I cringe when I hear team members speak in absolutes.
“Everyone thinks this way….” Really? Every single person on the planet? In the company? On the team?
“No one will buy that….” Really? Not one person will accept that idea or buy that product? What makes you so omniscient that you absolutely know for sure what every person will do or not do?
“I always do this…” Really? You unfailingly, consistently and reliably repeat the same action each and every time. Wow. You must be superhuman and gosh darn perfect.
“That will never happen…” Really? Never is a hard word to live up to. I have seen strange things happen that I would not have thought to be possible.
In a team setting, these absolute statements are typically said carelessly – and without malice. However, once said, it is open for interpretation and can take the team down a rabbit hole.
So why go there? Unless you are absolutely sure there are no exceptions to the rule AND that word is the absolute best word to use, never use absolutes again!
