7. The importance of the language and the words we use in the leadership /coaching process

language and the words have extreme importance in the leadership and the coaching process.
It is the language and the words that are holding the focus and guiding us towards our goals and objectives.

If I posed a question: “ how could we do the work without a single error?” I have set my self and the team I lead, a trap. The trap is the last four words, without a single error.
If you are wondering why, it is because the focus of this sentence is towards the

“ without single error” words.
Do you remember a situation when your parents would say to you: be careful about the glass on the table, and than you are breaking the glass any way?

Apart from the focus, the words hold lots of energy with them.
Coaches and leaders have to infuse their questions with superlatives and passion. Creative, empowering, superlatives fused question will ask all this energies from the coached people. It could save lots of money and generate much more added value. Sometimes, especially at the beginning of a big project or task it could be of crucial importance to sit and simply create the best possible question as this might determine the focus and the rest of the project energy.

To show you the value and power of the language we use, lets take a plain couching question such as “how could we do that?” as example.

The answer on this question and the consecutive actions, will most of the time match the energy that is in the manager’s voice, his passion and the energy that the question brings with itself.

Plain questions will mostly get plain answers and plain actions that do not reflect the fullest potentials of the performers.

 

If for example we empower the above question with passion, superlatives and creativity, it could look like:

 

How could we do that in order to achieve the best possible results?

 

Further more we could add other superlatives that would empower the question even more:

 

How could we do that in order to achieve the best possible results, learn from the process and have enjoyable time while doing the work?

The difference in the energy is self-evident even if you voice the question to no audience.
When creating questions as coaches I suggest experimenting with them. Write them down and simply voice them. Monitor the levels of energy they infuse you with and how they radiate on your body. You will know instantly which one is the most powerful one.

In addition to this, on managerial and psychological level, in order to create superior questions, coaches, leaders and managers have to think in superlatives and believe in superlatives and hold them selves to their highest personal standards. Just imagine how this would be reflected on the team you are guiding?