Merriam-Webster defines the word “truth” as:
- The body of real things, events, and facts - actuality
- The state of being the case - fact
- a. A transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality
- A judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true
- c. The body of true statements and propositions
Unfortunately, stock in truth is at an all-time low. We aren’t buying it as a society the way we used to in the good old days of, you know, way back in 2015.
When you can’t agree on the truth, and when people have their own definitions of facts, it’s difficult to find common ground.
I recently had the pleasure of attending a business event headlined by Chalmers Brothers, a best-selling author who has spent the last 36 years focused on leadership development, workplace culture, and clarity in communication, among other core focus areas.
His first statement to our group was “We all live in language.”
He then asked us to note the following key distinction in the way we communicate with one another: Event ≠ Explanation.
To those opening salvos, and in honor of Chalmers’ Southern Louisiana roots, I say “Preach.”
He went on to illustrate how our explanations – including their rationalizations and justifications – depend on our perception of the facts surrounding the actual event we’re discussing. And these days, two people agreeing on the truth behind any significant event is a dubious proposition at best.
What’s too often missing behind all explanations to any event these days is context – better defined as the conditions and environment that set the stage for the ideas we’re trying to use to influence the thinking of other people.
Unfortunately, I’m skeptical on our ability at the macro level to solve this challenge.
But we can make a difference at the corporate level.
At WordWrite, we have nearly 25 years of experience helping organizations define their value to the customers, clients, and key stakeholders they seek to reach.
At many of the businesses we work with, the messaging that leaders believe to be the distinctive characteristics and core values that define their culture are often out of alignment with those their employees identify with the organization.
This disconnect is common and typically unintentional, as the more a company grows, the harder it is to retain the founding principles that made it successful in the first place.
To paraphrase leadership guru Simon Sinek, they get so focused on what they are doing that they forget to effectively communicate why they are doing it. As Sinek puts it: “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
We are consistently focused on helping organizations uncover, develop, and share what we describe as their “Capital S Story.” This story exists on a higher plane than a tagline, logo, digital ad or billboard. It both defines the character and nature of your organization and explains why someone would want to buy from you, work for you, invest in you, or partner with you.
The first and arguably most important foundational element of this story is authenticity – it must start from a place of truth (despite the sometimes-baffling resistance to that concept these days). Then you must ensure the most effective “fluent” storytellers are sharing your story. Finally, you must constantly measure the effectiveness of what you’re sharing using the most applicable measurement tools (within your industry) to evaluate engagement with your target audience.
None of this is possible without ensuring your messaging and values as an organization are properly aligned at the outset. We have a number of strategic and tactical resources available to confirm your beliefs on what separates you from your competitors and endears you to your clients and customers are viewed the same way by your internal storytellers.
These services range from the time-tested, exploratory questions we ask during preliminary deep dive meetings to our more intensive and immersive 90-day trademarked StoryCrafting process.
Regardless of the route you take to land on your ideal messaging, we can help guarantee your “truth” will have the context and shared meaning to deliver results and assure you stay true to the foundational roots that will keep your organization healthy well into the future.
We believe this so strongly that our founder even wrote a book about it. You can download a sample chapter here.