The Power of We

By Sam Sova

It is interesting how people associate things like work and sports with the term WE if they truly feel part of it. A few weeks back I was in Minnesota visiting some friends that I have not seen for years and really noticed this when everyone started talking about their jobs. Most people worked at places that nobody has every heard of (one being Fiserv) and it was interesting to see the difference in descriptions of the organization. The big thing was the use of either “WE” or “The company does….” So for example, one friend said, “I work at xyz company. We are the biggest manufacturer of nuts and bolts in the world with over 50,000 clients worldwide.” Where the other one said, “I work for abc company. ABC is the second largest publisher in the nation.” The big difference was WE. The people who used the term WE were truly engaged in what there company did and cared. They felt part of it. It was more than just a pay check and a 9-5. For the other example, you could tell that it was just a job for them. They really weren’t brand ambassadors. I sure wouldn’t work there or believe much by the way he talked about the organization.

People do this with sports too. I had a huge debate with a friend in college when I started talking about the Marquette basketball team as if I was really on it. “We will go to the final four this year.” When you are a true fan you are a brand ambassador for that team.

So the big question is do you use WE when you talk about your company? Are you a true brand ambassador? If not, it may be time to start doing or get out.