Consider the differences:
- Downsizing vs Rightsizing
- A declining sales trend vs An unexpected sales trend
- How much you can spend vs How much you want to invest?
In many situations, both words speak to a truth. But which one is closer to the truth?
I always aim for the word that most accurately represents the situation. Any other choice feels like an attempt to cover up the facts.
For instance, when describing staff cuts, downsizing is the most honest term. On the other hand, rightsizing sounds politically correct, but your staff are not convinced because what they are experiencing is loss.
When a shop owner reads a report of her shop, seeing the phrase an 'unexpected sales trend' while knowing her sales have dramatically dropped compared to last year, she'll likely think the report's writer is trying to deceive her.
Truth builds trust. Trickery words, in the end, undermine it.