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
What’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 is exactly 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’.