Repetition is a Good Thing to Repeat (and might even keep you from crashing a spacecraft)

 

We've heard it all before.  

I know!  I get it already!

You don't have to repeat yourself.  

Actually, yes, we do......

Whether you're a parent, a manager, or a college professor, we've heard similar things.  People don't like it when we repeat ourselves.  However, such reactions don't mean that repetition is a BAD thing.  In the same way that few children will voluntarily eat green vegetables, sometimes repetition is a way of ensuring that healthy, good-for-you content makes its way into the brains of our recipients. 

Why should we be repetitive?  The Rule of 7 suggests that people have to hear something seven times before recalling it (though a Microsoft study indicated the number can range from 6-20) (https://thefinancialbrand.com/42323/advertising-marketing-messages-effective-frequency/#:~:text=Some%20say%20repeating%20a%20message,6%20and%2020%20was%20best).  My rule of thumb for communications classes goes something like this: If you feel like you've said something too many times during a presentation, you've probably hit the mark. 

See?  Sometimes repetition is a good thing. 

My statements about repetition are not meant to imply that listeners lack intelligence or focus; indeed, it's just the way our brain works.  It's tough to imprint content from the short term memory (i.e. our computer RAM) to our long term memory (our hard drive).  Combine these natural challenges with an onslaught of sensory overload from media of every kind and we've got a scenario where key information gets lost in the haze.

Again, repetition to the rescue. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that it's impossible to go over an assignment with college students too many times or to make the directions too simple or linear. I recently had an entire class score poorly on a presentation assignment because they failed to read the scoring rubric which was both posted in the instructions...and which I sent out via e-mail the week the assignment was due. It was only after the students received their scores that some were interested in seeing the rubric.

The fault wasn't just theirs, however; I should have been more overt and direct in pointing out the rubric.  As a result, students were given a chance to resubmit...with the sting of a poor grade focusing their attention. Sometimes pain can be a powerful motivator to be more clear (and detail-oriented) in the future. Just look to the sky for an example on this point...

If you ever question if you should go over some key points again, consider the plight of a Lockheed Martin engineering team who, in 1999, made a mistake that caused the loss of a Mars orbiter worth $125 million dollars.  The source of the error?  The Lockheed team was measuring units in English, while NASA was using metric, causing the navigation calculations to be worthless (http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/).

How would you like to have been the project manager who said "we have this one covered...no sense going through the same information AGAIN"?  

Chances are that your lack of repetition isn't going to cost anyone millions of dollars, but the message about repetition is worth repeating.  Here are some simple ways to bring repetition into your daily life in a less annoying way. 

1. When doing presentations, delineate key points at specific sections and repeat them at the end.

2. If using Power Point or another slide program, bring key points to the screen at the beginning and end of sections.  

3. Bring up assignments or tasks at the beginning and end of sessions; don't assume that your staff or students wrote down what you directed at the start of your meeting. 

4. Emphasize key words or concepts to the point where YOU'RE tired of hearing them....remember the rule of 7. 

5.  Ask your audience to repeat key points aloud; vocalization will help them imprint key concepts on themselves.

6. When possible, follow up in writing (i.e. e-mail) to reinforce your points.

As a 47-year-old, I finally eat green vegetables voluntarily, but it took some doing (and more than a little repetition by my wife) to get me there.  Don't give up on making your key points stick, even if it annoys your audience just a little.  After all, repetition is worth repeating!