Show and Tell. Not the Other Way Around.

"Who you are shouts so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I was in elementary school when I proudly hoisted the cage for all my classmates to see. They crowded around, excited to peer through the glass. After providing just the right amount of time for my audience to “ohhhh and ahhhh,” like a circus ringmaster I barked, "His name is Igor. He's a chameleon and eats crickets!"

I was taking part in one of the greatest community events of all time: Show and Tell. Why is Show and Tell so popular and engaging? It aligns with our human condition. Show me, and then tell me; visual example first, verbal explanation second. 

Our present day adult workplace could learn a lesson from Show and Tell. All too frequently we get this process backwards.

Leaders often default to telling their direct reports what to do and how to behave without first showing them what that looks like (modeling). Companies invest millions in telling us why they’re the greatest when they could save millions just by demonstrating their greatness.

Show first. Then tell. Let that be your credo. It's a time tested formula to engage both your followers and customers.

Leave your comments:Where in your life might you do a better job of showing first and telling later?