How We Name Things

And how those labels affect our decisions and impact outcomes 

One of the things we humans do remarkably well is simplify the world around us. Reality is complex, nuanced, and constantly shifting. But in order to function day-to-day, we compress that complexity into something more manageable.

One of the primary ways we do this is through labels.

We label everything: people, roles, behaviours, patterns, situations etc, all in order to understand them quickly. We also label ourselves so that others can understand us. Without this natural tendency, everyday life would be exhausting. Every interaction would require fresh analysis. Every situation would feel unfamiliar. Labels give us a shared language, a shorthand that allows us to navigate an otherwise overwhelming level of detail.  They help us decide how to respond, how to behave, and what to expect.

It’s easy to assume labels are purely descriptive and practical. But there is something deeper, and far more pervasive about them ….

We like labels

We use labels constantly. Often without noticing.  In everyday life, in organisations, and in society and cultures, labels:

• Make us legible to others:  Engineer, HR, finance, operator, manager
• Create belonging:  Generations (Gen X, Gen Y etc), Personality types (DiSC, MBTI), professions, team we support
• Place us in society:  Working class, female or male, elder
• Provide permission:  I'm a type ....., and so I .....; that's just how I am
• Describe observable behaviours or appearances: Quiet, confident, intense, difficult (not necessarily inner reality)

Labels are everywhere - they permeate our thoughts and our language.   And there is good reason; they help us quickly understand each other. However, they also influence our behaviour depending on what labels we accept or are given.

Each label acts as a mini 'mental model'.  Think of an engineer - what comes to mind? - what assumptions do you immediately make about them - their interests, bahaviours, or their personality (if you're an engineer reading this, think of an accountant)?  

Our brains are constantly trying to reduce the effort associated with thought (and so the amount of energy consumed by thinking) - and that means whenever possible consigning things to the very fast and very efficient 'subconscious' part of our cognition.   And so we simplify the complex real world using mental shortcuts (heuristics), and labels are one of the most efficient shortcuts we have.   

Humans, are very uncomfortable with uncertainty or ambiguity.  We prefer a quick, stable answer - even if imperfect - to give us a sense that we understand the world around us, and that we are standing on solid ground.  Labels help us make sense of a world that is, in reality, far more complex than we can comfortably hold in our heads. They are a way of compressing something complex into something we can grasp quickly and share easily.  

People don't just use labels for others, they accept them for themselves - they become part of their identity.    And in many cases, people seek labels as a way to reduce internal tension or uncertainty, to provide explanation or legitimacy:

'Why do I struggle with focus?' - a neurodiversity label'Why do I feel different?' -  personality type label'Why do I react like this?' -  attachment style label

A label can provide comfort; it can make the uncertain feel more understandable.

When labels start to shape reality

We can see that labels are very useful. Without some form of shorthand, everything would take longer. Every interaction would require us to start from first principles. Labels give us a starting point, a way to orient ourselves.  But that’s all they should be.  A starting point.

There is a simple (ish) mechanism at play here - a closed self-reinforcing loop that could work either positively or negatively:

• Labels become expectations.    In a new situation, we often start with a label - one provided to us, or one we infer ourselves based on initial observation or interaction.  These labels are part of a shared language and so accelerate understanding, reduce communication friction, and so allow us to get on with what we need to do.  The simplification has side effects. It makes people easier to understand, but also easier to overlook.  And perhaps most importantly, it narrows what feels possible.  
• Expectations change behaviour.  Our behaviour changes and so does the person's that we have labeled.  What may have started as an observation - perhaps even a fair one in a particular moment - begins to harden into something more permanent, and over time we stop looking beyond it as it turns into a fixed identity (Freeze-frame Effect). We tend to notice behaviours that confirm our initial assessment / label, and ignore those that contradict it (Confirmation Bias).  And people adapt to the expectations; if you tell someone often enough that they're not 'creative' [or insert your own adjective], they may just stop trying (Behavioural Conformity).
• Behaviour changes outcomes.   If we have positive and higher expectations of people, they tend to respond positively and so perform better - leading to better outcomes.  Conversely, if we believe our own negative label of someone (he's prickly to work with), that will come across in our interaction with that person, the negativity will feel threatening, which will impact their performance.
• Outcomes reinforce expectations.   The outcomes we observe will validate our original labeling - and the loop is reinforced.  This loop could work either positively (known as the Pygmalion effect) or negatively (known as the Golem effect).

And So ....

Labels can provide clarity, context, even a sense of validation.  But they can also become a place to stop by providing a neat explanation that removes the need to look any further.

The point is not to stop labelling - that would be unrealistic, and probably unhelpful - but to recognise what a label actually is: a simplification, a snapshot, or a starting point.   

                       It is most definitely NOT a box to put yourself - or anyone else - into

As leaders, this matters.  Every time we describe a person, a team, or a situation, we are doing more than sharing an observation. We are framing how others will see it. How they will approach it. What they will expect from it.  And those expectations have a habit of sticking, and can be surprisingly difficult to shift. 

So it’s worth pausing, occasionally, to ask:

• What labels exist in our organisation that everyone 'just knows'?
• Which ones are helpful, and which ones might be limiting?
• Which do we apply too quickly?
• Which labels have outlived their usefulness?
• Where might we be mistaking a shorthand for the full picture?
• Who might currently be 'boxed in' (including ourselves) by a label?
• What opportunities can we give people to 'surprise' us - to go beyond their label?

Final Thought ...

Labels are incredibly useful tools or mental models. And like all *models, they are not always right, although some are useful.  And certainly, they are not absolute truths.

Ad Futurum

Graham 

*    'All models are wrong, but some are useful'   George Box (statistician) - 1976