Page 76 - Free the Idea Monkey

“Huh?” If you are often asked by smart con-
sultants or newcomers to your company what in
God’s name you are talking about, you’re prob-
ably in the jar. Seems that after a few months in
the jar together, we develop our own language.
Often laced with industry-borne acronyms, this
strange way of communicating seeps into our
customer and client communications.

A few years back, we scored big points with about 40 million
customers when we convinced a client to change the last line on its
monthly billing statement from “Account Balance,” the way the idea
was referred to inside the company, to “What you owe,” the phrase
most of us use when we talk about our debts.

You are surrounded by hundreds of similar examples.
Ever notice how a five-year-old can walk into a situation and ask
an innocent question that elicits the “because that’s the way we do
it” response? Then you realize you’ve never really questioned why
you do it that way? Five-year-olds are too young to be in the jar.
So are you.

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