Power of Language
How did you take the recent snap Covid shutdown?
Are you confident about the future?
How are your team responding?
One of the biggest dangers of a snap Covid lockdown is not the loss of income or business interruption (although that certainly does create short term pain). The real danger lies in the impact on mindset. Losing confidence and feeling defeated by the seemingly constant uncertainty will often have a far larger negative impact on a business if these emotions are allowed to dominate.
Temporary dips in confidence beset us all. Worry and concern is also a given on the pallet of human emotions. These actually add to the overall texture of life, giving contrast - which is necessary if we are to live a rich life. It is when worry dominates that the health of an organisation is at threat.
One of the easiest ways to tell if your business health is beginning to slip is to listen to the language within your business. When people start focusing on what is wrong and when conversations quickly turn to the negative, it is a sure sign that you are on a slippery slope.
Energy flows where your focus goes and it is important to focus on what you want more of.
Business and team leaders have a huge impact on this. If you choose to talk doom and gloom, your team will follow suit. Stated concern from a leader is amplified in the ears of employees. A passing comment in a moment of frustration can quickly be picked up and fanned into news of impending doom. It is important to realise that every negative comments weights a culture down and can soon become an anchor of blame culture.
As people look for what is wrong and talk about it, they sow seeds of discontent which can rapidly grow into a cancerous tree of resentment. Words have power. They create and feed and water whatever you choose to imagine.
As we go through these trying times, watch your language. Focus on what is positive - there are a lot more positives than negatives when we start looking. This can build a culture where people start to focus on catching people doing things right and what we focus on we get more of.
Focus forward. Look for what you can do. Speak about what you want more of and watch the power of words positively impact your life and business.
Here’s to your success!
