InvestSMART

Drive to thrive

If you're reading this having set out with me on the Benign to Five journey right back at the starting point - the very first column - thank you. You'll no doubt remember that I long ago compared modern journeys to the wonderful (although admittedly futile) adventures that took place in the 1970s Japanese TV series, Monkey, and I think of you, Dear Reader, as my loyal, lascivious and temperamental Pigsy.
By · 19 Oct 2013
By ·
19 Oct 2013
comments Comments
If you're reading this having set out with me on the Benign to Five journey right back at the starting point - the very first column - thank you. You'll no doubt remember that I long ago compared modern journeys to the wonderful (although admittedly futile) adventures that took place in the 1970s Japanese TV series, Monkey, and I think of you, Dear Reader, as my loyal, lascivious and temperamental Pigsy.

You'll no doubt also remember that I have already removed obstacles on your path to better in-office communication by revealing to you the most useful words in the English language. In the category of Most Outstanding Noun, the incomparable "learnings". In the category of Most Outstanding Adjective, the unimpeachable "strategic". And now for the blue riband Most Outstanding Verb.

By far the best verb in the English language today is "drive".

Where only a few short years ago you could drive a car, a truck, a train, and that was about it, in 2013 you can put drive in front of nearly any noun and no colleague worth their corporate salt will bat an eyelid. That makes it a valuable linguistic commodity.

You can drive value to shareholders, drive visitors to your website, drive inputs, outputs and throughputs. You can drive impact, engagement, progress, change, investment and value. You can drive happiness, spaghetti, molluscs, existential angst and post-apocalyptic cassowaries.

Think I'm being silly with those last few? Well, go on, Pigsy, test my theory yourself. At work on Monday, match drive with the most unlikely noun you can think of and see if anyone pulls you up.
Google News
Follow us on Google News
Go to Google News, then click "Follow" button to add us.
Share this article and show your support
Free Membership
Free Membership
InvestSMART
InvestSMART
Keep on reading more articles from InvestSMART. See more articles
Join the conversation
Join the conversation...
There are comments posted so far. Join the conversation, please login or Sign up.

Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…

The verb 'drive' has become a valuable linguistic commodity in modern business language because it can be paired with almost any noun to convey action and progress. It's used to express driving value to shareholders, driving website visitors, and even driving change and investment.

The use of the word 'drive' has evolved from being associated with operating vehicles like cars and trucks to being used in a wide range of contexts in business, such as driving value, engagement, and progress.

'Drive' is considered the best verb in the English language today because of its versatility and ability to be used in various contexts to convey action and influence, making it a powerful tool in corporate communication.

Yes, 'drive' can be used with almost any noun in a business context, from driving value and investment to more unconventional pairings like driving happiness or existential angst, showcasing its flexibility.

Using 'drive' in communication can benefit a business by clearly conveying a sense of action and purpose, helping to motivate teams, align goals, and demonstrate a proactive approach to achieving objectives.

Some examples of nouns that can be paired with 'drive' include value, engagement, progress, change, investment, happiness, and even more whimsical choices like spaghetti or molluscs.

'Drive' is a valuable linguistic commodity in corporate settings because it encapsulates the essence of action and momentum, which are crucial for achieving business goals and fostering a dynamic work environment.

Everyday investors can benefit from understanding the use of 'drive' in business language as it helps them interpret corporate communications more effectively, allowing them to make informed decisions based on a company's strategic actions and goals.