Name
Words Matter - why language is a change agent's super-power
Aruna Chandrasekharan
Description

Are you someone who pays attention to how well words are used? Do you often revisit a conversation and wish you could have said it better? Is your performance measured on your ability to be effective? Is your effectiveness measured by your ability to influence? Is your ability to influence impacted by your command of language? There are many passionate people who may struggle with the right words to explain concepts like “Agile Mindset”, “Servant Leadership”, “Powerful Questions” at the risk of sounding theoretical or trite. They may feel helpless in their effectiveness to positively impact the pace of change because they don’t have the right words that can trigger that “Ah-ha” moment for those in their proximity. These are folks who have a solid knowledge of Agile techniques, have plenty of tools in their toolbelt but lack the ability to combine the power of techniques with the power of language. It is not an understatement to say that the role of the change agent is critical to creating an effective groundswell shift towards a more Agile culture. Quality and speed of change rest upon the shoulders of people like you and I, who are on the ground, nudging and pushing in small increments, with tenacity and hope that is commendable in itself. We do this by combining the wisdom gained from our past experiences, our current book of knowledge, and our ability to create a powerful emotional response with our audience. An audience that is so much more heterogeneous today than ever before given globalization and virtual work patterns. In other words, we need to leverage the intentionality of words to make real, the impact we seek, on those who are recipients of our efforts. Are you a change agent? Do you feel you are ready to be a coach? Do you believe that the intentionality of words is crucial to increase your sphere of influence? If you answered "YES" to any of the above, then you're just the person who would enrich this session! We will explore the power of language, recognize the good from the bad and finally discuss 10 clear ways to start or increase our intentionality with words

Learning Objectives
Why language is a crucial lever of success in Agile transformations
Recognize good from bad and consequences of choices
10 ways to leverage the intentionality of words to increase our effectiveness
Track
Process
Session Type
Workshop
Keywords
agile, change, communication, Process, mindset, language, influencer, agent