Language We Use at Work

Language we use supposedly influences what our mind focuses on. So if we say that ‘I want to have an ice-cream’, our mind focuses on ice-cream and that’s where our energy is drawn. But if we say that ‘I don’t want to have an ice-cream; even then our mind focuses on ice-cream, but not on the ‘no’, and our energies are drawn towards ice-cream again.

So a better way of saying that ‘I don’t want to have an ice-cream’ maybe would be to say ‘I feel like dieting today’ J. That’s the closest I could get to forming a positive, affirmative statement in this case.

If we were to implement this learning in the organizational context, what all organizational terminologies/phrases would change?

Let me talk of a few commonly used organizational terminologies and their possible ‘more positive’ alternate.

• 0% offer rejects or 100 % offer accepts (in recruitment)?

• 0% employee attrition or 100 % employee retention?

• Compensation or Rewards?

• Reduce Dissatisfaction or Increase Engagement?

• Reduce conflict or Increase co-operation/collaboration?

• Don’t make mistakes or Do things right?

• Think out of the box or Think in another box?

• 0% deviation or 100 % compliance?

• Don’t intellectualize too much or Its time to action?

• Do things beyond ordinary or Innovate?

• Don’t be so task focused or Be task and people focussed?

• Don’t be inauthentic/artificial or Be authentic and genuine?

• Don’t be harsh/nasty or Be sensitive?

• Reduce stress or Enjoy and be happy?

I can instantly relate to the 2^nd option in each of the above cases.

I could also think of how some of the language we use outside work can undergo changes too:

• I want to lose weight or I want to be in shape?

• I want to reduce my health problems or I want to be healthy?

• I don’t want a meaningless and boring life or I want a meaningful life?

What are some of the languages, terminologies, and phrases you use that you might want to change?

Can you think of some other ‘negative focussed’ terminologies/phrases frequently used at work?

What ‘positive focused’ terminology/phrase can we use instead of their ‘negative focused’ counterparts?

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Sourav