Heard about the college entrance scandal? Parents with lots of money are bribing soccer coaches to get their not-so-brilliant high school seniors into prestigious universities.

You’ve heard about “helicopter parents” with parental blades hovering over their children’s lives, their kids’ teachers’ lives, and their adult children’s employers’ lives.

Now, thanks to this scandal, we have a new clever phrase to ponder: “Snow Plow Parents”.

Snow plows push snow out of the way so cars and people can pass on the road. Snow Plow Parents push the obstacles out of the way so their children can walk down, or even better, UP the road without issues.

Both of these terms, “helicopter parent” and “snow plow parent” use the guaranteed method for clarity: The Analogy.

“Analogy Definition. An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar.”

In your emails, meetings, presentations, blog posts, social media posts, Linked In profiles, and Board of Director reports – use analogies to gain clarity.

Benefits of an analogy:

• Minimize words used – you can picture the behavior patterns of these parenting styles by just using 2 to 3 words.
• Maximize understanding – you are guaranteed to have more traction by being clever.

Your teams and your organizations are filled with talented people. Unfortunately, today, your employees (at all levels) have an attention span the size of a gnat.

Your Speak For Yourself® Challenge: Use more analogies. You will communicate with increased clarity.

Photo ©:  123RF Stock Photo

© Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 3 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, Albert Einstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.

Read more at www.SpeakForYourself.com/blog

#PresentationSkills #BusinessCommunication #OrganizationalCommunication

Karen Cortell Reisman, MS, Executive Communication Author & Speaker