It was one of those moments where I could see an idea click straight away.
I was facilitating a development session for a client. I wanted to explore a point further, so I went on a short digression to introduce a model. Immediately I could see it was the right call, as the group members took it on. It wasn’t a new model for all of them, but it was a moment where they all considered using it in a new way.
From marketing to management
The model I introduced is deceptively simple, and it comes from the world of marketing and communication, but I’ve found it useful in all sorts of leadership and management situations, from giving feedback to developing strategies, designing training courses and planning for change.
It’s… Think, Feel, Do.
Or if you prefer alliteration and imagery: Head, Heart and Hands.
By using the think, feel and do model, you are encouraged to think about the outcomes you want.
From a change perspective, the aim is that you explore individual and group motivations, insights, desires and needs – and uncover the pain points, barriers and potential objections.
When it comes to giving feedback, use Think, Feel, Do to plan your comments. Think about what you want them to do as a result of the feedback and then shape everything so that they understand that both logically and emotionally. For example, your tone of voice, non-verbal communication and even the room setting needs to align with the words you are saying. And you need to edit those words so your message is clear and action-focused, not open to misinterpretation or diversion.
Think, Feel, Do is one of the most effective tools – for critical thinking, for communication, feedback and change – because it is so easy to apply. Obviously it is only the starting point, and it links into other ideas like Cialdini’s six principles of influence.
So, in the spirit of think, feel, do, I’m hoping that:
- You know what the Think, Feel, Do model is, how it works, and are convinced about how useful it could be.
- You feel supported and helped, and motivated to use the model.
- You will file this idea away, and use it the next time you are planning change, drafting communication or providing feedback.
