Clichés and Buzzwords
Today’s newsletter will be sister posts. The two pieces will be discussing both what is useful and not useful about clichés and buzzwords. I will link Drew’s post at the end so you can click over to it.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint”
“There’s no “I” in team”
“Work smarter, not harder”
“Culture”
All of the following are clichés and buzzwords we hear time and time again in leadership. So often so, that when we hear them, we often roll our eyes, instantly tune out the speaker, or have a “here we go again” moment.
The sad thing with clichés and buzzwords is not in the wording, but in how often we have heard those words. At one time, hearing “There’s no “I” in team” made individuals reevaluate and change the way they act. Nowadays, it just simply flies in one ear, and out the other. It has lost its luster.
And so, the disappointment lies not in hearing that cliché or buzzword, but in not fully appreciating the value of what it means.
Of course, there is a reason why the magnitude of words or sayings has diminished in value. It is because of people’s lack of ability to recreate stories that get the same messaging across.
When leaders do not change the way they communicate a common message they are trying to get across, they begin to lose the value that message has on people. It begins to lose the value so much so, that it begins to become a cliché or buzzword.
If people were better able to recreate how they explained to someone that “there is no “I” in team”, the person receiving the information will be able to better receive and act on that message, instead of rolling their eyes and wondering what they can even do to change.
Clichés aren’t bad. Buzzwords aren’t bad. At the basis, they are actually really good. What is bad, is a leaders lack of ability to change the approach, to stick the message.
And this happens for a lot of reasons. Lack of creativity, lack of effort, or straight up communication issues. It is hard work to relay messages. But the benefits are reaped when a leader is able to effectively get a message across. And this doesn’t happen with reciting clichés or buzzwords. It happens by working hard to find the right messaging, for the right moment, for that person.
As leaders, we need to continuously evaluate our messaging, and find new ways to tell the people we lead, so our messaging does not become stale. And when this is done effectively, we can Get Over the Hump.
View Drew’s post here.
Think you know someone who wants to Get Over the Hump?
Want to join the climb?