Frustrating Game Lessons On Communication

Here’s a fun, I mean frustrating, party game to inflict on your friends and family:
One person taps the tune of a well-known song. Everyone else has to try to guess what it is.
Simple, right?
So what makes that frustrating?
Only the fact that it’s weirdly difficult.
Sure, you might pick a Christmas carol during late December. That might be easy. Any other song at any other time is a challenge.
The strange part is, when you’re tapping out a tune, it feels obvious. Of course they’ll get it. In fact, I’ve chosen something too easy…
Oh no, they’re not getting it.
But isn’t it obvious… ?
One of the many, many quirks of psychology is called the illusion of transparency. This game is a classic example of it. We hold the song in our head, with all the lyrics, tune and rhythm… and expect others to hear what we do with a fraction of that.
It’s clear to us, so we expect it to be clear to others.
There’s a metaphor here. It’s pretty obvious, so I’m sure you get it.
But just in case I’m suffering from the illusion of transparency myself…
A common mistake I see among strategic leaders is in thinking they’re clearer than they are.
They have a vision for a new way of operating.
They share that vision with the organisation.
What more could they possibly need to do?
Well… a lot more than that, that’s for sure.
I work in learning