What Does it Mean to Create Healthy Messages?
What does it mean to “create healthy messages?” You might be asking yourself this question if it’s your first time being introduced to the topic. Or maybe you have some idea of the topic but are not exactly sure. Whether you’re familiar with or new to Healthy Messages™, now is a great time to explore its purpose in greater detail.
At its core, Healthy Messages™ is a reflection of its name. To expound on this more, first consider what it means to be “healthy.” It’s synonymous with “well,” “strong,” and “whole,” to name a few, and according to Miriam-Webster, it means “beneficial to one’s physical, mental, or emotional state, conducive to or associated with good health.” “Good” is important to note. When someone or something is healthy, it is in good health, compared to poor health, and similarly will embody an appearance that is representative of this. Take a plant, for instance. When healthy, its leaves appear green and vibrant. If unhealthy, its leaves might start to fade in color or wilt, and ultimately it doesn’t grow.
Next, a message is a “communication in writing, in speech, or by signals.” A message is also “an underlying theme or idea,” which makes a message particularly significant. Think of the most meaningful messages you’ve heard or read throughout your life. Rather than just sharing for the sake of sharing, an intentional or purposeful message provides a benefit to you and is constructive to you in your life, even if it doesn’t always feel that way at first. Take, for instance, the times you might have received a message that was difficult for you. This could be because an issue or some area of weakness that needed to be improved was the focus of the conversation. It’s hard to hear when you’ve made a mistake or didn’t do your best or what you hoped you would, or if things couldn’t have been better, it somehow caused a negative reaction.
Whatever the case may be, if shared effectively, a healthy message will ultimately serve an intended purpose, foster growth, and/or bring about positive change, for yourself and others.
The term “healthy” is also inspired by work with individuals within various aspects of service. One area of concern is human or helping services, including mental health care, intersections between mental and health care, faith-based services, and other community-based initiatives. Helping people in need is largely purpose-driven work and brings meaningful rewards, both for the giver and receiver. On the other hand, it has its share of challenges — high demand/stress, limited resources, and risks to one’s own mental and/or physical health, to name a few. Additionally, in many cases, there is an absence of values and ideals synonymous with “good” health in the very places where this is a huge aspect of its mission and vision, such as effectively achieving outcomes like growth and change or excellent customer satisfaction. The same could be said of professional services, another area of concern, including human resources, consulting, coaching, and training (learning and development). Across service areas, non-profit and for-profit businesses, there is an expectation of greater responsibility and accountability, thus a consistent need for leaders, professionals, and owners alike to consider inconsistencies in messages conveyed through words and actions, gaps between ideals and practices, even a lack of positive customer experiences, all of which ultimately detract from the outcomes they hope to achieve.
A healthy message is clear and consistent, aligned with values and goals, and contributes to organizational objectives.
How do you create healthy messages? Healthy Messages™ provides professional consulting services for the growth and positive change of individuals, leaders, and organizations around areas of service. Whether you’re a professional seeking to develop new skills, a leader or business owner wanting to see positive change across systems, or either in need of direct writing support or a partner to simply walk with and advise you along the journey, there are many ways to create healthy messages.
This writing provides a high-level overview of what it means to create healthy messages. To explore these and other topics more, please view current and upcoming writings, and feel free to share a comment. Request a free consultation to get started with services and reach out to partner.
Healthy Messages™ provides professional consulting services for the growth and positive change of individuals, leaders, and organizations within areas of service. Learn more about Healthy Messages™’ mission, vision, and outcomes.
Positive Uses of Power
What does it mean to have power? For the purpose of this writing, there are two definitions that stand out. According to Merriam-Webster, power means the ability to act or produce an effect or possession of control, authority, or influence over others. Thus, power itself is not necessarily negative but can be used to positively influence others. In working with people, it’s important to be aware of the power you have, either by nature of your position and/or merely the ability to use your words and actions to create a negative or positive impact on others. This is especially true for leaders. This is also the case for parents or guardians. It’s relevant for anyone who has some level of responsibility for or accountability to others, including those providing a direct service. People look to those in positions of power or influence with an expectation that they are able to meet a particular need which results in them being in a better place than they were when they started. Unfortunately this is not always the case, especially when there’s a misuse or abuse of power.
It always surprises me to see careless or inappropriate behaviors from people whose job involves positively influencing others. I’m sure you’ve experienced this in some way in your life. Maybe you’ve had a manager or supervisor contribute to a toxic work environment. Perhaps you’ve experienced a business owner or service professional lack people or customer service skills. In my own experiences with community mental health and human services and businesses that specialize in the development of people/professionals, I’ve found that people-centered organizations and groups, even human resources, are no exception. In some ways, they are the most disappointing to witness because there is a greater expectation for providing quality care to and for others.
In considering these types of issues, there are fortunately individuals and organizations that have and do model positive uses of power. They demonstrate the kinds of behaviors that one wants to see and experience, encourage and represent healthy communication in words and actions, and contribute to positive change. Think of the people in your life that come to mind as great examples of this. How do they positively influence others? What makes them stand out? When I ponder this, these are the qualities or values that I’ve appreciated and want to represent in my own life:
Kindness - willingness to help or be of service to others to meet a specific need or add value to other people’s lives through messages shared or actions shown.
Purposeful - services provided, and related communication, are intended to address a specific need that someone may have, and align with personal and/or organizational objectives.
Responsive - there is an acknowledgement of needs or concerns and follow through with regular communication.
Growth-minded - there is a desire to see people reach their potential or achieve their goals and encourage this in meaningful ways personally, professionally, and organizationally.
Strength/Courage - able to persevere through difficulties and challenges, particularly as it relates to advocating for positive change, while maintaining one’s values and character.
Awareness - clear on the skills/abilities, desires, and needs that they and others bring in order to support one another and are open and honest about areas of weakness and strength.
Thoughtful - think thoughtfully about the words and actions that will meet particular needs and support growth.
We all have the power to contribute positively to the lives of others. In what ways do you want to have a positive influence? What areas would you like to improve in to better support the people in your life or whom you serve?
I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share a comment or reach out if you’d like to connect, have questions, or are interested in partnering.
Healthy Messages™ helps professionals, leaders, and business owners in human services improve, craft, and implement communication within and across systems.
Learn more about Healthy Messages™ mission, vision, and outcomes.