What Managers Can Learn from "Made to Stick"

CIO — When a colleague first told me about Made to Stick I thought, "Good grief—not another 'soft skills' communications book!" I've changed my mind; this book ought to be on your must—read pile. Let me explain why.

You may already have heard of Made to Stick, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (yes, they're brothers). If not, I believe every manager owes it to himself to at least visit the authors' website, if not actually read the book.

The book's premise is that most important corporate communication is ineffective because people give too little thought to what makes concepts memorable or "sticky."

You can get the gist from the book excerpts, in which the authors relate a relatively grisly urban legend about a guy who has his vital organs harvested. The point of emphasis is that people remember this story after the first time they hear it, and they are capable of repeating it with enough details to others after hearing it just once.

Being "sticky" in your communications is an acquired skill. The Heaths have studied this field extensively, and by following their specific concepts you will inevitably begin to filter your ideas in new ways. You can learn to recognize great ideas and also learn techniques that can enhance half–baked ideas until they really have a successful impact.

What comes across again and again is how the most effective and powerful vision or idea requires some forethought, practice, discipline and often luck to implement. But behind the Heaths' material is a systematic approach that can almost reprogram the reader to consider different perspectives, analyze them using specific parameters, and eventually come out with a message that will make others understand more clearly-and hopefully motivate them to act.

Books like Made to Stick can get creative juices flowing in a way that technologists seldom consider. Not only is it a fun read with lots of interesting stories and anecdotes but it will inevitably get you to think differently about your own important projects, and show you tangibly how to convey your ideas more vividly and effectively.

The Power of Urban Legends
The authors contrast that urban legend to this glob of text from a presentation: "Comprehensive community-building naturally lends itself to a return-on-investment rationale that can be modeled, drawing on existing practice," it begins, going on to argue that "[a] factor constraining the flow of resources to CCIs is that funders must often resort to targeting or categorical requirements in grant making to ensure accountability."

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