Let’s start somewhere else. What is the logic behind Listmania?
Very often there isn’t one. But starting a note/blog/communication with ‘the 10 things that’, or similar, apparently is very good for the rankings. I have to confess I have followed this many times. Not by force of headline management. I do make lists, and I do publish them. So if you see rubbish, please shout.
But the non-logic logic I am talking about is the one that is simply fabricated around the same concept or idea, and sold as a clever list, which actually only an idiot can buy; a condition that ostensibly is unrelated to headline effectiveness management.
It goes likes this:
The 5 characteristics of successful managers are:
- They are punctual
- They arrive on time
- They are never late
- They are very conscious of time
- They attend meetings from the very beginning
How’s that for a successful full page ‘on management’ on a prestigious blog, of a prestigious business school of some sort? I’ve seen it.
Thesaurus-like list (mania) is a silly version of other things that pretend to be more serious. For example, a value system.
Imagine this:
Value = integrity
Behaviours = honesty, openness and candour
Value = openness
Behaviours = sincerity, integrity and honesty
Etc.
There is absolutely nothing in the above sentences about anything remotely operational, behavioural or otherwise. It is pure Thesaurus-management.
If you want openness, you’d better define what exactly it is that you want to see, and not to see, in real life, concrete, unequivocal, so I can understand what you want. And this is the first step to agree (if we have to) on how to go about creating a culture of openness. I know, harder than right-clicking on ‘synonymous’.
Would you like to comment?