When 'I Meant Well' Isn't Enough

By Sadie Klughers | September 15, 2026

Good intentions don't always translate into good communication.

Picture this: An employee creates what they think is a routine post for a public healthcare agency’s social media account. The message is aimed at an audience with a specific medical condition. It is intended to be helpful but instead comes across as condescending or even insulting.

The employee thought they were being supportive, reassuring, or simply starting a conversation. But the organization dealt with delicate issues of personal health, where seemingly harmless words could land very differently with the people they were trying to reach.

A question could feel invasive. An attempt at reassurance could feel dismissive. A casual observation could touch on someone's health, circumstances, or lived experience in a way the employee hadn't considered.

Sure enough, the healthcare agency received comments from people who felt offended by the post. What began as an attempt to connect was turning into a crisis communications scenario.

“You have no idea,” said one commenter.

Another person recalled losing a family member to the condition mentioned in the post. “He fought every day. He tried every treatment. Is this your idea of medical advice?”

“Do better,” said another post.

As similar situations continued to arise, a larger question emerged: How do you make sure the way you communicate reflects the people you're trying to reach?

While advising this organization, it became clear that staff needed help with messaging. Their best attempts were falling flat – or worse.

Thankfully, the post was caught before the comments exploded. In reviewing the post, we noted that the underlying subject matter was appropriate – the issue was the tone and framing. We edited the post and included a note that it was edited in response to community feedback. We then implemented a three-step process.

1. Define the organization’s position.

We reviewed the agency’s mission and values, and how they connected with this post. We determined that the post reflected the mission, but the tone failed to meet the value of “respect for the people we serve.” We created a process to ensure that the larger communications plan was reviewed in the context of mission and values.

2. Be prescriptive.

You can’t just tell people what not to say. You need to give them alternatives. Once that foundation was established, we looked at the language that was being used. We identified words and phrases that could be perceived negatively and developed alternative language.

3. Provide training.

We put the messaging into action, discussing scripts and sample posts in special training sessions.

By giving staff thoughtful, appropriate language they could actually use, we helped close the gap between what the organization intended to say and what its audience heard.

Know Your Audience

While this particular challenge arose in healthcare, the lesson extends well beyond it, especially for public agencies.

Agencies serve communities with different experiences, expectations, and levels of familiarity with the issues that affect them. Language that feels routine inside an organization can take on a very different meaning to the person hearing it.

Whether explaining a new project, answering questions about a public service, responding to concerns at a community meeting, or communicating a difficult decision, understanding your audience requires more than knowing who they are. It means considering their lived experience, the context they bring to the conversation, and how your words may be received.

Give People the Words

Everyone who interacts with the public can shape how an organization is perceived. Even a carefully developed message can land differently depending on the context and how it's delivered. Preparing the people who represent your organization helps ensure that the same care put into developing a message carries through when it's shared with the public. That’s why it’s important to invest in training, especially if well-intended words have led to issues in the past.

The words may belong to your organization, but their meaning is ultimately shaped by the people who hear them.