20 Mistakes Companies Make When Adopting Human-Centric Communications

By Expert Panel®, Forbes Councils Member.

for Forbes Communications Council

Mar 17, 2025, 01:15pm EDT

In business, there’s no one more important than your customers and your team. Without them, you wouldn’t have anyone to help you execute your idea or purchase your product or service. It’s natural then for companies to want to make their customers and employees the center of their communications strategy—a more “human-centric” approach.

However, while this strategy can be extremely effective when done well, when done wrong, it can breed confusion or even distrust. According to the experts of Forbes Communications Council, making the following 20 mistakes can do more harm than good to your business, but there are still ways of getting back on track.

1. Focusing On The Brand's Voice Over The Customers' Needs

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make when trying to adopt a more human-centric communications approach is focusing too much on the brand’s voice and not enough on truly understanding and addressing the needs, emotions and experiences of their audience. To avoid this pitfall, organizations should shift from a “What do we want to say?” mentality to a “What do they need to hear?” mindset. - Kurt Allen, Notre Dame de Namur University

2. Creating Inconsistency Between Messaging And The Customer Experience

Crafting warm, personal messages but maintaining rigid, automated customer interactions can create distrust. Instead, companies should align their promises with actual customer touchpoints and empower teams to maintain authentic dialogue even when scaling. Focus on genuine connection over superficial personalization tricks. - Persa Sakellaridi, Wikifarmer

3. Treating It Like An Exercise Instead Of A Fundamental Shift

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make when adopting human-centric communications is treating it like a superficial marketing exercise rather than a fundamental shift in how they engage with people. They often focus on using emotional language and personal pronouns without actually changing their underlying processes, policies or decision-making to truly put humans first. - Jaime Hintz, Cogent World

4. Failing To Involve Actual Humans In The Process

Relying on automated systems or generic messaging leads to impersonal and disconnected interactions. Humans possess empathy, intelligence and critical thinking—essential qualities for effective communication. Combining these human attributes with the right listening tools and communication channels will lead to meaningful engagement and success. - Daniela Martucci, DMH & Associates Communications

5. Forgetting To Focus On Engagement

Human-centric communications begin with message and tone, but if those are the only elements of strategy, we miss an equally big part: engagement. We must do more than broadcast a message or respond with pre-approved content. We must create feedback loops and engage in dialogue. The “human” part of human-centric demands that we look hard, and critically, at how our responses resonate in dialogue. - Mark Dollins, North Star Communications Consulting

6. Prioritizing Style Over Substance

Avoid prioritizing style over substance—like overusing industry jargon or relying too much on emojis. True human-centric communication isn’t just about sounding relatable; it’s about deeply understanding customer pain points and proactively offering solutions. It’s about delivering the right solutions at the right time and meeting customers where they are with the information they truly need. - Loreal Lynch, Jasper

7. Crossing Unspoken Privacy Boundaries

Many companies use data to personalize communications but cross unspoken privacy boundaries. When messaging feels too precise, it can create discomfort instead of trust. To get it right, be transparent about data use, secure clear consent and ensure every interaction provides genuine value. This way, personalization feels thoughtful rather than intrusive, strengthening trust. - Stephanie Bunnell, Azira

8. Failing To Truly Know The People Behind Your Company

The biggest mistake that an organization could make is not taking the time to actually get to know the humans in their company. Every single organization has a different heartbeat and a different pulse. Be centric about understanding the humans, and the appropriate communications approach will authentically follow. - Kristen Delphos, UL Research Institutes

9. Trying To Be Something They're Not

The biggest mistake companies make is trying to be something they’re not. A business isn’t a person. Whether it’s Gen Z slang, corporate activism without receipts or overcomplicated messaging, employees see right through forced relatability. Human-centric communication works when it speaks to shared employee realities, not stereotypes. Keep it real and simple, and people will actually listen. - Rebecca Takada, Outfoxr

10. Removing Technology From The Strategy Entirely

One mistake is forgetting that tech has a role in helping strengthen human-centric communications. In fact, when done well, the emotional side of communication is felt more deeply when there is clear customer understanding and personalized service. Simply put, technology complements the work real people are doing. That's the most valuable way to connect with customers and build loyalty and trust. - Niki Hall, Five9

11. Relying On One Or Two People For A Relatable Voice

It may seem counterintuitive, but creating systems and governance around tone of voice is really important for consistently sounding human. Otherwise, organizations have to depend on the voice of one or two particular writers for personality—which works in the short term, but becomes a liability when those people leave. - Caleb Gardner, 18 Coffees

12. Lacking Alignment Between Your Messaging And Values

It's easy to get caught up in the idea of sounding “friendly” or “approachable,” but if those qualities aren't rooted in who you truly are as a company, the shift in tone can feel forced and inauthentic. Your communication is the voice of your brand, and that voice needs to be consistent with your actions and offerings. - Lisa Maynard, Awin

13. Confusing Speaking A Lot For 'Humanizing'

Don't confuse speaking a lot for humanizing communications. When you are “real,” you are responding to emails, commenting in a forum, making a call that is unexpected or knowing people's names when you visit a facility. Humanizing means you do things that only a human can do. - Bob Pearson, The Next Solutions Group

14. Implementing A One-Size-Fits-All Strategy

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is treating human-centric communications as a one-size-fits-all strategy. They overlook the diverse needs and emotions of their audience. To avoid this, companies should personalize messaging based on customer segments, listen actively and adapt content to resonate with individual experiences, ensuring authenticity and relevance in every interaction. - Antony Robinson, Novalnet AG

15. Failing To Consider Leadership's Role

Human-centric communication can’t be achieved through tonal changes in messaging or a shift in strategy. It takes a holistic practice of empathetic dialogue from leadership that cascades throughout the entire company. Human-centric communication must be backed by decisions that support and empower employees. An impactful communications strategy is one that’s strategically aligned with actions. - Laurie Schalow, Chipotle Mexican Grill

16. Focusing Too Much On Polished Corporate Messaging

A common mistake is focusing on polished corporate messaging instead of genuine, relatable storytelling. To avoid this, prioritize empathy, transparency and audience engagement. Use real voices, customer stories and conversational language. Listen actively to feedback and respond authentically. Human-centric communication is about building trust, not just broadcasting messages. - Kal Gajraj, Ph.D., CAN Community Health

17. Prioritizing The 'How' Over The 'What'

One of the biggest mistakes is focusing on how they as a company communicate rather than what their audience actually needs to hear. Real human-centric communication starts with listening first—understanding audience concerns and needs before crafting content. Organizations should prioritize authenticity over polish because the most effective messaging isn’t just well-written—it’s deeply relevant. - Rhodes Kriske, InvestiNet, LLC

18. Centering The Message On The Company

One of the biggest communication mistakes organizations make in marketing is centering messages on themselves rather than their audience. People connect with purpose, not just products. To build trust, companies must deeply understand their audience, listen actively and craft messages that reflect real needs, emotions and aspirations, not just product features. - Cody Gillund, Grounded Growth Studio

19. Failing To Represent The Full Range Of The Employee Audience

Showing the human side of leadership is great, but be sure to also feature people managers, individual contributors and frontline employees, as well as employees across the entire geography of the company footprint. Another mistake is using stock photography or video to represent employees. Use the real people. - Elizabeth Baskin, Tribe, Inc.

20. Viewing Their Audience As One Big Group

Organizations don't take the time to segment their audiences and, instead, see them as one big group. Lack of segmentation ensures you miss the opportunity to customize messaging that's impactful and relevant. Segment your (internal and external) audiences by demographics and psychographics, and then develop communication strategies that best connect with each segment. - Kerry-Ann Betton Stimpson, JMMB Group