Toyota Kata author Mike Rother is highly tuned in to language that peaks manager interest and language that dampens it. He gives examples that illustrate the difference succinctly in this recent SlideShare. (See the slide below.)
The terms on the left aren’t wrong – they just don’t connect the message to tangible results.
Even if Lean isn’t your world at all, I expect you’ll see ways you will want to change your own language in this.
Great tips from Rother’s decades of experience.
Here’s another Lean language makeover. One of my LinkedIn groups posted this question, “Why is it so hard to push strategic thinking down in an organization? Give only one reason.” I replied, ” I think the word ‘push’ says it all.” Someone else noted, “the word ‘down’ doesn’t help either.”