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While listening to the Podcast on rolling out one-on-one's, Mark said that if you tell your directs something seven times they will remember hearing it once. I realized that the problem I was having with my directs not remembering directions was more wide spread than I thought. My question to all of you is how do you say something "seven" times to someone without them getting annoyed with you repeating yourself? And how do you work something in seven times?

PierG's picture

The focus is on the fact that EVEN IF you and your boss, or you and one of your peers/directs talk MANY times about a topic, the topic is not magically pervading your team. The fact that you know / understand something very well, doesn't mean they know / understand.
So use every possible occasion (O3, feedback, staff meetings ...) and every possible media (starting from face to face) to reinforce the main info you want to communicate.
Ciao,
PierG

stephenbooth_uk's picture

Say you're announcing at a staff meeting that everyone will have to wear Orange on Wednesdays for a weekly event called "Orange Wednesdays".

1) The invitation that goes out to invite people to the meeting contains an agenda in the body of the mail as well as as an attachment. Item 3 on the agenda is "3 'Orange Wednesdays', from now on everyone must wear orange clothing on Wednesdays."
2) At the start of the meeting you review the agenda and read out "Item 3, 'Orange Wednesdays'. This is an instruction from the board that everyone wear orange clothing on Wednesdays"
3) In the body of the meeting you reach item 3 and say "Item 3, 'Orange Wednesdays'. As you may have heard following the recent retreat the board went on in California they have decided that everyone must wear orange clothing on Wednesdays. The instruction is specifically that all visible clothing must be orange in colour, including coats, jackets and hats. Non-orange shoes are permissible but public facing staff may be required to wear orange covers over their shoes. They've decided to call this 'Orange Wednesday'."
4) At the end of the meeting you recap the agenda and say "Item 3 was 'Orange Wednesdays'. Don't forget that from next week you will have to wear orange clothing on Wednesday."
5) Minutes or notes from the meeting go out by email (in the body of the email as well as as an attachment) within one day of the meeting. These notes record that one of the items cascaded was 'Orange Wednesdays'.
6) The following Monday morning you send an email to your team saying "Don't forget that from this week we all have to wear orange clothing on Wednesday. If this is likely to cause you any problems before the nd of the day please see me and I'll provide you a list of shops that specialise in orange clothing."
7) As you say goodbye to your team on Tuesday you say "Don't forget tomorrow is 'Orange Wednesday'. Have you got your orange clothing yet?"
8) Anyone who shows up on Wednesday not wearing orange gets feedback appropriate to their DISC type.

Stephen

terrih's picture

LOL what a funny example Stephen! Not to mention effective. :wink: