Yes, it is an old cliché that has been spoken about and written about many times and has even been used in commercials. Apparently, it has not sunk into our minds or daily lives. In today’s world of ever-expanding social media, technology, texting, and other varieties of communication, there are more and more platforms for people to talk, and talk, and even more talk. There are lots of opinions to be shared. These channels are available to almost everyone at little to no investment or expense. There is also minimal impact on the talker as they can hide behind the platforms. As a result, the expansion of people talking about stuff keeps expanding, and we all refer to it more regularly as noise.
If talk is cheap, then maybe action is expensive. Therefore, people would rather just talk about stuff than actually do something that involves action, taking risks, and achieving something. When the word expensive is used in this context, it might not be in the financial sense or maybe, better put, spending dollars. The expense might come at a higher price—reputation, exposure, going against the flow, etc.
This phenomenon of the cost of cheap talk is draining both businesses and individuals. Cheap talk, not purpose-driven actions, is diluting growth, contributions, productivity, innovation, creativity, efficiencies, and interpersonal relationships.
Regardless of where you might stand on the shockwaves running through the United States government efficiency assessment and changes, the simple fact is that our representative government has some opportunities to improve. Each election cycle, there is lots of talk. Some might say promises or commitments to do this, change that, etc. Then, after the elections are done, nothing or very minimal changes happen. Again, talk is cheap. Recent government transactions are being assessed for efficacy, and various expenses are being challenged; it raises questions about the non-action of our representative government that exposes growth, contribution, and improvement opportunities. The non-action comes at the expense of reputation but has a significant opportunity for growth and contribution.
The whole aspect of just talking versus taking action also significantly impacts individuals’ self-worth. The more an individual realizes self-worth, the more self-confidence and self-esteem they can build. These, in turn, cause individuals to step up and take action rather than just talking about it.
As business leaders, one of your most critical contributions to your organization, your community, and your team is to provide a culture that encourages each person to become the best contributor they can be. More important than the products and services your business might offer in the marketplace. Those are just the by-products of building up people to be self-sufficient.
This week, stop being just a talker and become a leader of action. Identify one thing you can take immediate action on to improve your organization’s culture, which will assist in moving your team away from cheap talk and toward productive action.
Seeking the opportunity to stop talking about engaging a Promise Guide to build your business? Reach out to JKL Associates at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (407) 984-7246
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Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
