The Good ship in slack waters. The metaphor brings the team meaning.
As you start to build up your team, you’ll notice certain images, narratives, and symbols filter through in the language that people use. But it’s not something that can be contrived. Often it’s compelled by the situation, by the dynamics of the team in its context and by the idiosyncrasies of the members. It’s often a response to a tough situation. A natural response to find some meaning.
I remember in one tough moment with a team, our situation was objectively hopeless, an impasse. We had hit ‘slack waters’ – a maritime term when the wind has ceased and the ships float mercilessly and rudderless. Unable to progress. In this situation it helped us to rename our selves the Good Ship awaiting wind to fill the sails. After all, it was just a matter of time before we bore onwards with stretched sail and bellying canvas.
Metaphors bring salience to the point being made. Metaphors are useful because they bring meaning.
How does a metaphor work?
Cognitive neuroscientist, John Vervaeke, give us examples about how metaphors work:
“Sam is a pig” – This is a good metaphor (he’s obviously not a pig but it gives salience to an element of him).
“Bees are wasps” – No good. The concepts are too close to be a metaphor – meaningless.
“Chairs are arguments” – Useless. The concepts are too far apart to be a metaphor – meaningless.
So what element of the team are we trying to bring salience to right now?
For the metaphor to work and be constructive they need to bring salience to an important element of the team that helps it move onwards and ideally something that connects with the higher purpose. When misused, metaphors can create a negative meme that is difficult to shake off and can be self-destructive.
In a Liftoff, we listen for these moments — the blurted remark, the shared image, the name that sticks. Because when a team’s metaphor emerges, it can become their compass.
Let the metaphor emerge.
Can you think of any metaphors have emerged in your team? How did it bring meaning to the team?