Shape A Common Language To Cultivate Culture
By common language I mean one that is unique to your team. This comes easier for highly technical teams with similar training and backgrounds. Seize this advantage for greater morale! But today, teams are comprised of people from all around the world. How can we speak a common language?
“First we shape our language, then our language shapes us.” (Source unknown)
Principles Behind A Common Language
In my coaching practice I encourage all my clients to learn 3 principles of change. First, “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are-or, as we are conditioned to see it.” (Stephen Covey) Second, the way the world occurs to us occurs out of the language we use and the voice we listen to. Third, we change our behavior or performance by using transformative language and listening to a different voice.
Principle 1: Awareness. Specifically, self awareness. Our job, if we are to understand why people respond to us the way they do, is to take action toward greater levels of self awareness. Understand self to impact others. Covey said, “private victory precedes public victory.”
Principle 2: Choice. The self aware person understands if they want people to respond differently to their leadership they have a choice. Either continue doing what they are doing or change their behavior. This begins with language. Bring your team together and collaborate on a common vision.
Principle 3: Trust. So, if the first principle leads us to greater levels of self awareness and the second principle to choice, we must trust in our ability to make a change. This comes down to reframing our approach. To begin, we change our language and listen to a different voice.
Case Study: 3 Principles Applied With An Individual
This from a client testimonial on my website:
“My pain was predominantly fear-based around the concepts of failure, stagnation, rejection, criticism, and alienation.”
“I’ve been able to pinpoint specific beliefs and practices that work as sabotaging agents to my life and work. Instead of having a jaded or disillusioned outlook on my circumstances, I’ve worked to realistically and specifically understand and embrace aspects of my talents, abilities, motivations that I had previously labeled as useless or unnecessary. In the coaching process, I’ve started to turn abstract, out-of-focus ideas about my calling and passions into real-life expectations and goals.”
Case Study: 3 Principles Applied With A New Team
A C-suite client of mine who prefers to remain anonymous was moving to a holding company where he would lead 14 people and service 30 companies. While this leader is extremely successful in his career, he realized it would be good to have an outsider speaking into this transition. He hired me.
He developed an common language by developing a vision frame that outlined the teams strategic vision, which includes their core values, mission, strategy and metrics. They also used a character that exemplified their core beliefs. Consequently, alignment was achieved. Trust was built. Urgency was established. Strengths and talents were recognized and applied to the strategic vision.
5 More Reasons To Develop A Common Language
- A common language sets the culture
- It is the basis for effective communication
- It brings about a consistent identity
- It brings about consistency
- It increases productivity
In closing, if you want to unite your team, start by shaping a common language. Work on your self awareness, choose language and trust that your team can make the changes to achieve greater performance.
