What metaphors do you use to describe your organization? This general thought came to mind as I was reading a short speech given by a principal who debated the fit of a building metaphor over a growth metaphor for his students. He argued that children’s development is more suited to the organic images of plant growth and blossoming, and then the rest of the speech showed clear delight in the extension of this metaphor, from roots to soil to hardy stems and beyond.
This made me think about how it’s worth spending some time deciding on central metaphors for describing your organizations, and which to stay away from. Not only will it give some originality to your copy, but it also will help maintain consistency in your voice. If you’re developing a brand based on dependability, maybe don’t use weather imagery as that tends to change. If you’re aiming for a positive tone but always using images that show challenge and difficulty there can be a disconnect there too.
If your organization has already done a branding exercise, you’ll know that involves thinking about what words suit your organization. What would your organization be if it were an animal? Or a song? These are some of the ways that it’s useful to think laterally about your expression. Take a look back at some of the wording you’ve used in the past to describe your organization and make a plan to be more deliberate moving forward.
And of course, stop mixing your metaphors. Fortunately, many learned this in high school, but you never want to fly off into a sea of change.
