6 professional ways to say “This sucks”

How do you tell your colleagues or subordinates their work isn’t up to par? I just sat through an incredibly painful review of a branding document that had been 18 months in the making. As the team made its presentation, the faces of the review board went from enthusiastic to concerned to horrified. Here’s what they said:

1. It looks like management didn’t communicate some important points to your team.
2. You may be a little too close to the project.
3. We need an outside perspective.
4. I was envisioning something more along the lines of competitor x.
5. I don’t think this will get us the results we’re looking for.
6. We’re not quite there yet.

What would you say?