You Have a Fat Man Living Inside You: Using One Memorable Phrase in Employee Communication
Posted on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by Frank Roche
{Photo credit: Roboppy]
Last night at dinner, my 16-year-old son, Stephen, refused an extra serving of the main course and, instead, ate more salad. When my wife, Sheryl, asked him why, he said:
I have a fat man living inside me.
I cracked up. “You have a fat man living inside you” is what I’d say to my guys when they were younger teens and would tease me about not being able to eat mountains of food without becoming Man Mountain Frank. They could eat us out of house and home and not put on an ounce of body fat. So, I used to say, “Watch out, dudes. Someday you’ll be sitting around and your kids will be teasing you. And this phrase will come to mind: ‘You’ve got a fat man living inside you.’”
Use One Memorable Phrase If You Want Them to Remember
That Fat Man phrase is a running joke in our household. My guys have played sports and know how to eat right. Sheryl cooks great meals. But they remember.
What if I had said, “Remember to eat nutritious food”? Or, “Think about your portion control.” Or, “Your BMI will be substantially higher when you age and your basal metabolic rate decreases.”
Those three phrases are what too much employee communication sounds like. It’s overly wordy. Pretentious. Unmemorable.
If you want to communicate — really communicate — use one memorable phrase. And say it like you mean it.
Chris Ferdinandi – Renegade HR
Nov 3rd, 2009
Frank, that phrase has a healthy handful of the “sticky” elements identified in the book Made to Stick.
It’s unexpected – grabs their attention. It’s concrete. The imagery leaves no room for misinterpretation.
“Remember to eat nutritious food” is ambiguous – what’s your definition of nutritious? “There’s a fat man living inside you” is concrete.
It’s also a loaded phrase – filled with emotion. And it’s simple – not hard to remember a phrase that straightforward.
4 out of 6 on the sticky scale. Not bad at all, Frank!
Frank Roche
Nov 4th, 2009
My favorite business book, Chris. We always keep that in mind at our shop.
Bill Strahan
Nov 5th, 2009
Could not agree more.
P.S. it is easier to turn the killer phrase when you really care about what you are saying.
Frank Roche
Nov 5th, 2009
Caring. That, Bill, is gold. When you care, communication is real.
John Cerasani
Nov 9th, 2009
Great insight, I love it! Employee communications that people will actually read are easier said than done… Even the most creative will not be read by at least a small portion of the employees.