Do You Speak in Bullets and Listen in Paragraphs?
People are distracted.
- They multi-task.
- They skim.
- They defer to emoticons, texts, and pictures.
- They are inundated with sound bites, ads, alerts, IMs, and scrolling news blasts.
Research shows that the human attention span has dropped to 8 seconds – even less than goldfish!
If we want to lead while managing, we need to capture attention, command respect, and cement our leadership presence. We need to speak in bullets and listen in paragraphs.
To speak in bullets:
- be brief
- highlight important points
- skip the backstory
- use metaphors to captivate, bolster comprehension, and increase retention
If and when your audience wants more information, they’ll ask for it.
To listen in paragraphs:
- start with questions
- ask follow-up questions to dig deeper
- use your face to express interest and commitment
- take notes
- ignore everything and everyone else
You’ll quickly discover that most people communicate unintentionally – they speak in paragraphs and listen in bullets.
But we can help people develop these essential leadership skills, thereby increasing their efficiency, their effectiveness, and their impact.
How? Start by teaching people how to speak in bullets.
- Give them a time limit: “I only have 2 minutes.”
- Interrupt their meandering with, “I’m going to interrupt you.”
- Then ask, “What’s the question?”
- or “What is the key information I need to know?”
- or “Where do you need the most help?”
- Remind people: “I don’t need the back story yet.”
If we want to be seen as a leader and develop other leaders, we need to start with intentional speaking and purposeful listening. Fewer adjectives, more verbs.