The Power of Words

“Words are free. It’s how you use them that may cost you.” ~ KushandWizdom

As children, we may have heard another saying about stick and stones and words never hurting us. As we grow older, we quickly learn it isn’t true. We know the power of words, and since they hold such power, we need to choose ours carefully.

For a business leader, this sentiment is even more important. In business speak, we learn to use words concisely because… well, time is money.

Precise and concise

We also learn to use words precisely, particularly if we’re in a more technical industry, so we can convey the exact meaning we want. For example, the terms ‘assets’ and ‘liabilities’ will have quite different meanings to a group of librarians than they will to a group of accountants.

It’s not enough to simply use words concisely and precisely though. We can also use them to set tone and expectation. It’s very easy to give the wrong impression altogether if we don’t consider our words within a greater context.

With that caution in mind, here are a few simple words to avoid using:

Try.

“Do or do not. There is no try,” the iconic movie character Yoda once said. Saying ‘try’ implies that you’re attempting to leave yourself some wiggle room, and may make the listener question whether you will actually do what you say.

Qualifiers.

Words like ‘probably’ ‘should’ or ‘kind of’ weaken your position and create misgivings about your confidence in yourself and your product.

Honestly.

If you are sincere in your business dealings, you should never need to use this word. As soon as you use ‘honestly’ you are planting a seed of doubt about the veracity of what you’re saying.

Adverbs.

Legendary writer Mark Twain had an equally legendary dislike of adverbs, and it wasn’t without cause. ‘Basically,’ ‘totally’ and ‘very’ are some of the most wanton criminals here. These words can convey a sense of casualness that you didn’t intend or make you seem unprepared and scattered.

But.

This word has an amazing effect of neutralizing any word spoken before it. It’s often meant to provide a contrast or a qualifier i.e. ‘we can complete the project on time, but it will take extra resources.’ In practice listeners will often ignore anything before the ‘but.’

Can’t.

This is a harsh word that implies a certain finality. You don’t have a solution to their problem, and there are no good alternatives. You can’t help them. The reality is that while you may not have direct answer, there are plenty of workarounds you’d be happy to assist them with. By avoiding ‘can’t’, you take the emphasis off what you’re unable to do and focus on what you can do.

Words have power. By being mindful of how and when we use them, we instill confidence in others, inspire them to action and present our best selves to those we interact with.