This week I got a rare treat when friend and client David Rolston came over and spent some time in my backyard. Dave is an acclaimed landscape architect whose work is regularly featured in magazines and TV. Watching him work and listening to him discuss his process I was reminded again and again of Christopher Alexander’s description of “pattern languages” in his book A Timeless Way of Building.
Pattern languages, as Alexander describes them, are the languages used by a given skill set or discipline to allow people not just to communicate but to conceptualize effectively. Yesterday I learned about creating a “terminus” for a path, the idea of borrowing the idea of asymmetry from nature to position plants, and creating various types of features and effects to design the overall landscape. While learning what Dave was sharing, I was reminded of my musician days. Back then, when a teacher explained a new technique, I often had the sensation of a light going off in my head or a door opening: simple concepts often provide huge leaps in ability and results.
In particular I remember once picking the brain of one of my favorite drummers and musicians,
Brannen Temple. Listening to Brannen talk about where he “sat in the pocket” and evoking different feelings in the music was mind opening. It allowed me to listen to and play music with new insights.
This idea was also reinforced in my meeting this week with cause marketing expert Brian Powell of the Good Concepts Blog. As Brian explained to me the history and concepts involved in “cause marketing”, I found my thoughts focusing and new ideas emerging. What at first seemed to me to be jargon turned out to be words that helped focus thoughts and produce effective ideas – a pattern language.
Rewind further to my enjoyable lunch meeting with syndicated AP writer and author Jaime Aron. I wanted to grill Jaime a little bit about writing to find ways to improve. Again, I found myself listening to words and ideas that helped me focus my thoughts and generated new ideas. In this case, the words were a little more familiar since some of the ideas were introduced in my school days. Never the less, it is another example of language shaping thought and allowing people to efficiently discuss “how to” achieve a given goal.
In an example from the world of management consulting, spoke during the week Jim and Lisa from
Thought Ensemble, a company that consults on IT strategy. Again, a specific language used – this time to discuss how strategy consulting engagements are structured.
I have been fortunate to study Tae Kwon Do under a world kickboxing champion and 9th degree Grand Master Abel Villareal. Again, in these studies, language is a powerful tool for learning and developing skills.
In all cases, language can help think, express and manifest ideas.
All of the above raises an interesting question for me: where is the line between pattern language and jargon? My intuition is that a pattern language focuses, improves communication and improves results. In contrast, jargon confuses or limits things.
