Business, War and Language

Posted by 3keyscoach under Self-Development
From http://www.abilitysuccessgrowth.com 4840 days ago

This article looks at how the concept of business as war may influence our language choices. The questions center around whether or not combative language interferes with how we interact with our customers, our competitors and ultimately everyone in our lives.

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Comments

Written by yoni67
4838 days ago

3keyscoach: A GREAT thought-provoking look at semantics and language.

I liken the debate to the words used in American sports:

Baseball: 1927 Yankees: "Murderer's Row."

Football: "Blitz": Lightning war of the Nazis

"Sack": To pillage and plunder

"Bomb": A long pass

"The Assasssin" Jack Tatum who paralyzed another player for life

"Shotgun" a particular play set

General Sports: "Sudden Death"

I think in any arena where competition is fierce, including business, we will use terms which have violent connotations. I don't think it is meant as violence per-se, it just seems to be how we express ourselves.

Yoni

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Written by businessavante
4839 days ago

Hi Elli!

I should clarify that personally I have no problem with everyone winning.

Sometimes I read an article where it feels like the author is repeating what they think everyone wants to hear, and out of those, some seem like they're just parroting information, while others leave me with a real feeling that they don't believe a word of it - that everyone else should follow ethical guidelines while they only pretend to - while they're cheating the system every chance they get.

businessavante (Duncan)

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Written by businessavante
4840 days ago

Interesting, but in war destruction Means destruction - death on an unimaginable scale, physical destruction of targets, and taking the objective. Using semantics, one could use very flowery words but still intend to ruin your competitor's business. Civility is nice - very important in day-to-day life, but it's the true intent behind it that matters even more. When reading business blogs about the newer online sales techniques I sometimes wonder if some of the writers are saying one thing, while secretly plotting a major "attack".

businessavante

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Written by 3keyscoach
4839 days ago

You could very well be right. A wolf is sheep's clothing comes to mind. And intent does mean a lot. However, what do we gain by using terms better suited to an actual battlefield? Is it not enough to win or must we dehumanize our competitors with our words and make destruction the only acceptable outcome for business success? It seems like a lot of work and a lot of stress.

~Elli

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