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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Bullseye Principle summary
David Lewis and G. Riley Mills
Mastering Intention-Based Communication to Collaborate, Execute, and Succeed
19 mins
Table of Contents
The Bullseye Principle
Summary of 6 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 6
We communicate to achieve specific objectives.
Picture the scene. Despite telling your teenage son countless times not to play ball in the house, you come home and find your favorite vase in pieces on the floor. What do you do? That’s right – you tell him off.
Or let’s say you’re a manager and one of your employees shows up late for the third day in a row. Again, you’re going to have to have a talk.
Hopefully they won’t just be idle words.
The key message in this blink is: We communicate to achieve specific objectives.
In both these scenarios, you’re communicating with the intention of changing another person’s actions. Put differently, you’re attempting to persuade. Persuasion is at the heart of communication, which can be defined as an intentional effort to alter someone’s mental state.
So here’s the million dollar question: What’s the most effective way to communicate and persuade others?
Let’s use a metaphor. Think of your message as an arrow. Like an archer, you’re aiming for the bullseye. This is the objective of your communication. Perhaps you want your son to understand the importance of respecting other people’s property, or your employees to know the importance of showing up on time.
When an archer misses the bullseye, she doesn’t blame the target. Every arrow that goes astray is the result of poor marksmanship. This is also true of communication. Whether you’re facilitating a meeting or giving a presentation, it’s your job to hit the bullseye with your audience.
Unfortunately, the business world is full of poor marksmen. Take a 2014 study published in Forbes. It found that 71 percent of employees don’t believe their bosses properly communicate what’s expected of them. The result? Unhappy workers. According to a 2017 Gallup poll, almost 70 percent of all employees in the US and 85 percent of the global workforce are “actively disengaged” from their jobs! Let that sink in for a moment.
These numbers should be a wake-up call for managers and leaders. If you want to avoid alienating your team, you need to start improving your communication skills. In the following blinks, we’ll explore some techniques to help you hit the bullseye every time.
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What is The Bullseye Principle about?
The Bullseye Principle (2018) is a practical guide to confident, clear communication in contemporary business settings. Covering everything from personal branding to inspiring others and running meetings effectively, these blinks will show you how to deliver your lines with style and win over your audience.
Best quote from The Bullseye Principle
The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. – Steve Jobs
—David Lewis and G. Riley Mills
Who should read The Bullseye Principle?
- Leaders looking to find their voice
- Public speakers with stage fright
- Interviewers and interviewees
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