“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
―Rudyard Kipling
The language we use in any situation helps us convey our message effectively.
And that’s not all.
It’s also a reflection of how we feel and who we are.
If you take a minute to reflect on your day-to-day interactions with people, you’ll notice that emotions have a huge impact.
You will also see that the emotions you or others use have a ripple effect.
We’ve all been in a situation when your boss is annoyed with something and it suddenly makes you nervous too.
Or a loved one is super happy about something and it rubs off on you, too. Right?
If you use this consciously at the workplace, think about how powerful it would be.
When employees receive recognition or reward for a task they’ve performed, a certain sense of fulfilment envelopes them.
Research shows that these employees are more likely to continue to perform well in the future.
Why?
Because the brain likes rewards.
When certain actions cause us to receive a reward the brain identifies these actions as good actions or beneficial actions. And causes us to repeat these actions again in the future.
Recognition and reward are associated with many of the positive emotions that we want to feel, such as satisfaction, confidence etc.
As an employer, if you can take steps to help your employees feel these positive emotions or build a workplace culture that revolves around this foundation, it’ll benefit you both.
Language is a very powerful tool.
Whether you communicate verbally, through body language, in written form or any other way, the way you use this language to communicate affects, how the message is perceived.
Using positive language can help reduce conflict, improve communication, increase optimism in others and can portray the speaker as credible and respectable
Even unpleasant news can be softened by the warmth of positive language.
This is especially useful at the workplace, when you want to put forth your message strongly, but don’t want to offend anyone.
Here’s an infographic with 5 sentences which, when replaced with positive ones, will drive out all the negativity from your workplace.
Positive language tells the recipient what can be done. It suggests and stimulates choices and at the same time, it is helpful and encouraging.
If you take time to recognize and reward your employees, it influences their attitudes and perceptions towards the workplace. Positive attitudes or perceptions lead to greater levels of attachment.
In a workplace, the greater attachment would mean that the employees are likely to remain within the organizations. For employers, this would mean a reduction in costs associated with high turnover rates and loss of productivity.
Verbal recognition for a job well done can be the reward itself. Not all employers can or want to afford rewards in the form of a pay raise or paid time off.
Giving positive feedback to employees is cost-free and has shown to improve performance and increase productivity. It is about increasing positive emotions in the workplace, which doesn’t require a grand gesture.
They say that most people quickly forget what you tell them. And people hardly forget how your words made them feel.
This is what the real power of words is.
Have you ever experienced something like this? Do let us know in the comments below.
Think our dose of positivity lacked something? Share your positivity with our community in the comments section.
Keen on learning more about the Power of Words? Sign up for the our Workshop.
This workshop is conducted by Zingformation’s Umesh Soman. He has trained a varied audience that ranges from individual to the largest MNCs in the world.
Participants who attended his two-hour workshop said that it had been an eye-opener for them. Rakesh Patil, one of the participants, said he was surprised to learn how words impact his long-term goals in life.
Harnessing the power of words to change your life is simpler than you thought. It requires conscious thought and a nudge in the right direction. The Power of Words workshop provides more than just a nudge. So, sign up NOW.
