Many years ago, I worked for a company whose leader was a brilliant speaker. Â In general, he also could create create thematically compelling presentations, but he tended to reuse his metaphors. Â In his original presentation, the products of the company were represented by a triad metaphor. Â Then the three principles of the company were represented by the triad. Â And then… until he was reined in, any three things were represented by that one metaphor.
This is a problem.
Here is another problem, illustrated by the inimitable Fry and Laurie:
Stephen Fry’s character keeps trying to make his point with an ever-shifting array of metaphors. Â Hugh Laurie’s character keeps trying to anchor it by saying, “Hello. Â We’re talking about: _____.” Â Fry’s lyrically tripping tongue speedily outstrips Laurie’s ability to keep the audience tuned in to the topic at hand – they are unmoored in a restless sea of images.
Neither of these approaches work to create effective business communications. Â Metaphors need to be selected carefully, crafted carefully, and presented carefully. Â When used correctly, a metaphor can be a great tool to connect with your audience. Â When selected, crafted, or presented haphazardly, metaphors can only create confusion. Â Or, in the case of Fry and Laurie, humor.