We use metaphors all the time; in everyday conversation it’s astonishing how frequently metaphors pop up. And that’s not figurative, it’s fact. According to an expert on the subject, in normal speech we utter about six metaphors a minute. Seems a lot to me but I’m just the messenger…
Metaphors explain myriad things by creating images; simplifying complexity; untangling knotty problems; and making sense of the nonsensical. They’re a surprisingly powerful way to express ourselves but often, especially at work, metaphors become clichés, lost in the mire of business-bollocks and consequently failing the purpose of metaphors. For example, ‘reaching out’ is a metaphor but no one—unless they were in the Four Tops or posing for a Michelangelo fresco—has ever ‘reached out’. In common with many other business metaphors, ‘reach out’ is a buzzword that doesn’t contribute anything and is ineffective.
You may be asking yourself, “If vast overuse has made many workplace metaphors pointless, what use are they to me, in my work?”
Here’s an idea: take a moment to look on the internet for an image, or draw one freehand, to use as the basis of a completely new metaphor unique to you, the aim being to give you clarity and help you make sense of something you know but don’t really understand because you’ve never thought about it before.
Did you just ask yourself, “Why would I do that? What’s in it for me?”
Well, if someone were to suggest that—by spending a bit of time thinking about a metaphor that's exclusive to you and your work situation—you'd find both clarity and a renewed sense of purpose, and improve your performance, you'd probably think it was worth a few minutes gazing out the window when no one’s looking, right?
The idea is to reflect deeply on how you feel when you’re working at your very best, those times when it doesn’t feel like work and even if no one else notices you know this is ‘peak you’ (not a phrase I’m naturally drawn to but if I have to resort to ‘smashing it’, ‘hitting the ball out the park’, or whatever, I’m not sure I’ll ever again be able to look you in the eye).
There are numerous benefits to developing a metaphor that properly helps you to understand what it’s like to be you when you’re working at your very best. Here are a couple of common examples:
- You enjoy your job most of the time but it’s not hugely fulfilling. Using a metaphor to untangle why will bring clarity and a tangible sense of pleasure every time that picture pops into your head because you’ll know you’re achieving the satisfaction you are striving for
- Taking command of what you can control and using that to improve your well-being and decision-making.
Say there’s a bunch of negativity going on around you with your manager but you aren’t sure why it’s happening nor what to do about it. Understanding how you feel when you’re working at your best will help you build a virtual shield that bounces the bad vibes away. It’ll also become clear whether you’re the ‘problem’ or they are and what, if anything, can be done about it: you’ll be able to make clear decisions around what’s best for you
- You’re going for a promotion, a new job, or pitching to a prospective client. Inevitably you’ll be asked a version of, “Tell me about a time when…” What if you create an obvious point of difference by using your metaphor, aloud or in your head, to bring your response to life in a clearer and more compelling narrative than your competitors?
Does all this make sense? It’s a doddle once you’ve got your thinking cap on, so here's some real-life examples to get your wheels turning.
Edie described how, when working at her very best, she was an eagle soaring serenely, high above an incredibly busy city whose streets teemed with moving parts, and yet she knew with certainty where each piece fitted, and what its purpose was.
Incy had hand-drawn an image of a spider encased in a hard black shell. Working rapidly and in sync, Incy’s legs battled constantly to beat a path through the torrent of problems that seemed to rain down from her team every day, while the hard shell ensured the brickbats regularly flung by her manager just bounced off harmlessly.
For Incy, the spider metaphor clarified that she was shouldering too many burdens her team should be carrying, while simultaneously realising that even the strongest armour can’t withstand an endless battering but her manager was never likely to call a ceasefire; it was time Incy found another waterspout.
Ayrton McRae pictured himself as a Grand Prix driver: the person in total control, right on the edge, hurtling at breakneck speed towards the finish line.
On reflection, though, he realised when he’s working at his best, he’s more of a rally driver: yes, he’s in control of the car but sitting next to him is a co-driver who’s a slave to the five Ps and accordingly sees what’s ahead and where danger lurks.
When asked to describe a use for the metaphor, Ayrton replied, “When seeking to find then articulate what to do next in your career, one is faced with a maelstrom of a thousand thoughts, a metaphor allowed me to encapsulate and distill these many emotions into a single entity. I found that incredibly useful.”
I hope this has given food for thought and inspired you to put your shoulder to the wheel and create your own metaphor. Who knows, one day you may find yourself sitting in front of someone who says, “If you work here, you’ll be expected to knock the ball out of the park every day” and when they do, you’ll be able to ignore the little bit of sick at the back of your throat and metaphorically nod with confidence, “Yup, I know how that feels.”
