Law # 2: How a situation occurs arises in language

Working as an Organizational Development consultant, this Law of Performance really speaks to me.  Organizations are created through conversations.  When you think of your own organization, what kinds of conversations are happening?  They have the power to bring an organization to the top – or to it’s knees. 

We make meaning of the language we use. 

The words we use don’t have meaning, it’s how the situations occurs to us that creates this meaning.  This might be why there can be so much miscommunication when information is announced.  This of all the elements that shape the way in which we hear the actual words said.  

When an organization, or individuals, have a high level of trust things occur in a way that is very different when trust isn’t present. The same words can be said and we can leave with very different interpretations depending on our level of trust with the sender of the message.  

So, in essence, what’s not said is equally as important.  Trust is something that is not said, and provides a thick filter for us to hear this message.   

The key here, is are you present to this filter?  Do you have the awareness in place on how language occurs differently for each of us?  When you do, you can better communicate with others because you know how things occur might be different for different individuals.   

Addressing the unsaid is one of a number of steps we can do to increase our performance. It’s easier to talk about it once you bring it to the surface, isn’t it?  The other choice is to make your own meaning of the unsaid and be unclear.  Doesnt’s clear expectations = better performance?  

Zaffron and Logan state, “…articulating the unsaid creates the room to say something new.” It allows us to use language to create something new as well. Within here lies the increase to our performance. 

What are you creating?

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Choice – Take it or Don’t

Today I facilitated a workshop for a group of directors.  I seem to be challenged at times when people don’t want to recognize the choices available.  At times, some really feel comfort and, can I say joy, in being helpless.  When this shows up in a workshop – I can’t just let it go.  I need to bring it out and really just throw it on the table – so we can talk about it.  And I really get where this is uncomfortable to talk about, because misery loves company which is about talking about the other choices – beyond misery – we might have.  It’s not the type of company I care to keep, let alone enable. 

Today’s session provided for a really great opportunity to think about work and the choices one makes – or chooses not to make.  If we can talk about the difficult choices – like simply doing nothing, or choosing another job – doesn’t that empower us?  Empower us because we have choices?  

I hope that it does, because what I can’t hear, is “i have no choice, no matter what I do things won’t change.”  I don’t know about you, but this stops us in our tracks and puts us right back into that default future.   And then, yes, you get to be right – nothing will change.

Is that what you want? Not me, I choose to play a different game. One where the options – all of them, even the ones I don’t want to say out loud exist.  That’s the game I play.  How about you?

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Law #1: The cornerstone to performance

The first law that authors Zaffron and Logan put forth is as follows:  

How people perform correlates to how situations occur to them.

The understanding of this single statement – or law, has the power to transform how you and I see the world. And begins to create the understanding for why we do what we do.  Why is it some people are highly successful, some organizations completely thrive while others don’t?  

It’s what Zaffron and Logan call the “default future.”  Until we change our future – profoundly impact our future. We continue to live towards our default.  We don’t see it any other way.

Has it ever occurred  to you that you would not fail in some pursuit? That you knew you would be wildly successful with what you have put your mind to.  If you’ve had either of these experiences, you DO things differently, don’t you?  If you are part of the camp that believes things won’t change at work or in life no matter what you do. Guess what, you create ACTION around that statement as well.  Your default future takes over and you begin to do those things to create that, rather than something drastically different. 

Cool thing is we get to choose.  Which do you choose?

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