New Role? Avoid the Communication Style Bias Trap

Hosted by Sheila O'Sullivan

Mon, Jun 8, 2026

4:30 PM UTC (30 minutes)

Virtual (Zoom)

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The Simplest Framework for Influence: Communication Skills for ICs & Managers
Sheila O'Sullivan
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What you'll learn

See how style bias shapes your reputation before your work

People are already judging your competence by how you communicate before you deliver. And that can spread to others.

Assess the style biases of your key stakeholders quickly

Use natural questions and behavioral cues to figure out how the people around you prefer to communicate

Adjust your communication style before someone misjudges you

Walk away with specific adjustments for your first weeks so the impression you make matches the professional you are.

Why this topic matters

While you're focused on your first 90 day deliverables, the people around you are already forming opinions based on your communication style. Those opinions get shared as facts and set faster than you realize. How you communicate in a new role is the first thing people evaluate and the last thing most professionals plan for. This lesson gives you a way to read your new colleagues and adjust early.

You'll learn from

Sheila O'Sullivan

Certified communication style coach obsessed with helping leaders break barriers

With degrees from top institutions and a track record of professional success in competitive and challenging environments, I was promoted to C-level in my 30s. But I was struggling to get consistent results from all of my team members. If I was recognized by others as being smart and accomplished, then why wouldn't people just do what I wanted all the time?

It takes way more than credentials to earn trust. More than anything, it requires understanding how you appear to others in your interpersonal communications.

I relied on this model as a VP, CSO, and COO in rapidly growing companies.

I have seen the most seasoned executives have "aha moments" when they see how this tool empowers them and their teams to break communication barriers and improve outcomes.

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