Watch What You Say

by | Aug 27, 2009 | Positive Workplace

Guest Post by Al Lucia It’s a basic principle of life that you should do the things you say you will do. But often when we commit to doing something, we speak in general terms. Speaking in generalities can lead to confusion and, sometimes, outcries of “Liar, Liar!” It’s not an issue of intentionally misleading others. It’s about the fact that different people have different interpretations of words and phrases. Here are just a few examples: A man says, “I love you.” A woman hears, “Let’s get married.” A woman says, “I want you to have fun.” A man hears, “Poker every Friday night with the guys!” A parent says, “Stop that or you’ll be in trouble!” A child hears…well, nothing! A manager says, “You deserve recognition.” An employee hears, “Great! A down payment on a boat!” Similar misunderstandings can occur when organizations post their values. It’s critical these values be clearly defined, not only at the organizational level, but also at the team or department level. Otherwise, you run the risk of employees interpreting the values differently than leadership intended. The benefits of carefully clarifying organizational values are two-fold. First, relationships are strengthened because honesty and trust are maintained between leadership and employees. Second, results and productivity improve – when you’re crystal clear about what it is you want, you have a much better chance of actually getting it! Now, you go out and have some fun with this…oops! I’ll bet my definition of “fun” is different than yours. See what I mean? Al Lucia, CSP is a respected speaker, consultant, author and coach who specializes in the PEOPLE side of business. To sign up for Al’s ezine, click here.

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