#Blog4 Biz Day 5: Choose a word that starts with "mo". Then write how it relates to your business.
I had to turn to the online dictionary for help. There were obvious words I could choose like:
~motivate
~momentum
~money
But where's the bravery in that? I kept looking. I was looking for a word that isn't obvious to business and, at the same time, is unique to my business. Picking an obvious choice would have saved some time. Did you know there are almost 1200 words in the English language that start with "mo"?!
I had a great time finding new words like mog. It is a 17th century verb that is a cross between move and jog. It means to move along, gently, and steadily.
I also thought about using modicum--which means a small amount. I noticed a pattern in my search. I was drawn to words that meant to small or slow.
What's up with that? Was my subconscious trying to tell me that I was trapped into small thinking? That my business would perpetually move along at a slow pace? Not at all.
As I continued my word search, the answer became profoundly clear when I found my word.
In short, mouthing is the action of moving your mouth but there is no sound coming out. In other words, you are saying something without really saying anything at all.
One of my husband's favorite music groups is Grits. Their 1997 album Factors of Seven featured a track called "Ain't Sayin Nothin". The chorus repeated the phrase "Aint sayin' nothin', got nothin' to say. Ain't sayin nothin', got nothin' to say. MCees today ain't got nothin' to say".
This is the essence of mouthing. In my work with clients, I find a lot of mouthing especially from leaders. Bosses mouthing to their employees what they should or should not do but the feedback they are providing isn't saying anything at all. Employees then turn and say "My boss keeps telling me I need to do better but I don't know what that is."
If one vents, rants, yells, belittles and shames one's employees when work isn't done to satisfaction, what good does this produce? You have to give feedback people can use. If you don't, you end up looking like a jerk who builds communication barriers the size of the Great Wall of China. People leave bosses not jobs. Some bosses are paving the way to the exit door with their actions and words.
Treating people with respect means knowing how to open your mouth and have substance come out. One of my favorite ancient proverb says "deliver your words not by number, but by weight".
Mouthing is weightless. BRAVE communication is thoughtful, efficient, and produces results.
Communication is complicated enough without thoughtless, reckless, excessive mouth movement with no regard for self or others.
If you are going to say it, learn how to say it better. Learn how to say it strategically. Learn how to ignite the people you influence with your words and actions. Learn how to inspire the people you influence to become BRAVE communicators themselves. They are looking to you to be an example, so be an example they want to follow!
As I mulled over the word, I realized that it only takes a modicum of courage to mog along the road that leads away from mouthing and towards efficient communication. Small changes can really produce big results if you have the right tools. BRAVE Communication LLC is here to provide you with those tools.
The Living BRAVE blog re-launches on Aug 1, 2013. During July, however, I accepted the #Blog4Biz daily business blogging challenge. The challenge is designed to help business owners focus on certain aspects of blogging that will expand their skill, boost creativity, and focus their message. Initially, I wasn't going to publicly share my posts, but as I started writing these posts, I saw the value in sharing...and some of this stuff is really good! If you want to join the challenge, click here.
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