Michael Lissack
The identification of self and goals serves as the foundation for all subsequent steps. Without this clarity, language lacks direction, context lacks boundaries, autonomy lacks guidance, and communication lacks meaning. With it, organizations create the gravitational force around which coherence can form. Step 2: Use the right language Language has never been more important—or more challenging to align—than in today's complex digital world. Knowledge workers interact with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders across multiple channels, each with its own linguistic norms. Finding language that creates coher- ence across these diverse contexts requires thoughtful approaches. Language functions as the connective tissue of organizational co- herence. It translates purpose into shared understanding, shapes how contexts are perceived, guides autonomous action, and forms the basis of effective communication. As philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein noted, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." For organiza- tions, language limits or expands the possibilities for coherence. Three significant shifts have transformed how organizations use language: Communication has fragmented across platforms. Organizations now communicate through email, messaging platforms, video calls, social media, and collaborative workspaces. Each channel shapes language dif- ferently. The succinct, informal language of Slack differs markedly from the structured language of formal presentations. Creating coherence re- quires language that maintains consistency across these varied contexts. This fragmentation creates both challenges and opportunities. When retailer Walmart navigated its digital transformation, it discovered that the direct language that worked well in stores often felt abrupt in digital channels. By developing channel-specific language guidelines that main- tained consistent values while adapting to platform norms, they created coherence across their omnichannel experience.
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