How many languages would you guess are spoken in the world? When I was asked this question recently, I guessed about 200.
I was just a little bit off. There are actually 6500.
There are 193 different countries represented in the United Nations Gen. assembly, and of those 6500 other languages, the UN only recognizes six officially, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Those six languages cover about 85% of the world’s population.
Experts estimate that 56% of the world’s population is bilingual, yet that number is less than 20% in the United States. So, if you want to learn another language, I say good for you. You’re probably thinking that learning one of those six languages that cover 85% of the world’s population is the best bang for your buck. It could be, but what if I told you that even among those on your team who speak a common language, many still don’t comprehend what you’re saying the same way.
There’s probably not a person among us that’s not familiar with the concept of people just hearing what they want to hear. We’ve all had that experience at one time or another. That’s because we know from the study of behavioral science that what drives individuals internally has a tremendous bearing on how they receive and process information.
With that in mind, how can we use this information to speak in a language that will be most appealing to each team member?
First, strive to understand the intrinsic motivators and drivers of the people on your team. Inherent motivation… that little internal voice that compels you to embrace one thing over another generally falls into four distinct categories.
Some are driven by the desire to acquire things such as money, power, or notoriety.
Others are primarily driven by the desire to bond or affiliate, to be part of something bigger than themselves.
The third group is driven by the desire to compete.
While a fourth group is driven by the desire to comprehend…to know, and to understand.
If you want to begin your journey to learn how to speak the language that appeals to a person’s inherent motivational drivers. The first step is to understand the intrinsic motivators and drivers of the people on your team.
There are many high-quality, behavioral science-based tools that allow us to identify these characteristics nowadays.
Once you’ve identified those drivers, start thinking about the role this inherent motivation plays in how people want to hear things and receive information.
If you know that you’re dealing with someone who’s primarily motivated by the desire to acquire things, it’s quite obvious that you can communicate in a language that’s somewhat transactional with this person. You can easily speak to them in a way that lets them know if they accomplish something or achieve something, they will receive something in return. That’s pretty straightforward.
On the other hand, if you’re speaking to a person that’s inherently motivated by the desire to bond or be part of something bigger than themselves, offering them a reward or compensation for achievement might have very little motivational impact. More realistically, if your interaction helps them understand that achieving a certain goal will make them a more valued group member, you’re speaking their language.
Taking the time to get to know what’s driving your team and practicing how to frame your conversations can open up a whole new language for you.
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