The Same Letters. A Different Lens.

No Language Barrier

By Jacqui Phillips

I've always loved languages and words.

Not in the 'I was top of the class in English or French' kind of way (although my school report may say differently), but in the way that words can have different meanings yet look the same. They can evoke different feelings at different times and, sometimes, if you play with them, like I do, reveal something you hadn't noticed before.

Those of you who know me will agree I've always had a mischievous streak when it comes to words and acronyms.

Give me a set of letters and, before I even notice, my brain is quietly, and sometimes loudly, rearranging them into something else. It's a game I've played for years - usually for my own amusement. Every now and then, it gets so loud that I feel the need to share ... and this is one of those times.

There are times when my husband Simon talks about frameworks he has developed or used over the years. He'll explain what the acronym stands for … and I quietly write another version. I'll find myself smiling. Simon will look at me and say nothing. I smile wider and wait excitedly for him to say:

"Go on then ... what have you come up with now?"

I never think the original needs changing. I never think one is better than the other (although I may do a poll once you’ve read mine!). It’s simply that I hear the same letters through a different lens.

Perhaps each framework has two languages. One that explains what we do. The other reminds us why it matters.

The GC Index® (GCI)

It says:
Game Changing Index

I hear:
Good Conversations Intentionally

Because meaningful change begins with a conversation.

The LACE Way™

Simon says:
Listening. Accountability. Collaboration. Empathy.

I hear:
Love All. Care Everywhere.

Because every framework is ultimately lived by human beings.

DELTA™

Simon says:
Diagnose. Engage. Lead. Transform. Accelerate.

I hear:
Discover. Embrace. Live. Through Awareness.

Because lasting change gets to be experienced and not just implemented.

Closing Reflection

Words not only describe the world we’re experiencing, but they also reveal the lens through which we see it.

I imagine that's why Simon and I enjoy these conversations (me probably more than him!).

He sees the framework that enhances the impact of the change experience, and I see the human experience that enhances the impact of the framework.

The structure creates clarity.
The humanity creates connection.

And maybe lasting change needs both.