Dear managers, your company is “we” (not “they” or “it”)

Example: say “we’re laying people off” instead of “they’re laying people off” or “CompanyName is laying people off.”

Another example: say “we chose not to promote you” instead of “they chose not to promote you” or “CompanyName chose not to promote you.”

“We” takes ownership. “We” doesn’t pass the buck.

And if you can’t say “we” because you aren’t bought in (perhaps because of an abundance of business-speak), then demand answers and rationale from your leadership until you feel satisfied.