It\u2019s a conversation I\u2019ll remember forever. We were talking about how to describe our vision for our company culture. A point was being made that it would be great if the workplace was a family-like environment. How awesome would that be, right?! There was much head nodding and enthusiastic support\u2026until one very brave person interjected to make a point that totally changed the conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t the term family mean different things to different people? We can\u2019t assume that people will interpret that phrase positively. Some may want to come to work to get away from their family.\u201d Many of us chuckled uncomfortably. She continued, \u201cAll family situations are not the same. Sometimes the deck is stacked in our favor and sometimes it is not. Are we really in a position to judge what family should be?\u201d<\/p>\n

And then someone else chimed in. \u201cI see your point. On one hand, family-like<\/em> seems like a universal standard. But it\u2019s anything but that. Instead, why don\u2019t we cut to the chase\u2026Rather than using the reference to family, why don\u2019t we focus on what we want to convey when we use words like family-like<\/em>? In other words, what do we mean<\/em> by that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The conversation continued, surfacing words like supportive, understanding, forgiving\u2026all characteristics of a family we should all be so fortunate to experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, why don\u2019t we just say that? Instead of rolling all of those words together into a single phrase that is open to a wide variety of interpretation, why don\u2019t we just use the words we are trying to convey?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wow! A breakthrough idea in the moment and a long-term learning experience for me\u2026choose words that don\u2019t require an explanation to create clarity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Our words matter, especially in situations where they are being used to articulate a common direction. Requiring interpretation opens the door for our diverse perspectives to shape the way we view that direction \u2013 a huge risk! Mitigate that risk by being more detailed<\/strong>. Asking this one question can make a world of difference:<\/p>\n

What do we mean by that?<\/em><\/p>\n

Here are some other words that you may think will be consistently interpreted but are can cause similar confusion \u2013 customer focus, cost-conscious, work-life balance, and empower. There are probably others alive within your organization.<\/p>\n

None of these phrases are bad. They just may need clarification to ensure consistent interpretation.<\/p>\n

In closing, Sam Kinison (may he rest in peace) provides a subtle reminder that we should simply determine what we mean to say and then say it. Watch this short 4-second video:<\/p>\n