Business Lessons from sucessful entrepreneurs and business leaders: LunchLearning.com

Reading time: 2 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 59 minutes 10 seconds

Metaphor or Facts? Logic or Emotion? Which is the best way to not only reach an audience but have that audience act?

In this excellent thought-provoking talk by entitled “The Science of Communications” sponsored by the AMS Journal’s AMS workshop, we hear from a variety of scientists and communications experts who tackle the idea of how to best communicate scientific discovery to an apparent apathetic world. The take-aways from these various opinions are bountiful, and if you listen all the way through, you’re mind will no doubt be racing about how effective your own efforts at communication are, whether they be personal or business related.

In the video, you’ll hear from American Meteorological Association’s Dr. Anthony Socci discusses the apparent value of “framing” a conversation or marketing message to yield greater adoption of an idea. . .particularly one that is new, or unpopular.

Socci is followed by professor of political science at The University of Michigan, Dr. Arthur Lupia. Lupia discusses decision-making, and how people make those decisions without good, solid information. In the field of politics, as Lupia this issue is endemic, and he talks about the corollaries to the Green Movement.

Molly Bentley, contributor to BBC Science, tackles the idea of how to simplify the extremely complex knowledge possessed by scientists into information that can be digested and embraced by a lay audience. This somewhat comical discussion of how such scientific discovery is presented to the non-scientific community currently, may serve as a reminder of just how many companies try to explain unsuccessfully their own products and mission to customers. It’s a case for technical writing at its best!

There is a lot here in this talk, feel free to skip around a bit, or listen all the way through. There is a lot to learn, and a lot to take notes about if you are a communicator, or even just someone responsible, or interested in, someone clearly understanding, embracing, and acting upon your message.

Reading time: 2 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 38 minutes 29 seconds

Communication, regardless of the message, has a singular goal that it must achieve to be considered to have some degree of success. This simple goal isn’t necessarily comprehension or change or anything of the sort: communication is to disrupt. Disruption isn’t anything negative or anything like rather; rather, it just has to force people stop and think about something. While changing their minds to think about something in particular is a perk, it is by no means the sole measure of achievement. Patrick Dixon, author, consultant, founder of the AIDS agency ACET and chairman of Global Change, Ltd, believes that this disruption is the key element in communicating with people and creating the future.

There are three distinct areas that are disrupted, and react, differently. The individual, the community, and the company are all unique and must be managed accordingly. Of these three, the clearest relationship is with the individual. Quite logically, as people are individuals. However, the behavior of the individual is heavily influences by its peers, the individuals that surround it, or its community. Companies are not exempt from this web of interaction, as they exist in relationship to their market as a whole.

In the first segment, in discussing working with people, Dixon emphasizes two specific elements. People, especially with the advent of the internet, have a greater desire for immediate gratification than ever. In one point, Dixon claims that nearly half of the people out there are lost after a delay of fifteen seconds, whether it be waiting for a website to load or an automated phone call. Secondly, and quite related, people are irrational. People talk to inanimate objects despite knowing full well that there is no actual effect. Equally tied to impatience, Dixon notes, with some amusement, people will press elevator buttons multiple times. That sentiment is echoed by nearly the entire audience.

Understanding people is vital to communicating. Indeed, it forms the very essence of communication. Determining how people, and their surroundings, react is of the utmost importance in successfully communicating, or disrupting them. Irrationality is an effect of emotion, and one that cannot be changed. However, companies and communities, both entities of plurality, are quite different.

Reading time: 2 - 2 minutes

Video Time: 21 minutes 59 seconds

I’m quite fascinated by the concept behind Tan Le’s “Mind Control” device — Emotiv, and if you’re even just a “wee bit” curious yourself, I’m pretty certain you’ll find it just as intriguing. The possibilities for the device are profound, and personally I look forward to seeing how the team supporting it’s development work toward it’s advantages in the field of medicine and patient care.

Here’s a great story from Inc. Magazine about Emotiv and Tan Le (her own story in an incredible journey!)

The demonstration of the device starts 10 minutes into her presentation.

Spend today in amazement at what is possible today and watch Tan Le.