12. The Importance of Language in Describing Process

This blog is adapted from Appendix E in my book on “Process Design & Development”.

I would like to reflect with you on the writing of Dr. J. Mitchell Perry. In his book “The Road to Optimism: Change Your Language…Change Your Life”, Perry points out the importance of language and its effect on how we view and understand situations. Perry encourages using what he calls the “Language of Inclusion” and points out that the practice of positive language is inherent in children. That is to say that children naturally describe what something IS instead of describing what something IS NOT. When applied in the corporate setting, it has a positive effect on culture (1).

The purpose of language is to communicate clearly about thoughts, feelings, behaviors, ideas. Clarity of thought and speech facilitates understanding between actors. Indeed language, Logos if you like, is fundamental to civilization and people who live in community. Language matters.

Language matters also when we describe process. When we narrate the process using language that describes the work as it should be, we are expressing the “normal condition” for the process. The language is in the affirmative. The normal condition is how we expect the process to be when it is executed correctly the first time. Because the normal condition is articulated in the affirmative, it is language that is inclusive of building quality into the work as the work gets done. The normal condition can be about inputs/outputs, the action taken, and the total quality criteria for a given step.

In addition to using the “Language of Inclusion” when we describe our work, it is helpful to also pay attention to grammar. Grammar matters. Below are a few grammar-related guidelines I have found to be helpful when describing process:

1. Because process actions represent work, the process actions usually begin with verbs
2. Inputs needed to do the work are usually nouns
3. Outputs that result from having done the work are usually nouns
4. Who does the work at a given step is like the subject of a sentence and refers to who is doing the verb
5. Total quality criteria (TQC) is a description of the output at a given step and is analogous to adjectives and adverbs that provide detail in a sentence

The word choice when describing inputs/outputs, process steps and TQC might need to be in the affirmative. That is to say the language needs to describe the unit as it is or as it should be as opposed to the negative alternatives. For example, if a client’s purchase order (PO) number is needed at a certain step in the process, then the language used at that step might be articulated positively. One way of expressing this positively might be “PO number confirmed in text field” instead of “PO number is not missing in text field”.

The language we use to describe process is important. It is specific and has an effect on our understanding of the work. When we choose to describe the work in the affirmative, that is to say describe what it IS instead of what it is NOT, the language sets an expectation and clarifies precisely what quality looks like as the work gets done.