Mike 
I was out for an early run on Sunday, when I heard the ring of bells from a nearby church. As I paused to enjoy the sound, I wondered what other people in the area were thinking. I suspect that some resented the intrusion on their quiet morning. Others may have had no idea why bells were ringing on Sunday. Still others may have been so busy that they didn’t even notice the sound.
Just like the church bells, the communication hurdles are high for leaders. You may think that your message is loud and clear, but your audience has plenty of things vying for their attention that keep you from getting through. Even staff and core volunteers are prone to distraction.
What can you do? You can try to underscore your message by saying, “Please listen closely. This is very important.” But once you’ve done this a couple of times, you’re like the boy who cried wolf.
So as you wrestle with the communication challenge, keep these 4 factors in mind:
- Focus on what’s important to your audience. The unchurched neighbors didn’t care about the church bells. You may have a numerical goal, but it leaves your audience yawning. So tailor your communication by getting inside their heads and figuring out what they care about.
- Find a hook. In an age of sound bites and nonstop media, people make snap judgments about whether to tune in. What kind of story or other opening will get their attention? Perhaps people would have listened if the bells had played the first few notes of a song from the pop charts.
- Mix it up. If a message is important, it merits multiple forms of communication. Unlike the bells, you have plenty of options available, so make good use of them.
- Less is more. Ministry leaders are especially prone to saying too much. They may belabor a point or package multiple messages into one communication. Doing so invites people to tune out.
