Communication Best Practices

70% of CEOs say their strategy is clear.   (Only 10% of their teams agree.) That gap? It’s where misalignment lives.   Where priorities get lost.   Where momentum dies. If you’re scaling a company, there’s nothing more   dangerous than thinking your strategy is clear—   when it’s not. 👉 That’s why my Wheel of Strategy matters. It breaks strategy down into 4 essential areas. And challenges you to answer 20 dead-simple,   high-impact questions:  🧭 Purpose & Direction   1. Why do we exist? Who actually needs us?   2. What’s our mission in one clear sentence?   3. What do we believe that drives how we operate?   4. Where do we want to be in 3 years?   5. What would success look like if nothing held us back? 📊 Market & Advantage   6. Who is our highest-value customer?   7. What pain are they feeling every day?   8. What’s changing in our industry? How do we stay ahead?   9. Why do people choose us—or not?   10. What can we offer that’s hard to copy? 📈 Goals & Metrics   11. What are our top 3 priorities right now?   12. What does success look like this quarter?   13. What’s the one number that matters most today?   14. How do we review progress each week?   15. What milestone will tell us we’re winning? ⚙️ Actions & Tactics   16. What must we deliver in the next 90 days?   17. Who owns each outcome? By when?   18. What’s currently blocked? How do we fix it fast?   19. What quick wins will build momentum now? 20. When and how will we check in and adjust? No fluff. No 50-slide decks.   Just strategic clarity—fast. Save this sheet.  Use it in your next:   — Leadership meeting   — Quarterly reset   — Or offsite If you and your team can’t answer   these questions confidently... It’s time to go back to the strategy table. Because real alignment doesn’t come from   louder messaging.  It comes from sharper thinking.  ♻ Repost to help someone in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more on business strategy. ————— 📢 Don't miss my FINAL FREE TRAINING for Founders & CEOs. In celebration of The CEO Accelerator, launching Apr 23rd, I'm hosting: "How to Set Inspiring Goals & Drive  Accountability in Your Company" TOMORROW, April 22nd, 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK time: https://lnkd.in/dssV7axP 📌 FINAL CALL to enroll in our next  CEO Accelerator cohort, which kicks off on Apr 23rd. 50+ Founders & CEOs have already joined.  Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/dsH4iwp2

One skill separates great communicators from average ones: Perspective-taking. The ability to see things from someone else’s point of view. But most people do it wrong. Here’s how to do it right, especially when you’re leading or being led: When you’re the boss, persuading down: You’re trying to convince Maria on your team to do something different. She’s pushing back. Your instinct might be to assert your authority. But that’s a mistake. Here’s why… Research shows: The more powerful you feel, the worse your perspective-taking becomes. More power = less understanding. So if you want to persuade Maria, don’t lean into your title. Do the opposite: dial your power down, just briefly. Try this: Before the next conversation, remind yourself: Maria has power too. I need her buy-in. Maybe she sees something I don’t. Lower your feelings of power to raise your perspective. From that place, ask: → What does she see that I’m missing? → What might be in her way? → What’s a win-win outcome? That shift changes the entire dynamic. Instead of steamrolling, you’re collaborating. And that’s how you earn trust and results. Now flip it. You’re the employee persuading your boss. It’s a high-stakes moment. You’re nervous. So do you appeal to emotion? No. Drop the feelings. Focus on interests. Here’s the key question: “What’s in it for them?” Not how you feel. Not your big dream. → Will it save time? → Improve performance? → Help them hit their goals? Make it about their world, not yours. Why? Because every boss has a mental shortcut: → Does this employee make my life easier or harder? Be the person who brings clarity, ideas, and upside. Not complaints, drama, or friction. In summary: → Persuading down? Dial down your power to see clearer. → Persuading up? Focus on their interests, not your emotions. Perspective-taking is a superpower, if you learn how to use it. Now practice, practice, practice.

Excellent tips here illustrating how a subtle change in tone can have a massive influence upon how your message is received. 1) Acknowledge Delays with Gratitude "Sorry for the late reply…" "Thank you for your patience." 2) Respond Thoughtfully, Not Reactively "This is wrong." "I see your point. Have you considered [trying alternative]?" "Thank you for sharing this—I appreciate your insights." 3) Use Subject Lines That Get to the Point "Update" "Project X: Status Update & Next Steps" 4) Set the Tone with Your First Line "Hey, quick question…" "Hi [Name], I appreciate you. I wanted to ask about…" 5) Show Appreciation, Not Acknowledgment "Noted." "Thank you for sharing this—I appreciate your insights." 6) Frame Feedback Positively "This isn’t good enough." "This is a great start. Let’s refine [specific area] further." 7) Lead with Confidence "Maybe you could take a look…" "We need [specific task] completed by [specific date]." 8) Clarify Priorities Instead of Overloading "We need to do this ASAP!" "Let’s prioritize [specific task] first to meet our deadline." 9) Make Requests Easy to Process "Can you take a look at this?" "Can you review this and share your feedback by [date]?" 10) Be Clear About Next Steps "Let’s figure it out later." "Next steps: I’ll handle X, and you confirm Y by [deadline]." 11) Follow Up with Purpose, Not Pressure "Just checking in again!" "I wanted to follow up on this. Do you need any additional details from me?" 12) Avoid Passive-Aggressive Language "As I mentioned before…" "Just bringing this back in case it got missed."

One of the good coding practices that I picked up while working at Google is about writing helpful error messages. Instead of simply stating the error, almost always, the error message also contains steps to resolve it, links to refer to, a quick shortcut to post questions to the internal question-answering platform, or at least the direction to look into. This practice can be seen across all Google Products. Try integrating with YouTube APIs, and you will see errors that are not only verbose but helpful. This can also be seen for all GCP interactions, be it web console or CLI, where the error message contains a link to a document on how to fix the issue. I have personally started using this practice every time I write code. #AsliEngineering

This Teacher Changes 30 Lives Each Morning Here's Why This Works Every morning, a teacher greets her students one by one - not with rules, but with choice: A hug, A high-five, a nod, or quiet. A ritual so simple. Yet it tells 30 children: You are seen. You are safe. You belong. Here’s what this teaches us about leadership - and how to apply it at work: 1. Honor Autonomy (Self-Determination Theory) When people get to choose how they engage, they show up with more agency. Autonomy isn’t about letting go of structure - it’s about giving room to opt in. Try this: 🔷 Let people set their own work cadence - async, deep focus, or collaborative sprints 🔷 Ask: “What support looks best for you right now?” *** 2. Create Micro-Moments of Connection (Broaden-and-Build Theory) We don’t need hour-long one-on-ones to build trust. A genuine check-in. A name spoken with intention. That’s the glue. Try this: 🔷 Pause to celebrate effort, not just outcomes - a quick voice note, a public thank-you 🔷 Remember small details - a kid’s soccer game, a partner’s surgery - and follow up *** 3. Signal Safety in Small Ways (Polyvagal Theory) The nervous system responds before the intellect does. Safety is felt first. And safe leaders create brave spaces. Try this: 🔷 Ask: “Is now a good time?” before giving feedback or asking for decisions 🔷 Stay calm and present, especially when tensions rise - your tone sets the tone *** 4. Design for Anticipatory Joy (Affective Forecasting) The brain lights up for what’s coming next. The ritual at the door gave students a reason to show up smiling. Try this: 🔷 Drop a kind, unexpected message in the team chat - just because 🔷 Celebrate mundane milestones - 100 days in the role, 50th client call, 1st brave no *** 5. Anchor Culture in Meaningful Rituals (Harvard Research on Rituals) Rituals are memory-makers. They codify values in action - they say, this is who we are. Try this: 🔷 End each quarter with storytelling: what stretched us? what did we learn? 🔷 Welcome new hires not with logistics, but with a story of your team's "why" *** This teacher didn’t redesign the curriculum. She redesigned how people enter the day. You don’t need a big title to lead like that - Just the courage to meet people at the door. 💬 What’s one ritual you’ve seen shift the energy of a space - or want to create where you work? 🔁 Repost to inspire kind actions in the workplace. 🔔 Follow Bhavna Toor for more on conscious leadership.

Confession: I'm a nervous public speaker… (yet I’ll make $1M+ from keynotes this year). Here are 9 strategies that turned my deepest fear into a powerful strength: PHASE 1: PREP WORK Strategy 1: Study the Best. We have the world's best speakers at our fingertips. Use them. Find 3-5 speakers you admire. Watch their talks on YouTube at 0.75x speed. Take notes on their structure and pacing, voice modulation, movement and gestures, audience engagement. Strategy 2: Create Clear Structure. Great speakers don't deliver speeches, they tell stories. Map your journey explicitly: opening hook, 3 key points, memorable close. Tell the audience where you're taking them. Strategy 3: Build Your "Lego Blocks." Don't memorize your entire speech. That's a trap. Instead, perfect these moments: your opening 30 seconds, key transitions, punchlines and closers. Practice in segments, not sequences. When things go sideways (they will), you'll adapt instead of freeze. Weird trick: Practice once while walking or jogging. It simulates the heart rate spike you'll feel on stage. PHASE 2: PRE-STAGE Strategy 4: Address the Spotlight. The Spotlight Effect: We think everyone's watching our every move. They're not. Use the "So What?" approach: Name your worst fear, ask "So what if it happens?", realize it's never that bad. You'll stumble? So what. Life goes on. Your family still loves you. Strategy 5: Get Into Character. Create your speaker persona. Ask yourself: What traits do they have? How do they move? What's their energy? Flip the switch. Become that character. It's not fake, it's your best self. Strategy 6: Eliminate Stress. The "Physiological Sigh" kills anxiety fast: Double-inhale through your nose, long exhale through your mouth, repeat 2-3 times. Science-backed. Immediate impact. PHASE 3: DELIVERY Strategy 7: Cut the Tension. Last week, they asked what song I wanted to enter to. I said "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. They thought I was joking. I wasn't. "It's my 1-year-old's favorite song. Figured he'd be more excited to watch if Dad entered to his jam." Instant laughter. Tension gone. Audience on my side. Find your tension breaker. Use it early. Strategy 8: Play the Lava Game. Your pockets and torso are lava. Don't touch them. This forces you to gesture broadly, open your body, project confidence. Big gestures early build momentum. Strategy 9: Move Purposefully. Don't pace like you're nervous. Move like you own the room. Slow. Deliberate. Purposeful. Use movement to create dramatic pauses. Let your words land. Start with one speech, one strategy: Pick your next presentation—could be a team meeting, a toast, whatever. Choose ONE strategy from this list. Master it. Then add another. Public speaking is a muscle. These strategies are your workout plan. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Remember: Everyone gets nervous. The difference is having a system. Now you have one. Use it. Practice it. Watch yourself transform.

Day 4 of teaching A to Z of LinkedIn .Today is 'D' for DMs :the underrated power move of LinkedIn growth. When people think of LinkedIn growth, they often think: 📌 Viral posts 📌 Aesthetic profiles 📌 Hashtags, hooks, and headlines But what they MISS is something that doesn’t make noise publicly... DMs. YESssssssss the Direct Messages. The real game of LinkedIn. So, Let’s break this down. 📌 Why are DMs so underrated? Because they don’t bring instant dopamine like a viral post. Because they’re private. Not flashy. Not performative. But if you’re serious about career growth, networking, and personal branding then DMs are your shortcut to depth. ➡️ According to LinkedIn, InMail messages are 300% more likely to get a response than cold emails. ➡️ I personally got 50+ speaking opportunities, different clients, and 100+ crazyyyy yet hardworking people from DMs in the last 6 months. 🍪 Brownie Points: The Types of DMs that WORK : 1. The Gratitude DM “Hi Riya, just read your post on personal branding: such a fresh take! Thank you for sharing. I would love to stay connected and learn more from your journey.” ✅ Low-pressure ✅ Builds trust ✅ Starts a warm connection 2. The Curiosity DM “Hi Riya! Loved your recent talk on Gen Z marketing. Quick Q: What do you think is one emerging trend most marketers are missing in 2025?” ✅ Invites conversation ✅ Makes the other person feel valued ✅ Opens a loop 3. The Collaboration DM “Hi Riya, I run a small series on marketing meets psychology. Your recent breakdown of consumer bias was ! Wondering if you'd be open to a small collab or feature?” ✅ Personalized ✅ Value-forward ✅ Converts followers into collaborators ⚠️ Common mistakes people make in DMs: “Hi” (and nothing else) 📌 Pitching without permission 📌 Copy-paste mass messages 📌 No context = No reply Every week, I do this: ✅ DM 3 people whose content I genuinely liked ✅ Follow up with 2 people who engaged on my post ✅ Introduce 2 people who can benefit from knowing each other ✅ Reply to every DM with authenticity (even if it’s late) Here’s your DM Framework (save this): D.M.A. Discover. Message. Align. Is this series helping you? Any guesses for tomorrow 's post of E of Linkedin? #linkedin #linkedinlearning #riyagadhwal #marketing #brands #ceos

Want to pitch someone on LinkedIn? Read this before you hit “send.” Every week, I get messages that go something like this: “Hi, I’m [Name]. I’ve built this incredible thing. It’s doing amazing work. Here’s why it matters. Can you help me/share it/connect me?” It’s not that I don’t care. I do. But these messages usually miss the mark and here’s why: They center the sender. Not the receiver. Here’s the truth: When you approach someone for the first time, you (and your project, product, or platform) are not the hero of the story. THEY are. If you want someone to care, start by showing that you care about what they do, what they stand for, what they’re building. Read their posts. Watch their interviews. Figure out what they’re trying to solve. Then ask yourself: how does what I’m doing help them win? Make your message less “I need,” and more “Here’s what I see in your work and how I can add value.” Additional tips: 💬 Keep it short. Long-winded intros are overwhelming. You’re not writing your bio, you’re opening a door! Three concise paragraphs is plenty (even less if you can). 🎯 Be specific. Instead of saying, “Let’s collaborate,” say: “I’d love to explore how we could align my youth platform with your mission to build stronger leadership pipelines.” People respond better when they know exactly what you’re asking. What’s your call to action? 🧠 Show you’ve done your homework. A thoughtful compliment goes a long way. “Your post on LinkedIn really made me think.” “I noticed you’ve been working on Y and I’m building something that could support that.” It shows you care enough to listen first. 🤝 Give before you ask. Share a helpful resource. Offer a useful intro. Tell them about an opportunity they might benefit from. Relationships are built on generosity. 📆 Respect their time. Instead of jumping into a call request, consider asking: “Would it be okay if I shared a 1-pager for you to skim in your own time?” People are more open when they don’t feel pressured. Please don’t immediately ask for a call. 💡 Think of it as planting, not picking. Your goal isn’t to “get” something, it’s to begin something. Not all outreach will lead to a project right away, but if done well, it can spark long-term relationships, ideas, and even unexpected opportunities. ✨ Bonus hack: I often ask my clients to count how many times they say “I” vs. “you” when they write to, present to or speak to their stakeholders. If the “I”s win, revise. It’s not listener-centric enough. Connection starts with empathy, not ego. Lead with curiosity. Offer service. That’s how collaborations are born. If these tips are helpful, check out Storytelling and Leadership for more. #Storytelling #AuthenticConnections #LinkedInTips #Leadership #PurposefulWork

You’re talking with someone at work and you completely disagree—but you don’t want it to turn combative. Here’s how to handle it: #1: Start with what matters to them. Use the phrase, “I can tell that ___ is important to you.” It could be security, values, family, or priorities. This lowers defensiveness and helps them feel acknowledged. #2: Say, “I agree that’s a perspective.” You’re not agreeing with their conclusion. You’re acknowledging their viewpoint so real communication can happen. #3: Ask, “Am I free to disagree?” If they keep pushing, this question puts a spotlight on whether they want a conversation or just to talk. Whatever their answer, simply say, “Thank you.” That’s how you disagree without losing control of the conversation.

Marketing brain is 24/7. Its a curse 😂 This question kept our marketing team up for months "How can we improve our sponsor experience?" One simple q during our all hands We all hyper focused on it It lived rent free in our heads Which is the beauty of marketing But also the curse haha Once you get INCEPTION, you cant shake an idea So we went to work thinking through everything we could to level up our sponsor experinece for all our brand partners who are often investing $ six figure amounts. The creative burden of this question led us to revamp our entire sponsor experience, starting with dashboards. This ended up being the biggest driver of sponsor NPS. Real time registration dashboards for sponsors. That we now run with this 4 step flow. Here's how it works 👇 Step 1: Real time registrant enrichment As attendees register, we automatically enrich each profile using Clay, Clearbit, and internal logic. This gives us a live data set with firmographics, technographics, company size, title level, and geography. Step 2: Sponsor facing filters Each sponsor can view the dashboard through their own lens: Want to break down VP+ titles in financial services? Filter. Want to see companies with 200 to 1,000 employees? Filter. Want to segment by RevOps tools in the stack? Filter. Step 3: Weekly summary reports Every Friday, sponsors receive an email with three key indicators: 1. New registrants 2. ICP match rates 3. RSVP velocity Step 4: Mid flight upgrade triggers If a spike in target accounts shows up two to three weeks before the event, we give sponsors the option to upgrade in real time. That might include adding things like: Extra 1:1 meeting rooms Booking a sponsored dinner slot Adding a breakout or session bump -- My final 0.02 for you The best marketing takes obsession When you obsess over the customer experience like this, you're bound to come up with at least a few winning ideas. Even if you have a few clunkers a long the way. So set a high standard for 10X ideas inside your org and give people the space to take big swings, not just small optimizations of your current state. Marketing brain is a beautiful thing (even if it drives us crazy along the way 😂)