"You are in this for the long haul", you say.
"I don't get what you mean", they look at you, puzzled.
"You know, just imagine that this situation for you would be a little bit like if you would... [insert your catchy metaphor here]", you keep going.
And suddenly, they get it. They get you. And your interaction reaches the next level.
Metaphors are pure gold, when you are trying to find common ground, to allow someone to discover a new perspective, to get your point across without being bossy or manipulative.
We use metaphors as a precious communication tool every day, many times a day, very often without even realizing it, and they are incredibly useful in coaching as well. If used effectively, they just click with us. [Which is, by the way, yet another metaphor]
[Who is going to get the biggest brownie of all?
No-bake, gluten-free rose petal brownies
Image credit: PureWow © Liz Andrew (Photo) & Erin McDowell (Styling)]
A good example?
Reaching a compromise is the art of dividing up a cake in such a way that everyone believes he's got the biggest piece.
(Ein Kompromiss, das ist die Kunst, einen Kuchen so zu teilen, dass jeder meint, er habe das größte Stück bekommen)
Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard [1897-1977]
I am a big fan of "Show, don't tell".
A picture is worth a thousand words, and a metaphor is precisely that: a way to work a mental image of your choice into the conversation so that you can frame a concept in a useful and comprehensible way and "show" what you are actually telling.
What do you want to tell?
What do you want to show?
How are you going to convey your message?
Going for the right metaphor is half the battle. [Which is, again, a metaphor, but that's another story]
A picture is worth a thousand words, and a metaphor is precisely that: a way to work a mental image of your choice into the conversation so that you can frame a concept in a useful and comprehensible way and "show" what you are actually telling.
What do you want to tell?
What do you want to show?
How are you going to convey your message?
Going for the right metaphor is half the battle. [Which is, again, a metaphor, but that's another story]
Tags: Metaphors, Communication tools, Coaching tools, Show don't tell, Figures of speech, Quotes
What to read next:
The dark forest one should be aware of, or the only way to become an adult that's really worth it
Visiting the blog for the first time? Aloha!
Where to start, if you are new
What to read next:
The dark forest one should be aware of, or the only way to become an adult that's really worth it
Visiting the blog for the first time? Aloha!
Where to start, if you are new
