I, Me, You, We and Us

Change Your Pronoun, Change The Perspective.

OK, I’m at a crossroads as I write this blog, mainly because it starts out with “I.”  “I want to tell you something…” is another good start, as it has both I (me) and you (you) and I’m telling you stuff.  But where’s the co-creation in this? So, let’s venture forward together and see what we can do about this idea of the pronoun.  And have some fun along the way.

What’s this all about? It started with a rule that was laid down by a favorite English professor in college: when writing any assignment, the pronouns “I” and “Me” cannot be used.  (Let’s try that one on in our next email, shall we? Should make for an interesting study in brevity.) The focus was on the subject, the story, the other party or us mutually. It was implied that the writer was involved.  And this focus has evolved because of the axiom that “everything begins with conversation,” a quote by Dr. Judith Glaser, noted psychologist, author, coach and founder of Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ), and the basis for her studies into the neuroscience of conversation.

So much of today’s created content, especially from noted experts, begins with a favorite pronoun: I.  Close seconds are: Me and You, usually followed by the phrase “need to do this to be successful.” This seems so unidirectional.  Focusing on the “me” agenda and not necessarily what connects to the other party or group. We do want to hear from these experts because we know that, many times, they have something that benefits us.  Even though, it always seems so much like telling, selling and yelling. So, what can we do to create a better start for all of us? What questions can we ask of ourselves and each other to ensure a great conversation?

• What do we want for each other?
• What do we want to create?
• What can we do to build trust in this situation?
• How can we partner on this for mutual success?
• What would it look like if we did this together?

Let’s build a neutral space to co-create ideas, products, services and just great moments in life!  Let’s start by committing to change our pronoun habits and substitute “I,” “Me,” “You,” with “We” and “Us” in any conversation.  It may sound a bit weird at first, after all, it’s fighting human nature to not consider ourselves over everyone else. Hey, this is in us, we can do this. I know it.