- JD Solomon
- Dec 18, 2024
Big decisions require months or years to make, which makes communication associated with them a long game. The FINESSE fishbone diagram provides the seven essential elements for effective communication for big decisions. Playing on the theme of a fish, a fish’s top fin provides it with direction. Let’s explore the top fin of the FINESSE fishbone diagram.
The Data & Information Comes First
Big decisions take months or years to make, involve an inner circle of advisors, inevitably require some math, and evolve through levels of uncertainty. This makes the communication approach different than an impulse purchase or obtaining a vote on election day.
"Content is why you are having the meeting and why you are reading the report." – Edward Tufte
Unlike most communication training, which stresses the customer comes first, the data and information come first when it comes to big decisions.
You Get One Shot at Credibility
Big decisions require a constant churn of information sharing to an inner circle of trusted advisors. Over the long haul, the forum of some presentations will be different than others (i.e., finance, customer service, compliance).
You appear deceptive if you emphasize–or perhaps worse, de-emphasize–certain aspects for different audiences. Remember, it's a long game. You get one shot at credibility.
Complexity and Uncertainty Require the Long View
Big decisions are rich with complexity (multiple parts) and uncertainty (imperfect knowledge). This means that the relationships of the parts may change over time, and the data and information will change over time. All we know is what we know at any given point in time.
Bone 1: Frame
Frame includes key definitions, the problem statement, and the problem boundaries. Effective problem solving, decision making, and communication all share the frame as a foundational element.
“A problem well defined is a problem half solved.” - Charles Kettering
Framing determines which data and information is in and which is out.
Bone 2: Illustrate
Illustrate is about the many visuals available to make us more or less effective. There are a handful of essential visuals and a handful of troublesome (but common) ones. Illustrations include all the visuals and graphics we use to make our large data sets understandable to others.
“Graphical excellence is a matter of substance, of statistics, and of design.” - Edward Tufte
It is not by accident that two of his three words about visuals concern data and information, not artistic creativity.
Bone 3: Noise reduction
By their nature, issues with complexity and uncertainty introduce noise to many receivers. Keeping it simple is the best way to reduce noise while considering that a too-simple approach can create noise for some receivers.
“One person's data is another person's noise.” - K.C. Cole
The balance is in letting the data speak for itself. Present the data in a balanced and ethical manner regardless of the immediate audience to which you are trying to appeal.
What’s All of This Fin Stuff?
FINESSE is grounded in systems thinking and cause-and-effect relationships. The FINESSE fishbone diagram's elements (or bones) are Frame, Illustrate, Noise, Empathy, Structure, Synergy, and Ethics.
The Fins of FINESSE are positive and purposeful, even if originally unintended. While working on the visuals associated with the FINESSE fishbone diagram, we debated whether the skeleton should have fins or just bones. We chose the traditional depiction with just bones, but it created thought around the purpose of the fins.
The top fin of a fish, its dorsal fin, gives it direction.
The first three bones of FINESSE are all about data and information. Like the top fin of a fish, data and information provide the direction for technically trained professionals communicating about big decisions.
FIN-ESSE
The seven bones of the FINESSE fishbone diagram are necessary and sufficient for effective communication for big decisions. Like any system, the performance of each bone does not have to be perfect as long as each is addressed and all work together.
The Fins of FINESSE provide some helpful associations. The top fin, data and information, provides us with direction. Next, we'll discuss the bottom fin, the audience, which provides us with balance.
Founded by JD Solomon, Communicating with FINESSE is a not-for-profit community of technical professionals dedicated to being highly effective communicators and facilitators. Learn more about our publications, webinars, and workshops. Join the community for free.
