Small things make all the difference
Language sets a tone
Perhaps it's just a habit, but we shape our habits and our habits shape us.
Our choice of language is no small thing. “Human Resources”, “Direct Reports”, “manage”, “headcount”. These familiar words imply that we think of our people as things. The words we choose show and shape our mindset and beliefs.
In his book The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle tells a fascinating story of research into effective teams. One of the key factors in the most effective groups was almost invisible. The best leaders didn't come across as "leaderly", yet their teams naturally outperformed.
What these people had in common was a habit of sending a continuous heartbeat of belonging cues that enabled groups to feel safe and connected. Their words shaped the energy and engagement of the team.
The cues we send, especially our unintended ones, are detected and parsed by the brains of others to assess threat or belonging. This is where our lived values are read and registered.
Small things really do make all the difference.
