Zoom or Skype and they ’ re relevant to one person and many as well .
The relationship between the four elements
Message and objective don ’ t always have to align . For example , an executive might request £ 1 million to spend on R & D from the board and the objective is exactly that . But another executive might have the same message and an entirely different objective - perhaps , for the board to see them as the next board member . An objective like this would change the way the message is put together .
Any communication could be driven by any one of the four elements . You might think : ‘ Surely the objective is the main driver ?’ And , most often , it is . But not always .
If your company was in trouble and you were asked to speak to the press , message would be the most important thing . What if your business had an industrial relations problem and you had to negotiate with the union ? The ‘ them ’ would be most important . Everything would be driven by what they ’ d respond to . And if you had to deliver a difficult message and still needed the group to like you ? The ‘ you ’ would be the imperative .
You need to weigh up these principles and then put what ’ s important right at the top .
The ‘ why ’ isn ’ t as important as the ‘ what ’
Thinking about ‘ them ’ requires particular attention , because it ’ s hard to get to the crux of what makes people tick . On the Leading Change programme we run an exercise in delivering difficult communications . Two groups ( A and B ) are given a difficult message . For example : “ We ’ re moving our headquarters from London to Dubrovnik .” Group A gives the message , group B receives it . We ask each group : “ What are six things you need to say or hear ?”
We find the results are always the same . The Bs ( receivers ) always finish first , in half the time . They also use simple , Anglo-Saxon language . In contrast , the givers use complex , Latinate language , with many sub-clauses in a sentence . They also tend to use longer words . Their points are more official , and the language more passive than active . Bs make few changes to their six points , while As ’ scribbles and corrections run onto a second sheet of paper .
Time and time again , we find that the messages don ’ t match up . People receiving the news don ’ t want a rationale . Those delivering the news focus too much on justifying the ‘ why ’. The receivers want to know what ’ s in it for them , when the change is happening and how the people in charge will help them work through it . The more time spent justifying the communication - “ London is too expensive ” or “ Dubrovnik is the source of our target market ” - the more the Bs tune out .
Another mistake is to presume how people feel . The Bs don ’ t want to hear that the As “ know how difficult it is ” for them or how they “ must be feeling ”. They don ’ t want to be second-guessed . Also , when people receive a difficult message and it addresses the ‘ what ’, they tend to accept it .
“ You don ’ t buy a car ; you buy a fast car ”
One of our Team was a theatre director for 13 years , so while a script is fixed , he knew that authority comes from the delivery . All it takes for the tone and meaning to change is the careful selection of particular word types . If you stress nouns , you can seem academic , fact-driven , solid . Doctors and accountants tend to use nouns , as they focus on the ‘ what ’. Verbs are the ‘ how ’. People who inflect verbs can be seen as action-orientated and energetic - prevalent word types in the retail and FMCG industry . Adjectives give colour and definition : they ’ re the ‘ why ’.
People buy adjectives , not nouns . We buy fast cars , sexy cars , hybrid cars . We don ’ t buy any old car . That ’ s why car salespeople , advertising executives and actors stress these words .
What happens if you prefer nouns over verbs or adjectives over nouns , and you ’ re asked to switch up your use of language ? It can change the delivery of your communication , and also your attitude . But it takes time to test .
As well as the types of words you choose to stress , idiosyncrasies can be powerful . Get rid of generic words : authentic leaders speak from the heart . If you only have one sentence to say something , could you make it count more by replacing “ nice ” with “ phenomenal ” and “ lots ” with “ oodles ”? Think about the words that tell a story about you and use those .
Of the 24 most common emotion words in English , only six are positive , write Dan and Chip Heath in their book Switch . Negative emotions come more easily . If you ’ re communicating about a change , keep these odds front of mind . You will have to work to capture their hearts and minds . By reordering the four communication elements , stressing the right word types and playing with language , you have the tools to set the tone . Sticking to the script is for actors . Want my advice ? Get power talking .
Dr . Clifford J . Ferguson is the Managing Partner of Rainmakers , and Board Member of Glad ’ s House Kenya . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at : Drcliffordjferguson @ me . com