The Importance of Choosing Your Words
Introducing Deb Hatcher and A to Z Wineworks and REX HILL
The English language is a beautiful thing, full of flexibility and choice. However, often we don’t truly think about the words we choose in everyday conversation and the result can often send a message or convey a tone we didn’t intend. Many of our words have been turned into “double-speak” meaning language that disguises or distorts our true meanings. A great example is the word “downsizing” instead of using a word like layoffs. Then you consider militaristic, mechanical, or sporting terms that have been corrupted and put into regular language, including a B Corp favorite, “impact”.
Deb has a beautiful worldview on the language of business and she suggests we should be more thoughtful with our choice of words. Deb is the founder of A to Z Wineworks, the largest producer of high quality pinot noir in the Pacific Northwest. Deb’s sense of wonder and humor bring playfulness to A to Z but her expectation of excellence is most influential. Deb is serious about the words used in business and how it can affect company culture and how we relate to one another.
Check out this week’s Boiling Point to see how you can enhance your communication and say what you truly mean.
In this episode
- Greg mentions his daughter’s love of hearts and promotes her YouTube channel.
- We hear about how Greg and Deb met at the B Corp Champions Retreat.
- Deb discusses the importance of choosing the right words for all of your interactions.
- We discuss how language is one of the best ways to change the world as an individual.
- Deb suggests that we have allowed militaristic language about power and winning to become the majority of metaphors we use in daily language.
- We discuss words like “feedback”, “downsizing”, and “impact”.
- We discuss how George Orwell’s “double-speak” is happening in our real lives.
- Deb discusses the what, how, and why in business and why thinking of them is important.
- Dave sees the importance of choosing his words carefully and the power of language noting that athletes can be the worst for answers with no thought.
- Greg appreciates the challenge of using the correct language.
Links
– A to Z Wineworks on Linked In
– A to Z and REX HILL on Facebook
– Geoffery Nunberg’s Going Nucular