Page 165 - The Voice of Authority

ants. I know of a couple who rented out their house and
the family who moved in nailed their Christmas tree to the
hardwood floors instead of using a tree stand. Expedient,
I suppose, and admittedly these were particularly bad ten-
ants, but no owner would be so short-sighted. Similarly,
many investors are effectively short-term tenants, turning
their portfolios over so quickly they are really just renting
the stocks that they temporarily ‘own.’ ”
We talk about “prime real estate” in referring to the
home page of a Web site or placement above the fold in a
newspaper or product catalog. Many Human Resource
managers talk about “cafeteria” benefits to their employ-
ees. With just one word, this analogy implies that em-
ployees have a “menu” of benefits to select from, that a
“parent” has agreed to cover the “total” invoice up to a cer-
tain amount, that employees select according to “taste or
preferences” from that menu.
Such comparisons as these don’t exactly solicit an emo-
tional response; they simply clarify a complex concept.
Metaphors, on the other hand, imply a comparison and
typically evoke an emotion and a mindset. Both types of
comparisons can be succinct, yet powerful ways to man-
age how people think about an idea or situation.
If you wanted to make the point that someone was not
fully engaged with his or her colleagues in a mission, you
might use a war metaphor: “John ducks into his cubicle as
if it were a foxhole. He needs to stick his head out occa-
sionally and help the rest of us fight the war. Otherwise,
the parent company is going to take over the entire de-
partment.”
If you wanted to talk about how indifference to quality
customer service could destroy your business, you might
put it in these terms: “Our poor customer service has be-
come a cancer eating away at our business. I see customers

Does Your Communication Make You Look Competent? 153