WII-FM - Tune In...

 WII-FM, Tune In...

Not sure if you've heard of the radio station that, at some level, plays in the background of all of our lives, the beat setting the tone for much of what we do. It's called WII on the FM dial...or, "What's In It For Me?" We often have that particular radio station playing in the background, acting as a filter that we evaluate inputs into our life with as a background beat. When we think about WII-FM, it's important to expand that thinking with your loved ones. This isn't a "be selfish" call to action, but rather an introspective look at the idea that this is occurring, being aware of it, and taking action.

Talking...or flying a broom is
a start.

Conveying to someone else what's in it for them is an important skill set that can take you far. I've had bosses and people in my life that will buy about any idea...if I can get them to think it is their idea in the first place...when they otherwise balk if it's someone else's idea. If you're a parent, you'll see this tendency in your two-year-old. Being able to "sell it" starts with tuning your antenna to ask yourself and then hear "what's in it for them" and then communicate that clearly. Part of identifying those pieces is practicing empathy or putting yourself in their shoes. In doing so, you can also begin to identify the gaps or reasons why they likely push back.

Christmas should have
the Grinch...or so we're
told.

In our two-year-old example, we'll get much further in convincing them they should take a nap if we can reason through why it'll benefit them...and address the FOMO (fear of missing out) worries of what grand adventures they'll miss while they're sleeping. With your boss at work, instead of "it'll be great for the bottom line" can get translated into "your unit will look wonderful if we do this since the bosses will recognize that we're really impacting the bottom line." This subtle difference helps us personalize the conversation...and we all appreciate the personalized note on a Christmas card over the generic "thank you" with the apathetic scrolled name on the inside.

Starting the ice biz...

Like anything else, we get better at this if we practice. Flipping the script so that you're asking "what's in it for them" and communicating that gets easier, more comfortable, and smoother as we work on it. Practicing with being conscious of yourself is a starting point, being aware of it gets the ball rolling. From there, you can start to ask yourself the "what's in it for them" question before you bring up an idea. After that, work on asking the question...and conveying it with your pitch for a particular item. Over time, this process becomes quicker and more automatic...before you know it you'll be that storied salesperson who "could sell ice to an Eskimo."

Spiderman learning from
the monkeys.

Don't misunderstand the intention of this post...it's not to create a master manipulating sociopath. Far from it, in the words of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility" and you've got to learn to use your honed superpowers for good. This means that asking yourself WII-FM before vacuuming the floor before your spouse gets home isn't to get some special favor...it's because you love them deeply and know that helping around the house is a meaningful gift you can give. At work or volunteering, using WII-FM reasoning and communication can help your organization become a bigger, and better concept of itself because we're getting away from "who gets the credit" and it's been said, "It's amazing what can get done when we don't care who gets the credit." Personally, I'd rather get it done...even if it has to be someone else's idea...than get it shot full of holes and be declared "dead on arrival" before we even start moving.

Take some time to start asking yourself, from the perspective of your loved ones and others in your circle, "WII-FM." From there, continue to work on win-win solutions that help your team address the task at hand. In our family, we try to work with our children to have the empathy to "see it" from their side. Think about this concept in your life for a few days, very intentionally, and see if it makes you a better communicator, spouse, parent, employee, and so forth.

With you in the arena, from ours to yours...Happy Trails!

Call to Action: 

• Pick out a couple of issues you've been wrestling with and ask "what's in it for me?" from their perspective.  Write down three items that you'll do to take action from their perspective.
• 1 - ___________________ 
• 2 - ___________________
• 3 - ___________________
• Discussion: Consider what you/your family could/would/should (level of commitment) and start/stop/sustain (action) in the next 30 days regarding seeing the world through "their" eyes.

Further Reading, Motivation, and References:

- Start With Why - by Simon Sinek