A leading career strategist has issued a stark warning to UK professionals about a single, seemingly innocuous question that could jeopardise their chances of a promotion or pay rise.
The Question That Sounds Supportive But Isn't
Lisa Villegas, a Career & Communication Strategist, took to Instagram on 19 December 2025 to highlight the potential pitfall. In a reel that garnered over 1,000 likes, she advised viewers to be extremely careful if their manager poses a specific query during a one-to-one meeting.
The question in question is: 'What do you think you need to work on?'
Villegas emphasised that this is not the casual, supportive conversation starter it appears to be. "This isn't a casual conversation, even though it sounds like one. Be strategic," she wrote.
Why This Manager Question Is So Evaluative
In a follow-up caption, the expert elaborated on the hidden danger. She explained that while the question feels conversational and invites self-reflection, it is fundamentally an evaluation tool.
"Managers don't remember every detail of your performance, they remember patterns," Villegas stated. She provided a clear example: if you answer, "I need to be more confident," the lasting impression your manager retains is simply: "she lacks confidence."
This pattern-based memory becomes critical during promotion discussions. Villegas painted a scenario where two strong performers are vying for one available promotion. If leadership asks the manager who is ready, and the manager recalls that one candidate mentioned "working on confidence," that subtle signal could tip the balance towards the other person.
How to Reframe Your Answer Strategically
The crucial advice from Villegas is to reframe any perceived weaknesses around skills and scale, rather than framing them as personal deficits or self-doubt.
She provided powerful examples of how to swap common, limiting answers for more strategic ones:
- Instead of saying: "I need to speak up more."
- Say this: "I'm sharpening how I bring forward recommendations earlier in discussions."
- Instead of saying: "I struggle with executive presence."
- Say this: "I'm focused on communicating at a more decision-ready level as my scope increases."
"Same honesty. Very different signal," Villegas concluded. She urged professionals not to let a seemingly casual conversation stall a well-deserved promotion, reminding them that "interviews don't stop once you're hired… every conversation is an opportunity to communicate your value."
The advice resonated strongly with her audience. One follower commented that "this reframing changes how self-reflection is perceived at work," while another praised the focus on controlling what you can control with a good attitude.
