I am often accused of being uptight when it comes to word choice. In France, the quest for “le bon mot“ is a national sport. But I realize I don’t live in France and should lighten up a bit.
The thing is human beings make most decisions in 7 seconds or less. What you do in those 7 seconds, including the words you use, matters.
In 2009, there were 1,928,158 non profits in the United States alone. You have one shot to make a great first impression and to stand out from the sea of organizations, and chatter, and craziness of life.
Could I loosen up a bit about word choice? Well, yeah, personally I could probably stand to do that. But this isn’t about moi and it wouldn’t change the fact that time spent finding words that resonate with the people who matter most to your organization is imperative to your success. That’s not going to change.
Be uptight about–or at least mindful of–your words. Find the right ones. It’s important.