Courtesy is not attention—and attention is not action. People nod, say “noted,” and still don’t move. If your message keeps dying after you speak, your doorway is probably too heavy. This article gives you 10 different doorways for the same topic.
Most people don’t tune you out because you’re boring.
They tune you out because your opening makes them do work. They have to guess what this is about, why it matters, and where you’re taking them. So their brain protects itself. It drifts.
That’s why I made that LinkedIn carousel: 10 different hooks for one topic—malasakit in the workplace. Same theme. Ten doorways. Because the goal isn’t to sound clever. The goal is to help people lean in—fast.
The Monday meeting you’ve probably lived through
You’re in a room. The speaker begins with “Good morning” and a slide title that says “Agenda.” The next line is “I will be presenting…” and you already feel the weight of the next 12 minutes. Nothing is wrong, but nothing is alive.
Then another speaker starts with a human line. Something small, something true, something that makes you feel seen. The room doesn’t just listen. The room arrives.
That’s the difference a hook makes. Not for style. For focus.
The Courtesy Trap
In the workplace, people rarely show boredom. They show politeness. They nod. They keep quiet. They say “noted,” even when they don’t know what to do next.
But courtesy is not attention. And attention is not action.
If your openings keep getting polite silence, don’t assume your message is weak. Assume your doorway is too heavy.
One topic. Ten openings. That’s the real skill.
A lot of people treat hooks like a “one best way” thing. Like once you find your style, you repeat it forever.
But the best communicators do something more useful. They keep the topic steady and change the doorway depending on the moment, the audience, and the mood.
That’s why malasakit is a good practice topic. It’s familiar. It’s emotional. It’s practical. And it lets you see how many ways you can invite attention without being dramatic.
If you want this to spread inside your organization
This isn’t just a speaker upgrade. It’s a culture upgrade.
When leaders learn to open with clarity and care, meetings get shorter, updates get sharper, and proposals stop sounding like memos. People don’t need to “interpret” what the speaker meant because the speaker makes the meaning obvious at the start.
If you want to build that skill across leaders and teams, I run practical sessions where we workshop openings, rewrite them on the spot, and turn them into reusable scripts.
You can reach me at leadership@jefmenguin.com.
The 10 malasakit hooks you can use today
These are not “viral hooks.” These are hooks you can use in a team huddle, a town hall, a training, or a proposal. Each one points to the same topic—malasakit—while pulling attention in a different way.
1) The “I see you” hook
“Bago tayo mag-start, I want to name what I’m seeing on the ground…”
Use this when people feel unseen or unheard.
2) The “What’s heavy?” hook
“Anong pinaka-mabigat sa work this week?”
Use this when you want participation fast and you’re willing to listen.
3) The “Small story” hook
“May nangyari kahapon that reminded me what malasakit looks like…”
Use this when you want emotion without preaching.
4) The “Moment of truth” hook
“There are two moments when people feel cared for—or abandoned…”
Use this when you want everyone to reflect instantly.
5) The “Contrast” hook
“May malasakit that comforts… and there’s malasakit that changes outcomes.”
Use this when you want to challenge the usual definition.
6) The “Spot the gap” hook
“We say we care, but here’s where people don’t feel it…”
Use this when you need honesty, not sugarcoating.
7) The “Cost of no care” hook
“When care is missing, the first thing to break isn’t performance. It’s trust.”
Use this when you need stakes without fear-mongering.
8) The “One decision” hook
“If we could change one thing to show care this month, what should it be?”
Use this when you want focus and ownership.
9) The “Micro-commitment” hook
“Give me 30 days. One small practice. Let’s see what changes.”
Use this when your audience is tired of big programs.
10) The “Direct ask” hook
“I need your help making care visible—not just felt.”
Use this when you want partners, not passive listeners.
Same topic. Different doorway.
That’s the point.
Use this in 5 minutes
Pick your topic. Write it at the top of a page.
Then write three different hooks for the same topic using three different angles: a question, a story, and a contrast. Don’t overthink it. Keep each hook to one or two lines, then read them out loud.
You’ll feel it immediately. One hook will sound like a memo. Another will sound like a human.
Keep the human one.
Three common mistakes that kill attention
The first mistake is opening with your agenda. It’s not wrong, but it’s not a reason to care. Your audience is still carrying their own work, so you’re adding weight before you earn attention.
The second mistake is opening with context that matters to you but not yet to them. It’s like starting a movie with the credits and hoping people stay.
The third mistake is using a hook that doesn’t match your intent. A dramatic opening for a small update feels off. A soft opening for a serious decision feels weak. Your doorway has to match the moment.
Share this with your team
If you want this to become a team habit, don’t just tell people “use hooks.” Give a simple rule.
Here’s a message you can copy:
Team, starting this week, let’s open updates with a hook that earns attention. One line only—question, story, contrast, or a clear “I noticed.” Then we go straight to the decision or next step.
It’s small, but it changes the energy of meetings fast.
Your 24-hour push
Before your next talk, choose one topic you’ll speak about anyway—an update, a change, a reminder.
Then write two different hooks for the same topic. Use one that feels safe, and one that feels slightly more human. Deliver the human one first.
If the room lifts its head, you’ll know.
Attention is not demanded.
It’s invited.
If your team is stuck in meetings, misalignment, or slow decisions…
Let’s design one shift they can use immediately.
→ Shift Experiences
