Ogre #4: Language

By Bruce Hodes based on an article by Miles Kierson called “The Seven Hurdles of Successful Execution”.

The language of improving organization performance gets in the way. Almost all of the words associated with performance improvement have negative connotations. We already addressed accountability, which too many people means “somebody is going to beat me over the head if I do not do what I was told to do”; even worse, is the phrase “hold people accountable”, which for many means “we are not going to be able to easily get away with stuff.”

We do not need to change the actual words; rather, we need to redefine their context. The language of performance improvement needs to relate to accomplishing the organizations’ vision, initiatives and goals. The opportunity is to shift the context of being a victim and powerless in an organization to one of being a partner and empowered in the organization. I assert that organizations like Southwest Airlines, Google, Apple and Zappos have done this.

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Context is Decisive

I was on a trip, surrounded by water. I slept in a room that was one sixth the size of my room at the Hampton. There was not even room for storage so my suitcase and I shared my bed. From our sleeping quarters, we had to go up ladders and then down ladders and that just got us to the dining room for meals! I also had to share a very, very small bathroom shower with no sink with seven other people. For all of this we paid several hundred dollars a day – sounds horrible – right? 

Well horribleness depends on the context because context is critical. Context is the background conversation which surrounds circumstances and gives the circumstances meaning.

What was the context here? I took a cruise in the Caribbean with my 87 year old dad. We did something that he loves, sailing. I had the best time ever; it was a great experience. My dad and I went on an adventure together – and given his age – that was so very precious. 

What is the context of your day’s activities? Are you surviving and going through the day or are you up to something? What is the meaning your work activities? The down side of being a human is that we create meaning automatically, without any conscious thought, just through reaction. However, the magic of being human is that we CAN create meaning consciously for the activities in our lives. Our activities can have meaning that lights us up and excites us. We do not have to settle for our automatic ways. We can ascribe meaning to circumstances.

Victor Frankl made being in concentration camps meaningful. In his book Man’s Search of Meaning. Frankl described his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp and seeing his wife and relatives killed. During a grueling and cruel march Frankl realized that love was the ultimate human expression. After he was liberated Frankl dedicated the rest of his life to establishing a psychotherapy school and working with people to find true supportive meaning out of disparate circumstances. 

Nelson Mandela used his time in jail to support bringing down the South African Apartheid. While there, he established a university in prison that helped train leaders in the freedom movement. After eighteen years in prison he was offered his Freedom if he left South Africa and renounced the movement. He refused to leave because his imprisonment was making a difference both nationally.

While these examples are about extraordinary people, their ability to bring meaning to circumstances is something all of us can do. We do not call ourselves “beings” for nothing.

With these as examples imagine what you can do with your everyday circumstances and actions. What meaning for your work and your organization can you create? Then take action consistent with the meaning you create. Let us know what meaning you are bringing to your work life and organization. We look forward to hearing about it.