Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
It’s been said that 70-90% of project management is communication. So I was very interested when Patty Azzarello turned me on to a little book about communicating ideas called, ‘Made to Stick,’ by Chip and Dan Heath. The interest was justified.
This is one of the five best business books I’ve ever read. The Heath brothers take you on a wild romp through urban legends, advertising, and the mind’s jungle to tease out why some ideas “stick” with you and others don’t. Why is it that we remember the bathtub-ice-kidney-heist after hearing it one time, but can’t name the auto manufacturer in that TV commercial we’ve seen four times?
Because, Chip and Dan argue, the kidney heist is simple, unexpected, concrete, and emotional… They spend about 200 pages exploring these and other aspects of “sticky” messages while tying in some some remarkable research from academia.
Most importantly, they step you through the process of making your own messages more sticky. If this sounds like a marketing book, don’t be fooled: You will quickly find yourself applying this concepts to all kinds of communications… with your team… with your superiors… with everyone.
I was stunned by how dramatically ‘Made to Stick‘ “stuck” with me and actually improved by ability to communicate. Insanely recommended.
