It is March. The time has just changed to daylight savings. And we ‘lost’ an hour! It seems a fitting metaphor for much of life and many projects: you look up, and time has passed as if instantaneously.
This weekend, I am in visiting in Hope, Alaska, enjoying time with friends and supporting the local PTA. Hope is about 150 residents strong, and the PTA is well-supported by folks who see the future in the kids. We go to the Cafe for coffee, and the Alaska Dacha for groceries, but there is no gas station in Hope. Meaning: Be prepared for Hope! Or: You can get stuck in Hope! How like that are many of our small business and corporate endeavors… if we go in hoping, and are not adequately prepared, we can lose sight of the intended result.
So consider this transition: what if, each time we started to speak or write, we began with an objective in mind. A communication objective, or CBO, which determined exactly what change the receiver could experience by virtue of listening or reading our message. Knowing the value of your message as seen from the receiver’s standpoint before you launch could have great influence on you and your business.
With the time change, we get a signal. It signals a change in the environment, the seasons, and if you accept it, a honing of your focus on communicating for change. Think about CBO, and try it. Be prepared, though: you might see results when your messages are crafted from the viewpoint of the receiver’s receipt and interpretation instead of from your drive to say or write!