Made to Stick

‘Made to Stick’ by Chip Heath and Dan Heath is a great little book that is packed with practical ideas, many of which can be related to insight.

The book focuses on how to communicate more effectively, so that your ideas really stick in the minds of those you’re addressing. It’s based on six principles that start with the letters in ‘SUCCES’: Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions and Stories.

But first, a word about the curse of knowledge - a trap we call all fall in to very quickly if we're not careful and one that will limit the impact of our communications.

Once you've acquainted yourself with that little foible, read on to find out more about the SUCCES Model:

Succes(s):

• Simple - keep your communications simple by focusing on your core message
• Unexpected - introducing an element of surprise will attract the attention of your stakeholders
• Concrete - create memorable 'hooks' using real examples rather than abstract concepts or statistics
• Credible - make use of 'experiences' to make your insights more believable
• Emotional - finding links to things your stakeholders care about is a sure-fire way to get their attention
• Stories - these are always a very engaging way to impart wisdom in a memorable way and are more likely to be passed on

If you have any great stories of how you have made your insights 'sticky' within your organisation, do share them with the rest of us by leaving a comment below!