Prescription of Corporate Talk - Use with Care

As I sit down to think about building meeting management capability in a youth group, associated with a non-profit organization, I can't make up my mind if I should teach them corporate talk as well. I find myself not so good at it any way and have never been a fan of it but whatever the environment has plated on me, I seem to manage fine with that. After all, It's building the workforce for tomorrow. With lightening speed of change around us, especially in young generation, they might not like it and not even feel the need for it. So, I need to be very thoughtful, prepared with pretty compelling idea, and a sneak in plan. All this, if I want to take that route. Before I sell or impose it on them, I have to be sold on it. Let's see if you can help me.

I am sure you have been in numerous conversations where you felt like it was waste of time because you didn't get anything valuable out of it. Beating around the bush, singing the same tune, going in circles...We all have been in those conversations. In some situations, there is no clear answer but then why not say it plain and sensibly? Something like..'Unfortunately no updates on that but I am working on it." I've felt that in those discussions, first, you lose the essence of the message because it is wrapped up in so much of business jargon that peeling the layers to understand it makes your head spin. Other key observation that I've made is those talks don't connect people. It feels formal, distant , and dry communication. More of' 'I' than 'é' driven as in IQ and EQ. I know there are some thick definitions for EQ but if simply put, is it not the ability to connect with people? I call corporate talks as Cotton Candy talks. Only difference is it's not sweet but leaves an aftertaste. After 1 or 2 talks in the day, you feel the need for cleansing. Yes, shake it off kind of feeling!

Now when there is so much emphasis on Emotional Intelligence, Diversity and Inclusion, don't you think corporate talk is the pickle that you don't want to eat everyday. Why do I bring Diversity and Inclusion in this? I think diversity is recognizing differences and inclusion is making the best out of it. If you can't effectively communicate, can't connect with your audience, how can you drive inclusion? I am not even going to highlight language, cultural, background diversity that poses a challenge in effective communication anyway. And on top, you add heavy corporate talk, how far do you think that will go?

You might have noticed me mentioning 'heavy'' corporate talk that is because I am not proposing a family dinner table kind of conversation as an alternate. Of course, there has to be some formal nature to it. In simple terms, more like business casual talk not fully formal or fully casual. It needs to drive a point without the jargon. I think there is big difference between communication and effective communication. We tend to forget effective part of it. It's like download from the speaker is 100 words per minute while absorption rate of audience is less than 50 . There are also other factors such as delivery of the message, setting, time of the day, believe it or not, weather too especially if you live in NE area like me waiting for a Nor'easter in Spring to come and go, clear the way for my tulips. No and no, let's not talk about if you had your coffee before the talk or not :) With all these factors, do you need another one to risk your success rate? I hope not.

And let me ask one last question. What lasts more? A heavy corporate talk or light meaningful talk with human element and ability to connect. An ex-colleague, a friend told me once, a smiling emoji in her email signature brought some reaction initially but eventually that became her signature style. Just with that people were so comfortable in reaching out to her and I still remember her with that smile even after 11 years. An executive sent an email once with a comment and a smiley, after 6 PM. Now that was breaking all corporate codes of communication! Don't worry, it was not new work load or feedback. It was a compliment but a simple line with a smiley in that message was breath of fresh air. So brief and much away from corporate norm but has stayed with me for this long.

Coming back to my situation, I think I am going to learn the communication style of my youth group more than imposing mine. After all, I will be working with them in a few years and it's smart preparing for it now!!

NOTE: Above is to be taken in suggested quantity. Overdose may create confusion and conflicts . When taking this prescription, use judgement to distinguish between heavy and reasonable. Please chew or crush this prescription. For maximum effect, limited quantity is recommended with a desire to connect with people.