The Meaning of Words

 I recently had the privilege of listening to some insightful words from John Koenig on the meaning of words, and found surprising depth and unexpected implications. Little else do we take so for granted as our language, there may be a lot to learn in this world but understanding our native tongue is something we can feel assured in our mastery. And so a topic such as the meaning of words may seem of little interest or even trite, but there is a lot going on with the use of language that receives little direct acknowledgement. Understanding some of these interactions can be enlightening and useful, both in a personal and professional sense.

Here is a link to the 17 minute speech if you'd like to listen.

                                                             Direct Link

Our words possess much more ambiguity than we may realize, yet we often operate as if they were definite. We may be inclined to harshly judge another's words because we make assumptions about their intentions, that they chose their words exactly as we would. One example of such a misunderstanding could be asking someone if they need help. This could be interpreted as a condescending question, one that assumes they do need help. An alternative interpretation could be just the opposite, that its more of a gesture of goodwill and willingness, even if it seems likely help isn't needed.

One term that may be relevant here is 'arrow managers', which refers to a manager that communicates in straightforward simple messages, placing the burden of understanding the message on the reader. The difference here between this mindset and one of effective communication is that the later will see value in multiple avenues of communication, as well as feedback. They may send an e-mail, have a meeting, and invite feedback. This may seem inefficient on the surface, but intentionally widening the communication channel can create opportunities and identify problems that would remain unknown if the burden is placed entirely on the reader.

Another takeaway from this is that we should be willing to expand our vocabularies and allow language itself to change and grow, because succumbing to the inherent limitations of language limits our ideas. It is true that certain concepts are very difficult to convey concisely in the English language, as we simply lack terms that could be present in other languages. And yet, much of even our limited English language goes underutilized, since most communications use a low reading level standard for wide appeal.

Jargon and lingo are common in the business world, as these contexts and situations drive very specific requirements. We humans tend towards efficiency, excluding unnecessary work whenever possible, and using concise exact words are one way of doing that. Also, it cuts down on the ambiguity mentioned earlier, if these words mean a very specific thing. And finally, they create a sense of cohesion within the company group.

Some of the jargon I've seen include RoR (repair of repairable) and shipper. RoR seems redundant at first glance, but it really does speak to a specific thing: a repair effort of a single item, as opposed to repairing something like a vehicle or a facility. The other term, shipper, refers to an internal document that serves as a request form for the shipping department to use to commission a freighter like Fedex. This document would have information like need date, origin and destination address, and list of items. One could say 'shipping paperwork' or 'shipping label' but shipper is specific and efficient, traits I find necessary for jargon to really catch on.