Stronger Connections and Achievements Through Superior Communication
Matthew L. Moseley is the author of “Ignition: Superior Communication Strategies for Creating Stronger Connections”
The book: “Ignition: Superior Communication Strategies for Creating Stronger Connections”
The author: Matthew L. Moseley, communications and media strategist
What was the moment when you came up with the idea for the book and what was the tipping point to where you committed to writing it?
I was asked to give a talk at Burning Man in 2015 about my work with the late journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, and how he turned journalism on its head by being a participant in the events of the day, and not just a spectator. He wasn’t just a passive observer, but engaged in the events and happenings around him. That talk became the kernel for the ‘Ignition’ book.
I spent the next six years exploring and writing about ways people can use communications to become engaged in the world around them. I wanted to give people the tools for how to frame issues, respond to a crisis, win the heart of a loved one, create better advertising, all in the service of creating stronger connections to be more successful in life and career.
What were big takeaways you most set out to deliver to the reader?
One of the great paradoxes that drove the book was: If we are more interconnected than ever before, where we can talk to people all over the world at the touch of a fingertip, then why are people so alone and feel so isolated?
People seem to feel disengaged and only know how to talk about themselves on social media. Especially during the pandemic, we seem to be losing the concept of ‘common good.’ Just look no further than the misbehavior on airlines. The world needs better communicators now more than ever.
But if communication is so important, on a personal level and in organizations, then why are people generally so bad at it?
‘Ignition’ provides readers with practical tools and skills to be better at expressing ideas, to be more successful in life and career.
I am particularly interested in how we move people to care. Through my life’s work on the frontlines of some big communication challenges, I’ve come up with a simple rule of thumb that we are only as successful in our life and work as our ability to communicate. The secret sauce of leadership is communication, and if leaders can’t create a vision or an organization, then how can we get people all on the same page and singing from the same script?
I wanted to deliver practicable tools and approaches for how to communicate better and more effectively.
I'm fascinated by the approach you took of using interviews with a wide variety of experts, including authors, fighter pilots, business leaders, politicians, and astrophysicists. How did you choose these professions to interview and what most surprised you, if anything, to learn from them in regards to communication?
I didn’t so much choose the people, as they chose me. They were all a part of my life and trajectory at some point. Our interviews were about the universal lessons and truths they imparted that can be thought of across all professions or situations. The book was a way to create a thread through all of my life experiences and what I’ve learned along the way.
What will readers be surprised to learn in your book?
On an intrinsic level, readers might be surprised that our ability to collaborate and communicate for a greater purpose and good is the hallmark of human advancement. This ability is the key to our social development and dominion on this planet. It may very well be one of our keys to future survival on this planet.
When cells don’t communicate properly it's called cancer; when spouses don’t communicate well it can lead to conflict and divorce; when nations don’t communicate, it causes aggression and war.
On a practical level, readers might be interested in learning how the profession of communications offers some surprisingly interesting opportunities, such as going behind the scenes for a famous journalist’s funeral where we blew his ashes out of a 157-foot tall pulsating dagger.
Let’s just say while the book tackles some very serious subjects, there are a lot of fascinating stories along the way. It might be choreographing a fine dining experience at the top restaurant in America, using rock stars and celebrities to get young people to vote or helping a national chain save its reputation after a gaffe goes viral.
I interview the creator of a global advertising campaign, a producer at Disney, and stir in observations from people like fighter pilots and astrophysicists to identify the universal principles of successful communication; why it matters and how to do it better.
Lastly, we can guarantee to make anyone a better communicator in 15 minutes. ‘Here’s how: …’
You write about What, Who and How when it comes to communication. Most people don't stop to think about how important these questions and their answers are to success. In your professional opinion, how can we teach ourselves to do this as a habit?
One of the universal truths about communication is the ability to plan for it. Opening your mouth to speak or answer a question shouldn’t just be an accident, though we see plenty of people who post first and think later.
Through my career I’ve seen how a simple formula can be used across nearly any communications challenge: from a global advertising campaign, a campaign for the White House, an effort to increase education funding or even to win the heart of a loved one.
We start by asking what we want: The ‘Why?’ If we are at Point A, where is Point B? This becomes our approach and from there we can create a road map of how to get there. This whole process can be on the back of the napkin over lunch, or it can range to a complex document of over a hundred pages. It all depends on the scope and how big the challenge is and what kind of resources are available.
After the goals have been identified, we know where we are and what we want: We ask three simple, but profound questions:
What are you saying? This is the messaging, talking points, fact sheets, speeches, work memos, websites, social media and any other communications, both external and internal. This is where you create the narrative and story arc. Identify the challengers, obstacles and opportunities. ‘What is your uniqueness?’ The whole history and context, research and polling is crystallized. ‘Why should people care?’ ‘What are the stakes?’ ‘What is the call to action?’
Who are you saying it to? The whole swath of Silicon Valley is aimed at targeting audiences and gathering data on our preferences. ‘Who are all those impacted by our decisions?’ ‘Who are all the sub audiences that influence the targets?’ ‘Who do they listen to? ‘What do they care about?’ ‘How can they be reached?’
Sometimes an audience might just be one person: maybe a judge, a certain elected official, or a nice woman you’d like to ask on a date.
How are you saying it? Identifying the various tactics and the specific activities that should move toward accomplishing our goal: advertising, coalitions, media relations, social media, demonstrations, art, music. There are a nearly infinite number of ways to express a thought or an idea and make it come alive in the public consciousness.
The answers to these three questions form a Communications Plan. The simple act of thinking about these questions, provides an efficient framework, clearer and more directed communication.
When the cameras are rolling or when the spotlight in a big meeting is on you, there is only one shot to get it absolutely correct. Anything less is a lost opportunity.
Ready. Set. Ignition.
“Ignition: Superior Communication Strategies for Creating Stronger Connections”
