Communicating Across Time Horizons
There was a time in my life when I sold life insurance. Well, to
be frank, I tried to sell life insurance. With little success.
And while I didn't sell any insurance, I did learn a thing or
two, and I'd like to explore one of them with you today - time
horizons.
Some of the prospective policyholders I met could visualize
themselves well into the future, say 20 or 30 years into the
future. They were obviously good prospects for life insurance.
Others focused more on the coming year or few years. To them,
something that might or might not happen 20 years ahead was a
pure abstraction with little relevance.
Now, let's put these perspectives into a communication context:
When you send or receive messages, do you factor in the time
horizon of the person who sent you a message or gets one from
you?
Let's consider an example that's similar to my experience. Say
you're trying to sell mutual funds to a new investor. You
enthusiastically point out the possibility of getting rich by
saving every month for perhaps 25 years. But the person across
the desk looks at you with a blank face. Perhaps he's thinking
to himself that the money could be used to pay down the loan on
his truck in three years instead of five, and then he could buy
a new one much sooner.
Or, consider the time horizons that involve communication
between managers and the people who report to them. Generally
speaking, the higher you are in a hierarchy, the further ahead
you're expected to look and anticipate.
So, how do you handle messages to people who have different time
horizons than you? First, be aware of the possibility that they
may exist. Ask a few probing questions that help you find
differences.
Second, use visualizations that help others imagine the future,
and how they'll fit into that picture. For example, companies
that sell retirement packages spend a lot of money trying to get
us to imagine ourselves basking in luxury on a tropical beach.
Third, don't just talk about that future time in an abstract
way. Personalize it by explaining how it will affect the person
you're addressing. Give that person a stake in the future you
foresee.
Fourth, get to that future time in steps, not in one big jump.
Don't ask a 25 year old to visualize where she'll be at age 65.
Instead, talk to her about the typical life styles at ages 35,
45, 55, and 65.
Finally, put the processes into reverse if someone else asks you
to visualize a time horizon that's unfamiliar. Ask yourself what
kind of assumptions and visions he brings to his scenario, and
adjust accordingly.
In summary, different time horizons can be a barrier to good
communication. To overcome these potential barriers you start by
first recognizing the possibility of their existence. If they do
exist you can use visualization, personalization, and a series
of time steps rather than one big jump.