Don't Dilute Your Message

Returning from a program in Connecticut yesterday I was, as usual, listening to a talk show. The host was making some very good points on an issue which he presented with a sprinkling of facts and a fairly neutral tone. I tended to agree with him. Then he did something incredibly stupid. Still talking about the same issue, he attempted to get in a dig to people on the other side of the political aisle by attempting to link an embarrassing fact from the past to the subject at hand. Since there was no logical connection between that dig and the issue at hand, his effort to make a link was awkward, if not ham-handed. It was a political slam. Inserted into a topic having nothing to do with politics.

My reaction was immediate. I thought “Why did you do that?” Here you are making a very good set of points, and then you lose the listener by going off on a negative unrelated tangent.”

He’s done this on other occasions. I find it annoying because he sometimes has good things to say. But then he gets off message and loses me. I turn him off because his comments at that point are usually irrelevant, often stupid, and tend to diminish him and the many good thoughts he does have.

The lesson we can all learn from his error is this: Humor, sarcasm, rants, negative remarks, extraneous comments, and irrelevant information often dilute the message. If you want people to accept your ideas and comments you are far better off being positive in your message, sticking to the facts, and staying on point.


About me: Dan Pelley teaches communication skills as part of his "Leadership Skills" program, one of five programs leading to a Certificate in Supervisory Management. 137 companies in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York have one or more people who earned this certificate.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
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