3 Of the Most Powerful Words. Ever.

What is it you are trying to do? Influence? Teach? Inform? Impact?

What is it that would sway any of us in those categories? When do you find yourself willingly being influenced? Or, open to being taught? Or, able to really listen to something new? Or, and this is a big one, changed? What conditions need to be in play to have any of those things happen?

It may not be the only condition, but a powerful one is to be included. To feel included. And one of the easiest ways to do that is to ask questions. And then listen. To engage with the other person.

And if you want to move beyond comprehension into action, carry that inclusion forward. Ask these three, little, transformative words …. “How. Might. We.” How might we. Think about it.

The word ‘how’ is all about curiosity. And curiosity is just exploring, right? It’s not telling, or dictating, or saying ‘do it this way’.

‘Might’ demonstrates imagination through invitation. It’s another word without hard edges. It’s all about possibilities. It’s about the future.

And ‘we’ demonstrates that you are in this together, that you are willing to roll up your sleeves to find the answer, and you want to continue the dialogue.

How might we. It can immediately calm a defensive atmosphere, which, if we are honest, can easily happen when we realize someone is trying to influence us, teach us, expose a new idea, or introduce change.

How might we, is an invitation. You can use it in bite-sized pieces, so that first you accomplish one answer, and then the next, and then… until you have a plan. A plan that took the time to explore multiple possibilities. A plan that experienced a collaborative alignment. A plan that likely mitigated risks and provided you with a list of FAQs that others will ask. A plan that now has champions and buy-in.