I am looking to see if there is any recommended reading on how to get different people to speak the same language.
What this is about is trying to design a training/coaching program that makes it easier for say an enigneering team to talk and share knowledge using a common language whether they are talking to finance, or sales etc.
I wondered if there was any research into how (at basic level) we define a base common vocabulary, and the linguistic process our brains go through in assimilating commonality in communication.
Also is there any material on the difference in teaching strategy and teaching tactics.
Any help/references appreciated.
Pete King
2 Responses
Speaking in tongues
Hi Pete
When I completed my training as an NLP Practitioner one of the exercises we did was on learning how to speak the same language. These centred on us becoming familiar with the language; understanding the impact it had on others and learning how to translate one language into another.
On a practical level, I recently coached a newly appointed executive who was very proud that they had retained their new team during a period of significant upheavel. Unfortunately, his new bosses were interested only in the impact he had made to the balance sheet.
In coaching him we looked at the financial value of retaining his team. In doing this he was able to keep his joy at retaining the people he valued, whilst at the same time putting this into numerical terms that would be appreciated by his bosses.
If you want any further information drop me an e-mail.
‘Orientation’
My last company merged with another organisation and it was very apparent that they all ‘spoke the same language’. Whilst it was good for them, it was very difficult for our company to integrate with them!
After a few months of research I found out why. They had a VERY intensive induction/orientation – they had a five-day course during their first week and everyone flew to the US for it. And there was an optional 5 days follow-up course in 6 months.
The material covered everything you could imagine from understanding every job role, metrics involved in each unit, how to run meetings, how to ‘brainstorm’ the company way, project management methodology, how to do expenses etc. etc. As a result, everyone did things in the same way and used the same terminology.
In my opinion, it was an overkill, stifled creativity and individuality and made the organisation very much of a ‘clique’ – and it was expensive (but it was a dot.com-type company!) HOWEVER, the company really worked as one unit, spoke the same language etc and really knew what to expect of each other. So it did achieve what it set out to do.