Words That Change Minds is based on the LAB (Language and Behaviour) Profile, a system for identifying how individuals are motivated and how they process information. Shelle Rose Charvet, who trained under the system’s developer, presents 14 patterns that describe how people differ in their approach to work, decision-making, and communication. Each pattern has two or more options, and once you identify where someone falls on each pattern, you can adapt your language to match their processing style.
Some of the patterns are familiar. Proactive people want to act immediately; reactive people prefer to analyze first. Internal people trust their own judgment; external people need outside validation. Toward people are motivated by goals; away-from people are motivated by avoiding problems. Other patterns are more specific: sameness people prefer stability and consistency; difference people need change and novelty. Options people want to consider alternatives; procedures people want step-by-step instructions.
The practical application is in communication. Once you identify someone’s patterns (through specific questions Charvet teaches you to ask), you can frame your message in language that matches how they think. Telling an “away from” person about all the benefits of your product won’t motivate them. Telling them about the risks of not using it will. Giving an “options” person a rigid process will frustrate them. Giving a “procedures” person too many choices will paralyze them.
For founders, the patterns are useful in sales conversations, hiring interviews, and team management. Different people need to hear the same message in different ways, and the LAB Profile gives you a systematic method for figuring out which framing will work for which person. The interview questions Charvet provides for identifying patterns are especially useful in hiring: they help you understand how a candidate will actually work, not just what they say in an interview.
The writing is clear and the book is organized as a reference. Each pattern gets its own chapter with explanation, examples, and specific language suggestions. Some readers find the system overly mechanical, since real people don’t always fit neatly into categories. But as a tool for becoming more deliberate about how you communicate with different people, it adds a useful layer of awareness.
