Don’t Talk to Yourself

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Answers that seem obvious to us appear that way because of our perspective—everything we know about the subject and everything we have experienced. When we communicate our ideas, though, we need to consider not just what makes sense to us but what would make sense if we looked at the situation with a completely different background.

A presentation is the best expression of your ideas, not to an audience consisting of you, but to an audience that has never seen the world through your eyes.

Rettew Associates, an engineering firm in New York and Pennsylvania, surveys and plans parks, roadways, and developments.

In little more than a decade it has grown from a four-person operation to a company generating ten million dollars a year out of five separate divisions.

Founder George Rettew credits much of its success to bringing together different services under one roof. “If we can be the only firm a client has to deal with on a project, it makes life a little easier on them.”

Combining services is not without difficulty, though, since, as George notes, “geologists and engineers speak a different language and think differently.” To overcome those problems, both for the sake of his clients and to keep his different divisions functioning well, George puts great emphasis on communication. “We need to step back and listen to each other because there is a lot we can teach each other if we do this right.”

A study of consultants showed that 82 percent found studying an organization’s founding and long-term culture critical to improving their ability to successfully communicate innovations.