Much of what you need to know about effective communication can be explained by the Post-It Note Principle. This all goes back to my days as a TV Reporter, when I found the square, sticky notes to be an invaluable resource.
They helped me keep my communication skills focused while I was conducting interviews.
When you know that you’re going out into the field to talk to someone, you try to do as much homework as you can for the story, ahead of time. Often, this would result in a long list of questions.
It’s good to know your subject matter and be able to ask intelligent questions to the interview subject. But the long list could also lead to problems. Primarily, when you have a long list, the interview becomes more about the list and less about listening to the other person. It could be very easy to only focus on your next question, rather than what the person is saying.
Consider this scenario:
Reporter: Tell me about the county fair.
Interview subject: It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy going to it every year. Last year, I went after I murdered my wife.
Reporter: Any favorite foods at the fair?
This situation never happened but similar ones did. I’d listen to an interview and hear the person say something unexpected and important. Did I ask a followup question? No, because I was in a mental race to get to my next question.
This is bad news if you’re a reporter and I knew that I needed to be more in the moment.
My solution was to think of all my interview questions ahead of time and then list them, with just a word or two, on a Post-It Note. This forced me to really listen to the other person and not be consumed by a long list of questions.
I had the ability to go off topic if the answer to a question went that way. To get back on track, I just had to look at my keyword for each question.
A sticky yellow piece of paper allowed me to improvise, be a better listener, and ultimately improve my reporting skills.
When you are talking to someone, are you thinking about what you want to say next or are you listening to the other person? Very often, we’re focused on your long list of things to say.
It’s a like the sales person who only gives you a laundry list of product features instead of asking you what you want.
The Post-It Principle takes you to a higher level of conversation. The lack of space forces you to really know your questions or material.
There were other benefit to my strategy. The amount of time that my interviews required went down significantly and the quality of the responses also improved.
Who doesn’t want to improve the effectiveness of your communication skills? Try the Post-It Note Principle.
