One of the areas that I talk about in my coaching and negotiations workshops is the power of language and how switching a few words in your communications or thoughts can have a big impact on thriving. Here are some of my favorites:
- Instead of saying, “I don’t care” say, “I am not attached (to that opinion, that idea, etc…)”
- Shift your thinking from, “I have to….” to “I get to….”
- Rather than say, “You should do….” say, “What do you think of….?”
When negotiating, one of the most powerful shifts in language is to say, “I am willing to give you…(a lower price, shorter lead time, etc…), if you give me….(a longer contract, consistent payments, etc…).” It is in our human nature to want to trade; long before money all commerce was done by bartering. The more trades you can brainstorm prior to a negotiation the better prepared you will be to offer an effective trade in the moment that will make you both feel good about the deal. Think about this for your personal negotiations too, “If you are willing to take out the trash every time it is full then I am happy to always empty the clean dishwasher….” or something like that.
A personal note: I’ve been on sabbatical from writing for the past several weeks and I appreciate you coming back to read my posts! Sometimes a sabbatical is just what is needed to keep on thriving!
Good suggestions! They should be relatively easy to implement and effective! Thank you for sharing them.
Thanks Joanne, let us know your success in implementing the changes in your language for more thriving!