152. It *is* the message (Condition #1: information medium)

There’s a quote I really like from an article called The Elements of Good Judgment by Sir Andrew Likierman in HBR back in January 2020. Also the article has a beautiful image at the top of what looks like a great gray owl with a super poofy face. Anyway, the quote reads: “As a director of a large listed company, I would get up to a million words to read ahead of a big meeting. Confronted with such a deluge, it’s tempting to skim and to remember only the material that confirms our beliefs. That’s why smart leaders demand quality rather than quantity in what gets to them.” There’s a lot about this quote that I like, but I also see an opportunity missed. It’s just taken as granted that board pre-reads will be, well, pre-READS. Sure, those pre-reads are usually no longer literal physical binders – intimidatingly huge ones, at that – but don’t you find it a bit strange that Mr. Likierman’s focus is only on the amount of information, and not the medium? I mean, I think we can confidently say that people like consuming information through all kinds of media, right? You’re listening to a podcast right now, for instance. Later, you might stream a video on Netflix or Disney or YouTube, or poke through Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. Maybe your team at work does most of its interaction through Slack instead of email or phone or text. Maybe you like looking at your calendar on your desktop computer more than on your phone. Maybe you’re reading the transcript of this podcast instead of listening to it. Anyway, the medium matters. Each of the media I’ve mentioned in this episode *COULD* be an element of your board packet. And all of them are better than a million words in PDF format.