You’ve consulted colleagues and bosses and more or less know what to say. It's a message to get things moving, or a presentation to ignite the audience, get them aligned, get them backing you. The normal stuff of leadership. Now you just need to do the words. But – there's trouble.
The words don't come. They refuse. You squeeze some out but they don't feel solid. They're floating fragments, not connected. A waft of tech details and manager-speak, no sense to anyone but you. Actually, not even you. You don't feel the language is yours. It's others who are persuasive, incisive, and funny, while you, well... babble.
You go for a walk, then start dinner, and while bubbles the pot, up pops a thought. A bit of what you needed to say. Another thing connects, and some other idea, and then you've the ghost of a story. Clearer too, though, are the gaps, where you'll need to listen, consider, test and prod more. Your fresh start stales with the cold sweat, as your draft's due in hours. Doing the words – why is it such a slog?
This site is to look at:
- How natural, flowing language is easier than it seems.
- How playing with words, early and often, helps you think.
- How others' words, their sounds and silences, tell you what they know, and sometimes more.
- How even polishing and phrasing has its tips, tricks, and surprising truths.
Doing the words is doing the work. Here, let’s share the load.