During our Executive meeting last week, one of our senior executives starting talking about one of the new summary sheets for an important strategic initiative.
He started by talking about the individual cells and what they stood for on the sheet. Everyone's attention was immediately gone from the conversation and drifted toward their computers or their other to dos.
When we were reviewing results for a given division, we tend to restate the specific numbers for the month.
When we discussed our revenue pipeline, we start by talking about individual deals that may be coming in...
When talking to our children about what they could or should be doing...
SO OFTEN, when we communicate we start SMALL... and every time, there is a voice in my head that yells...
GO BIG FIRST!
Speak to the biggest VALUE, the biggest CONSEQUENCE, the biggest IMPACT FIRST!!!
When talking about a spreadsheet, no one cares about the individual cell, if they don't care about the spreadsheet. And, they don't care about the spreadsheet, if they don't understand why it's important... why IT MATTERS.
On that spreadsheet, the conversation would have started completely different, if the first sentence would have been... "This strategic initiative was at risk of coming to an end two months ago, had we not been able to convey to the client that we were on top of every detail of the program. This spreadsheet captures every detail of every project of the program and has restored the client's confidence. And, is being used daily to manage the program.
When we talk about the divisional results, people say they care about the numbers... but the numbers are not what matters... the numbers are the RESULT, the BY-PRODUCT of what has happened. What "has happened" only matters if it leads to actions that we can take going forward that can affect future results.
When we talk to the numbers, that are the results of what has happened... it is a long road back... numbers, what happened, what does that mean, how do we affect that going forward, what do we do now?
Imagine the opposite communication flow...
HERE is what we need to do going forward! Why? Because here is what has been happening. How do I know? We saw it in the numbers...
I don't care what the numbers where, if we don't understand WHY the numbers where, and then it doesn't do much good to me to understand WHY the numbers were what they were, if I am not able to create deliberate ACTION going forward that will create a different and better tomorrow.
So often, in so many businesses, we start talking specific details... as a sign that we are in control of our business. But, understanding the numbers is the very first step in a long list of steps, and when communicating - go BIG first.
When we discuss our revenue pipeline... the question we are really asking is "What do we need to do now to have the highest probability of delivering this year's revenue goals?"
So, when talking pipeline talking about a specific deal, tells me nothing. It is good that we have an interesting deal in the pipeline, but START BIG.
Instead of starting with a single deal from Client A...
Start with... "We are at a 90% confidence level of hitting this year's revenue goal. In order to increase our confidence, we need to find at least one more large program which is most likely to come in the X market. We have two clients in that market that we are pursuing. We are seeing momentum in that space, and have two deals that we think will close with clients A and B."
When talking to our children... we can push them on the details... and sometimes we have to... but the little details are received VERY differently, if we can engage them in why the details matter.
Do your homework... because good grades matter... because you will have more choices... to go to more / different colleges ... to find and do something that will help you live a fun, interesting and meaningful life.
Now, I get that you can't start every night's homework requests with "What do you want to do with your life? What do you love? Where do you want to go to college?"
I haven't lost my mind.
But, how often do we engage our kids in the BIGGER conversation? How often do we remind them of the consequences and sequencing of their actions?
And, we have to find the right pace and proding to poke them along the path and not drag them kicking and screaming.
In politics, so many people are finding small single reasons to support a candidate, and failing to understand the BIG impact and consequence of selecting a candidate.
Life is FULL of small details...
When we start in the small detail, the journey to what matters can be overwhelming. We are all distracted by the details of our lives, and if someone starts a conversation with another detail, we instinctively drift our attention.
So often, when we start with small details, we argue small details... we spend our time trying to understand and resolve small details, and in SO MANY meetings the BIG MEANINGFUL, IMPACTFUL conversation never gets any airtime!
BIG is more interesting.
BIG is more impactful.
BIG is more engaging.
BIG is more fun....
If you want to make a BIG difference, you need to become a voice for BIG topics.
Don't start by sharing DATA, if you can start by sharing INFORMATION,
and
don't start by sharing INFORMATION, if you can start by sharing meaningful CONCLUSIONS,
and don't start by sharing meaningful CONCLUSIONS, if you can start by sharing meaningful actions...
And, don't start with actions, if you can start with benefits!
At Procter & Gamble, they spent a ton of time on this topic. I thought it was amazing how much energy they spent focused and training on the "ONE page memo".
The one page memo started with a single sentence that spoke specifically to what ACTION was being requested in order to achieve some objective.
Then you provided the key high level rationale for that action and possibly reinforced the objective.
Then you provided the information that supported the rationale that supported the action.
Then you spoke to, or attached the data as an appendix in case anyone really wanted to dig in that far.
It was so "backwards" to the way human nature wants us to communicate... start to make your case, build your case, then state your CONCLUSION... why it all mattered!
That works well in suspenseful thrillers in the movies, but not in business, and not in communication in life...
START with the CONCLUSION.
When you start with data, people question the data in their own mind... each step of the way.
By the time you get to your conclusion, you have disagreed on various of the points that you are trying to use to support your conclusion. The foundation has been weakened, and people are exhausted from the exercise.
When you START with the conclusion, many may agree immediately, and the rest of the conversation is either unnecessary, or needed to create additional alignment. In these cases, you can spend time actually talking about how to make the BIG idea work... how to IMPLEMENT it... how to do it faster or better. You may not need to dig down more than one level.
And, even if there is disagreement, that requires you to start your path down your rationale, down to the information... at least the discussion is on the BIG topic that merits consideration and resolution, and not on one of the many supporting data points that may or may not matter.
TIME is our most precious asset...
PRIORITIZATION is our most challenging exercise...
If you are spending the majority of your time with the BIG priorities on the table, you are ten steps ahead of the game...
Nothing is easy... and as a leader, as a parent, as a professional it is your responsibility to raise your game...
You can do it...
by GOING BIG FIRST... EVERY TIME!
BIG on harmony,
Nestor