your crew. 

Find out more at IshCheyne.com