TalkBiz News
Issue for August 4, 2012
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Hi, folks...
Yes, it's that time of year again. My birthday, which means
special goodies for you. To start it off...
I was working on one of the articles for the writing series,
and a point in it seemed worth expanding on a bit. Consider
this a gift you can give to others, and that will pay you back
richly if you take it to heart.
"Average is Better Than Average"
==============================
One of my favorite lines from homespun comedy is Garrison
Keillor's description of the town of Lake Wobegon. He says it's
a place "where all the women are strong, all the men are
good-looking, and all the children are above average."
The numerate in the crowd just laughed at that last part.
Shame on you for leaping to tall conclusions in a single
bound.
....
I've been publishing online for over 15 years. One thing I've
noticed over that time is that the "average" person is much
smarter than "average."
I know. That seems mathematically impossible. It just happens
to be true.
You see, most of us don't need to use all that much of our
brainpower most of the time. We can operate at a functional
level without it, and there's often no need for much more. So,
"average" is already listed at a discount.
When you add in the fact that people use more of their brains
when they're actively interested in a topic, the discount rate
gets pretty big. But that's the "list price" most folks put on
another person's intellect.
So, most people get short-changed, most of the time.
That sucks.
....
If you're paying attention, though, you can turn that to
everyone's advantage.
The process? Assume others are smart. Treat them like it.
Refuse to short-change the people you deal with.
I'm not saying you should run around creating artificial
challenges and trying to make people prove they're smart.
That's not helpful. It's rude.
Say what you have to say, clearly, without "dumbing it down"
for your audience. Assume they will understand. And if they
don't, assume it's just because they don't have the background
to hang the concepts on. If you genuinely assume they're smart
enough to get it, they'll tell you when you say something
beyond their experience.
Unless you're talking over people's heads, most folks will get
the message. If you have to talk over their heads to say what
you have to say - do it, and be ready to explain.
Never, ever, talk down to your audience.
....
Use the right word, even if you have to include a definition.
Don't try to "say it so they'll be able to understand it."
I heard someone say that earlier this week. I wanted to smack
him. "Able to?" Think about the nasty assumptions behind that.
With very few exceptions, if the reader or listener doesn't
understand you, the problem is with your explanation, not their
(or your) intellect. Assuming anything else is a sucker's bet.
If you bet on the other person's intelligence, you're going to
win a whole lot more often than you'll lose.
People are way smarter than they usually get credit for.
....
Keep in mind that you shouldn't confuse intelligence with
experience, or vice versa. For example, I have never paid much
attention to most aspects of search engine optimization. That's
a field where it would be easy to talk over my head.
Does that mean the SEO guy is smarter than me? No. But it does
mean he might have to explain things more than usual if he
wants me to understand him.
If you know a person doesn't have experience with a thing and
explain it to them in a way that acknowledges their
inexperience and assumes their ability to understand, you're a
teacher. If you assume they're an idiot because they have
different experience, you're a jerk.
Which do you think will be more attractive?
....
Try this for a week: Talk about what you want to talk about,
rather than whatever seems easy. Say what you have to say in
the clearest way possible, rather than assuming the other
person won't understand.
If someone disagrees with you, don't assume they don't
understand your position. Instead, consider that they may be
working from different assumptions or priorities than you.
Keeping in mind the difference between experience and
intelligence, spend a week assuming everyone you meet or
communicate with is smarter than average.
Get ready for a pleasant surprise.
....
I promise you, if you make people think, in a positive and
productive way, they will thank you for it. And if you respect
their intelligence, they will more often than not prove you
right.
You'll also be - and attract people who are - a lot more fun
and productive to deal with.
That doesn't suck.
"What's Your Genius?"
===================
I really do believe that everyone is a genius at something. Or
more than one something. It's just a matter of how you look at
things.
I put together a product a while back that has helped a lot of
people find their genius, or to be better at whatever they want
to do. If you haven't got a copy yet, you should. I consider it
the most important thing I've ever created.
You can get the full details at http://www.theideaspot.com/
Don't buy it there, though. You can get the special subscriber
discount of 60% off at:
http://talkbiz.com/genius/?e=1
Enjoy!
Paul
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Tweet of the day: Honesty does not require brutality. Saying you're "brutally honest" is usually just an excuse for being a jerk. (via @PaulMyers)
Find this useful? Buy me a beer...
http://www.buy-paul-a-beer.com
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