The Power of Repetition

A recent conversation I was involved in went something like this:

"How many times to I really have to tell them why?" said the leader.  "They are highly paid business people, shouldn't I just be able to tell them once and be done with it?  Seriously, do I really have to tell them again?" 

"Yes."

"But, for how long?"

"As long as it takes."

"Really?"

"Yes.  No joking."

"Are you sure."

"Pretty much."

Why is it that 2+2 does not always equal 4?  How much does the fact that humans are involved factor into the equation?  Significantly, in fact, especially when we find ourselves in uncertain times, times of change and evolution and times of great opportunity.  Many of us miss the true essence of leadership, the responsibility to be the "sensemaker" for those whom we lead.   (Anderson, 1971)  It is providing the why behind the why behind the why, then providing the why again.  It requires creating meaning from data and establishing a clear direction, oh yeah, then telling them why again. 

Intellectually, most leaders know this, but actually carrying out the communication strategy is extremely challenging.  Hence the frustration laced throughout the conversation above.  It is the old knowing/doing gap, isn't it.  I know what I should do, but darn it, doing it is really hard.  Or, in my core, I do not really want to do it to the level that I need to, it doesn't really jazz me. 

How can embracing technological advancements assist in "doing" it?  If we, as leaders, resist the temptation to lead via email and really create a communication strategy, the impact can be great.  We have to realize that communication does not always have to be one on one or via email.  Also, just because we wrote it, does not mean they understand it.  When left to our own interpretation, it is human nature to interpret what is written or said to my advantage.  So repetition and clarity are key.  It is time to put some thought into different ways to augment email communication.  Try to engage as many senses as we can through different mediums of communication.  Think about the frequency of the message and the fact that we have to hear something 7-14 times before we learn it.  The fact is podcasts, flip video, texting, social media, phone calls (not a type) and conversations offer great opportunities for leaders to engage with their teams and continue to build common understanding.

It's time to begin to use what is available to us!    What if you came in tomorrow and had a recorded message in your inbox from your boss, just wondering how it was going and don't forget what we talked about in the meeting last week.  How likely would you be to try to actually remember what that was?  Bottom line, varying your communication mediums works and with the daily noise we all face, it's critical to figure out what you are going to do.  Why is that, let me direct your attention to the first line . . .