1, #91 - What? So What? Now What?

First, the name: "Action" refers to focusing on what people need to do, not what they need to know. "Mapping" refers to the visual way you can show how all the elements of the solution depend on each other.

What about this is important to you? How can I help to make this better for us? How would you like me to proceed? What is it that brought us into this situation? How can we solve this problem? What’s the objective? / What are we trying to accomplish here? How am I supposed to do that?

Behind “So what?” is “What does that have to do with me?” Let all your content answer that question.

I had a professor in college who returned our graded essays, walked up to the chalkboard, and wrote in huge letters: “SO WHAT?” She threw the piece of chalk down and said, “Ask yourself that every time you turn in a piece of writing.” It’s a lesson I never forgot.

We can avoid a situation like the one Bob found himself in by asking five key questions: What’s my firm conviction or belief? What do I want the person or people I’m communicating with to know? What do they believe? What do they need to know? What are they ready to hear at this particular time?