Let's talk about lazy communication for a bit. Part of being an effective communicator is being proactive in how we think and behave. However, clichés, jargon, and slang negate the efforts of an effective communicator—these barriers are simply signs of laziness.

Clichés are phrases or opinions which may hold some truth to situations, however, through society's overuse, they show a lack of independent thinking. Examples include, "only time will tell," "when it rains, it pours," and "roll with the punches." Clichés are also a form of labeling which belittle a dynamic situation or person, similar to stereotypes, thus altering our perception and expectations. They define people as submissive to the situation, suggesting that the circumstances are outside of their control. Clichés may hold a kernel of truth, but they fail to embrace the entire scope of the situation or person. Likewise, they fail to contribute meaning to social interactions. Foregoing clichés by demonstrating originality sets an example for your employees, potentially influencing their behaviors by way of independent thinking.

Ok, have you ever heard an IT guru speak and gotten lost because of all the technological or industrial terms? Jargon is based on specific occupations or industries, and not everyone knows what the terms or phrases mean. Therefore, it's best to think about your audience when communicating. For example, if you lead a cyber security department and need to speak with the human resources department, communication will be more effective if common terms and phrases are used, while the uncommon ones are explained. Otherwise, workers run the risk of instigating confusion and frustration, and the behaviors associated with stress. Similar behaviors may be caused by the use of slang.

Popular TV shows and music are great at expanding our vocabulary. Unfortunately, some of this vocabulary commonly includes slang, which, if used in a professional environment, may affect your ability to lead people. Slang is informal and is created by inventing words and phrases, or assigning new meaning to traditional words and phrases. Some examples of slang include “YOLO,” "Frenemy," and "on fleek"—my favorite. Just kidding! Speaking broadly, slang runs the risk of misinterpretation, and thus miscommunication. This is not what leaders are looking to do when influencing behavior. However, if you've researched your audience, perhaps slang is a way to connect your message to them.