Friday at Four: Get Choosy With Your Words

Fridays at Four are Xdesign’s group hangout sessions in which we set out to learn something new and improve the team. These discussions can range from a TED Talk to the latest in design or typography trends, to just taking a break to sit outside in the sun. This is Simone Begneaud’s talk on the importance of effective communication in the workplace.

Not only is effective communication the way of life in the advertising world, but it’s also something we should practice in our everyday lives. We all know things like tone and body language contribute to how you come across when having a conversation, but many times simply choosing the right words to say can make or break a conversation.

Although I’m new to the professional world, I’m no stranger to communication struggles. I’ve seen it first hand from my teachers, family members and friends. I’ve noticed how critical communication is in both business and personal relationships. Now as a co-worker I find it more important than ever to constantly strive to improve communication, especially in an industry that is focused on conveying positive messages in our work through branding and advertising.

In my time at Xdesign, I’ve noticed very good communication skills between employees and clients, but there’s always room to reach higher levels. Just ask Hunter. What better way to practice than by playing a game?

So we played a little game called Taboo.

In Taboo you break into teams (we did girls vs. guys). Each team member takes a turn describing a word on their card, while their teammates try to guess the word. On each card, there is a list of other words the speaker cannot say while describing the word.

Taboo demonstrates the possibility of describing ideas in multiple ways. In the real world, people that you communicate with might have a different way of describing something; playing Taboo allows you to recognize this and communicate outside of your perspective.

Get choosy with the words you want to say. Think about what you are about to say and what ideas it will bring to mind for your teammates.

We had a lot of fun (and noticed that the guys were exceptional at this game…), but overall we found that it’s a great way to get your internal dictionary pages turning. You can expect to embarrass yourself while bonding with your co-workers over a few good laughs. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!