Eleven jurors thought former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, was guilty of several mis-deeds including trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat.  One juror held out because she thought it was just political talk, "Politicians talking to politicians" according to jury foreman James Matsumoto.  On the other hand she did think Blagojevich was guilty of lying to a federal agent.

Politicians Talking to Politicians

However you feel about these events and verdicts, there's an important concept here:

What someone says is not necessarily what someone else hears.

Our partner Susi Pennella rails against people that say someone "Hit it out of the park".  Susi's from Austria.  She doesn't know if hitting it out of the park is a good thing or a bad thing.

The point is that the same words delivered to different people could have different meaning.

Implication for Onboarding

Be wary of the context.  Different people will view what you say from different perspectives.  In your early days, before you understand everyone's history, use neutral words with the greatest chance of being understood by others the same way.  Check for understanding.  Remember that what you say is only part of what they hear.