Use Collective Language to Achieve Collective Success

I need this project to succeed. My center is treading water. I’m doing everything I can here. One simple switch to those statements can make a world of difference to your team and change the entire trajectory of the task at hand. Replacing I and my in your statements with we and our is one of the simplest ways to foster ownership, empowerment and accountability among your staff. While it’s only natural to use I statements to describe what you need, it sends a subtle message to staff that it’s all about you. Regularly take note of whether you’re overusing the personal possessive pronoun when communicating with staff and make an extra effort to switch to we and our statements. After some time, evaluate whether this subtle shift is impacting the collective mindset of your team. Some of the most respected leaders out there swear by this simple practice.

Great leaders use encouraging, collective language to foster a sense of teamwork and ownership among staff.