Why I L.O.V.E. Acronyms
Why I L.O.V.E acronyms
Acronyms have been around for ages, most of us have heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals (not that I agree with this, I have my own version C.O.V.E.R.) but in today’s world of quick response text speak they’ve become part of everyday parlance, LOL, BRB, even WTF!
However, their common usage isn’t why I L.O.V.E. them. My adoration comes from how they can help me when I make my own up.
L - they help me to Learn and recall information
O - they are One of a kind, I don’t use the same word more than once
V - they are Versatile, I can apply them to almost any topic
E - they are Enduring, once I’ve got one I can recall it for years
The latest addition to my collection is why it’s important to C.H.E.C.K.- I.N. with remote workers.
C - you can show your Concern for them,
H - ask after their Health and wellbeing,
E - it allows you to Engage with them on a one-to-one basis,
C - it’s an opportunity to Congratulate or Compliment them on a job well done,
K - you can check their Knowledge, and if helpful share your own,
I - it’s an opportunity to Improve what you know about them
N - you can make sure that they feel Nurtured - and definitely not Neglected!
You can use acronyms to assess team members’ strengths, either by getting them to self-describe, or as a team exercise get others to describe them. The descriptors must be positive and strengths though! No-one will want to work with T.I.N.A. if she’s Thoughtless, Ignorant, Nasty and Aggressive! However, if she’s Trustworthy, Intelligent, Nice and Appreciative they should be more than happy to work with her.
By getting the team to describe their strengths in this way it helps with so many situations. It will help you to see the positive in people, it’s all to easy to see the negative, so this activity will direct your thoughts in the right direction. It will help you determine the best person for a particular job, and help all the team appreciate what strengths they have between them. If done as a group exercise when first determining strengths individuals may be pleasantly surprised at what others think their strengths are as they may not have realised themselves. If you understand your team’s strengths it may help in determining the most appropriate learning styles to apply - especially in a one to one situation. An individual will have a ‘go to’ list of their strengths if they are ever in an interview and asked the awful ‘what are your strengths’ question.
If anyone has a particularly short name you can extend it by using a nickname, or a suitable alternative associated with the individual. Someone with a long name may also find it a bit daunting, so again a nickname might do.
Why don’t you have a go now? Using the letters of your name what acronym of your strengths can you come up with? Let me know.
