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Promoting healthy teams: The right people with the right fit, enjoying right relationships.
 February 2013
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Greetings! 

 

According to a Chinese fortune cookie I once ate: "Good writing is clear thinking made visible."  A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it is equally true that well-chosen words create lasting images that make meaning memorable.

The well-crafted verbal image

Learning to speak in terms that people remember

When talking about the distinction between extroversion and introversion, I make the point that this is not a distinction in sociability or friendliness, but of where one derives one's energy

 

Extroverts get energy from the external world, activity, and interaction with other people.  Introverts get energy from their internal world, reflection, and interaction with those who are close to them.

 

Long before Twilight I described this difference as follows: "Extroverts are energy vampires looking to suck the life out of others, while introverts feel like they are having the life sucked out of them."  In addition to generating laughter this image sticks with audience members as they think about their interactions with colleagues, clients, and family members.

 

Well-crafted verbal images are central to durable messages.  That's one reason I've moved from Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as my personality assessment of preference to Everything DiSC.  The circular model of DiSC and the use of four letters rather than sixteen combinations of letters creates a lasting impression that allows the learning to stick.

 

Here are THREE principles related to the creation of effective word images.

 

Principle #1: The image must be relevant to your audience

I heard about a pastor from upstate NY who was speaking to a New York City audience.  His sermon was filled with agricultural examples that didn't resonate with his hearers.  We need to make the effort to speak the language of our audience members rather than expecting them to adapt to ours.

 

Principle #2: The image must not distract from your intended meaning

Recently a client spoke about "vomiting" in reference to her use of many words.  That is a powerful, memorable image, but one that is likely to distract the listener from her intended meaning.

 

Principle #3: The image must be memorable

One of my healthcare clients was distinguishing between a longstanding, non-crisis situation and a short-lived, crisis situation.  He said the department is suffering from diabetes not appendicitis.  Given the healthcare context, the age of the audience, and the point he was trying to make, this was a well-crafted, memorable image.

 

At Julian Consulting we are committed to your effective communication.  We want to help you create images that drive home your point in memorable fashion!
Good to Great 
Put this on your re-reading list!

A few years after Good to Great was released people began to point out that some of the highlighted companies no longer exhibited qualities of greatness.  To some this served as a critique of Collin's work.

I would be among those pointing out that while it was unfortunate some companies backslid from the principles that had made them great, this did nothing to undermine the basic principles Collins identified.

Principles that included Level 5 leadership, confronting the brutal facts, the hedgehog concept, and the flywheel.  Each worth revisiting if you haven't picked up the book in a while.

My point is simple: There will always be more books than you can read, so sometimes the best thing you can do is reread a well-written book that made a significant impression on you the first or tenth time around.

I'm sure you have many others on your shelves that are worthy of skimming through to remind yourself of powerful lessons that are beginning to fade.

Add rereading to your to do list for 2013 and see what lessons you can relearn and reapply!

Thanks for reading.

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Remember, I'm committed to your professional and personal success!

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Dr. Stephen Julian

Julian Consulting
 
www.julianconsulting.org

 

Promoting healthy teams: The right people with the right fit, enjoying right relationships.

 

447 Greensboro Drive
Dayton, OH 45459
(937) 660-8563
(937) 660-8593 (fax)
 
stephen@julianconsulting.org

 

All content © 2013 by Stephen Julian, PhD

 

 

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