Sticky Communication

Have you ever spent a great deal of time formalizing and developing a great idea, concept or plan only to have it flop once you share it with others?! Many times we spend hours, days, or even years developing ideas or messages we know are important only to have them rejected by others and then eventually forgotten. How frustrating and disappointing! Although we spend loads of time developing the idea, this often occurs because we then spend simply a few minutes on how we will present it—failing to realize that conveying the message is just as critical as the actual message itself. There are times in our lives though when our message is so important and so crucial that it must stick. And this can only be done by compellingly presenting it so that it captures the attention and hearts of its intended audience. So, here are three “S’s” to help us present those important messages that need to stick!

#1 Simple

To some this may seem contradictory to a compelling message and to others it may be a no brainer but no matter what side of the fence you are currently on, research has proven that simple messages stick. Often when we are excited about something, we know a lot about it and thus we can talk about if for hours and hours but people don’t have that kind of time!! Thus, in order to present a sticky message we must be able to focus on the core elements and central points of the idea to have the greatest effect. Trimming out the fat and developing a message that is simple and concise will help it become memorable and understandable. Thus, keeping it simple is the first step.

#2 Stories

It’s true, people learn better and remember more when they hear stories. Thus, we must find ways to convey our message using simple, and powerful stories that illustrate the points we’d like to make. We should use stories to replace vague abstractions such as “this will result in outstanding customer satisfaction.” Rather than saying the abstraction, we can tell a story that proves it. We should also use stories to provoke emotion in our listeners. If we can successfully eliminate the abstract and stir the emotions of listeners, we are well on our way to presenting a sticky message.

#3 Shock

Finally, a message must have some element of shock or surprise if it is truly going to stick. People hear so many messages each day that they automatically tune out messages that are common. In order to get people to tune in and then remember, there must be some element of shock in what we are presenting. Think about what is uncommon or different about your message. What is it about your message that makes it so important and/or unheard of? Once you can successfully answer these questions, make sure it becomes an important part of the message you convey.

Next time you have something really important to present, an idea that must be remembered, take time to introduce it using the three “S’s” of simplicity, stories, and shock. By using these three elements when conveying messages, we will have much greater success in presenting ideas that stick!

Installing Love

I happened upon this little prose on AsAManThinketh.net and enjoyed it so I thought I would share it on my blog being that is the month of Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy!

"Tech Support: Yes, ... how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So LOVE is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. LOVE is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you."

Get Out of Your Rut!

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. “
Henry David Thoreau

Has your life become complacent? Are you stuck in the same routine day after day? Are you losing interest in life or struggling to find meaning? Studies have shown that 1/3 of employees in the workforce are unsatisfied, and one out of five Americans are depressed (Reuters Health, November 8, 2000). So what can we do to fight this “unhappy” epidemic? Below are some easy solutions.

#1 Take a Risk

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but have never done it? Now is the time to take the risk and live by faith instead of fear. Taking a risk will quickly diminish any boredom or lack of interest in life. In fact, taking a risk that you’ve always wanted to do will instantly provide exhilaration and excitement in life. Risk taking also increases happiness and satisfaction in life. So, don’t delay because life is too short!

#2 Set Good Goals

Do you have goals in your life that you are working towards each and every day? Setting goals provides motivation and purpose in life. If you have good goals you are consciously and consistently working on, your life will have meaning and your satisfaction for life will increase. Setting and working toward meaningful goals will help anyone overcome a slump.

#3 Have Vision

Look into your future and what do you see? What do you want to see? All of us have ups and downs in life; so just because life may be difficult now, this does not mean it has to be that way in the future. People who live with meaning and who are happy in life often have a vision of what they’d like their future to be like, and then they work toward making that vision a reality. Taking the time to plan and think “long-term” will provide enthusiasm for life that will eventually result in success.

#4 Help Others

Finally, one of the best ways to overcome a funk in life is to stop worrying about yourself and help others. Find opportunities to volunteer your time and talents for the good of others. As you help others, your appreciation for what you have will grow, and your satisfaction for life will greatly increase. So stop thinking of yourself and help others along the road.

Whenever we may be feeling down in life, following these four simple ideas will help get us out of a rut. Though dissatisfaction in life is a dangerous and growing epidemic, if we take risks, set good goals, have vision, and help others, our personal satisfaction for life will grow.

Following the "Road Rules" of Life

“We spend most of our lives devoted to activities that diminish our fuel and then wonder why our tank is empty.”
Andrew J. Sherman

Road Rules by Andrew J. Sherman uses the analogy of how simply driving on the road can teach us life’s most important lessons. Some of these lessons include sharing the road, being guided by our navigational system, and being an all weather driver. Many of the author’s points and analogies are right on, and they can help us in our daily lives. Today I’d like to share some of my favorite insights from the book.

One of the core concepts in the book is that we must “share the road” and drive with a “clear windshield.” In essence, these two analogies speak to the fact that true happiness in life comes when we focus on others. Speeding through life instead of slowing down to appreciate all of our blessings and refusing to share the best of ourselves with others usually leads to a fatal accident: an empty life. Thus, we must learn to share our thoughts, feelings, time, and talents with others before the journey ends.

Another lesson emphasized in the book is we should not fear the “back roads” of life--meaning we need to stretch ourselves, take risks, and learn from our mistakes. Living in fear and/or placing limitations on what we can accomplish in life simply hinders our happiness, fulfillment, and success. Thus, we must take some back roads every once in awhile during our life’s journey to fully enjoy the ride.

One of my favorite chapters in the book is chapter 9 entitled “Accidents Can Happen Even to the Best Drivers.” This chapter focuses on the fact that each of us will fail many times in our lives, but our attitude toward failure will largely impact the success we have in life. As the book states, “failure is merely an invitation to try again.” Thus, when we fail in life, do we give up, move on, or say we can’t? Or like Thomas Edison do we have the attitude that we’ve simply discovered a new way that won’t work, and thus we must try again and again?! According to the author, failure that results in a great learning experience is really not failure at all. We must maintain a positive attitude especially when facing bumps along the road.

One of the most clever and funny analogies the author uses is suggesting that each of us wears a bumper sticker that reads “How am I treating you? Call 1-800-___-____", much like the bumper stickers on the back of many vehicles we see on the road. The author suggests we need to reflect often on how we are treating others and seek feedback from others to hold ourselves accountable and make ourselves better. Such a sticker could be used to warn each other we’ve gone off track and continuing down the same path may lead to danger.

Overall, the lessons discussed in Andrew J. Sherman’s Road Rules will benefit our many travels along life’s roads, and will eventually lead us safely to our final destination.

See how I ranked this book