What follows appears as sidebar to an interview with Chip
Heath, PhD. at Stanford University’s Graduate
School of Business. Heath authored Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive
and Others Die, making salient points about why some ideas (and communicating
them) fly…and others flop.

Chip Heath’s research suggests that sticky ideas share six basic traits.

Simplicity. Messages are most memorable if they are short
and deep. Glib sound bites are short, but they don’t last. Proverbs such as the
golden rule are short but also deep enough to guide the behavior of people over
generations.

Unexpectedness. Something that sounds like common sense
won’t stick. Look for the parts of your message that are uncommon
sense. Such messages generate interest and curiosity.

Concreteness. Abstract language and ideas don’t leave
sensory impressions; concrete images do. Compare “get an American on the moon
in this decade” with “seize leadership in the space race through targeted
technology initiatives and enhanced team-based routines.”

Credibility. Will the audience buy the message? Can a case
be made for the message or is it a confabulation of spin? Very often, a person
trying to convey a message cites outside experts when the most credible source
is the person listening to the message. Questions—“Have you
experienced this?”—are often more credible than outside experts.

Emotions. Case studies that involve people also move them.
“We are wired,” Heath writes, “to feel things for people, not
abstractions."

Stories. We all tell stories every day. Why? “Research shows
that mentally rehearsing a situation helps us perform better when we encounter
that situation,” Heath writes. “Stories act as a kind of mental flight
simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively.”

For the full interview, visit The McKinsey Quarterly.

Sources:

"Crafting a Message That Sticks: An Interview with Chip Heath," The McKinsey Quarterly, 12/2007; Lenny Mendonca and Matt Miller.

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