The Next Next Common Sense
Communication has become more visual. Organizational language now includes not just words but images, videos, data visualizations, and interactive content. When Airbnb simplified its host policies, it created visual explanations that made complex ideas accessible across cultural and linguistic boundaries. This visual language created coherence where text alone might have failed. The shift toward visual language reflects both practical and cognitive realities. Cognitively, humans process visual information differently than text. Practically, global organizations must communicate across languages and cultures. Financial services company Intuit uses visual storytelling to explain complex tax concepts to customers across 19 countries, creating coherence through shared visual understanding rather than relying on precise translation. Communication has become more participatory. Organizational language is no longer dictated from the top but co-created through dia- logue. When Microsoft adopted "growth mindset" language, it created spaces for employees to share stories of how this concept manifested in their work, allowing the language to evolve organically while maintaining coherence with core values. This participatory approach recognizes that meaning emerges through use rather than decree. When healthcare technology company Philips implemented its "Health Continuum" framework, it didn't simply issue a glossary of terms but created collaborative workshops where teams could explore how these concepts applied to their specific contexts. This co-creation process created coherence through shared development rather than imposed terminology. Implementation Challenges for Step 2 Developing effective language systems comes with specific implemen- tation challenges that organizations must address: Challenge: Linguistic Fragmentation As organizations grow more diverse and distributed, specialized terminology and communication
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