Communicating to Influence: How to develop an idea for spoken and written word.

Coming up with an idea is easy. Coming up with the idea is impossible. So, how do you come up with an idea that will captivate an audience and move them toward something?

I find that there are generally three approaches to generating ideas: the hunter, the gatherer, and the explorer.

First, the hunter is out searching for something. They have something very specific in mind and they are out looking for it. There might be other things around them but they are laser-focused on finding that one (usually big) idea.

The second is the gatherer. Another way to think about this is the collector. The gather goes out looking, generally, for ideas. They put the ideas in their bag and move on. They like to keep the ideas in their bag until they get home to display all of the amazing ideas they gathered. The gatherer will use the ideas from time to time but there's no development, simply using the idea exactly as is with no room for development.

Finally, there is the explorer. The explorer is on a path of discovery. They are wandering around, not sure what they'll find. They are open to possibilities and just want to discover new ideas. There is no agenda. They don't even know if they will find a good idea. Instead, they are open to finding something unexpected and delightful. Most of the time they discover a new idea and think about it side-by-side with the other ideas they've discovered. They like to play around with ideas and imagine, "What if ...?"

Obviously, I think that the explorer is the better option. When you're coming up with an idea it's vital that you are open to going in a direction that is unexpected. And, I've found that those open to the unexpected discover incredible ideas lurking behind something or is generated by combining more than one. The idea is there but sometimes we're so focused on the next great idea that we miss something that has always been there.

So, go idea exploring.

And here are five tips to help you along the way.

Tip #1: Your idea must be stated with elegant simplicity. 4-8 words only.

An idea is the gift you’re giving your audience. That’s why they’re here and why you’re speaking. The idea lurks behind every word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph. The idea is stated in many different ways throughout the talk. Repetition of the primary idea is vital to be a good oral communicator. Why? Spoken communication requires more repetition than written.

The idea is also called the throughline. This is the line/idea that goes through your entire talk. Everything you say, all your slides and stories, link to this through line. If you can’t link it, you don’t speak it.

Throughlines/ideas of talks I’ve coached:

There’s no one right way to parent.

Informal settlements are places of innovation.

Human connection solves big problems.

Comic books can ignite students’ desire to learn.

These are simple ideas that may seem too basic. They are not.

Here are five tests to determine if your idea is on a good path:

1. Simple

2. Immediately understandable (I get the meaning)

3. Concrete

4. Obvious (it makes sense even if it's new information)

5. Have a point of view

When I begin working with speakers, they are often so caught in the details that they can’t see the bigger picture. Without this kind of simplicity, your talk will wander from point-to-point without purpose.

Your idea forms the boundaries within which your message can travel.

Tip #2: Brainstorming is about play.

Think about different ways you could state the idea. Play around with wording. Change the order of the words, even if they don't make sense. Change the emphasis of the sentence using different nouns and objects. The key idea here is that you need to play around. Just start writing, even if the words and word order are complete nonsense. Play around and something unexpected and brilliant may just burst out of you when you least expect it. Brainstorming is about play.

Tip #3: Verbs signal the emotions you want the audience to feel.

As you brainstorm you should also focus much of your time paying particular attention to verbs. In communication verbs are the most important part of the sentence because this is where the action happens. Verbs move the story and signal the emotions you're trying to convey.

Tip #4: Don’t use commas in your idea/throughline.

Commas are often something we rely on when we don’t know how or want to choose. We also tend to use commas when we're stuck and don't know what to say.

Often people will come to me with an idea that goes something like this:

"To be a good human requires kindness, thoughtfulness, and selflessness."

This is a perfectly good thought. I don’t disagree with anything here. I want to be all of these things. But it isn’t a good idea because you are trying to do too much.

So, what's wrong with it? An idea should talk about one thing (kindness) as primary, not three things (kindness, thoughtfulness, and selflessness).

What about if we changed it to this:

Kindness can change the world. OR Moments of kindness show who we really are.

Maybe the first option is too grandiose or it's trying to be too big. Maybe the second option isn't big enough. Regardless, either could work because both are simple, immediately understandable, concrete, obvious, and have a point of view. With both, I could also talk about thoughtfulness and selflessness as sub-points but my primary idea is clear.

Tip #5: Feasibility: Think of six examples, stories, and/or evidence you could use to determine viability.

What examples, stories, evidence do you have that illustrate this idea. Write those down. What do those things tell you about the idea. Taking a few minutes to think about the stuff that could develop your talk is very important. I can't tell you the number of times a speaker has come to me with an idea and had no examples, stories, or evidence to support/illustrate that idea.

You may not ever use any of these but it will help you determine if your idea is feasible. Is your idea grounded in something or is it groundless? Without stories, examples, and/or other evidence your idea won't resonate with the audience.

So, what do you do now?

Now you have the beginnings of an idea and some of the things that will help you tell that story.

It’s important to note that your idea will be constantly refined up until your manuscript is locked (this is what we call a completed manuscript). So, don’t be afraid of making minor changes to your throughline.

Play around with your idea. Write down different versions of the idea, think about your evidence, and then ask yourself what you want your audience to take away from your talk.

The simpler your idea, the more likely an audience with hear what you have to say. Remember, one talk will rarely change someone's mind. But it can create moments of possibility where someone might think, "huh. I've never thought about it like that."

And when someone gets to that point, you've done what you can do.

Always remember, speaking isn't about being heroic and changing everything in one go. Instead, it's about creating those moments when the world can be different than it is and the audience can recognize themselves within your story (that's the subject of another post).