“Worms, Roxanne. I can’t find the worms!”
I remember back in college when I first heard there were certain “co-eds” who wanted to be called “women” rather than girls.
Seemed like a silly demand to me at first, but the more I thought about it, them more sense it made to me. Up until college I had alway used the word “girls” to describe my female peers because that’s what they were. Never thought much about it, actually. But in college these 18-and-over females were no longer girls. They were women, and if they wanted to be called women, for whatever reason, then I needed to practice a new behavior. And when I did that something interesting happened:
Changing this one word caused me to re-think my entire notion of women. It didn’t happen overnight, but something happened to me when I changed that word. Everytime I caught myself saying “g-i-r”, I would have to stop and correct myself “w-o-m-a-n”. Both conciously and unconciously I was putting this word in a new place in my mental database, and while I didn’t always act like it, over time this discipline caused me to think in new ways and ultimately to act in new ways. I caused me to give women even more respect. I began to treat them differently because I thought about them differently.
OK, Pat, what does this have to do with football or sports or Web 2.0?
I believe we have opportunities on the Web that cannot be realized unless or until we can ALL see them. Until every member of our team can imagine the potential of the Web, our team cannot truly pursue the new vision. And words may be the very thing to set us on this path.
You see, we are facing a similar challenge to the one I faced in college. We are using loaded words to describe our business, and we might not even realize it. It occurs to me that these words, which we are familiar with and comfortable using, are actually part of the mental “box” that everyone wants to think outside of… these words direct or actions…our actions won’t change until our minds do…and one way to change our minds is by first changing our words.
Here is a list of words I would like to change:
1. Stop using the word “FAN” and start using the word “CUSTOMER” and eventually “COMRADE”
2. Stop using the word “TRAFFIC” and start using the word “COMMUNITY”
3. Stop using the word “CONTENT” and start using the word “CONVERSATION”
This may sound goofy, but try it on for size. What do these words mean? Do you see the potential they have to re-orient your mindset? Would you treat a “fan” differently than you would treat a “comrade”?
We use plenty of other words and phrases around our office every day that have the potential to hold us back and / or set us free. Words like local, stadium and ticket tend to consume our energies. We have been working so hard for so long and we’ve been so focused on these words that we’re having trouble seeing the window of opportunity that has been created on the Web.
Less than 60,000 “ticket holders” attend Colts games live at the stadium, yet there are 280,000 COMRADES visiting our Website each week.
We have never had to think about this stuff before now. Our TV deal took care of our “audience” living beyond our “trade zone”. But now our “Websites” have changed all that…or at least they CAN change all that, if we set our minds to it.
So watch what you say and see what your words say about you.
Words have power. The names we give to things, the words we choose, can become labels and can direct or reveal how we feel about those things. Words drive our thoughts and actions - both good and bad - concious and unconcious. This little word game is no game.
The Bible says “the tongue is like a rudder…even though it is small, it cans steer a big ship.” (James 3:4 )
For a lighter example, remember the scene in the movie, “Roxanne,” where Steve Martin is feeding words to the handsome but stupid guy, who is wooing the beauty, Roxanne, played by Daryl Hannah? This has nothing to do with anything…I just like that line, “worms, Roxanne…” 
Very few companies can call customers “fans” so don’t disregard something as special as a fanatic following. Comrades does have a nice ring to it. I’m torn.
All I’m saying is that “fans” are easily taken for granted. Comrades are peers, people you care about and relationships you nurture. There’s a big difference.
Excellent post Pat…from a friend’s commencement speech…
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in life is to accept the known and resist the unknown. You should, in fact, do exactly the opposite: challenge the known and embrace the unknown.
Let me tell you a short story about ice. In the late 1800s there was a thriving ice industry in the Northeast. Companies would cut blocks of ice from frozen lakes and ponds and sell them around the world. The largest single shipment was 200 tons that was shipped to India. 100 tons got there unmelted, but this was enough to make a profit. These ice harvesters, however, were put out of business by companies that invented mechanical ice makers. It was no longer necessary to cut and ship ice because companies could make it in any city during any season.
These ice makers, however, were put out of business by refrigerator companies. If it was convenient to make ice at a manufacturing plant, imagine how much better it was to make ice and create cold storage in everyone’s home. You would think that the ice harvesters would see the advantages of ice making and adopt this technology. However, all they could think about was the known: better saws, better storage, better transportation. Then you would think that the ice makers would see the advantages of refrigerators and adopt this technology. The truth is that the ice harvesters couldn’t embrace the unknown and jump their curve to the next curve.
Challenge the known and embrace the unknown, or you’ll be like the ice harvester and ice makers.
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