Working in the Language of the Incumbent
A heuristic for aligning communication between hierarchical levels by translating formal organizational language into terms meaningful to the team, and managing expectations through under-promising and over-delivering.
THE IDEA
WORKING IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE INCUMBENT
Echoing Marsing, Roger Saillant has learned “that you need to work in the language of the incumbent. This means being very clear about where formal organizational power resides and how it is used. A big part of my job in places like Mexico was connecting the language of the incumbent—which was usually about numbers—with a language based on deep values that my people understood. The people in the plant were not indifferent to what Ford management wanted, but they could not always understand and relate it to their own concerns. When they could, I could tell them very straight that if we deliver what management expects of us, we will be able to create what really matters to us also. I would then work very hard to have clear agreements with my management and full transparency. Usually they didn’t care much about how we did things, but I wanted to make sure they never felt that I was less than forthcoming or spoke to them in ways that intentionally obscured things.”
In dealing with his bosses, Saillant also adopted as a managerial credo “under-promise and over-deliver,” a very careful strategy for managing expectations. “I believe strongly in delivering what you commit to, but it is easy for people enthusiastic about a more trusting work environment to make claims that skeptics will have an investment in eventually disproving. You’ve got to craft goals in the language and worldview of the hierarchy, and then help people make sense of those goals in their own terms. Often, they will also want to go for other things or bigger stretches, which is fine for the working team, but [it’s] best to keep it to themselves.”
When to use it
Translating corporate strategic goals into actionable tasks for a frontline team.
Managing stakeholder expectations by communicating progress in terms they value.
Negotiating for resources from higher-ups by framing proposals in their preferred metrics.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Roger Saillant's Mexico Plant Experience
Roger Saillant, while managing a Ford plant in Mexico, translated management's numerical language into values-based language for the workers. He communicated that meeting management's expectations would allow them to create what mattered to them. He describes seeking clear agreements with management and explaining his approach openly.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can you adapt your communication to bridge the gap between hierarchical languages in your organization?
What strategies can you use to under-promise and over-deliver without compromising trust?
In what situations might working in the language of the incumbent lead to ethical dilemmas?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Fifth Discipline The Art Practice of the Learning Organization (Peter M. Senge)