Redundancy Impact, Saying It Twice As Much
Have you heard it all before? Are you suffering from redundancy impact? Does hearing it more than once have a deeper impact or is it weakening your communication?
It seems commonplace today. We get a marketing promotion email and we expect more to follow. We listen intently in the meeting and we keep hearing the same message. Is this a failure or exactly what we need?
Communication Repeats
Our business communications are cluttered with repeats. The habits we form are based largely on browse and scan. We believe we filter more effectively by just taking in tiny bits of information and labeling it as interesting, understood, and categorized. Otherwise, it is not heard.
Some people may be in love with the verbiage. It gives them confidence and satisfaction in repeating it over and over again. It does seem that redundancy has some form of impact, but what is it?
One problem area of redundancy is that many people, those who heard you the first time start to tune it out. It is Charlie Brown’s teacher, a mumble most won’t understand. More importantly, they decide they don’t care to understand.
Redundancy Impact
What is most important today probably needs to be said more than once. People expect it. People only half listen the first time or two, because they are too busy being distracted by something else. Chances are good things aren’t registering on the first pass.
All the clutter that we face is not necessarily the fault of the speaker, or of the listener, but a dynamic that has evolved in World full of constant noise.
Among all the noise, we may have to wonder what we are missing. Is our filter too fine or too loose?
Redundancy impact may feel costly, but it is likely much less expensive when compared with the price of not being heard at all.
There are some things that are worth saying more than once, and certainly those that are valuable enough to hear again.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
