Word Fences

Busy, stressed, rushing, meeting after meeting. Words and phrases commonly used in the workplace. "I'm busy" is a word fence — a passive, indirect response we use to protect our time and space from intruders. While our body language is often more apparent — a dismissive look, avoiding eye contact, tapping a foot, shuffling papers, or tightly crossing arms — it signals I want to hurry and move on. 

Word fences are not always deliberate; they can also be automatic reactions we swiftly adopt, especially in fast-paced work settings. They become word habits.

My advice to managers is to choose their words carefully. Word fences are easy to build and hard to remove. For example, if a lead manager repeatedly uses the word 'busy' when talking with staff, a barrier is created. Staff start to approach with caution, and rumors spread quickly. There is no open door with this manager, despite all those initial welcoming words. 

Let’s Talk! If you would like to learn more about removing word fences.