Stormy weather
On Sunday we were told about the impending storm approaching from the West. What was your reaction? I must admit I was pretty convinced that it was the weathermen (or women) covering their backsides after the slating they received when they missed the biggest storm ever in 1987. As it turned out, the storm that had been forecast to be coming straight at us missed our house completely but it certainly did hit other parts of the South, with the result that property was damaged and lives were lost.
This got me thinking about business forecasting and market uncertainty. If you are bringing a warning of any kind about stormy times ahead to your colleagues (or worse your bosses), you would be well advised to consider the parallel with the weather forecasters. However clear it is to you, your audience may not believe you and will probably think you are exaggerating. Nobody likes bad news and we are all capable of playing the ostrich – head in the sand, bum in the air, hoping it will all blow over and miss us.
So, how can you get people to listen to you in these circumstances? I would suggest it is a question of more dramatic illustration rather than repetition – quality of message not quantity.