Schlagwort-Archive: Metaphor

The energetic sense(ly) image

We are stuck in the dilemma of being exposed to an increasing flood of data at shorter and shorter intervals. There is not enough time to process it adequately. In addition, culturally conditioned means of expression burden the exchange. When high-context meets low-context, the unfamiliar style of the counterpart triggers unexpected reflexes: Boredom or impatience, lack of and misunderstanding, and, in the end, differently construed outcomes. If signs, words, and expressions are interpreted differently, this puts a strain on mutual understanding. This pressure is especially true if the content is not conveyed with sense(ly) images.

The contents become symbolic by not limiting themselves to numbers, data, and facts, but by additionally describing sensual aspects: visually, auditorily, kinesthetically. For this purpose, we express an issue through multiple channels. Vehicles for this are metaphors, analogies, or symbols, which we describe in writing or pictorially.

  • Symbol – the minimalist meaning carrier
    A symbol is a simple sign that represents complex facts. In South Africa’s Blombos Cave is the oldest symbol found to date (estimated to be 75,000 to 100,000 years old) – a type of cross-hatching (more about such discoveries: here). Currently, anthropologists believe that it is magical good luck mojo for hunting. Experienced shamans, immersed in a trance, painted them on the walls of uninhabited caves. Nowadays, we know symbols in different areas. In politics, we are familiar with national flags, crests, and party logos. The followers of a religion draw a lot of strength and community spirit from their signet. This is true for the Christian cross, the Muslim crescent moon, or the Jewish Star of David. In PR, we find precious logos, such as the Olympic circles, the Audi circles, or Apple’s apple. Technicians use graphical symbols to represent complex relationships in their blueprints, process descriptions, and structural diagrams.
    A symbol is an emblem and a sign of recognition. It refers to the extensive facts of a subject area. On the one hand, a sign warns against the undesirable or the rejected. It deters and alerts with a warning against deer crossing or with a skull against a poisonous substance. On the other hand, a symbol creates a sense of community and thus an identity.
  • Analogy – by virtue of the same properties
    An analogy occurs when two circumstances or things have the same characteristics. In the simple case, it is a matter of similar attributes. An example is the comparison of Xi Jinping with Mao Zedong (both are paramount leaders of China). Complex cases arise from similar, indirectly derived features. The clockwork and the tayloristic company structure have some things in common. Take as an example the property that they are made up of parts that together serve a purpose and are comparably vulnerable.
    The analogy thrives on the fact that we recognize similar patterns in different circumstances by which we notice the same characteristics. It does not matter whether or how we evaluate the overlapping features. Wooden and plastic bricks have the same properties. They can be combined in any way and reused infinitely. In addition, they train fine motor skills, create a sense of creative achievement, and can be applied regardless of age.
  • Metaphor – the thrilling analogy
    Metaphors describe sophisticated analogies with additional aspects, adapted structures, a purposeful storyline, and convincing arguments. If we look at the construction of an edifice, it resembles a project. Both consist of various tasks, roles, interdependencies, sequences (with a defined start and end), milestones, and much more. When building the pyramids, we think of huge building elements, “slaves”, resources, transport routes and techniques, rooms, rituals, and much more.
    The metaphor thrives on an exciting story. It sweeps the audience along with the help of a sophisticated arc of suspense, and effectively conveys the actual message. When, for instance, building blocks create unexpected structure like a bridge that carries three people and spans a three-meter-wide stream. And more than 500 people build the whole in 60 minutes. The story conveys that we can achieve the seemingly unthinkable if we try. The astounding conclusions have a lasting effect on the audience, reaching them emotionally and anchoring them in their minds.

Bottom line: The desire to present content or oneself in the best possible way leads to supposedly complete content overloaded with data. Prosaic presentations are difficult to process and remember because they are free of emotional anchors. Using a sensually charged metaphor increases the likelihood that the audience will pick up the desired core messages. At its simplest, signs create a curious symbol that reminds people of the topic when it appears. A sensually charged metaphor makes it more likely that the audience will take away the untended core messages. A metaphor has a lasting effect if it presents the features and components in an exciting way. The coherent flow ends up justifying the theme presented. The sense(ly) image provides the energy that permeates all participants and their activities and preserves the momentum.

The appropriate metaphor field provides many images

A metaphor effects through the mental links that the addressees add, especially if the images are coherently from one subject area, the so-called metaphor field. The most effective topic areas can be determined with the targeted audience through conversations, evaluations of publications, and the consideration of previous statements. The mental worlds found provide clues to real, emotional, and strategic interests. Many images are available through the thoughtful choice of subject areas to increase the impact on the targeted groups.

The following overview offers possible topic areas and some food for thought on the use of metaphor fields.

  • Societal
    Society is composed of various groups and actors that form communities spatially, economically, and culturally. You find the analogies in multiple roles (e.g., gender, socialization, relationship, professional, and cultural), social forms (e.g., family, horde, tribe, village, clan, and nation), the comparable phases (e.g., development, growth, consolidation, and decay), and other characteristics. In enterprises, social groups evolve in the biz functions or on hierarchical levels or across them based on subject areas and other commonalities (e.g., gender, age, and education). Social metaphors promote team building – e.g., the company as a family; the company’s entrepreneur; life’s not easy at the bottom.
  • Architectural
    The art of building provides commonalities along the life cycle of artifacts – designing, creating, constructing, and building buildings, cities, and landscapes. The results range from sketches, models, and shells to facades, interiors, facilities, plumbing, and networks. Different building shapes additionally stimulate the imagination: e.g., the tower; the bridge, the pillars; the palace, the castle, the country house. Architectural metaphors follow everyday experiences: e.g., all show and no substance; co-operations require bridgeheads; ideas stand on shaky pillars.
  • Physical
    Bodies are the material building blocks and functions of living things and artifacts: mammals with their limbs and organs, e.g., the heart, the brain, and the gut; things with their components, e.g., commodities or artistic objects, and the activities associated with them, such as chopping, storing. Popular images of people are, for example, he lacks backbone; putting their heart into their efforts; the gut decision. Things like the bucket, the sieve, the knife, etc., provide mental links through their functionality – e.g., the nervous system for IT networking, arm length for the scope, the dull knife for lack of effectiveness.
  • Technical
    The constructed, man-made world of tools, machines, and computers represents a mechanistic worldview. In recent decades, technology has been the guiding metaphor for organizations: division of labor, the interaction of the parts of the organization, and the targeted performance improvements. Typical analogies are input and output; the gear train; the tanker with its huge turning radius; the speedboats with their agility; the interfaces between different systems; networking; the catalyst as an impetus for change. The human being becomes the small cog of the organization; the helicopter provides the overview; the three-legged stool stands for TAR of a role (i.e., task, authority, and responsibility).
  • Economic
    With its value-creating processes and responsible parties, the economy consists of meaningful images: money, investment, economy types, markets, suppliers, buyers, and intermediaries. In the enterprise, as in the economy, supply and demand as well as the Invisible Hand apply with all the associated mechanisms, e.g., in pricing or self-regulation for a fair distribution of services. The development becomes insightful through general values: e.g., the winner gets it all stands for the win-lose; everyone is in the same boat for the dependence on each other; the tide lifts all boats equally for the uniform effects of economic fluctuations.
  • Scientific
    In all disciplines, science provides insights and regularities for our understanding of the world. Scientific theories include explanatory models, experiments, and values. To get as close to the truth as possible, science strives for objectivity, clarity, comprehensibility, and openness. Metaphors can be derived from this: e.g., the laboratory as a safe testing field; the research project for fruitless investigations; the bee colony for groups; the selfish gene as an image for the self-life of information (memes).
  • Ecological
    Our natural environment with its phenomena offers analogies for the increasingly organic themes. It starts with the different spheres of sea, land, air, or space. Natural catastrophes such as tsunamis, avalanches, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, meteorite impacts, black holes, etc., occur there. The vastness of the sea or the infinite expanse of space can be applied to biz situations. Besides, natural processes provide meaningful images – the caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly; the organic growth of cells; the cycle of becoming and passing.
  • Military
    The art of war is a particular form of occupation with corresponding analogies for biz: organizational forms, equipment, and machinery, and approaches to action. The structure of military formations derives from their preferred locations: naval, land, and air forces (and now in space), as well as from the chain of command, communication, and escalation ways: roles (e.g., general and soldier; adversary and allies), procedures (e.g., reconnaissance, situation briefing; strategy). The approaches to action provide strategic, tactical, and operational perspectives (e.g., situation plan; scenarios; troop movements). Typical metaphors include victories or defeats; the decisive battle; war as a continuation of politics by other means; the fight to the bitter end; the battle is lost, but not the war.

Bottom line: Metaphors transfer properties and characteristics from a subject area into a biz topic. Due to the analogies and scope of an association, the target group members enrich the issue. To develop this imagery coherently, the subject areas of the metaphors should be chosen carefully. Approaches arise on the one hand from the worlds of the target groups’ experience. On the other hand, the metaphor fields should be rich in images so that different aspects can be used. In this way, a comprehensive imagery language is created over time, which enriches the biz task. For example, a technical target group has a particular penchant for technical metaphors: e.g., the moon landings with almost half a million contributors, the difficulties to be solved (Houston – we have a problem), or the required vision or mission. The smart choice of the metaphor field and the stringent reuse encourage the common striving towards the goal. We do not forget a good metaphor.

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