The Art of Naming
This week I want to talk about the power of naming — how giving a concept a good, memorable name can 10X it’s impact.
I had a revelation this week.
Whilst at work, I talked with a colleague about an exciting new idea for over an hour and a half. As we got deeper into discussion, our conversation unravelled. We struggled to find common ground or to explain the other’s thoughts back to the speaker.
We were talking past one another, but not intentionally — we wanted and were trying to understand, but we seemingly couldn’t align on exactly what was being said.
And it was then that I realised that our challenge was one of naming. We didn’t have the right words and terms to label and describe the concepts we were supposedly talking about.
And if you can’t say what you mean, then you can’t mean what you say.
When communication goes wrong, it’s usually not because of differences in judgement or values.
If you can’t say what you mean, then you can’t mean what you say.
In my experience, it’s often because there’s a lack of understanding — real comprehension of a concept. We were unable to have a deeper conversation because we didn’t have a shared foundation of exactly what was being talked about.
And this is crucial. If you make a good label for a concept, and share that labelling with others, you can have a faster and more productive conversation. And if your label is really good1, then others can latch onto the concept much more quickly too. This compounds fast:
A good label can stay with you, and reside in your mind for months or years at a time. A few examples of my favourite names or labels:
Overton window — the range of ideas we can easily talk about at a given time. I’ve seen this used more and more lately — it’s clear that it’s picking up speed.
A drink drink — a name I personally use to refer to a cheeky drink at the end of the day. Once introduced, friends pick this up easily, and it’s something we now use often (and with glee).
Goblin mode — the act of behaving primitively, rejecting societal expectations (eg eating hummus straight out of the fridge, and without a spoon…).
In fact, thinking about this some more, I’d argue that good labels for concepts are actually more important than concepts themselves.
Good labels are more important than good concepts.
So the next time you you have a killer idea, think about how you can package it to maximise it’s effect. Or if you’re struggling with a conversation, think about if you have a shared understanding, or if you’re talking about different things.
I’d love to hear what other folks think about this! DM me, or comment below :)
Till next week!