The Killer Phrase: words that grind teams to a halt
Posted by Laura on February 4, 2009
“We’ve tried that before.”
“Put it in writing.”
“Get a committee to look at it.”
Australia’s The Change Agency (“listen deeply, reflect critically, strategise effectively, make change happen”) turned me on to the idea of the killer phrase. Killer phrases reduce possibility and inhibit creativity. They put an end to something, before the something has even started.
The Change Agency offers advice for groups that suffer from the killer phrase. I especially like these recommendations:
Institutionalize the term. Get some friendly groans going in the room as everyone brainstorms the killer phrases that their group loves to hide behind. Once the term is institutionalized and the phrases identified, have the team come up with a way of discouraging the use of any killer phrase. (The Change Agency suggests throwing wads of paper at the perpetrator).
Find the underlying cause of the killer phrase. Is the killer phrase camouflaging a valuable question? Searching out the question, rather than accepting the killer phrase, can lead to more possibility. (The Change Agency’s example: turning “We don’t have the resources,” into “How can we mobilise the resources to do this?”)
I’ve worked in groups with their own idiosyncratic killer phrases, and I’m sure I contributed a few of my own. In fact, in co-active coaching we have a similar concept for that internal voice that’s full of killer phrases: we call it the saboteur. Like the killer phrases, if the saboteur is taken at face value, it will kill possibility. And, like with killer phrases, there is often an underlying, important, valid concern underneath the saboteur’s voice.
I started wondering what my own internal “killer phrases” are. What does my inner saboteur say to me that kills my sense of possibility? I quickly recognized a few of my own killer phrases: “You don’t have the energy to do that.” “You don’t have the skills to do that.” “You aren’t outgoing or enthusiastic enough to run your own business.”
It was refreshing to write those down and get them out, actually! Now I can strategize on how to vanquish my killer phrases.
What are your killer phrases? How do you overcome them?
(Thanks to Jasmine at Stepwise Heritage and Tourism for passing along The Change Agency link!)
Stephen said
I like this strategy.
Incidentally, Alan Weiss suggests that to grow our businesses we should get used to saying “I can do that”.
I used to get myself into all sorts of fun and trouble with this but it remains my own personal “Killer-Phrase Killer” (my kids read a book about an ant-eater and an ant-eater eater who meets an ant-eater eater eater)
Alan has a site you may find interesting – check out http://www.summitconsulting.com/
Behind the pizazz he has some excellent information for building a consulting business.
Cheers hey
Stephen
Laura said
Hi Stephen,
Thanks as always for the comments and the links to other useful sites!
“I can do that” – I love it. My current mantra is “I am doing what I love, even when terrified” – I don’t know if it’s getting me into trouble, but it’s keeping me going!
Laura
Stephen said
Hey Laura
Well, I can relate to that.
You don’t use “terror” idly do you?
I used to phone a friend of mine in the same business after tough workshops and ask “why are we doing this stupid thing?”
And after a rest I would get excited about the next job.
So hold on to your mantra – I like it.
You will know trouble when you are in it.
Then you can back-pedal, if your ego is not invested in it.
All the best
Stephen