Metaphorically Speaking

chillibreeze writer — Archana Srivatsan

There is a certain charm in saying what one would like to, without actually saying those words. It’s the art of implied conversation. Self-explanatory although figurative and eloquent - Catch my drift? Metaphorically speaking.

For those of you who have spent reasonable time in a corporate setup, it must have become so much a part of your everyday vocabulary that you probably don’t even realize it. It’s ‘in your blood’, some might say. But it’s not just about verbal jousting; it’s about clever placement, timing and wordplay to deliver a message. What engraved them in my memory were two things - uniqueness and relevance. It was fresh, insightful and excitingly new – the feeling you get when you crack a new word at Scrabble. It made people sit up and listen. Or, if you were in an afternoon meeting after a heavy lunch – well, it made you ‘wake up’ and listen!

The trick is in using metaphors aptly, with the intent to get a point across, to ‘hit the nail on the head’. That is what I personally like of metaphors. It isn’t a show of powerful or grand vocabulary, rather an art of intelligent communication. I sat back to recollect some metaphorical phrases I had most heard during my long tenure in consulting, which was so much a part of our work culture that it became second skin to me.

An interesting approach to business development
Every year, the senior leadership of our company would gather the team to announce targets for the next year. This usually made us shiver. Except once, when instead of plain numbers, we were presented with ‘Crown Jewel’ and ‘Blue Sky’. Fancy? Yes, it certainly made us listen with eagerness! ‘Crown Jewel’ was to be a category that included the most profitable, high profile clients with best potential for sustained growth. “Get your Crown Jewel accounts right, and we’ll be smiling all the way to bank”, our boss gleamed. ‘Blue Sky’ referred to the open vast expanse of potential clients out there, sort of ‘shooting in the dark’. That evening, we each walked away from the room proud to have been assigned a ‘Crown Jewel’ or ‘Blue Sky’ to our kitty!

Motivating your team
It was a tough assignment. The client was ruthless, gave no concession for our young age or time constraints. Pressure was mounting and we were headed nowhere towards finding a solution. Our morale and confidence was at its lowest. Our Manager called us in that evening and said “Let’s go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate our approach”. As we strived to make a fresh start, ‘think out of the box’, he urged, ‘but don’t ignore the low hanging fruit. Let’s hit the ground with a fresh mind tomorrow’. So much communicated in such few words.

A proposal that can’t be refused
There was heated discussion on how to approach this new client pitch. Showcase our credentials, or provide a sneak-peek of our solution? That’s when I heard the new term – ‘Diagnostic’. We’re not doctors, I thought. When I looked quizzically at my boss, he said, ‘let’s do a diagnostic review and then devise a full-fledge solution. Raise a red flag for any issue you find, and we’ll delve into it immediately.’ That was a new approach – he really was one of the sharpest knives in the drawer, I thought to myself.

Leadership and organizational change
Our department was going through a streamlining operation, yet again. This time we would further divided by areas of specialization. We were all trying to make sense of this when our boss put it in place - “Although we remain the same department, there’ll be Chinese walls between various teams’. I still remember that big day when my boss announced his resignation. Amidst the scepticism and anxiety in the air, he reassured that his successor was more than well-qualified to ‘steer the ship and hand-hold us all’.

Appraisals – that time of the year again!
I still remember the turning point of my career, an annual appraisal wherein my boss remarked that if I didn’t focus on technical improvement I’d be a ‘gravy train of biscuit wheels’ despite climbing the ladder!

There are so many other ways in which metaphors may be used to describe, elucidate or communicate effectively. Sports metaphors such as ‘level playing field’, environment metaphors (that’s what I call them!) like ‘don’t miss the forest for the trees’ and so many more have become a part of our vocabulary – in or outside the office. A survey found that there are more Metaphor Based Full Time Employees (MBFTE) than Clear and Concise Full Time Employees (CCFTE)! So, go ahead, spice up your speech! Add some variety to your vocabulary. Mix and match with some metaphors. The ball is in your court!

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in January, 2012. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Archana Srivatsan is a Chartered Accountant, who spent six years in business process and risk consulting with KPMG India. Ending a ten year tryst with this profession, she is now on a sabbatical better described as a soul-searching exploration to tick off many unfinished items on her dream checklist. With a strong inclination towards travel, travel writing and poetry, she wants nothing more right now than to enjoy the unknown journey!

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