Jim Wiltens, who teaches a program for gifted and talented children in Northern California schools, emphasizes the power of positive language. You will never hear him say, “I can’t.”
He uses more constructive words like “I could if I…” He even promises to pay his students $100 if they ever catch him saying, “I can’t.”
When Cathie Black took over as president of Hearst Magazines, she noticed that negative speech patterns had created an environment hostile to new ideas. So Black told her team that every time they said things like, “We’ve tried that already” or “That will never work,” she would fine them $10.
After enforcing her rule just a few times, Black effectively wiped those expressions from the office vocabulary. The result? New creativity and growth.
Three of the best words you can say when faced with a challenge are “How might we…?”
The “how” suggests that improvement is always possible. The only question remaining is how we will do it.
The word “might” suggest a breakthrough is possible.
And the “we” establishes team ownership of the challenge, making it clear that it will be a group effort.
Fine tuning the words you use can help diminish negativity and spark creativity.
