Lady Gaga, Marilyn Monroe, and Beyonce all understand the power of an alter ego.  More than just changing a name, an alter ego facilitates a desired shift in perspective that translates into a shift in results.

In an interview with ITN Music, Beyonce explains that she is natural, thought provoking and serious, while Sasha Fierce is who she is on stage when she is performing.  With a litany of awards and accolades, something must be working.

Seeking and understanding the voice of the customer is just the first step in a chain of communications required to deliver on their expectations.  The importance of operational definitions in data collection and analysis is instrumental to ensuring quality, and does not stop with the numbers themselves.  Rather, eliminating errors of communication is about creating a common platform and shared language.

Vagueness

One well known CEO has said, “When I say empowerment, I mean giving power to the employee, but the employee just hears blah, blah, blah.”  When the meaning of empowerment is vague, putting the concept into practice is difficult, and like the human beings we are, we choose to do the easy things first, leaving empowerment somewhere near the bottom of the list.  It’s no wonder that employees take a dismissive attitude.

Framing

It’s not just vagueness that is the problem, but framing.  Glacial melt and Formula One drivers have both been referred to with the word “fast”, a relative word that can be easily misinterpreted.  How fast is fast?  Without a clear, concise and shared meaning behind a word, phrase or label, miscommunication will take place.  Descriptors are relative, not absolute, and are based on the individual’s frame of reference that is constantly changing.

Three Traps

In today’s business world where jargon and catch phrases have become standard speak, it can be hard to identify and tougher to eliminate.  If anything, just makes clear definitions more crucial.  Without clear definitions, three traps occur: substitution, translation and reporting.

Substitution

Substitution occurs when, like good politicians, we answer questions we know how to answer instead of the ones we are asked.  While this seems shady, sometimes our brains pull this trick without our awareness.

Translation

Translation errors result from framing, bringing individual differences to the meanings we associate to words, sometimes irrespective of the dictionary.  When we are collaborating across generations, cultures and disciplines, translation errors are a real risk.

Reporting

Reporting errors occur for a number of reasons, and capture the delta between what we say we would do, and what we actually do.  While Women’s Health report that 66% would eat fruit in movie theaters if available, the reality is probably quite a bit smaller.

Avoiding Errors

Just ask Hamburger Helper.  Instead of relying on information contained on paper in a multitude of binders, the team circumvented errors of substitution, translation and reporting with first hand observation of the customer’s interactions with the product. 

Under the direction of Melissa Studzinski, they observed one customer who was mixing up the product while balancing one toddler on a hip.  She already knew that “convenience” was an important attribute, but observing this situation gave new insight into what the customer really needed.

“Predictability” was a common desired trait on surveys, yet, historically, General Mills presented new flavors, pasta shapes and packages to keep up the interest and novelty factor.  However, observing a harried mom with two toddlers while shopping, the realization of this effect dawned.  It just made things more difficult for moms to find what they already knew their kids would eat.

General Mills created huge cost savings and an increase in sales of 11% after a decade long slump.  As they demonstrated, the clear definitions are integral to streamlining a product, leaning out work processes and increasing quality. 

When in doubt, ask.  When possible, observe.  A dumb question is better than a stupid mistake, and a picture is worth a thousand words.

BP has leading experts formulating solutions, and is there a greenhorn (or many) in the room?  Just as a child was the one to point out the lack of clothes on the Emperor, greenhorns can be the key to sparking new ideas and unlocking innovation.

Would a truth team have saved the Gulf?  Since it is human nature to surround ourselves with people who validate our views of the world, have a tendency to avoid the conflict of disagreement and seek out information that confirms our ideas while we sternly hold onto a skewed perspective, leaders need truth teams to combat these liabilities.
To err is human, and two heads are better than one, as long as certain conditions apply, allowing the beautiful diversity of human beings to be the most powerful tickets to keeping human nature in check. While Abraham Lincoln stands as one of the few presidents who intentionally surrounded himself with people willing to disagree with him, this very act is contrary to human nature.  Instead we create echo chambers choosing others that agree with us, confirm what we already believe, and share similar backgrounds and perspectives.  Indeed, we need a few trusted naysayers to yank us back to reality when we get lost in our bubbles.