Message_Gap

I’ve been thinking about hats. I’m not one of those “hat-genic” people whose looks improve instantly with a topper.  No, I’m thinking about the figurative hats I wear as I go about my daily business.   Thinker, planner, connector, writer, coach, manager.  The roles seem to multiply with every new customer relationship.

Early in my consulting career I became a fan of Edward deBono and his six thinking hats.  It made sense, I thought, that we should shape our decisions from multiple perspectives.  And it seemed only smart to switch seats and doff someone else’s hat to encourage our brains to see the world through their eyes.

De Bono’s theory holds that a decision-making process will be made stronger when formed by the perspectives of an entire team. The hitch is team members must take turns wearing each of six hats:

1.    The White Hat is straight-forward.  It calls for information known or needed.
2.    The Red Hat is more emotional.  It signifies feelings, hunches and intuition.
3.    The Black Hat is stands firm in judgment.  It’s the devil’s advocate, always eager to note why something may not work.
4.    The Yellow Hat is cheerful, beaming with optimism.
5.    The Green Hat thrives on possibilities.  It’s the creative one, ready to explore new ideas.
6.    The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process.

Thankfully, Mr. DeBono understood that most of us want to wear all six hats.  We are in shades both optimistic and judgmental.  We can be both creative, yet accountable.  Simply by switching hats we can quickly change how we’re perceived.   Our contributions become richer and perhaps more accessible to a wider range of people.

brown for adventure!

Lately I’ve become enamored with the idea of wearing a hat when I write — something to inspire the adventurer in me.  My choice is a plaid hat with fake fur flaps the same color as my hair, causing most passersby to think my hair has been whacked off and subjected to electric shock.  It’s an odd take on a lumberjack theme with a touch of hip.  And when I’m wearing my fuzzy plaid hat I reminisce about the idyllic island where it was purchased.

I think Mr. DeBono would smile at the potential — a Brown Hat for Adventure.  Who knew?

This whole business of sending the right message just doesn’t go away. Connecting with the right customer, standing out from competitors – it’s an ongoing process.  No wonder, then, that my bookshelves are full of titles as stimulating as “Management Communication,” and “Communicating Change.” Honestly, one of my all time faves is “Getting your Point across in 30 seconds or less.” Written in 1990, that title could be changed to “10 seconds or less” and probably sell even more copies in our time-starved media environment.

A whole host of processes that most of us would rather ignore lies at the root of getting the message right.  Things like market analysis, customer research, branding, sales tracking. Throwing words on paper is easy. Figuring out a way to capture the right words, not so easy.

Getting to the end-game – the right message – is as much a function of organizational process as it is organizational product. Dave Miller, big thinker at Stoke Strategy, notes:

“How you decide how to decide needs to be as carefully managed as the words and mediums chosen.”

Paying attention to what’s going on within an organization is a worthy step before diving into the making of the message.  Teamwork, systems flow, communication tools that work. The best message won’t survive beyond your walls if your internal structure is dysfunctional. Skip that step, and frustration results.  Not exactly the best way to get your story to employees, customers and beyond.