photo by darwin bell
When is it better to do nothing? I find myself having this conversation (argument, really) more and more these days. The flip answer, of course, is when you don’t kow what the hell you’re doing.
The refrain I hear all the time: “We’ve got to do SOMETHING!” Just do it—run that ad, produce that brochure, put out that newsletter. Doing something’s GOT TO BE BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING.
Please forgive me for disagreeing.
Run that ad? Not if you have no clue what you’re saying or who you’re trying to reach. Worse, not if all past evidence tells you it won’t generate a response.
Produce that brochure? Not if it serves no purpose other than to add to your local landfill.
Put out that newsletter? Not if you’re pushing out a message your audience has no interest in, that adds no value to their lives or the conversation you’re having.
The problem today is that we’re beyond up to our eyeballs in communication. We’re drowning in friggin’ communication. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting someone’s idea of communication. Everyone’s throwing everything against the wall, hoping something will stick. (In case I’m being obtuse, you’re the wall.)
You may not agree with this, but personally I think it’s better to figure out the right way to communicate before you start, you know, communicating. Contrary to what some believe, bad communication is not better than no communication at all. Stuff that doesn’t stick frequently has the opposite effect … it repels. Of course, if repellent is what you’re going for, by all means have at it.
Figure out your communication goals. Choose objectives that meet your goals. Create a strategy that best serves those objectives. Develop tactics that execute on your strategy. Measure the results. Tweak and repeat.
Feel free to have this tattooed on your forehead in case the powers that be aren’t clear where you’re coming from.
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Act strategically or don’t act: RT @dhutson When Doing Nothing’s Better Than Doing Something http://bit.ly/czHwgv
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I have to agree with you on this Dan and I must admit that I have had this error in the past. It is better to know what we are doing than wasting our energies over things that are useless.
Agreed RT @CrystalDempsey: I agree 10,000% with @dhutson! When Doing Nothing’s Better Than Doing Something http://shar.es/mVnLV
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
This is SO great! RT @dhutson: When Doing Nothing’s Better Than Doing Something http://bit.ly/ctZPAv (communicators take note)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Well done! Ernest Hemingway said, ‘do not confuse movement with action.’ In general, I find that a lot more stuff happens if I sit still for a bit.
Thank you! So many times I see corporate communication that doesn’t make sense, doesn’t really tell the story, or just plain falls short of what communication is suppose to be about – which is a two-way dialogue between company and employees or company and customers.
Beautifully said.
I agree. There is a tendency to be driven by panic and fear which leads to doing “something” even if it is wrong. Too often I have seen executives sign on to ads or programs that they have no business being in. Then get upset as they did not get the desired result.
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