Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader

How Often Should I Communicate?

Many times, people are reluctant to engage in communication because they feel their message has already been delivered and they fear being redundant. I read somewhere that you have to say something at least seven times before a person internalizes your message. While I don't know what the exact number is, I do know this—you can never overcommunicate (of course, my family may not agree with this statement!). What may seem obvious to you might not be to the other person. Many times, we are too close to the issue to be objective enough to determine how effectively people have digested an idea. You must constantly reinforce your message if you hope other people will begin to internalize it.

Recall from Chapter 3 that perception is reality. I have tried to instill this concept in my team to help them understand how a person's perception of “the facts” is far more important than the actual facts themselves! I once started to have a conversation with a member of my team about a situation when, halfway through my thought, she exclaimed, “I know, I know—perception is reality!” You might think I would be annoyed by this reaction. Truth be told, I was ecstatic! I had clearly gotten this message through to this individual to the point where it was top of mind when dealing with certain situations. I use a litmus test with people to determine how effectively they think their messages have registered with their audience. I'll ask them, “If you woke this person ...