Beware the metaphor. Leaders open conferences, give key note speeches and write blogs to explain and inspire. They like to use metaphors to freshen up what they say. The idea is to use something the audience are familiar with to explain something they are not yet clear about.Such as what the NHS will look like when it has been “transformed”, how local government will work when services have been out sourced or how the Civil Service will be made more efficient. But an over extended metaphor or an ill chosen one can confuse rather than clarify, give out an unintended message and even expose mangers to ridicule.Metaphors are a gift to those who want to mock out of touch senior managers or commentators who wish to ridicule yet another leadership initiative. A recent article in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) highlighted NHS leaders’ obsession with motoring metaphors for the modern health service.The latest example is called a “compassion drive” which follows on from a wellness drive and a dementia drive. The car metaphor is extended to include an “engagement tool kit” for staff. The language is of “accelerating improvements”, ” going up a gear” and putting “patients in the driving seat”.Management information is presented on a” clinical dash board”.Whist senior managers may be very clear about what they mean by an “engagement tool kit” it may only serve to confuse staff and a metaphor that needs explaining isn’t doing its job. It’s all too easy to mock this attempt to sell unpopular changes by extending the metaphor to compare the latest efficiency initiative to sticking a go faster stripe on the car or comparing the chief executive to a second hand car salesman who is offering to do us a” good deal” on a smaller but more economical model. A motoring metaphor that compares the NHS to a car is also conjuring up metallic images of something that is hard, cold and unemotional hardly the caring image the service would wish to project. And what does this say about staff, yes we want them to be efficient but do we want nurses, doctors and care staff to be robotic?If we are talking about health, education or social services or any public sector changes then human metaphors are more appropriate such as referring to the heart of the NHS, the spirit of local government or the brains behind the latest initiative. We might refer to the life blood of an organisation, the eyes and ears of an organisation or efforts to become a fitter, leaner organisation but why risk confusing the issue, sending out an unintended message or opening yourself up to mockery? The message to senior managers is give the metaphors a rest and just tell it how it is. Blair McPherson author of Equipping managers for an uncertain future and People management in a harsh financial climate both published by Russell House www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
