Relatively little attention has been paid to questions of how language acts in and through the interactions of language in situations where people are encouraged to learn to be active in contexts of work. This paper argues that detailed analysis is needed to understand how activation through language acts in the shaping and governing of workers. By combining resources from Michel Foucault and the conversation analysis of Jonathan Potter, we analyse observational notes and records of conversation from work activities at a nursing home for elderly people in Sweden. A technique and tactics of invitation are identified as operating through language interactions at work in attempts at the shaping of activate and responsibilise workers. This analysis contributes to wider discussions over how attempts are made to shape subjectivities at work.