Have you ever heard the adage, “The one who keeps the minutes determines the outcome of the meeting?” When I take the notes for a meeting, recount an event, or write a report of an interview, I always introduce my own bias into the record. It’s inevitable.
Words have limitations.
Even when I strive to be completely objective, the words I choose, the way I organize and frame the content – these necessarily reflect a little of me.
If you’re a “wordsmith” – someone who puts words together well – you have a gift that can be the proverbial two-edged sword. People may come to depend on you to summarize what happened in a given situation and even look to you for an interpretation of that event. Because you are reasonably well-spoken and communicate well, they may seek your personal opinion on other topics as well.
Make no mistake: There’s power and responsibility in that.
On the one hand, when you use your communication gift with integrity, you have the privilege of insuring information is presented accurately and completely. You can tell the full story and tell it in a way that adds to the conversation; you can build up rather than tear down. You can also shine a light of truth on negative things that need to be exposed.
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