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Anyone else pumped at the prospect of optimizing their operational synergies today?
Personally, I’d rather our team GOT STUFF DONE. Not easy with business jargon sapping our will to live!
Cue today’s ‘one-liner’ experiment: can you re-express the big challenge you’re working on? Turn it into one exciting question: “How can we do X, so that Y happens?”
Get clarity on what you’re trying to achieve, strip out the waffle, and inject ‘get stuff done’ energy.
The Experiment
- Pick a challenge currently haunting your team.
- Write it out as it currently stands—jargon and all. (Brace yourself; it might be ugly!)
- Now rewrite it as a “How can we do X, so that Y…?” question. Keep it snappy and clear enough to pass the ‘Mum Test’ (if your mum wouldn’t understand it, try again!).
So –
Instead of “Optimizing customer satisfaction by reducing friction in the multi-channel shopping experience.”
You get –
“How can we make online shopping feel as easy as borrowing sugar from a neighbour, so people keep coming back?”
Why Try This
- Clarity It forces you to strip out the fluff, and zero in on what matters.
- Motivation A well-phrased challenge injects energy and urgency into the work.
- Alignment If your team struggles to agree on the wording, it’s a sign you’ve not agreed on what you’re trying to do. Fix that first.
Make It Stick –
- Movie Poster Test Imagine your challenge as a tagline for an epic blockbuster. Does it inspire you to watch—or snooze?
- Reality Check Share it with someone outside your industry (bring on Mum!). If they don’t get it, refine it.
- Revisit Regularly Goals can shift. Keep your one-liner fresh and relevant.
Every business has its own language, but watch out you’re not creating needless complexity with it. Real experts have no trouble spelling things out. So, let’s cut the waffle, wonderful people. Be experts at getting stuff done!
No-one obfuscates like a government employee –