Words Matter #9: Say what you want

“We’ve got to reduce defects.”

After the director of manufacturing stated his goal, I asked, “What if your team found a way to increase quality?”

We often default to language that emphasizes what we don’t want:

Instead, select language that focuses on what you do want:

What cause would you rather rally behind? Decreasing the bad, or increasing the good?

The next goal you set for yourself or your team, be aware of your language.

A slight shift in words can make a huge difference in motivation.

Words matter; say what you want.

Click to hone your skills with another topic in the Words Matter series: