Use Your Words

Words matter. They’ve been known to sink ships and propel people to greatness. Inquiry and Advocacy are excellent communication skills for learning how to speak in a way that fosters the rest-and-digest response associated with psychological safety. These language skills – combined with other mental models – help us build stronger interpersonal relationships with higher degrees of trust and respect.

Which sounds better to you?

“What does that mean?” Versus “Can you help me understand your thinking here?”

The first example sounds a bit charged (even if it’s not meant that way) – while the other example opens a door to a more productive interaction.

Mental models help us surface our own biases and blind-spots. They stop us from rushing to judgment, so we can speed up the learning instead. Assumptions can be harmful – even fatal – if we don’t test their validity with skillful inquiry. Assumptions are questions until proven otherwise.

The less we assume, the more we can learn.

The Learn More Resources Guide includes time-tested mental models that will empower your words.