Words Matter

Words Matter
 
I received an email today promoting a training that is offered weekly. What struck me this week was the use of the work, “Incredible.”
 
The subject line of the email read, “INCREDIBLE … TRAINING EVENTS!”
 
Wow! I am always interested in incredible events until the term incredible loses its credibility.
 
Wait! What?
 
Thinking that the adjective to raise a desire on the part of the reader was familiar, I researched the emails I’d received from this person dating back to 5 February of this year and learned that every weekly training was described as incredible.
 
Suddenly, my memory instantly transported me back to my tenure as a vice president within a multinational corporation. I recall the flurry of bulletins flowing from headquarters, each stamped with the imperatives 'URGENT' or 'IMPORTANT,' signaling field personnel to action.
 
When asked by a communications department manager seeking validation for their efforts in disseminating information to the field, I simply could not sugarcoat my response.
 
"If your inquiry pertains to the sheer volume of communications dispatched to rectify errors in shipped goods and fixtures, then you're certainly overachieving. However, if it's about fostering genuine connections with our field personnel, I regret to say, you're falling woefully short."
 
I suggested a few key insights to consider:
-> What constitutes urgency for one may not resonate as urgent for another.
 -> When everything is labeled urgent or important, these designations lose their significance.
-> The failure of one individual to plan and execute properly does not engender urgency among those who adhere to scheduled plans and execution.
 
The video of the blind man sitting in the square seeking contributions comes to mind. The blind man sat with a sign that read, “I am blind. Please help.” The sight and sound of sporadic giving follows.
 
A woman comes by and rewrites the sign to say, “It is a beautiful day and I can’t see it.” The regular sound of coins could be heard as each person walked by and gave.



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Words matter to connect with those you want to reach. 

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