Repeat yourself and speak clearly

My grandma is 83 years old and like most people her age, she doesn't hear as well as she once did. As a result, when I talk to her, I often have to repeat myself to get the message across. Her youthful heart and vibrant passion keep her from embracing the technology that could help her communicate more effectively. She's apprehensive about spending the money for hearing aids and fundamentally opposed to e-mail or other Internet-based forms of communicating because they're not very personal. My family always needs to be intentional about keeping her in the loop.

I would take an educated guess and say that most of you have similar stories with your parents or grandparents. Why am I bringing this up today? Because I think by understanding the simple steps necessary to engage in meaningful conversations with my grandma are the same as the principles needed to be effective in casting your vision or following your mission: repeat yourself and speak clearly.

Let me explain myself further on this idea...

Your mission needs to be clear and concise. It cannot be ambiguous. It needs to simply state what you're set out to do and why you're doing it. The trick is that you say all of that in words that are memorable so it can be understood and repeated.

You can never repeat your vision too much. No matter how much you've said it, there's always someone out there who hasn't gotten it. Or someone who's lost it. Or someone who knows it, but has yet to internalize it or own it. You can repeat yourself without being repetitive. Find creative ways to reinforce your vision that will compel and inspires others, and do it often.

I've seen too many organizations lose track of members because their vision wasn't stated enough. I've seen businesses fail after the vision didn't materialized because it wasn't talked about enough. I've been involved with groups for an extended period of time and never heard the direction the group desired to go. And I know coaches that have a difficult time reaching their athletes with their mission and vision, but they fail to recognize they're laying out their expectations clearly.

No one can hold onto any vision indefinitely without reinforcement and repetition. It doesn’t matter how compelling it is. Was any vision ever more compelling than the one Jesus laid out? Yet even he found the need to say it again.

In Matthew 19:24 NLT, Jesus starts by stating "I'll say it again..." Jesus knew he needed to repeat himself over and over

Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice!" Paul repeated himself and said it clearly. It was a simple and memorable. Rejoice!

Leaders often lose focus of their own vision because they don't take the time necessary to repeat it. Not only does repeating your vision compel others, it holds you accountable to what you're doing. I want my vision to ignite passion in the souls of my athletes and I want it to be constant reminder of why I do what I do.

If Jesus had to repeat himself, what makes us think that we don't need to? Repeat yourself and speak clearly.