It’s Christmas Eve, so you’d expect all communication to be merry at this stage in the year, right?
There’s little room here for doom and gloom.
We want joy, magic and peace as soon as December hits.
You are expected to be positive.
That feels like a lot of pressure.
However, what if I told you you could sound positive even if you were actually discussing the negative?
Christmas magic, I hear you say.
Well, it’s actually the opposite.
All you need to do is stop using negative language.
“Impossible”. “Ridiculous”. “We need it”.
Yes, I’ve heard all this before, but let’s look at it objectively.
The not, no, nothing and never
When we use negative language, we are focusing on the things we don’t have, we cannot do, or we haven’t fixed.
It’s the problem.
Then we scratch our heads when our teams struggle to find an answer to the issue.
How can we expect to steer them there if we are pushing them to focus on what’s gone (or going) wrong?
Instead, let’s shift to solutions-focused communication.
Tell people what we are doing, what we’re yet to do or what we’re fixing.
This is far from ignoring an issue; it’s about tackling it head-on.
“We’re not on track for our end of year target” takes the wind out of the team’s sails.
“We’re yet to achieve our target” tells them the same information but highlights that it is doable.
Positive language, even with negative situations, increases motivation.
Control your own narrative
We want to ensure we can choose the narrative for our own story.
Whether it’s a presentation, a speech or a simple conversation, we want to come across clearly.
We want our audience to know what it is we’re saying.
Here’s the issue, though: if you tell your audience not to do something, they are absolutely going to do it.
For example, don’t think of a pink elephant.
You did it, anyway, didn’t you?
Negative imagery is impossible to avoid.
Instead, if we focus on positive language, we can control our own narrative.
Think of a purple giraffe.
It’s clear, without confusion, and now I’ve done all I can to get my audience do what I need them to do without any issues.
Negative headlines
If you’re susceptible to media scrutiny, this is something we’re all nervous about.
Which is why it’s even more important to ensure we avoid negative language.
Why? Because this is where the press will find 99% of their inspiration for a nasty top line.
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman” springs to mind.
It’s been 30 years, and we still remember it.
Why? It’s so unbelievably visual, it’s impossible to forget about it.
So, focus on positive language to avoid falling into the same trap.
How to ditch negative language
Ready to find out more about how to turn your presentations from negative to positive?
Need help switching from the problems to solutions?
We can help.
Email us today to find out more about our communications courses.
Photos in A very merry communication: How to ditch negative language by Pink Elephant Communications.
A very merry communication: How to ditch negative language was written by Maxine Montgomery and edited by Andrew McFarlan.
