I Really Like Metaphors

What’s been on my mind this month? Well, quite frankly a lot. However, I’ve really come to notice how often I use metaphors and analogies in my speech. At first, I thought it was a quirky tidbit about my personality. Anyone who knows me is aware that I tend to butcher most sayings, for example ‘throw me under the bus’ was changed to ‘throw me under the boat’ for a good portion of my life - I still stand by it working though! But these ‘sayings’ for better use of words, still have power.

I’ve only recently discovered how I use analogies and metaphors as a tool in communication to get my point across in a relatable way. You’ll often hear me saying to my team '50% of problems can be dealt with using the right communication', and I truly believe that. So, how can you be using effective communication to help you in your role? Let’s dive into some splendid dot points (in case you can’t be bothered reading the whole spiel).

Be genuine in your communication

Heading into my career many moons ago, I thought I had to be perfect. There was this perception that people in leadership are ‘untouchable’ and ‘immaculate’. I thought they never made mistakes and always seemed to know the right thing to say all the time. I wanted to be them. But I’d fumble my words, get extreme anxiety heading into public speaking scenarios and, you guessed it, butcher catchphrases almost all the time. Do you know what sits better with people than a perfectly written script? Being genuine, making mistakes, showing that you’re actually human. So what if you blur your words together and accidentally say gibberish during a meeting, or if you have a mental blank for a second and need to get back on track? People don’t care about that trivial sh*t. They care about what you can do for them and if you’re genuinely looking out for their best interests. The moral of this point is, if you’re a genuine person in business, let that shine through - you’ll thank me for it.

Analogies and Metaphors are your biggest weapon?

I love analogies and metaphors, I really do. I’m sure a lot of my staff will read this and probably laugh thinking about all the metaphors and analogies I use on a daily basis - way too many to count. But do you know their value? It’s relatable. Everyone knows all the classics ‘can bring a horse to water, can’t make them drink’, ‘like a dog with a bone’ etc. So, how can you take these and use them to your advantage? It’s all about creative thinking! I was in a conversation a few weeks ago and we were talking about how digital marketing wouldn’t benefit a client if they have a bad website. My way of explaining this? Simple.?

You can bring a horse to water, but then you arrive and the water’s not there.?

Breaking that down, I was saying ‘Hey, we can send customers to you digitally, but if your website isn’t up to scratch, it’s not going to matter because they can’t complete the buying cycle’. It got a few laughs, but my intent isn’t ever to be funny, it's just a bonus if I am.?

Body language speaks volumes

I can’t begin to explain how body language affects how you come across to someone. If you’re not paying attention, it’s immediately picked up on and it speaks so much more than the words coming out of your mouth. When you communicate with someone make sure you hold eye contact and you’re engaged with what they’re saying. A trick I learned in my early years of university is taking whatever someone has said to you and paraphrasing it back to them. This shows that you were listening but also that you want to truly understand what they’re trying to say - trust me!

There’s no shame in not knowing?

Words are great - hell, I love learning new words! How often do I use these fancy schmancy words in conversation? Not often. I’m fortunate enough to know a lot of smart people and they have a lot of smart conversations, which I love being a part of. Words aren’t really my thing though, I’m a numbers fan. I could be in a meeting with a new client, board member, or employee and I’d have the same approach when a word I don’t know is said. I stop them and say ‘can you explain what that means?’

Often people think that asking others to explain means they aren’t smart enough or it’s an insult to their own intelligence. It’s the complete opposite! You’re showing you want to learn, that you’re engaged and now you’ve given the opportunity for someone else to teach you something. If you’re not learning, you’re not growing - take every opportunity as an opportunity.?

Well, that’s where my brain has been. Would love to hear your thoughts on the above or if there’s anything else you’d like to hear about. I’m all ears!