I had an ant problem in my house for a while and despite multiple visits from different pest control companies, the problem persisted.
Then Jay arrived to investigate the situation. Jay appeared experienced and confident in his work. He explained that ants are highly adaptive organisms capable of adjusting to nearly any chemical used against them. The most effective approach, he noted, is to vary the treatment to prevent them from developing resistance.
Jay illustrated his point with a simple analogy: just as the human body can become accustomed to taking a particular medicine for headaches, eventually reducing its effectiveness. Ants, too, adapt over time, requiring a change in strategy.
It struck me that consulting isn’t so different. We spend a lot of time trying to change behaviors and teach better practices, but we often rely on the same messenger, the same approach, and the same audience. Over time, repetition can lose its impact, causing listeners to tune out. To stay effective, we must keep reinventing how we communicate, not just what we communicate.
This is especially true with today’s younger workforce, many of whom face challenges like shorter attention spans, making it harder to stay fully engaged and absorb key messages. They also tend to reject the old-school “tough love” approach; the classic “You Suck” speech or the outdated management style of “Let the beatings continue until morale improves.” What they need is engagement, not intimidation. This younger workforce responds to respect, feedback that feels constructive, and leadership that treats them as partners in progress, not just employees.
We often confuse the value of knowledge with the effectiveness of its delivery. Most of us have heard the saying,
“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”
And while that’s true, even the best message can fall flat if it’s delivered by the wrong messenger.
Many successful people have realized they’re far more effective at crafting the message than delivering it. Communication, after all, has three key components: Content, Format, and Circulation. Most people excel at one or two, but rarely all three. Recognizing where your strengths lie and adjusting accordingly is far more productive than hoping for a sudden transformation.
The lesson here is simple: if your message isn’t getting through, it’s time to change the audience or change the messenger. You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. That’s
not persistence, that’s insanity. Real progress happens when you recognize it’s time to adjust; maybe that means finding a new way to connect, bringing in someone who can deliver it differently, or shifting who you’re talking to altogether. The point isn’t to abandon the message. It’s to make sure it lands where it matters.
Life is full of free lessons. All we need to do is listen, learn and apply.
