We take language for granted.

Unless we must learn a different language, either for personal curiosity or for necessity, or to communicate between people of different capacities; language is something almost as natural as breathing. We don’t think about the importance of being able to communicate each other.

As different fields of knowledge and technology advance, language reflects that and becomes more specific.

Naturally.

Language is not only a communicational tool, but it is also a universal connector, defining culture and enabling people to interact with each other, based upon common values.

So, what happens when the common language gets broken or fragmented in a society?

You lose a connector, and you lose opportunities of collaboration. And more…

Let’s take a large working organization as a small society, and let’s think what happens when the different groups, so immersed in their own specialty, develop unique terminology and language?

As we saw in previous articles, a good, strong but dynamic organizational culture will share values and language among their members, in an organic way, so common connectors and collaboration are assured.

Good enough?

Let’s see…

As expertise in each vertical of business deepens, lingos start to propagate exponentially, and common language starts to break.

Any of us having worked at large organizations noticed this.

I'll tell you a story, that you might find familiar...

One day we found ourselves dragged into a large meeting, not being totally sure if every participant there, is necessary (including ourselves).

All of a sudden, we see someone we don't know, from a team we didn't even know that existed, presenting something.

The person presenting there, is introduced as an expert (as it should be) in the field she/he is going to talk about.

In no time everybody starts to notice the language and terminology this person is using seems taken out of a dystopian Science Fiction novel, or out of Elvish language created by Tolkien.

Or even worse, a combination of both!

To make things more interesting, they even came up with lots of acronyms made from that foreign language too.

Almost certainly, without a doubt, 80% of that meeting’s attendees don’t understand what this brilliant mind (apparently recently spawned right out of the very MIT’s womb) is talking about.

But absolutely NOBODY (especially if in a Senior position) dares to raise her/his hand and politely interrupt to ask: 

“Can you explain what this means, and what this and that acronyms mean?”

At the risk of sounding so stupid, they might “win” an exit and outplacement conversation with HR right at the end of the meeting, for not being Smart enough.

During such scientific breakthroughs and revelations, put together in the form of a cool deck, the rest of the illiterate mortals in the room pay close attention to the CEO’s reaction…

Surprise, surprise…

Unbeknown to everybody, The CEO doesn’t understand what this brilliant son of MIT is saying, either!

But he/she is also afraid of admitting in front of the whole staff, that don't understand a word...

So, the CEO seeks out the prodigy’s supervisor eyes (the one that did such a warm introduction) and nods, (apparently) impressed and assuring.

The meeting concludes, not before the CEO congratulates the presenter and her/his boss, stating that this is a priority, and expects total transversal collaboration.

Everybody returns to their office spaces and routines...

Without having figured out what this son of MIT talked about and why? 

But more importantly, what purpose and positive impact this is going to have for the business and for everybody.

Humor aside, let’s take one step back, before jumping to biased conclusions (we all love to)...

The idea or the plan presented can be brilliant. The presenter, the boss and the team behind them, can be also brilliant.

The idea can also be the next breakthrough or the next MUST DO in the business.

And yes, it is going to take a major effort and selfless efforts across teams and LOBs to get it done.

But the problems in this story can be various:

1. The presenting team didn’t take the time to exercise Agile methodology, simply meeting and getting to know the basics of other departments; to see if they just have different terminology to name similar things everybody can recognize. And aknowledge that in their presentation. (Seeking to stablish common grounds and familiarity)

2. The presenting team has indeed new concepts that require new terminology, but they didn’t take the time to think about the larger audience as internal clients whose buy-in they need… (And further collaboration).

3. They actually are conscious of the above, but the Organizational Culture in the company is the wrong one, awarding people merely for sounding and/or looking smart, in detriment of others. In detriment of transversal collaborations and real results.

And their behavior merely reflects that.

Warning: this also can happen with external partners when they’re invited to present.

Solutions to this?

1.  No assumptions and, more importantly, no presumptions when presenting something from your area of expertise to a wider audience.

2. Take time, make pauses, explain the lingo, seek audience complicity in others, invite everybody to participate and be able to say: “Yeah, I’ve got it, this like this other thing we know”.

3.  Be an internal agent of learning to others. Spread knowledge and coach people.

The more they learn about your specialty, the better they can collaborate with you, and the better the results for the entire business.

If you are a CEO, or a team leader, dare to ask and fact-check presentations.

And encourage your team to do so.

Best case scenario, everybody will learn, get together and you’ll win.

Worst case scenario, you’ll discover bad ideas made up of fancy terminology and cool decks, but without consistency.

And the best part of that? You will do it at EARLY STAGES!

Saving time, money, people’s commitment, and overall internal credibility.

Please don’t force people to use Duolingo. 🙏

Let’s be GREAT and GOOD! 🧠❤️