Language

Continuing on the theme of my last two posts, I've recently started paying closer attention to language. In my last entry, I observed how simple expressions reveal others' personal philosophies. In a similar vein, inspection of word choice can reveal biases, inadvertent posturing, negative mindsets, etc. For example, I recently commented on a work colleague's expression "keep in check" when describing a partnership -- a bit of a contradiction in terms. Another colleague recently observed that we were "competing with the internal client team" for a project -- do we really want to compete with our clients? A very common phrase I frequently used in the past was "buy-in", an expression which betrayed my "us versus them" thinking. If we are truly collaborating with our clients, shouldn't ownership be a natural outcome? I'm not suggesting that we try to change our words. Just challenge the beliefs they expose and improved expression should naturally follow.