What’s your message as a
leader? What is it you are trying to say
to your colleagues, your co-workers, your employees? Is your message clear – or is it just
louder? Have you noticed that when the
TV program breaks for a commercial, the volume gets LOUDER? Does this get your attention in a good way –
or do you, as I do, reach quickly for the “mute” button?
One wonders how effective
these commercials really are. Maybe they
do work for some – a recently deceased TV pitchman made a good living being
loud and in-your-face -- but I, for one, turn these commercials off and tune
them out as quickly as possible. The
same goes for sports announcers who seem to be paid by the word. Too Much Information!
During high school years,
I worked for a time as a grocery bagger.
When we weren’t busy at the check-out counters, the store manager would
ask us to do something else, such as re-stock shelves. But his instructions were always
garbled. We used to call him “Mumbles”
behind his back. He would say, “Charlie,
would you go over there and mmmph, mmmph, mmmph?” Well, I did what I thought he said, only to
have him ask me again, only louder, “Charlie, would you please mmmph,
mmmph, mmmph?” His message was
LOUDER, but it sure wasn’t any clearer.
Email marketing, even
though much of it is silent, seems to follow the “louder-over-clearer” path by
adding length to the pitch. The
marketing messages go on and on and on ...
It isn’t enough to present your message clearly, you have to have a
dozen testimonials, at least one or two “but-wait-there’s-more” type of
pitches, LARGER TYPE HEADLINES (the print version of LOUDER), and a “Special
Offer” box or two. What’s the
message? I don’t know – I got lost in all
the verbiage.
More isn’t better. How clear is your message? Do people want to hear or read more from you,
or do you notice their eyes glazing over?
An old piece of advice is still worth considering: People tend to avoid what they’re hit with. Avoid all the hype. Communicate your leadership message clearly and
briefly.
Coaching Moments:
1. What is the most important point you want to make in your communication?
3.
What did you
learn from that example that you could use now?
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