On shared definitions (plus a reminder about “healthy food”)

Years ago, a funder and I were having a disagreement about the presence of a specific food in a design project.

She thought it was “unhealthy” and that it didn’t align with her company’s values around health. I asked if she could share the organization’s definition of so-called “healthy food”.

Her answer? “You know healthy food when you see it.”

Oooh ya’ll, there’s some stuff to unpack here.

First, I want to unequivocally state that when it comes to the concept of “healthy food”, context matters. There is no single definition.

But there was another major issue here, which was the assumption that we already shared the same definition. That we would both “know it when we see it”.

Because we explicitly opened up the conversation, we were able to address this assumption. And during what was a difficult conversation—power dynamics were very much at play in a conversation around equity—we clarified that we had very different perspectives on the term “healthy food”.

While our differing definitions were a challenge as far as our partnership went, the conversation was an important one. We were able to name the lack of alignment, so we knew what we were working with. We could make informed decisions moving forward.

The takeaway?

Always discuss definitions. Don’t assume that everyone you’re partnering with defines words and terms the same way you do. Unknowingly moving forward with a lack of alignment can be messy, to say the least.

When you can arrive at shared definitions, fantastic. This will allow you to move forward with strong communication and clarity.

And when you can’t get on the same page? That’s good to know, as well. Then you can decide how you want to move forward, if at all.

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