The hidden messages managers send

If a manager in an organization talks about making an "end run," what is he saying? Is he seeing life in the organization as a game; is he seeing it as hazardous and maybe nominating himself for a hero role; or is he merely saying he's going all the way with a project, regardless. The truth is we don't know what he's saying. It is all too easy both to interpret the metaphors others use to fit out own meanings and to ignore the fact that metaphors have idiosyncratic meanings that should be listened to. The author describes three ways managers convey messages about themselves and the ways they see the world. He encourages the reader to see these ways--their metaphors, office settings, and body language and tones that accompany their speech--as means of communicating. Just as speech or mathematics, these are languages that can be learned. With skill in them, a manager can see or hear what is really going on when people talk, what hidden messages we are sending all the time. The author gives some hints on what to look and listen for in trying to understand others, but he warns against simplistic interpretations: all messages occur in context.