Funnels, Pipelines and Leads - oh my!

Does your job have a 'lingo'?  As I think back on my many jobs over the years they all have unique words and phrases that often held different meanings than what other people would understand. As a very young woman when I worked in an escrow office there were terms and phrases in relation to legal documents and title searches.  My time in the military had its own lingo:  we had to be aware of FOD, I knew I got off work at 1900 hrs and I was identified by rank.  My husband works as a chaplain in a hospital and the medical world has an entire lingo that is foreign to most of us with their 'stat' 'prn' 'GCS' -(unless you watch Chicago Med or Code Black and learn what all the trauma terminology is)!   

Truth be told I think all professions, and businesses, have short cut terms that are only familiar to those on the inside.  Even families (at least ours does) have special terms and phrases that mean nothing to others.  For the last few years I have worked in online business, marketing a specific product line. That company has many terms that are unique to them.  When most people hear those terms they wonder what in the heck is she talking about!  Yet others in the company or customers know exactly what I'm referring to.  

Communication is important.  When I want to be fully understood I need to speak and act in ways that are not foreign to the person I'm communicating with. When I think back to my many years of working in churches the lingo was often more damaging than helpful.  When our purpose was to extend God's love and saving grace to others we often used this secret language that could be so foreign. "You must be born again, accept the Holy Spirit and function in agape love". What?!  When I simply communicate with people, talk to them, sit with them and 'be' with them we can communicate with each other.  I know I have been so misunderstood many times in my 59 years, people think they know what I'm thinking or feeling simply by my body language or actions.  In actuality they are usually totally wrong. We rely on forms of communication that aren't always accurate.  We use lingo (a dialect or language) that is foreign to those we are trying to communicate with.    I am saying "we" - when I mean ""I". Maybe those of you reading don't ever fall in to this trap.  Today I am so aware of lingo and relaying information in such a way as to be understood.  It is a constant struggle and needs close examination.  

When I am in my kitchen I use funnels for canning, or moving liquids from a large container to a smaller one.  In my day to day work funnels have a completely different meaning.  If I tell most people that I am working with funnels today their first thought is probably to something in the kitchen.  Assumptions are made and opinions formed.  Communication.

Actually funnels hold a completely different meaning and purpose for me in my work.  They are important and a great tool.  Think about what you will do today.  Will you be understood when you communicate? Will there be misunderstandings because of the lingo you use? I seek to be understood.  I want you to be understood as well.  No matter what your day looks like, think about the language you use, the posture that you present and always seek to understand those around you in order to be understood. 

In my spiritual life, my business life and my personal life - my biggest goal is always to be understood.   Will you be understood today?  

As always I love to share my work with you, that is how it goes!  I share, I relay information and I  seek to add value to your life.  Each of you adds value to mine.

Stop Carrying Buckets

May your day be blessed and your life be full!