AS PR Pros, we are all potential wordsmiths. The way we speak and write can create beautiful programs for our company and clients, boost their visibility, and craft unforgettable images.
Conscious of the power of words, we annually update or vocabulary with a Banished Word List that often dates us. But as Katie Burke says in an article in Inc.com, “there are also words and phrases we should use more often this year.” These are words, that heal, inspire, and bring us closer to those we work with.
In her article, 5 Phrases to Use More Often in 2022, she resolves to use more of these during the year. With these, she hopes that these will “inspire people to express gratitude, save time, and retain key people in 2022.”
1.“Let’s cancel this meeting”
Whether these are face to face or virtual, we are bombarded by an overload of meetings. It is said that middle managers spend more than one third of their time in meetings, and for those in the senior level, these can also be higher.
This obsession with meetings may be tied in with a desire to belong and be relevant. More than simply being a time to get our thoughts together to achieve a goal, many meetings evolve into time consuming get-togethers.
“No one ever looks back on their career and wishes they spent more time in meetings,” says Burke. “So if you really have the courage to really look at gatherings that no longer serve their purpose or eliminate people who don’t need to attend meetings, you’ll find your team more productive and less fatigued.”
Choose only strategic meetings instead of those endless ones that take a lot of time. In the meantime, your day-to-day coordination can make work and solutions more efficient.
2.“What can I do to support you right now?”
The pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainty in the workplace, and with business models quickly changing, it lifts one’s spirits to hear words that offer encouragement and assistance.
For Burke, asking “How can I help?” is great, but can often be viewed as a platitude, so it’s imperative to get specific and granular on how you can best support someone in a way that works for them.
Filipinos are known our Bayanihan spirit, so this is a perfect time to practice this.
3.“I really appreciate you.”
The US is currently experiencing what they call the Great Resignation. It is said that in September 2021 alone, 4.4 million Americans left their jobs. “People have more options than ever for where to work, and headlines are dominated with stories about people changing jobs or roles.”
While it is the opposite in the Philippines, and the majority are struggling to work, appreciation goes a long way in motivating the people we work with as they navigate through difficult times.
With this, Burke says “we really need to get really good at being specific, clear, and direct about what we value about people who work on our team.”
She suggests “handwritten notes, a shout-out in a meeting, or as part of performance reviews, make sure you thank people for the impact they bring to your team.”
4.“I’m rethinking my position on this”
We all accept the fact that the pandemic has changed everything. And with the many changes around us, we have to rethink the ways we plan and do things in a world that has constantly evolving.
Burke cites Adam Grant’s newest book, Think Again, which talks about the power of changing our minds. “As a leader, there can be exorbitant pressure to feel you know it all,” she says. “This results in many managers feeling tethered to their opinions, and as a result, treating them as fact.”
In 2022, she suggests spending “more time with people to challenge the status quo or conventional wisdom with data, and attempt to be less personally connected to our opinion on things.”
You’ll be surprised how rethinking leads to innovation and unexpected success.
5.“Here’s what I learned from my mistake”
“Acknowledging that you made a mistake as a leader is critical,” says Burke. “It’s equally important to own what you learned from it, so you normalize failure but also the associated insight that comes along with it.”
She recalls how after a recent blunder, “I sent a detailed write up of what went wrong and what I learned from it to the folks on my team directly impacted.”
Doing so, she says, “was really helpful for me to really own where and how I messed up, but also opened the door to hold me accountable to improve upon it for the next time around.”
All in all, “as a leader, your vocabulary sets a strong tone on how your team operates, so choose your words and intentions for 2022 wisely. These quick and easy phrases can help you demonstrate empathy, humility, and transparency.” More than anything else, it can help your team grown together meaningfully as we face the challenges of 2022.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom- based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.