An interesting fact about language is the way that the use of particular words, or phrases, move in and out of general parlance. It is, as if, these words or phrases become ‘fashionable’, for a time. Their longevity, as part of the language, is determined by how widely the word or phrase is adopted by the general population or a particular sector of the population. The commercial and industrial management community have a continuing ‘hunger’ for new forms of expression; constantly adding to the mystique of ‘management-speak’. No longer do we, just, support a colleague’s opinion or decision. We ‘buy into the narrative’. A department doesn’t perform badly or inefficiently, anymore. It’s, just, ‘not fit for purpose’.
A notable expression, of which, you must have become aware, is the new use of the word ‘journey’. Many people no longer experience the unfolding of a sequence of events. Such an experience has morphed into a ‘personal journey’. It has been made popular, particularly, by ‘ersatz celebrities’, who believe that the World wants to know about their, often, irrelevant experiences. They feel that it is necessary to tell us about the sequence of events that led to the achievement of some project, which has little or no impact, other than material gain to ‘the traveller’. Their self-deluding belief that we are, even remotely, interested is, just, an expression of ego.
However, the ‘journey’ analogy does demonstrate a theme that, now, permeates communication, generally: that everything must be expressed positively. The negative must be avoided, at all times. The ‘journey’ is an excellent example. It infers that forward thinking has established the steps in a well-conceived plan, which led to the achievement of some valuable objective; the ‘destination’, within the analogy. Such ‘journeys’ are, rarely, planned.
Other examples of this ‘negative to positive’ phenomenon abound. People, no longer, conduct themselves badly, have bad habits or personal weaknesses. Instead, they have ‘issues’ or are guilty of ‘inappropriate behaviour’, how ever serious the sin. Organizations, no longer, have to expect problems or difficulties ahead. Instead, they will experience ‘challenges’. People don’t make mistakes. It’s nobody’s fault, anymore. They have, simply been guilty of making ‘poor choices’, somewhere in the past. Can you see the positive ‘spin’ that has been put on these negative examples?
But, here’s a classic. On a recent Client visit, walking through the general office, I spotted a computer, sitting, unused, in the corner, with a hand-written notice on it. The notice bore the legend “This computer is operating in a failure mode”; the ultimate expression of the ‘negative to positive’ phenomenon, I think.
We should not avoid the negative reality of problems and difficulties by seeking some positive way of expressing them.
See the expression of the negative as a call to action
* This is the title of a song, written by Johnny Mercer and recorded, both, by Bing Crosby and The Andrew Sisters in 1944