Language is never innocent! Words matter 100%
Check out
9 Golden Rules; 7 Absolutely avoid; 9 Safety Nets; 3 Butterfly Nets; the Honey trap
Golden Rules:
- Change words and change the world
- Never forget that words matter, that they count
- Choose words carefully
- Clarity is essential
- Check out the subtleties, unintended meanings
- Be mindful of body language
- Speak in their language
- Accept graciously if not able to change the situation
- Delete ‘should, ought, only, merely, just, try from your vocabulary
Absolutely to avoid:
- Negative thoughts or approaches
- Getting the other/s to change instead of us
- Check out what we are doing first & change that for different results
- Communicating in the heat of the moment
- Disregard power potential of words and the potential power of words
- Triggers from the past: language or communication history
- Hidden messages
- Awareness of turnoffs eg words used or non-verbal cues
Safety nets:
- Setting boundaries
- Respecting space
- Pause
- Breathe
- Prepare
- Seeing it differently; using a different perspective
- Standing in the other’s shoes
- Respect diversity and different cultures
- Be inclusive always
Butterfly nets:
- I was only joking.
- I am very sorry.
- I didn’t mean it you know.
AND
Honey traps
So easy to fall right into then you are stuck in a situation that could have been avoided
IF you had been aware of the trigger.