I was a lucky kid for many reasons, and one reason was because I had a Dad, Lee Jolles, who taught me many amazing things. One of the best things he taught me was something he didn’t realize he was teaching me. You see, like most parents, my Dad always wanted to hear about my day. He would pull up a chair, look me in the eye, and lock into whatever words of mine would follow… for about 45 seconds. Then, he would drift away; first mentally, and then physically. As a child, that didn’t make me feel great, but his actions taught me an immensely important communication tactic. You see, either consciously, or unconsciously, he was teaching me about the “communication shot clock.”
In basketball, there’s a shot clock designed to speed up the flow of the game. Football also has a clock moving the game along, and it looks like baseball will follow. These clocks are designed to increase the pace of the game, and to hold our attention.
Let’s face it: We are living in a society that demands that we pick up the pace on just about everything we do, particularly on how we communicate. Emails are faster, books are smaller; tweets are limiting the number of characters we can utilize, and blogs, (or BLArticles®,) are crisper. Each form of communication is attempting to achieve the same goal. That goal is to hold the attention of the viewer.
I think my Dad would have been thrilled. He wanted his information quickly, and he wanted the most significant parts identified. Perhaps the most important thing was that if he wanted to learn more, he’d ask for it. As a five year old, I may have had a tendency to ramble a bit when I communicated, but as an eight year old, I didn’t. I learned how to address a question, provide an intriguing response, and finish my response unrushed – all in 45 seconds or less. Rather than provide multiple examples to a given point, I’d provide my best example. Rather than try and guess which part of the story he might like the best, I’d let him decide. Rather than guess how long to speak for, I had my own, unofficial clock. A communication shot clock can be applied to so many scenarios.
- When we sell, and it’s our turn to talk, we don’t need to ramble on and on about a solution. We need to succinctly tie the needs of the client to the benefits of our solution.
- When we are in an interview, we don’t need to ramble on and on about ourselves. We need to succinctly tie the needs of the employer to the strengths that we bring to the table.
- When we write, we don’t need to ramble on and on about our topic. We need to succinctly provide value to those who have been gracious enough to read our words.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span of a human being has dropped from twelve seconds in the year 2000 to eight seconds in 2013. We now have the dubious distinction of having an attention span that is one second less than that of a goldfish.
Well, I believe we can do better than a goldfish! I think if we choose our words carefully, our communication shot clock can be stretched to 45 seconds. What’s more, when we work with a communication shot clock, we eliminate the guesswork of trying to determine what would be most interesting to our listener. Instead, we can present a clear message, and then let the listener decide what he or she may find the most interesting. The response will let us know what area the listener wants to hear more about. My Dad may have been tough on me as a young child, but I am immensely grateful that he taught me the value of communication that is crisp and to the point.
Rob,
Another terrific BLarticle. There is great value in heeding the guidance you’ve provided. “Get in, make your point and get out”. Employing this approach also demonstrates great self awareness and respect for your audience’s time and intelligence. Thank you!
You bet! It’s not that we can’t go longer, but let’s let the person we are communicating with provide the lead there. In the meantime, less is better. Thanks for posting Michael.
Rob,
Thank you for that “Shot Clock” image and concept. It’s memorable. Your Dad did good! OK, now I’m going to swim away.
Najwa
Well before you swim away, thanks for posting and the compliment to my Dad. He was ahead of his time in so many ways, and believe me, when he wanted to hear more; he’d let you know. Same with most we communicate with. Let’s let them lead us in how they want to process information. Always great reading your posts Najwa.
Aha! Got it!
You sure did get it! Three words were all that was necessary. 🙂 Thanks for the post Suzanne!
I knew I was not dreaming. We’re growing a attention-challenged audience in the country!
We sure are growing “attention-challenged.” Now that we know that’s true, let’s make lemonade out of these lemons and craft our message to fit this portion of the country. Great hearing from you Edia.
Thank you, Rob, for another solid, thought-provoking BLArticle. I agree completely with the need of conciseness and targeting in communications, and it’s something I find myself continually working on.
I do wonder whether (given the sports analogy and the all-male historical context) men and women will see this the same way, or whether there’s any generalized gender difference regarding this point.
I’m sure there’s some gender considerations here. However, remember whether we are dealing with men or women, we’re keeping that shot clock on so we can determine how those we are communicating with want their information. When we put our message on a shot clock people can always ask for more. We won’t lose them erring on the side of brevity. Expanding our message is almost always easier than contracting it. Great question and great post Nick; thanks!
Great post…so let me see if I have this right. My client is willing to pay thousands of dollars to have me simply make sure they focus on me for about 8-10 seconds…..I can do this, but I’ve really got to sharpen my game. Totally up for the challenge.
TED, I think we have a new conference idea.
I know you’re up to the challenge, and remember, my typical communication shot clock is closer to 45 seconds. 8-10 seconds would make me nervous! Thanks for the post Doug.
Hi Rob!
I admire Donald Trump for exemplifying this skill so well! Sometimes I’ll pull up apprentice on YouTube to watch him talk, especially in the boardroom. He is always concise and very succinct in conversation. His team adds so much by not allowing discussions to get off track. As a team, the shot clock becomes even more aerodynamic which is completely amazing.
In one of his books, he mentions that the candidate who gets his point across faster and without getting emotional has a competitive edge on the group.
I practice this consistently and appreciate this post for giving me another approach to bettering my best!!!
Yes to success!!
Sincerely,
Taura
I’m with you Taura; like Trump or hate Trump, he gets to the point and you aren’t left wondering what he really means! Sometimes when I work with clients I bring chess clocks with me. They have two plungers. One that counts down when one person is talking, and one that counts down when the other person is talking. This provides a true measurement showing just how long we spend talking. Thanks so much for the post Taura!
Hello Rob, thank you so much for these nuggets of wisdom, this BLArticle has helped me a lot as I have a tendency of going over the 45 sec communication shot clock… It will be my “go to” until I perfect the skill. Thank you again.
Eternally Grateful,
Enid
You are in very good company my friend. I too have to watch the clock! Just remember to keep an eye on those you are communicating with and you’ll get a sense on where to expand, or contract your information. Always a pleasure hearing from you Enid.