While I was away on vacation, I finished up Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. It’s a great book for communicators–those people who want to capture people’s attention and see those folks act on their ideas. Here are some of the highlights from my reading:

  • “To strip an idea down to its core, we must be masters of exclusion. We must relentlessly prioritize.”
  • “Opaque, abstract missions don’t captivate and inspire people.”
  • “The tendency to gravitate toward complexity is perpetually at war with the need to prioritize.”
  • “We need to open gaps before we close them. Our tendency is to tell people the facts. First, though, they must realize that they need these facts.”
  • “To make our communications more effective, we need to shift our thinking from ‘What information do I need to convey?’ to ‘What questions do I want my audience to ask?’”
  • “There is value in sequencing information–not dumping a stack of information on someone at once but dropping a clue, then another clue, then another. This method of communication resembles flirting more than lecturing.”
  • “When it comes to our hearts, one individual trumps the masses.”
  • “The goal of making messages ‘emotional’ is to make people care. Feelings inspire people to act.”
  • “We must fight the temptation to skip directly to the ‘tips’ and leave out the story.”
  • “If you make an argument, you’re implicitly asking them to evaluate your argument–judge it, debate it, criticize it–and then argue back, at least in their minds. But with a story you engage the audience–you are involving people with the idea, asking them to participate with you.”
  • “Public speakers naturally want to appear composed, charismatic, and motivational. And, certainly, charisma will help a properly designed message stick better. But all the charisma in the world won’t save a dense, unfocused speech.”