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The New Lexicon of Leadership: glossary of terms used in leadership and organizational design (2018)
A glossary of terms which have a special meaning when discussing leadership issues. "That's just semantics...." Said scornfully, the remark implies that time spent understanding the meaning of words is wasted. In fact, words are extremely important. You know this if you've ever experienced discussions that get confused because one person uses a word one way, and another person uses it to mean something quite different. Sue and Bob disagree about the need for team-building. He thinks people work well together, and team-building would be a waste of time. She complains that teamwork isn't working, and something has to be done to improve it. He says "team" and means the people who report to him. She says "team" and means the people from across the organization who are supporting her project. Definitions are also critical when people make commitments to one another. When one requests this and the other promises that, their agreement is meaningless and disappointment is inevitable.
Semantics are particularly important to senior leaders. Have you ever made a request, and by the time it filters through layers of management to the people who ultimately fulfill it, its meaning has changed dramatically and results are unsatisfying? Clear language is not only essential to communications. It's also the basis for clear thinking. Phillipinos have at least 22 words for "rice," and perceive the differences. Eskimos have at least 20 words for "snow," and perceive the differences. On the other hand, as an American, I know only a handful of words for "rice" and "snow," and I don't appreciate the subtle differences. It's not that my eyes can't see what Phillipinos and Eskimos see. Without the right words, it's hard to even think about a concept. We need clear language to distinguish very different concepts, like group versus team, client versus customer, and cap versus budget. You have a "budget" for 15 people, they're all quite busy with current commitments. An internal customer approaches you and requests another project -- requiring that you hire an addition person -- and she's willing to cover all costs. Do you take her money, or turn her away for lack of "budget"? That depends.... If "budget" means "spending power" (like a checkbook), then your checkbook may be empty; but you're happy to take on the work (and the additional headcount) as long as the customer pays all costs. On the other hand, if "budget" means a "cap" on your headcount, you cannot take on the project without risking a poor performance appraisal. The difference between spending power and caps is significant; it's crucial not to use the same word for both concepts. Sometimes, business slang leads people to serious misunderstandings. For example, in business, people have come to use the word "own" synonymously with the word "produce." Managers might be heard to say, "I own this product line," when they mean that they produce it. When staff use language in this way, they often come to believe that they have the right to decide what products and services they produce because they own them. This misconception undermines a culture of customer focus, and may squander scarce resources on products for which the enterprise has little use. In most business discussion, definitions found in conventional dictionaries suffice. But there are many words where distinctions are critical and common definitions are ambiguous. This booklet documents terms that have a special meaning in the context of business and organizational leadership. Contact us to order: Format: report, 50 pages. $24.95 US
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