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Interpretentions™

Interpretention™ –The history of our catch word is derived from the meaning of the following two words: in-ter-pret [in-tur-prit] 1. To give or provide the meaning of; explain; explicate; elucidate: to interpret the hidden meaning of a parable.

<in-ten-tion [in-ten-shuhn] 1. An act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result. 2. The end or object intended; purpose.

We call it a catch word because of how it ‘catches’ you in almost every case! Every time we interpret someone else’s intentions without knowing the real reason for their action, we risk being wrong. Interpretention is the act that often snags us in poorly understood reasoning or causes communication problems with others.

Reaching a Common Goal

Not long ago I stopped at an all-day breakfast restaurant to find a table, some coffee and a bit of quiet to work on my leadership program. Outside the restaurant was an ambulance and ambulance staff, they were quietly talking by the vehicle with no sign of anyone being treated.

Once seated, I became aware of the overwhelming silence in the restaurant. Everyone was calm, quiet and strangely polite. Not the cheerful and boisterous polite usually encountered in a breakfast diner, but an “I respect you as a human being” polite. The kitchen was quiet, very little conversation, little to any dish noise. Then one of the ambulance staff came in and whispered quietly to a waitress, “Do you know the name of the patron who tried to give CPR?” She answered with a ‘no’ and that was the end of conversation. It was shockingly evident someone had passed away at the restaurant just prior to my arrival.

With each passing moment, the staff continued to serve customers coming in for lunch. Then, silence turned to quiet whispers and they began pulling themselves together. It was an amazing period to observe, the gathering of hearts, the control of emotion, the unspoken understanding and the professionalism. They cared for customers in a professional and courteous manner, even though the patrons were completely unaware of the earlier event. No story was shared with the customers, no explanation of the earlier tragedy or how it affected each and every one of the restaurant staff. The energy was extremely consistent among the staff.

Non-existent were personality conflicts or struggles between back and front of house, all involved were unified in a common experience, as staff members dealt with it on their own terms. As an hour or so passed, the kitchen began getting busy and they could no longer maintain a solemn quiet. The dish noise began again and the staff began to carrying on more natural conversation.

Then there was a laugh. Laughter, that’s what was missing!

Slowly, they found within them a small bit of laughter even after a tragic lunch hour. The quiet ‘perspective driving’ energy turned to a more natural ‘we’re at work’ energy. I’ll venture a guess however; it was not the same work place for any of them and likely won’t be for a while. Bearing witness to such a tragedy takes hold and has an effect for quite some time and it’s different for each individual. Perhaps a person felt they might have done something more, another person might have been reminded of someone by a trait of the deceased, still another may begin to review their own personal relationships. A circumstance such as this might affect someone afraid to take on new challenges by offering them courage to take action. The variety of reactions will be vast, the effect on each person different, and yet all are common to a single event.

The common threads are what tie people together. Does your company have a common path for every employee to follow, to rally behind and champion?

If a tragedy pulls people together, such as a death, hurricane or storm, then it must be possible to find something exciting to pull your people together.

Companies who make concerted efforts to find short term goals to lead the employees closer to long term strategies will find their employees getting behind the rally cry, stepping up to the plate and exhibiting a far greater reason for giving it their best. Pull your executive team together, pick a few key short term goals and teach your staff how to rally, how to focus on common events that lead to your company’s long term strategic goals.