LANGUAGE – beyond words
“I’ll see you just now…” When you hear this, does “just now” imply five minutes or two hours? Notions such as these could be interpreted differently by listeners and ultimately cause our expressions not to match intentions. In active communication we use words beyond their lexical meaning. The underlying intention or subtext will affect the way in which a message is interpreted. Language operates in a verbal, physical, social and psychological context. Listeners will make different connotations to the language we use, based on their backgrounds and experiences. Consider the following statement made by Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands war: “It’s exciting to have a real crisis on your hands when you’ve spent half your political life dealing with humdrum issues like the environment”. Her intention was possibly to state the great challenge. However the choice of words such as “exciting” and “humdrum” could be interpreted as enthusiasm towards the war and demeaning the importance of the environment. Similarly Colin Powell addressed the UN Security Council with the words: “We cannot be shocked into impotence because we are afraid…” This sexual imagery is an interesting choice of words for the occasion and had (according to the Times Syndication Service) limited effect on the Council members.
In business we often deal with situations in which we need to be persuasive and diplomatic and it is important to consider the possible interpretations that our words could yield. Neutrality is the safest choice in a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic environment such as South Africa. This does not imply careful rehearsing of every word that we plan to utter. It simply requires a mind-set and taking time to structure before your speak. It is interesting that we make fewer notional blunders when we write then when we speak. A possible reason could be that we take more time to structure ideas when we write. Apply the same to your speaking and when you know that you will face a delicate situation, plan what you want to say. It is also often the small things in our expression that alters the notion. For example: in his now infamous Johannesburg speech, Robert Mugabe referred to “my Zimbabwe”. The simple use of the pronoun “my” creates a possible notion of arrogance, possession etc. A simple technique such as the third person could increase neutrality.
Ultimately notions are not only determined by words. Non-verbal delivery and the prosodic elements of voice and speech – intonation, stress, rate of delivery and pause or hesitation, also influence interpretation. It is therefore, impossible to provide solutions for all communications since the context and listener will dictate the language that is used. We could however explore our typical expression habits and consciously refine it in situations, when we need to be diplomatic or persuasive.
There is no doubt that we all use positive notions spontaneously when we are in certain situations, but if we are aware of the language we use, it can become a powerful tool. Also listen to the language that other speakers use. We often comment that certain people have the ability to sell ideas really well. It could be the way in which they structure and deliver utterances. Therefore ask yourself if your notional language skills are “disappointing” or “not yet satisfactory” the final proof lies in the success-rate of your communications.
For more information please contact [email protected]