John Cleese. Just the mention of the name makes the corners of my mouth start to curl up into a grin, much like when someone mentions Joe Pesci. (”How do you cook your grits? Do you like ‘em regular, creamy or al dente?”) John Cleese was indeed able to take the gift for humor that he used for many years, and made it transcend topics in such a way that it made learning more entertaining, and as Mick says, more memorable. How many readers on this site (mainly older, grizzled ones, like me) saw John Cleese and his band of Python co-conspirators in some particular skit 30 or more years ago — and haven’t seen it since — but still remember parts of it? The Ministry of Silly Walks. The Cheese Store. The Pet Store. The hedgehog searching for Dinsdale. And I could go on and on. Admittedly, I didn’t understand many of those segments, but they made me laugh, and I still remember them.

The key to those great Monty Python segments was the unexpected humor, the non sequiturs, much like the strip of duct tape that Dan describes … people know it’s there, because they can see it and feel it … but it’s not really there. Today, Cleese incorporates humor into training presentations … where common sense tells us it doesn’t belong! Incorporating that type of device in learning can truly make the learning memorable.

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Years ago, I watched a video presentation on meetings done by John Cleese Training, called Meetings, Bloody Meetings. (See: http://www.johncleesetraining.com/Meetings_Bloody_Meetings.htm). It was made in 1993, about the time I viewed it, and the content has stayed with me. Why should subject matter as mundane as meeting planning, preparation, pre-notification, control and summarization have remained a fresh part of my memory? Because in his wisdom, Cleese has determined that people will retain what they tie to emotional responses, including humor. Watching that helpless, hapless character be put on trial for the lousy way he managed his meetings, I connected with mistake after mistake and laughed my way to better meeting management.

Perhaps, that is the key to making a message sticky — one has to make it resonate with the person receiving the message — on an emotional level, as well an on an intellectual level. We remember what we love, what we hate, and what makes us laugh and cry. I prefer the laughing concept because crying in the office can be counter-productive with co-workers and customers.

Reach out and touch their hearts as well as their minds, and your messages will stick.

Mick

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