The Power of Words

In 1979, Flores completed work on his dissertation, "Communication and Management in the Office of the Future." Even before he had finished the dissertation, the power and insight of Flores's work -- in which he introduced the notion of "action language" -- had begun to make an impact. EST founder Werner Erhard heard about what Flores was working on and offered him a grant. The money seemed like a deliverance. While Flores had struggled to complete his degree, his wife, Gloria, had worked as a food preparer for Marriott. His teenage children had taken jobs at Burger King, and they contributed their wages to help keep the family going. Flores accepted Erhard's offer. After the dissertation was done, Erhard incorporated Flores's ideas into EST and invested in Flores's first company, Hermenet Inc., a communications-consulting and software firm. But Flores soon became concerned about the direction in which Erhard was moving and broke with him. In 1984, Flores founded Action Technologies to develop software that can track the fulfillment of promises and commitments in day-to-day work operations. Then, in 1989, he founded Business Design Associates Inc., a 150-person, $30 million consulting firm.

But more than that, Flores is committed to living what he calls "life at its best." He chooses his clients. He rewards himself for his hard work with shopping splurges, sometimes buying $1,000 worth of books -- and then rearranging his work schedule to give himself time to read them. Last year, he bought a majority interest in a school in Santiago, Chile in order to test and teach his theories. It is a life filled with commitments -- a life based on freedom.

The Way Words Work

How does this all work? What is at the heart of Flores's system of transformation? To speak in language that promises action, you must practice assessments (to work on truth) and generate commitments (to work on trust). Here's how Flores's technique works.

Lesson One: How to Make Assessments. The 12 men meeting with Flores are learning the baby steps of conversation, even though most of them are in their forties and fifties. "We haven't met for two months," Flores says. "Let's start with assessments."

Abel, an engineer in his fifties with a sweet, boyish face, begins. He turns to Felix, a planner. "Felix, I believe we still have many issues to discuss. There is still a lot of information that we need to share. On the positive side, I find you open to my concerns."

"Thank you for that assessment, Abel," Felix replies. "We are remiss in not discussing these problems more often."

"You're welcome," Abel says. Abel then proceeds to go around the room, assessing each man, always using the same script. When he gets to Ryan, the head of sales, Abel states that he is not getting a clear picture of what's going on in sales; on the positive side, he acknowledges that Ryan is working hard.

"We're all working hard," says Ryan. "Especially my guys who are busting their . . ."

Flores breaks in. "Don't change the story," he says, pointing to the script on the easel. "You are to use my story, not yours."

There is a method to Flores's model: Air strong opinions in public; make honest assessments in plain view of your colleagues. Truth equals trust. But you must make these assessments regularly, because, at first, people will try to game the system. They will use assessments as a way to enhance their own power or to diminish the power of others -- which is exactly what Ryan is trying to do now. Each time Ryan is assessed, he alters Flores's script slightly. He never says, "Thank you for your assessment," or "I appreciate your sincerity." Instead, he explains away the criticism that he receives. His refusal to follow the script is a red flag -- and a symbol of Ryan's problem in general: Ryan's own words reveal that he is a weak manager. Others trust him at their own peril.

Flores can take only so much of Ryan's insolence. "If people deviate from the formula," he spits out, "it is an opening for bullshit." In Flores's world, bullshit is hypocrisy -- and it shows up in the language used within an organization. Hiding behind hypocrisy and half-truths will weaken you and blind you to opportunity. That is why, Flores tells the men, engineers of their caliber can develop impeccable strategy and still fail. Their language lacks commitment, and that lack, in turn, generates resignation. When these men make sales calls to clients, their speech is full of defeat. They don't notice it anymore, but their customers detect the lies and the empty promises.

That is why the assessment script is essential. If Ryan and the others stick to the instructions, they are more likely to hear the assessments made of them. If they hear the assessments, they will become less blind. If they refuse to cut one another any slack, to accept one another's lies, then they will fear nothing.