Say the Obvious Thing

Too often people don’t say it out loud. That thought, that connection they just made, the idea that just surfaced. Because they assume that if they’re thinking it, it’s obvious. It doesn’t need to be said. Everyone in the room must’ve already gotten there.

They haven’t. 

When you say (what seems to you) the obvious thing, you might find you’ve made connections no one else thought of.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of connecting with amazing people all over the world through Akimbo’s Real Skills Conference. (Founded by Seth Godin, I see Akimbo as an expansion of the altMBA movement I joined back in 2016) The Akimbo team defines real skills as what most in the business world previously deemed soft skills -- people skills, emotional intelligence, basically the things that make us real people who do real work.

As I listened to the real skills people were there to strengthen, I connected some dots in a way I could’ve decided were obvious. And chosen not to say.

“I want to be more productive.” (That’s about focus.) “I want to follow through on my plans and commitments.” (That’s about focus.) “I want to honor my own thoughts.”  (That’s about focus -- what we choose to focus on and how.) “I want to practice active listening.” (That’s about focus -- choosing to focus on the other person over our internal monologue.) “I want to excel at succinct storytelling.” (That’s about focus -- developing and setting a focus before you start speaking and maintaining it.)

I could’ve chosen not to say it. I could’ve assumed everyone saw what I saw. And stayed quiet. But I didn’t. And by saying it out loud, I realized I might’ve been the only one who connected these seemingly disparate goals into this one theme. I believe in being a contribution wherever I am (one of many things I took from the altMBA), so I hope this contributed to the conference conversation. 

Sometimes saying the obvious thing builds connections between people because it’s the obvious thing to people like you who think things like that.

I’ve been thinking lately about the people I’ve seen build the biggest, most engaged followings for themselves. At least in my marketing world. The people who I see post on Twitter or LinkedIn things that make me immediately go...yes, that!

Those -yes, that!- moments are always things I already know or agree with. They’re not things that challenge or reframe my thinking.

Does this mean that the only way to build the biggest, most engaged following is to say the obvious thing? Or to only ever say the obvious thing? 

I’m not sure. 

But it’s definitely a path to connecting with people where they are.

So. Say the obvious thing. See what happens. Repeat.