HOW YOU TALK about your team and your customers is pretty telling, and yet few of us realize how much our words affect our thinking and vice versa.
Let’s think, then, about where our words come from, and how we can use them to be more effective, gain higher loyalty and make it a ton more fun to do business with us.
Your words come from your beliefs. People leak their beliefs through their words.
Here’s an example:
A woman I know was complaining about someone who works for her. Does this sound familiar? When asked how it was going with one of her team, she said, “OK, though I think he is lazy.” She was telling me that the man wasn’t taking action, wasn’t doing what she asked him to quickly enough. “He doesn’t seem to have the drive I like.” She sighed.
Now, let me add a couple of things to this story. First, she was showing me a completed project as proof. The man had finished it only the day before, yet she had asked him to do the project several days prior to that. This wasn’t a time-sensitive project.
When you become aware of how powerful your words are to your results, you will be amazed.”
Many things could be running through your head, like: “People should do what you ask quickly, so she has every right to be unhappy.”
Or, you could be thinking, “What’s the issue? He got it done, didn’t he?”
And this is the lesson. Most of us think mostly about how we perceive things and what is happening to us.
It is a human thing, I admit, but it can hurt you and your relationships more than you know. When you are looking for what isn’t working, you will find it over and over. And what you are looking for speaks directly to your beliefs.
If pressed, this woman I’m telling you about would probably tell you, “You have to be diligent all the time, or people will take advantage of you.”
Her words show us that she is looking for those things even when they aren’t there.What can you do to make sure this doesn’t happen to you?
First, watch your words and those of others. When you become aware of how powerful your words are to your results, you will be amazed.
Then, as you hear yourself saying negative or worrisome things, like, “It’s so hard to find good people.” Shift right then to a new belief, like, “It’s really remarkable how all the good people gravitate to us!”
So check in with your beliefs.
Most of us would probably say we think that others are generally good. So then, the next question: Is that what you say and act like?
Here is my belief. Most people want to do good, be good and make a difference. It’s my and maybe your responsibility to help them by believing they are doing their best and telling them so.
So what are you looking for? What someone is doing right or what someone is not doing fast enough?
Your words can be life-enriching to you and your team and customers. How will you use them?