I am fascinated how words have the power to change another’s thoughts and actions. Each word on its own can seem so inconsequential, however strung together in the correct order and delivered with the appropriate tone of voice and body language, and you have the ultimate tool of power and influence.
Those that have the ability to manipulate words in this way wield a weapon more powerful than any bomb. At the best they are our leaders and inspiration, at the worst they cause disaster and grief. We find them in many walks of life, not only in politics but in business, in our communities, in sport and often the elders in our family.
This week my football (soccer) team Liverpool was playing in the semi-final of the Champions League, the most prestigious club competition in Europe. At half time in the second leg they were 2-0 down (2-2 on aggregate) and hadn’t been in the game during the first half. Our manager, the brilliant Jurgen Klopp, had 15 minutes to deliver a team talk that would get the players back on track. I would love to have been a fly on the wall to have witnessed this because whatever he said it worked; they won the game 3-2 and the tie 5-2 on aggregate in a dominant second half.
What did Klopp say that connected with his players and transformed their performance? According to his post-match interview, his core message was this: “They have momentum, but they don’t own it, we can get it back.”
Clearly in the context of the match, the momentum was with the other team in the first half. By focusing on this one message, he was able to distill a powerful message that change was within the control of his players, that the other team did not have a monopoly on the ability to dominate the game. Instead of picking apart the mistakes that were made, he carefully selected a message that showed a path to success; take back the momentum and you take back control of the outcome. It worked.
Clearly we can take this analogy and apply it to our life and our communication. Who owns the momentum at the moment in your life? Are you a slave to email, no time to do what you know you need to do? Was it always like this – what changed and what do you need to change back to recover your momentum? How can you take this principle and help others recapture their momentum?
My favourite TED talk is by Shawn Anchor, a Harvard professor and author of ‘The Happiness Advantage’. One of the pieces of research that he quotes in the TED talk is that when we are in a happy, positive state, we are 31% more productive than when a negative or stressed state. He calls this the ‘Happiness Advantage’. One of the first things to do when looking to shift yourself or others to recapture the momentum in life, is to make sure you are in a positive state of mind. Our state of mind is an unconscious choice, just because things are difficult that doesn’t mean we need to focus on the negatives.
To return to Liverpool and to quote a line from their 1960’s anthem; “at the end of the storm there’s a golden dawn”. Focus on the golden dawn, not the storm. Benefit from the happiness advantage, it’s free and readily available. Take back your momentum and help others capture theirs!
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Hi Neil, I really enjoy your newsletters. Also number 14. However I must say, it seems ironical that when speaking if the power of words you use the analogy of a bomb. Not only is it an aggressive word and nothing positive can be associated with bombs. It is also masculine and alienating I feel. Therefore not a great word for an otherwise positive message.