I use the term Valuable Vocabulary to reinforce the need to focus on Precision Of Language for Crystal Clear Communication. This chart from a recent study is a great visual tool to represent what people MEAN when saying different words… That at first, might appear to be +/- the same thing. Not.
At 8:00am sharp, Barry Blunt, owner of “Precision Plumbing & Strategic Synergies Pty Ltd,” walked into the boardroom and announced:
“Team, our new marketing campaign will always work.”
The accountant raised an eyebrow.
The sales manager said, “You mean… almost certain?”
Barry waved him off. “No, no. It’s certain. We will almost always dominate the market. We are very likely to double profits.”
The operations manager cautiously asked, “What’s the actual probability?”
Barry frowned as though she’d insulted his ancestors.
“There’s a high chance. We will generally outperform competitors. We will usually crush them. It is likely customers will love us. Honestly, this growth is expected. We will often exceed forecasts.”
The intern quietly whispered, “That sounds… probable.”
Barry smiled proudly.
Unfortunately, Barry had hired his cousin Trevor to run the advertising campaign. Trevor’s entire strategy consisted of skywriting the company slogan:
“WE FIX PIPES & SOMETIMES EVEN KNOW WHAT WE’RE DOING.”
By Friday, customer complaints were pouring in.
One client wrote:
“It is possible your technician installed my toilet backwards.”
Another said:
“Maybe your staff should stop using duct tape on gas lines.”
The legal advisor entered the office looking pale.
“There is an uncertain situation developing.”
Barry gulped. “What kind of situation?”
“There’s a strong chance we may be sued.”
Barry laughed nervously. “Surely that’s not liable to happen.”
The lawyer adjusted his glasses.
“Oh, it’s no longer doubtful. We are sometimes receiving complaints every three minutes.”
The HR manager added:
“Our employees are not often sober after the Friday ‘culture workshops.’”
The accountant slid a spreadsheet across the table.
“There’s now a low chance we survive the quarter.”
Barry’s confidence began evaporating.
“So… profits are unlikely?”
The accountant nodded.
“Recovery is rarely this difficult.”
The marketing manager sighed.
“We’ve had almost never seen customer trust collapse this fast.”
The lawyer added:
“A successful defence is almost impossible.”
Barry whispered:
“So we’re very unlikely to avoid bankruptcy?”
The accountant nodded again.
“Unless a miracle happens.”
Two hours later, the bank called.
“Your loan extension request?”
Barry straightened in his chair hopefully.
“Yes?”
“Never.”
Silence.
Then the banker added:
“Actually… impossible.”
Barry sat motionless for several seconds before finally asking the question that should have been asked on day one:
“…Can somebody please define what everyone actually means when they speak?”
The intern slowly stood up.
“Sir, that’s the entire problem.”
The room fell silent.
“You kept speaking in emotional vocabulary instead of measurable language. Nobody knew whether ‘likely’ meant 60%, 75%, or 95%. Your staff interpreted words differently. Your clients interpreted promises differently. Your forecasts were vague. Your risk assessments were vague. Your expectations were vague.”
The intern pointed to the whiteboard.
“In business, unclear language creates unclear thinking. Unclear thinking creates unclear decisions. And unclear decisions create very clear disasters.”
Barry nodded slowly.
“So from now on…”
“Yes?”
“We stop saying ‘probably.’”
“Yes…”
“And start saying things like, ‘There is a 67% probability based on the last four quarters of data.’”
The accountant smiled.
The lawyer smiled.
The operations manager nearly cried with relief.
And Trevor?
Trevor was immediately reassigned to washing company vehicles — a role he was very likely to perform with only moderate reputational damage.
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