safe words to avoid: try & should

To try is to attempt; an earnest and conscientious activity designed to do or accomplish something.
Some things are so vast, largely unknown, or contingent upon so much – that all one can do is try.  Other things are relatively easy to commit to, to see through, or to make happen.

There are times to try & times to do.  More often than not, try is a lame cop-out that succeeds in nothing other than wasting two or more people’s time.  It’s chalk full of fluff and strangely reminiscent of an empty promise.  As a wise man once said, “Do or do not…there is no try”.

Should is another one of these counter-productive overused nonsense words.  Should entails an intent, but not an obligation, to do something; marginal in nature

To use the word should when negotiating or otherwise attempting to establish something concrete is simply weak .  Without adequate explanation or further exploration it leaves too much room for failure.

Since there’s no way around “shoulds” and theoretical future unknowns at large, it’s important to think-through and articulate exactly what a should is contingent or dependent upon.  When using should in a “business context” the question is worth asking: what is creating the uncertainty and most importantly, what can be done to reduce or eliminate that uncertainty all together?

---

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically each day to your feed reader.

jeffpesek.com | Powered by WordPress | ElegantBlue is a custom theme by Nathan Rice