We keep hearing about visual communication and how it is changing the way business communicate and heighten productivity. Now, all the mothers out there want to know if it will work at home. When the family is home after a long day of school and work and everyone gathers around the dinner table famished and thinking of a million things, they won’t be too inclined to listen or have the capability to retain information.
1. Image Impression:
Images have a lasting impression. Just think about how much children enjoy picture books. How images can change your mood or an atmosphere. Picture laughing babies and rainbows. Now, sharks during a rainy storm. You can use Viscom to deliver a lasting message from “I just want you to have a good day” to “Remember you have a doctor’s appointment today.” Try incorporating images in the messages you give: a tooth for dentist appointments, a soccer ball for game days, a bus for days you can’t pick up or a candle for date night. These can be on a designated blackboard in a communal space or a corkboard on the door. If the images are consistent and clear (from both the message initiator and receiver) the information stored as a picture will greatly improve retention.
2. Picture Policy
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and some would say that this claim is an understatement. Whether you believe it or not, I think it is realistic to say that an image can replace more than one word and even sentences at a time. Leaving a heart on the fridge with brownies waiting for a special someone on the inside says a lot more than just “I baked brownies and they are in the fridge,” it screams, “I love you!” and “Eat these brownies I baked for you!” Which is substantially different from a stop sign or a lock posted on the fridge, saying “Stay out! Don’t eat!” When you are out and you want the kids to behave, a simple pair of eyes in a noticeable place, like on the fridge, says, “I’m watching you” because just the thought of being watched has a substantial impact on behavior. Using Moderation Accessories of images all over the house can communicate the important messages (like stay out, don’t touch or keep clean) that might be easy for others to forget.
3. Lunchbox Litigations
The feeling of not being heard is painful. When you have something important for your children, spouse or whoever to remember, telling them over and over might not get through to them. I got this one from my friend who is a loving mother and wife to a son and husband who have the worst listening skills and retention. She leaves cartoon drawings in her boys’ lunches. This is not only a fun surprise like finding the toy in a Kinder egg but it also sends a message during their break time – where they are more relaxed and more likely to absorb meaning. This isn’t just a note, because reading may not be of interest during a break. These are pictures of dinner with grandma or a guy fixing the car to remind the receiver of future engagements.
4. Delegate Distractions
his last one is important. When you are bombarded with an overload of information, like your computer, you might overheat or need a reboot. Remember to use Viscom efficiently yourself. If the house is covered in pictograms and lunches are overflowing with paper strips of cartoons rather than food, you might risk the result of shutting down or shutting out these messages – and maybe even the repulsion of a homemade lunch! Strategize. Make sure to choose the important and concise messages. Designate one place for important messages so that everyone knows to check the whiteboard in the kitchen. Follow up on the information and make sure that it gets across instead of relying solely on Viscom.
Let’s face it. Families already have some hard time really listening and understanding each other, so any help will certainly be more then welcome. Viscomis an effective tool to communicate but it does not replace communication altogether! And when it comes to our loved ones, we should always try to make a greater effort to connect.
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