Your message is the simplifying tool that makes the complexity of your circumstances and ideas easier for people to understand and remember.
Mary Vonnegut and I had a good debate about the importance of messages yesterday. We finally realized that what makes messages so important in onboarding is that they are the key to making things less complex or complicated, plainer or easier for others to understand – simplifying.
Henry Ford′s message was ‟a car in every driveway″. He used this to simplify his communication about everything from product choice to manufacturing to pricing to marketing. Everything that contributed to getting a car in every driveway was helpful. Everything that did not, was in the way.
Net, the value of the message is less in the words themselves than in the ideas for which they stand. So, whether you are the hiring manager bringing someone onboard or the new hire yourself. Invest time to get your message right. You can not Keep It Simple until you figure out the core simplifying tool – your message.
If you want to know more, there are sections on messaging and communication in both our books: The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan and Onboarding – How To Get Your New Employees Up to Speed in Half the Time. Both have executive summaries available for download and click-throughs to order at www.www.www.primegenesis.com where everything is designed to help you and your team deliver Better Results Faster.
George Bradt – PrimeGenesis Executive Onboarding and Transition Acceleration
