Change the Language – and the Behavior Follows

By Joe Phelps

Our language is like a computer’s operating system. We are programmed by it. By using the right words (with the right people) you can change conflict to cooperation. Examine how you react when people get your name wrong or your title doesn't quite fit. Your team members will react in the same fashion and so will your customers.

Creating a company language strengthens your corporate culture and bonds your team in a way that company picnics can't. It makes everyone feel connected because they understand each other and feel respected.

It will also help your company win business in a couple of ways. First, your clients will subconsciously respond in a positive manner when they see how well your team relates to one another. Second, it makes potential customers more responsive because they will feel that you understand them and their needs better.

It is also wise to listen to how your customers communicate with each other and use their language when you do business with them.

Here are some words and phrases that do (and don’t) encourage to effect a change in attitudes.

Don’t use:

Boss – it’s an old world word. Try team leader, manager, associate, or whatever is appropriate. Individuals are their own boss. They don’t even have to show up. They simply determine their own level of success by reaping the positive or negative consequences of their actions. The more responsibility you have, the more you’re actually working for the people around you. So, say they work with you, not for you. And say you work with someone, not for them.

ASAP – busy schedules and relative importance of tasks render this acronym almost meaningless. Best to agree upon a specific date and time.

Departments – we abolished them at The Phelps Group to organize in client-based teams. We refer to people of the same skill as being in the same discipline.

Employees – it smacks of people working for others. Associates seem to work best for us.

Creatives – used in some ad agencies to refer to art directors and writers. This infers that our PR people aren’t creative. Or our promotion people, or producers aren’t creative. Or, anyone for that matter. We refer to our associates by their function: writer, PR specialist, producer, art director, etc.

Sold – don’t use "we sold it to the client." Better to say, something like, "We agreed on the concept." The spirit being that we came to the same conclusions and have alignment on next steps. No one wants to be sold. If you don’t have alignment, it won’t stay sold for long.

I – when referring to what has been accomplished. Give the credit to the team.

Make titles functional – not hierarchical. Avoid:

Supervisor – no one wants to be supervised. They want to be led. They want to be coached.

Executive – who isn’t an executive in professional services in a flat organization? Words like specialists, managers, leaders may work better.

Senior – it’s a relative term. Age is not much of an issue. Productivity is the yardstick, not seniority. And in many cases the younger are more productive because of their technological skills or energy level. This is not to say that we don’t respect and revere the wisdom that comes with age and experience. But titles are not the place to show this respect. (Plus, once you’re over 40, you’d probably rather not be referred to as "senior.")

With this spirit in mind, consider allowing people to make up their own titles. The guideline is to be descriptive of the functions performed, not a person’s relative importance within the organization.

In this same spirit, encourage the use of first names. Have the youngest people call the oldest by their first name. Publish phone lists alphabetized by first name. It’s friendlier.

Speaking of lists: Always list people alphabetically – never by rank. This goes for lists of client names as well – even if the client organization still adheres to the old style in its own communications. Don’t waste time and suffer anxiety figuring out a pecking order when building "To" and "CC" lists on a memo or report. People aren’t offended by seeing their name in alphabetical order. (But they are offended if you happen to put them lower than they expected in a pecking order listing.)

Using language appropriately will empower everyone in your organization, it is the most powerful tool you have. It is also simple to use. Start by setting the example and suggesting what words work best. Your team will quickly pick up the idea and the results will show in a stronger company culture and your bottom line.

Joe Phelps is the founder of The Phelps Group, one of the nation’s leading integrated marketing communications agencies located in Southern California. Phelps, who started his agency 20 years ago with one client, Fender Guitars, was named the "Entrepreneur Leader of the Year 2000" by the Los Angeles Advertising Association, is a Belding Award-winning writer and has been featured on the cover on Inc. magazine. At his agency, and prior to that at NW Ayer and Grey Advertising, Phelps managed multi-million dollar campaigns for many of America’s and Japan’s top companies. Phelps’ revolutionary business model is used as a case study at numerous universities, including Northwestern, Colorado, Pepperdine and USC. He may be contacted at (310) 752-4400 or through the Web site at www.pyramidsaretombs.com.

Published in Networking Today, December 2003.