Why Visibility Matters in Stakeholder Conversations

Lately I have been thinking about visibility. Visibility is when something is easily seen and understood. It’s like a two-part equation. Where understanding is the multiplier.

During the energy crisis of the early 1970s, Dutch researchers found that some homeowners used 30% less energy than their neighbours. The homes in this neighbourhood were similar in size and the owners of these homes paid the same price for electricity.

The only difference was the location of the electricity meter. Electricity usage was much lower for homes where the meter was located in the hallway (in plain sight), compared with homes where the meter was located in the basement (and out of sight).

And, none of this would have mattered if the meters were not easy to read. Not easily understood.

In his latest book “Open Strategy”, Seth Godin includes this story under the heading “Where’s the meter?” I would add a follow-up question…”and is it easy to read?”

If visibility was an equation it would look like this:

Visibility = easily seen x easily understood

A couple of questions to consider before your next stakeholder conversation:

Which part of the visibility equation have you been focussing on?

What is something that you might not be seeing?

Robert