Mike Clark's Business Bites: Language is culture and culture is language

John F Kennedy knew the power of words to rouse the spirit and stir people to action.

OPINION:

Have you ever had someone say something to you that had a profound effect?

Do you ever speak negatively about yourself to yourself and others?

When was the last time you talked yourself out of doing something because of a self-limiting belief?

Words are incredibly powerful. The Christian Bible opens with God speaking creation into being. Many visionary leaders share their ideal for the future in speeches and their words create action - Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech, John F Kennedy's "Man on the Moon" address to Congress, Churchill's "We will fight them on the beaches", Emmeline Pankhurst's, "Freedom or Death", Elizabeth I's speech to the troops at Tilbury (personal favourite), Aung San Suu Kyi's "Freedom From Fear", to name but a few.

Words can inspire, rouse the spirit, stir people to action and words can equally crush the soul, create fear and stop people from ever trying or even daring to believe in what is possible.

How do you use words in your family and friend spaces and in your workplace? If I was to ask your colleagues to share how you spoke around them, would you be certain their answer was one you could be proud of?

Do you look to encourage and affirm or do you tend towards nit-picking and seeing what's wrong. Do you speak life and potential into situations or are you more inclined to see why people and things won't work?

National Geographic did an excellent series on this. In one experiment they got people to do 10 basketball shots. Then they blindfolded them and got them to 10 more shots with an audience that either cheered them on or was negative. Then they got to do 10 shots again without the blindfold and with the same audience still there, once again either cheering or vocalising negativity.

The results were incredible. One woman experienced a 40 per cent improvement when supported by an encouraging crowd. A man went from nine out of 10 in his first attempt down to fewer than five with a negative crowd.

How does all of this impact you and your team at work? The above study shows how productivity can be impacted. More than this, it affects engagement and has a massive impact on culture. I often remind people that language is culture and culture is language.

Yoda knew this when teaching young Luke Skywalker. "Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." One of the great gifts my mum gave me was the knowledge that there is no such word as can't - you can do anything if you put your mind to it. "Can't" means either I don't know how to, or I don't want to. This helped me take ownership for my approach and attitude.

Do you have a can-do language at work? Do you look at what you can control and determine to do what you can, or is your team more inclined towards a victim mindset where life happens to them?

Words are powerful. Be deliberate and careful about what you speak about yourself and others. We get more of what we focus on so ensure you focus on what you want more of and bring attention to that which you want to grow, because words have power that gives life.

• Mike Clark is director and lead trainer and facilitator at Think Right business training company.