interview with Bob Sutton, the defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Sutton had stated that he specifically plans to stay away from “always” and “never” in planning strategy. I wholly concur. In fact, refusing to use “always” and “never” in everyday conversation is one of the principles that I instilled in my children.
Think about how many times you use “always” and “never” each day. You might say, “I always take this route to the store” or “I never take cream in my coffee.” The people to whom you are speaking are unlikely to take you at your literal word. And you’re talking about a beverage or directions, so who cares anyway?
The problem is that if you frequently use these absolute words, you will likely use them in places where the impact is more serious. “We will never do business in Russia” or “We will always defer to what our customers want” might turn out to be true statements, but is there really a need to use never and always to make these points? How do you know what the future will hold?
Here are a few alternative ways to say essentially the same thing without using “never” or “always.” “I cannot envision a situation in which we would do business in Russia” sounds plenty definitive. “In nearly all situations, we defer to what the customer desires” similarly stresses the importance of customer satisfaction while leaving the door open for situations where doing exactly what the customers want is not warranted.
You should always strive to never use the words “never” and “always.” Wait, cancel that. I can’t envision a situation where, in conversation, it would be necessary to use the words “never” or “always.” Whew, I feel better….