Visualize Change

From the moment we wake up, an avalanche of information is coming our way. Many people start their devices before even stepping out of bed and scroll through new emails, social media feeds, news and other information they are interested in.

The same information overload is true once you step in your “working time”- it is again a catch-up game on all information coming to us or that we search to do our work.

Most organizations have dozens and dozens of projects on the go. You may be working on a few of those, and maybe you are a lucky person who does not struggle to keep all the essential information in your head. But for many people, that information overload is taking a toll on their time to dedicate to their work.

So for a long time, I kept asking myself- how can I make it easier for the project audience to find the critical information about the project that I want them to pay attention to? How can I make the project information easy to understand, digest, and retain?

Recently, I found an interesting website called Visualize Value and a visual that I found helpful on many levels. It resonated with me, as I found that, unsurprisingly, the concept behind this visual works also in the world of readiness.

So, how do we make our messages stand out?

Here are some of my go-to’s to help my audience get most of the information about the targeted initiatives that I want them to notice or remember:

• Visualize the change. If introducing a new product, prepare visuals to help the audience “see” the product in the environment and make it as realistic as possible. Explain the actions necessary to make this change reality. If you are introducing the idea, visualize emotions intended as the outcome.
• Share the content via various distribution channels. Often, just a sheer volume of communication can make the message stand out as important.
• Add testimonials in the mix– use die-hard fans of the change to talk about its importance and value. Rarely does something influence our opinion as social validation.

This is the topic that I find myself constantly interested in, so I would welcome your recommendations on how to close that gap between perceived value/actual value. How do you do it?

Leave a comment below!