Opportunity. Challenge. Threat.
Dangerous. Valuable.
Glass half-empty. Glass half-full.
These are all examples of subjective labels we use to describe the world around us.
The words we choose to place on our circumstances, the actions of others, or our projection of what the future holds have a profound potential to impact how we see things.
Fundamentally, they can either empower us or weaken us.
Think of some common terms we encounter in business every day:
- We handle crises, threats, and urgent issues all day long.
- We form War Rooms when something really serious crops up.
- We battle competitors to win market share.
- We poach employees from other companies in our space.
- We work in sprints to get things done – week, after week, after week…
What kind of world do these words create?
A competitive, dangerous one – where we can only get what we want by taking it from someone else.
You might call this semantics. And you might be right.
But there’s power in the words we use to describe our circumstances.
Language shapes our perception. As a tool, it’s unparalleled in its impact. And depending on how we wield it, it can be the source of our greatest strength… or the hidden cause of our downfall.
This starts from the top down. Not just in leadership’s 10-year vision for the company, but in the kind of communication we allow between team members.
The approach you take to meetings, how you handle problems, how you encourage people to perform – the words you use in all these scenarios (and more) are the building blocks of culture.
At its core, this is about reframing. Finding a better way of viewing the situation, even if it’s not how things have always been done.
This is one of the major factors that separates organisations that last from ones that fade away.
Case in point:
Two teams are operating in the same industry, facing the same challenging market conditions.
One sees those conditions as an opportunity to grow – a place to test their theories, acquire new knowledge, and build an edge over other players in the space.
The other sees them as threats to be avoided. They stick to their old ways of doing things… even though the returns from those strategies are diminishing by the day.
Who would you bet on?
Which group is more likely to come out ahead?
We know the answer – Team #1.
We don’t even need to ask about their current resources, their market position, or anything else we might judge as “important” to their overall chances. We intuitively realise the value of a winning attitude… and that’s driven by nothing more complicated than the language we use.
Some things will be beyond our direct control.
There are times when you may not be able to change your situation.
You may not even feel like you can change your perception of the situation.
But you can always ask the question…
Is there another way I could see this?
It’s a simple start. But asked honestly, it’s all you need to start reshaping how you see things. And by extension, the world around you.