The Second Law of Performance: How a Situation Appears Arises in language

How situations appear is tied to language, including written and spoken as well a body language. Understanding the complexities of language begins with knowing that whenever somebody says something, other non-verbal communication is carried along with it.  This is a phenomenon known as the unsaid and communicated but without awareness.

Someone who is hiding something will often appear evasive or distant.  The unsaid is the most important part of communication when it comes to elevating performance. Think of coworkers who are all hiding things from each other, and consider how this will impact the performance of the group.


The unsaid includes but is not limited to assumptions, expectations, interpretations, and resentments. Walk into a company, and you will read what the people are not saying but communicating.  Messages like “I’m bored”, or “my work is more important than yours".  This communication comes in the form of tones, gestures, and eye contact. If you pay close attention to this type of communication, you’ll realize it's everywhere. It springs from the essence of who people are, and comes through at every encounter. There is so much of it, we normally tune it out.

The first step is making the unsaid, said, which creates space for new ideas and a new future.  Bringing the unsaid out into the open often allows people to realize that their complaints are interpretations of facts, but they are not the facts themselves. These internally voiced complaints lead to a set way of behaving.  Breaking this cycle can have dramatic impact on performance.

Leadership Corollary 2: Leaders master the conversational environment.

Adapted from Zaffron, Steve abd Dave Logan. The Three Laws of Performance, Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009.