“Are you still one of those people who …?” “I changed just one thing. And everything changed.” And, of course, the classic: “Most businesses are making this one crucial mistake.”
I'm getting rather tired of seeing these posts. And it's not just the personal success stories on LinkedIn. I'm noticing the same pattern more and more in marketing: here's our brilliant solution, and over there are all those people who apparently haven't quite got it yet. First, point out everything that's wrong, plant a few seeds of doubt and create a sense of insecurity. Then present your own solution as the only way forward.
Of course, I understand why these tactics work. They grab attention, spark curiosity and promise clarity. But I increasingly find myself wondering what price we're paying for that attention, and what this kind of communication is actually doing to us.
The quiet fear of not being good enough
We're living through a period of extraordinary change. Technological developments, economic uncertainty and social upheaval are already demanding a great deal of us. We're constantly having to find our bearings, learn new things and make decisions without always knowing what will turn out to be right tomorrow.
At the same time, we're bombarded with messages suggesting that we've missed something yet again, got something wrong or failed to grasp an important development. That everyone else is already further ahead, working more successfully or has discovered the secret we've somehow overlooked. Even when we recognise the tactics behind these messages, they can still leave us with that uncomfortable feeling that we're not doing enough or moving fast enough.
What troubles me most is how this contradicts the values we so readily talk about elsewhere. We champion appreciation, empathy, trust and a positive working culture. Yet at the same time, we rely on communication tactics that can undermine those very values.
Perhaps we don't even do it consciously. We simply adopt what works, what generates reach and what the algorithms reward. But just because something works doesn't necessarily make it right.
What do we really want to leave behind?
I have absolutely nothing against people sharing their successes, talking about their experiences or promoting their solutions. Quite the opposite. I love it when we can learn from one another, discover new perspectives and challenge our own assumptions. Good communication can be critical, provocative and question established ways of thinking.
But why does demonstrating our own strengths so often involve highlighting the supposed weaknesses of others? Why do we need to make people feel they're doing something wrong before showing them that there might be another way?
Those of us who develop brands, design experiences and work in communications should be particularly aware of this responsibility. We know how important positive experiences are in shaping brand perception and building trust. If we place so much emphasis on good user experience, shouldn't we also consider the emotional impact our communication has on people?
Perhaps that's where the opportunity lies: to rediscover communication as something that connects people, encourages them and opens up new perspectives. Instead of amplifying insecurity, we could inspire confidence. Instead of focusing on perceived weaknesses, we could put strengths back in the spotlight. And rather than constantly chasing the next moment of attention, we could build relationships that last.
We've learnt how to capture attention. Perhaps it's time we gave more thought to how we earn trust.
