Shifting Communication Gears

Had you been pushing for the adoption of a new idea which you and your team found important, and it seemed few were taking actions? The most that you got were lip services, very few follow-through actions. Yes, you got leadership nod all right, but it was more a pass to move forward than a “wind in your sails.”

You shared papers where everyone could find answers to their questions. Then, you learned that people’s attention span had been decreasing over the years. The average human attention span had declined to 12 seconds, and the average screen attention had dropped from 2.5 minutes two decades ago to 47 seconds. You also found out that adult reading comprehension had declined in recent decades. Thus, you fired off bite-sized, attention-grabbing, and simplified information, hoping to stir up curiosity at the very least and elicit action at best.

Soon, you realized nothing was working the way you wanted. You got feedback that It was too complicated to the average person. Remembering the quote attributed to Einstein “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself,” you started re-thinking your own idea if there were things that you were missing. As a result, you tried a different tack, but it seemed it did not make any difference. Consoling yourself, you joked with your colleagues that more adults would dismiss Einstein’s theory of relativity as complicated than six-year-olds.

The fact is people have different learning styles and capacities. And they have different preferences, too, that were shaped and rooted deep in their being through years of experiential poundings. Reason and logic are not powerful enough to unearth interest and let alone, actions overnight.

Cold facts do not necessarily inspire action. Mere sharing of information does not do it. Echoing a famous writer and poet, the world rests in reason and moves in passion. Other than the what, where, and the why, the how and whom the information are shared matter. And yes, before we can convince others , we must first be convinced of what we are preaching. Consistent and persistent action preaches louder than talk.

In the Innovation Adoption Lifecycle model, Early Adopters is about 13.5 per cent of target population, Early Majority 34 per cent, Late Majority 34 per cent, and Laggards 16 per cent. If the percentage of early adopters have not even come near 13.5 per cent after a period of time of information campaign, maybe it is time to shift from messaging for information to messaging for advocacy.

Messaging for information educates and clarifies whereas messaging for advocacy persuades and mobilizes actions. The former focuses on facts, data, and explanation whereas the latter focuses on issues and calls to action. The tone for messaging for information is objective and clear whereas the tone for the messaging for advocacy is persuasive and passionate.

If you decide to shift to messaging for advocacy, there are many available resources on how-to information and tips. A quick survey of available resources yields the following key takeaways:

Know your audience – their backgrounds, interests, and work – and adjust your language to their experiences

• Engage the heart in addition to the head by creating an appealing and emotional connection

• Be clear on what actions you want your audience to take

• Follow the golden rules of advocacy. A version of the Three Golden Rules: Be Polite, Prepared, and Persistent. Never give up. Keep trying.

The point: If we are not moving fast enough towards our destiny, maybe it is time to shift gear from messaging for information to messaging for advocacy. Oh yes, the terrain is important.