Two Notch Immersion Principle

“It doesn’t matter if you’ll never need calculus; you need to take it to learn to think in new ways.”

RJ Martoia, my dad.

Great leadership requires very good communication. This is no secret and has been stated in all the literature on the topic. There are two sides to the communication coin however. There is the “material I communicate” side and the “how well I verbally pass on the information” side. The material side is the focus of this little nugget.

Every communicator sooner or later (usually later) learns good communication down line or to teammates requires you having unusual clarity and command of your material. The 2 notch immersion principle says, to communicate well at a certain level requirees you to be conversant with the same material at least a couple notches above what you are passing on. Take an algebra teacher; algebra teacher training includes trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus training. Why? Because understanding two notches above gives deeper and greater insight into the fundamentals of what is being explained at the algebra level.

This approach to better communication requires some immersion in the topic if you really want to feel equipped and be prepared. This is true in almost every area of communication. Are you reading 2 notches up in theology and biblical material (you are going to be increasingly asked biblical and theological questions in our postmodern world)? Are you reading 2 notches ahead in how teams develop (you are starting to teach others how to develop teams aren’t you)? Here is the diagnostic question; where do I need clearer communication?

Start working toward that 2 notch higher mark.