Overcome negativity bias with communication: If it doesn’t feel like you’re saying it too much, you’re not saying it enough

My rowing coach has to be the most patient person in the world. At the start of every practice she describes the drills and conditioning we will do that day, how it will improve our rowing and why we are doing it at this point in our training.?

And then she repeats it – again and again and again.

She repeats it at least 3 times while we are stretching before practice.

She repeats it when we get on the water just before we are about to start.

And she repeats it as we go through practice.

It’s not that we rowers aren’t paying attention. It’s that we are not always paying attention to HER. We are preparing our bodies for the row. We are preparing our equipment for the row, we are visualizing how we will engage in the row. And, okay, we may be spacing out because it’s 5:30 am and still dark out.

With all of this going on, we need constant repetition of the plan to stay engaged in practice so it works as designed.

What would happen if she didn’t repeat herself? We rowers would fill in the missing information, often based on our own context and biases.?Practice would be chaotic and morale would be low.

In a work setting, we can think about the space between what is said and what is understood as “White Space.” People fill in the white space between a leader’s words almost automatically, because it gives them a sense of understanding, control, or security.?

Because people have a natural bias toward negativity, we usually fill in white space with narratives that are inaccurate, judgmental and not giving the leader the benefit of the doubt.?

When leaders repeat themselves, they can fill the white space with accurate, constructive and positive information instead of the negative narratives we are predisposed to.

One of my coaching instructors, Relly Nadler, Psy.D., who works with C-Suite leaders says:

“If you are not sick and tired of saying the same thing over and over again, you are not saying it enough.”??

If you want to be an AGILE leader who fills the white space with accurate, specific and optimistic information about opportunities Ebb Tide can help.?

Reach out to learn more

Ebb Tide develops AGILE leaders who are:

Adaptive

Goal Oriented

Have Integrity

Are Lifelong Learners

And Emotionally Intelligent