Sitting in my office in KwaZulu-Natal at this time of the year, sometimes it is difficult to stay focused. The intrusive, not-to-be-ignored sound of the purple-crested loerie, now known as the purple-crested turaco, disrupts my thoughts daily. To another bird, it must sound like a melodious mating call; whereas I find it an irritating barrage of cackling.
Which got me thinking about how we all ‘hear’ things differently. As professional communicators, our first challenge is to ‘land’ a message and get heard. It’s impossible to pay attention to every stimulus that hits our senses, so how do we decide what to hear and what to ignore?
Unsurprisingly, we don’t hear with our ears, it’s our brain that processes the sound waves. The Reticular Activating System (RAS) acts as a filter, selecting which sensory information is important and should be brought to our conscious awareness.
The RAS receives sensory input from the eyes, ears, and skin, filtering what is deemed important and sending it on to the cerebral cortex where conscious thoughts are processed.
The activated RAS helps us focus our attention on specific stimuli, allowing us to concentrate and learn. It filters the world through parameters shaped by existing beliefs and seeks information that validates these.
The ‘positive thinking’ movement believes it’s possible to ‘train’ your RAS. They contend that the RAS helps you see what you want to see and in doing so, influences your actions.
As a creator of messages, I’m more interested in leveraging knowledge of the RAS to help ‘land’ a message. We’ve all seen someone’s eyes glaze over when we’re talking – a sure sign the RAS gates are shut, locked and bolted. There must be ways to get in. I asked Google’s Gemini for some tips and outline a select few here:
- Grab attention with Novelty: The RAS is drawn to new and unexpected stimuli. Use surprising information, vivid imagery, or unusual approaches to capture attention.
- Personally Relevant Messaging Hits Home. Frame messages in a way that connects to the individual’s goals, values, or concerns. This makes the information more personally relevant and likely to be processed.
- Emotional Engagement through Positive Reinforcement: Positive emotions, such as joy, excitement, or gratitude, can significantly impact the RAS. Use stories, humour, or inspiring examples to evoke positive emotions.
- Social Proof through Peers and Experts: The RAS is influenced by social cues. Highlight how others have successfully made the desired behaviour change. Endorsements from respected figures or authorities can increase credibility and persuasiveness.
- Self-Reflection: Encourage individuals to reflect on their current behaviours and the impact they have on their lives.
The effective use of these tactics starts with an understanding of the audience which is often a problem when we talk ‘at’ people. I wish that loerie would make more of an effort to understand me. We are here to help you understand your audiences and get your messages heard.