The Power of Words: How Language Shapes Stakeholder Engagement

My first blog post delved into the challenges around investors communicating impact, with a focus on our client - a large Latin American investment management firm, whose bread and butter historically has been driving financial returns for their investors. A month into the project, we were one of the teams experiencing adjustments to our initial scope. I resonated with my teammate's observation, that such delays are difficult for us "Type-A SIPA students". On a serious note, however, taking the time to refine and expand our understanding of the company's goals and perspectives proved invaluable. It instilled in me the importance of flexibility, active listening at every stage, and a critical analysis of the rationale behind changes. The positive body language we observed after presenting our revised proposals was a reassuring validation of this approach. 

When our client indicated their preference for the phrase “impact approach” over “impact strategy”, I started thinking more about how the choice of words informs stakeholder management strategies. Using the right terminology in the fast-developing field of impact measurement and management is crucial. Meetings with the professor helped us appreciate that these are more than just linguistic choices - they hold significant signaling power. Prima facie, I feared that using less specific or “diluted” terminology could defeat the purpose. To challenge this somewhat rigid idea of mine, I started looking for examples in other fields where adapting communication by considering the audience’s biases could help improve dialogue, especially with skeptics. 

At my previous job as a public health researcher for a large philanthropic organization in India, I had the opportunity to visit a project run by one of our partner NGOs in rural India. Titled "Parivartan," which translates to "Change" in Hindi, the project aimed to promote gender sensitization among adolescents in government boarding schools. Interestingly, the project title didn't explicitly mention the focus on gender. While approvals from government bodies had been obtained, this strategic choice bypassed the need for approval from school teachers who might have been hesitant about a dedicated gender program. 

I also thought about the conflicting viewpoints on university campuses about the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. To some, it is a call for Palestinian dignity and liberation, while others view it as a threat to Jewish people in Israel. At a talk held at Columbia, Dean Amaney Jamal from Princeton, a Palestinian herself, urged students to limit their use of this specific slogan at protests if it was coming in the way of constructive dialogue on campuses. 

Diana Sierra, the co-founder of BeGirl, a social enterprise based in Maputo, recently spoke to our class about her experiences in dealing with cultural barriers when it came to marketing periodpositive products in Africa. She mentioned their strategic use of the term “body literacy” over “reproductive health” in specific conversations. This approach aimed to bypass potential resistance from those opposed to the term, allowing BeGirl to continue its impactful work. 

The above examples served as important perspectives on the importance of considering stakeholder sensitivity in linguistic choices. When it comes to impact measurement and management, one of my concerns is the transparency and credibility of investor claims, something closely related to communication choices. The skeptic in me is heartened to see how industry leaders have taken the commendable step toward harmonizing standards and implementing robust verification processes. Just as accounting standards established a uniform language for financial reporting, there's a growing hope that impact measurement and management will follow a similar trajectory. One can hope that this leads to a balanced approach, tailoring communication to stakeholders while still maintaining the core objective of creating a positive impact.