The manager (let's call her Susie) was entering comments on the annual review of someone on her team (let's call him Jack). He was a fine performer overall, but he never really seemed to push to make things happen, and never raised his hand for special projects. It was near the end of the day, and Susie didn't want to have a long discussion that would keep Jack at the office unnecessarily. She attached the review to an email and clicked "send." Plenty of time to have the actual conversation the next day.
Jack happened to be working late - again - that evening, trying to accomplish everything asked of him in his compliance role. Bing! An email showed up in his inbox from Susie. He was surprised to see her on this late, and opened it right away, in case it was something urgent she might need first thing in the morning.
Pop...pop...pop...the office chair creaked as Jack read the attachment. His faced flushed red, and he felt that twitch that comes when fatigue and frustration meet.
Jack thought:
I've been working 14-hour days trying to keep this boat afloat and this is what I get? Not proactive??? I'm the hardest working person on the team, and my groups have the best audit scores in the company! I deliver results! Does she want me to go out and sell the product too? Really, Susie? Come on!
The next day, Susie came in a few minutes late. She was greeted by her worried assistant, who mentioned Jack didn't come in today, and there was an envelope on her desk. She opened it and read a short, terse note: "I quit. -Jack"
...Sometimes things are lost in translation. What happened?While it would be great to note how the Chevrolet Nova met its doom in Spanish-speaking countries, it's just not true. So we'll use another well-known story to illustrate: the meaning of love.
Love is an interesting word. In Greek, there are no less than four words - with four separate meanings. Hebrew has no less than two. In English, there is a single word. The only way to know which kind of love is intended is through context.
Examples of love - do we love each of these in the same way?:
- I love my wife
- I love my friends
- I love the color blue
In well-written literature, there is usually a boatload of context to explain what in the world is meant by "love." Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a famous poem to dispel any confusion as to how she was loving.Manager Susie and Direct Report Jack were using different definitions of common words. It happens all the time, and often goes unnoticed until that definition is tested in some way that reveals those discernible differences.In short: don't just mean what you say...make sure the audience understands what you mean when you say it.
ugh.high school relationships and annual reviewsugh.
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