Walking the Talk

As I bring to mind some of the expressions that TV talking heads employed as buzz phrases in the months prior to the 2008 national, gubernatorial, and local elections, there is a pair that stands out as meaningless. I think that not even the highly-paid commentators who seeded their sentences with them knew what they were talking about. The first phrase they used is, “talking the talk;” the second is “walking the walk.”

If you think carefully about what that signifies, the answer is nothing. Really! Nothing! Both phrases are a watering down by the TV media of business expressions appropriated by journalists who either did not check real-world usage, or who became tongue-tied in attempting to employ the correct terminology, and just gave up.

The genesis of the two terms is the business world, and they are often used in tandem. For example, managers and executives who are in love with the sound of their voices, but who don’t get things done, often earn a reputation for “talking the walk.” Lots of sound; no action.

On the other hand, an accomplished manager or executive who knows how to “walk the talk,” is one who has not only well articulated what has to be done, but who has laid out a clear path, a plan for execution and – just as important – rolls up his or her sleeves and gets the job done along with the team.

The next time that you hear or see a vapid empty suit (or dress) on TV being critical of someone by misusing these business expressions, you can take that as a sure sign that it is the commentator who does not know how to “walk the talk.”