homes, homelessness and communicating

no-place-like-home-flee

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“It’s terrifying how quickly we can find homes in the hearts of others.

And equally as terrifying how quickly we become homeless when their hearts no longer have room for us.”

Michael Greywood

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So.

When I first saw this thought I didn’t think about personal relationships … I thought about countries and leaders and business leadership.

 

 

home-is-my-bodyIn particular … I thought about how we, individuals, invest in a business that has hired us … or a country as a patriot or citizen … and how we feel when their ‘hearts’ no longer have room for us.

 

The foundation of that thought is … well … that our country, and our business job I imagine, is our home. That may sound a little too personal but if you take a moment and think about it I would guess that thought is not farfetched.

And I am surprised more leaders don’t acknowledge and think of it this way.

And I am really surprised more leaders do not understand that people can feel this way.

 

Look.

It really is not a stretch to think this way. What the heck. It is a “to-market” business strategy … so why can’t business leadership people feel the inverse.

Starbucks had their third location strategy <business, home and somewhere else, i.e., Starbucks> which acknowledged that any time any person decided they would invest any significant amount of time parking their happy ass anywhere they would in some form or fashion start thinking about it in terms of ‘home characteristics.’ And … lo an behold … we people embraced the idea.

 

Regardless.

I will admit. I wish we would start thinking this way with regard to home and people and how they react to things.

 

Well.

At least I wish politicians and business leaders would start thinking this way. I assume they do not because, more often than not, in today’s’ world we seem to get stuck on the ‘one most simple message we can find to say’ strategy.

That messaging strategy, towards people, kind of combines ‘keep it simple stupid’ <i.e., treat people like they are stupid> and ‘focus’ <as if people cannot handle a multi faceted thought>.

And that is … well … just fucking stupid.

Just turn on the TV today and watch the news and you will see pundit after pundit lining up in front of the camera espousing some simplistic ‘this is the topic’ to talk about.

They are wrong. Dangerously wrong.

I say that because one of the first things you learn in the communications business is that the most powerful messaging is not emotional … nor is it rational … nor is it money … it is the combination  … we would call it ‘head, heart head-heart-wallet-home-message& wallet. ‘ If you own this combination, this version of a value proposition, you own the message and the message recipient by … well … providing the ultimate value to someone.

On a side note. I tend to believe we forget this lesson in the cacophony of online “this is what is most important” simplicity nonsense.

 

Anyway.

Sure.

You can appeal to someone emotionally.

Sure.

You can appeal to someone rationally.

Sure.

You can appeal to someone monetarily.

And, sure, that person can justify their decisions, actions and behavior based on the one aspect which originally appealed to them.

But.

There is no debate … if you appeal to someone’s head, heart & wallet you can be sure they will not have to justify anything … it will ‘just be right.’  In other words … they will truly be ‘home’ within that type of message <metaphorically ‘home’ is in the center of that nifty triangle I shared above>.

Now.

The moment you forget that is the moment you start flailing about on why people are dissatisfied with a country or business or “why isn’t our message being received” <and why are they angry>. And, look, if you accept what I am saying … I could then argue no one is truly angry … they just don’t feel ‘home’ and they want … well … home. That may sound philosophical but I would suggest that thought is more meaningful than the superficial tripe you are hearing at the moment about anger and anti-anything. People just want their frickin’ home.

I say that because, of course, now I see headlines shouting “it’s about the economy, stupid.”

 

Well.

As I just noted … it is and it isn’t. It surely is because that is ‘the wallet’ part of messaging. But I can’t sacrifice head & heart just to showcase the wallet benefit.

Here is simplistic truth.

Home is not just about where I hang my hat … it is where I rest my head, heart & wallet. Not only do I want someone to offer me a home where I can have it all I truly tangibly want a place where I can have it all.

 

idea unreasonble nuts workAnd it is ludicrous to me that anyone can suggest just one thing is more valuable then all three things.

And it is ludicrous to me that anyone can suggest I should build a message on one thing rather than all three.

Not to be redundant but it is ludicrous to not recognize that home … as in a country … as in a business … is made up of head, heart & wallet.

Any leader, business included, who does not recognize that, or decides that one is more important than the other two, is destined to be a crappy leader.

 

Yeah. I will admit.

I look around and see a shitload of crappy leaders. Well. At least from a communications and messaging standpoint.

It may very well be that one-on-one they get this whole head, heart and wallet thing … but publicly I hear a shitload of leaders who don’t get it. All they seem to do is follow the shiny object of the day.

 

Money & economy? Let’s talk wallet.

 

Values & hopes &social needs? Let’s talk heart.

 

Pragmatism & practicality? Let’s talk head.

 

It’s crazy. Just fucking crazy <and a little stupid> how this discussion takes place.

I will also admit as I think about who does get it that I am slightly amused that the three best songs I can think of with regard to home are sung by women <and yet it is mostly older men who lead countries and businesses>.

 

House of Hope by Toni Childs.

This House by Traci Spencer.

House that Built Me by Miranda Lambert.

 

All these songs suggest a home, a house, represents more than just money and more than just one person.

fly-homes-within-usHome represents a number of people and hopes and dreams and desires <possibly centered on what it all means to the individual>. Maybe not united in some simple way but stronger together rather than apart.

Stronger together when viewed through a lens of dreams and desires and hopes rather than all those things views as simply parts of a whole.

Stronger together when not divided in thought and when the place embraces the individual while not closing out the whole.

 

Yeah.

Sure.

Sometimes we can capture home as a person.

And it is maybe in that last thought our leaders could learn a little something … if home is a sometimes a person maybe the way to reach people is to think like a person <instead of some talking head who says what they think they should say because everyone is telling them it is the important thing to say>.

Yeah.

Sure.

Sometimes this is easier said than done.

leading young direction

But leadership is not simple and it surely demands something more than some simplistic message.

That said.

I have one simple last thought with regard to leading … okay … three things: head, heart & wallet.

If you, as a leader, recognize those things and how they represent ‘home’ and how terrified someone can be if you take what someone feels is ‘their home’ away from them … well … you cannot go wrong leading with that in mind.

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“Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you.

People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first. “

Steve Irwin

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Written by Bruce