Message of the Day - Forced Prioritization

Good Morning,

 

My current read is Chip and Dan Heath’s book ‘Made To Stick’ (http://www.madetostick.com/blog/). The book covers how to make ideas last. It does this by comparing ideas that fail with those that have been around for eons and seeing what the difference between the two is.

 

The first section of the book is called ‘Simple’. This does not mean ‘dumbed down’, rather it means a very easy to understand and simplistic message. That is, short and meaningful and to the point. That is where the concept of forced prioritization comes up.

 

Forced prioritization is understanding that you have little time or a small space to get a message out so you need to make sure that what you send out is the most important information first. To make the most of your message, you package the core elements of your message in the first line or first paragraph of your message. This is used often by journalists and newscasters who know that they may not be able to get their full message out, or their audience may not wade through the entire message to get to the most meaningful part.

 

This is counterintuitive for the camp which likes to build up the message and after sufficient building, gives out the most important message. Some folks just don’t have time to wait for the ‘punchline’. If that is your audience, like your boss, or peers, then you have to find ways to shrink down your message to the basic most key part.

 

Here is a practical way of setting up your message: put what you want to say in a PowerPoint Slide with large font. If it can be read easily, you are fine. If you start getting lost in the words because there are over 100, then its time to trim it down.

 

Less is more with forced prioritization, but do not lose the central point of your message, and don’t bury it somewhere where the reader or listen has to search for it. Often it will not be found.

 

I look forward to other great tips from Made to Stick!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!