Several years ago I made a perpetual calendar for my family of sayings that we use -- 365 things that we have said over and over so many times that they have concrete meaning for us even if outsiders have no idea what we are talking about. I also received a gift from former colleagues who created the "beth triplett dictionary" full of words and phrases that I used.
So I shouldn't have been surprised when number entries that staff suggested that are things that I say. I guess it's like a toddler parroting her parents; the mom and dad don't realize they say things until someone repeats it back to them.
Three examples:
> "Noted" -- This has long been a staple phrase of mine, used when I want to acknowledge that I heard the person but we can't discuss/I can't act on it right now. Translated, it means "I've got it; let's move on."
> "Put it in a bubble" -- My conversations and meetings, and as is often the case with this blog, often connect two seemingly disparate topics together. I use the "put it in a bubble" phrase to have people hold one thought separately while I explain the other before coming back to it and (hopefully) showing how it connects.
> "Stuck in the mud" -- meaning that if someone else or a project isn't making much forward progress, you should move on and focus your time and attention on something else that will produce results. As Kenny Rogers' Gambler song preaches: "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em". Walk away when someone isn't willing or able after you have made your pitch.
Every "tribe" has its own language and ways of conveying meaning. Take the time to help the new members of your group feel as if they belong by teaching them the colloquialisms and the inherent philosophies you are conveying with your own phrases. Language is a powerful connector; don't exclude someone by using insider words.
-- beth triplett
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