Words have incredible power. Words can hurt and words can help. They can build trust, inspire, and promote a sense of shared goals. Words can steer attention to the areas of commonality or vice versa, keep focus on elements that divide. Words can confuse or they can clarify. A single word can trigger a very powerful emotion and turn the conversation or even an entire business relationship in a different direction. Words should be carefully selected and only used deliberately.
This month on our blog we will concentrate on the wording, substance and style of messages communicated by quality professionals. It can serve as a practical guide to help quality auditors, managers, engineers, and other professionals clarify their written messages and inspire their readers to constructive actions. Materials presented here are based on many years of practical experience and analysis of what worked and what didn’t, in written communication related to auditing, consulting, and training in the area of management systems.
Rule # 1 Use only words with positive connotations
Words can create an emotional response in readers’ minds. Some words can remind the reader about a situation or circumstances connected to positive or negative emotions. Our goal in quality communication is to work through cooperation and mutual understanding. To achieve this goal we want to make readers’ responses 100% positive. We suggest using only words with positive connotations, those that would be less likely to trigger “fight or flight” response in our reader’s minds.
Examples:
More practical tips in our best selling training course Audit Interview: Learn Journalists' Secrets.
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