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Conversations on Careers and Professional LifeAuthor: Gregory Heller
Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, from the Foster School of Business office of MBA Career Management Host Gregory Heller has conversations with University of Washington and Foster School faculty, staff, alumni, executives, current MBA candidates and other experts relating to career development, planning, and resilience. If you're navigating a career change, pursuing your MBA, or looking to develop a resilient mindset to help you with your job search, this podcast may be for you! Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Education Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Engage First, Then Inform: A Better Way to Start Any Communication
Episode 11
Thursday, 20 November, 2025
On this episode I share a principle that shows up again and again in great communication but is often overlooked by professionals: you have to earn attention before you earn understanding. Too many presentations, meetings, and messages begin with dense context, background, or data. But audiences don't start in "information-processing mode." They start in attention mode — scanning for relevance. If the opening doesn't grab them, the content that follows doesn't land. The core idea of this episode is simple but transformative: Engage first. Then inform. Attention Is the Gatekeeper We live in a world of constant distraction. Phones buzz, inboxes refill, and meetings stack back-to-back. You can't assume your audience is ready to absorb information the moment you begin. That's why starting with engagement is essential. As the episode puts it, if the first thing your audience hears is a spreadsheet, a data table, or a wall of bullets, "their brains will tune out before the thinking begins." Engagement isn't entertainment — it's a form of cognitive kindness. It tells your audience: Stay with me. This matters. What Engagement Really Means Engagement doesn't require charisma or theatrics. Instead, it's about delivering an emotional or intellectual spark that primes the brain for meaning. In the episode, you highlight several practical ways to create that spark: Start with a story — even a single sentence can establish stakes or human connection. Lead with a recommendation — clarity itself is engaging. Share a surprising fact — novelty triggers curiosity. Pose a thought-provoking question — questions pull the audience mentally into the conversation. Create simple tension — the gap between "where things are" and "where things could be." These techniques aren't gimmicks. They are proven attention triggers that open the door for the logic and evidence that come next. Why Engagement Works The episode lays out the psychology clearly: engagement activates emotion, and emotion primes the brain for comprehension. This echoes Aristotle's frameworks — Pathos sets the stage for Logos. When your audience feels something — interest, tension, surprise — they become more open to understanding and retaining information. Engagement isn't a bonus. It's the bridge between attention and insight. Then Inform: Delivering the Content Once you've earned attention, now you can deliver the substance. The episode reinforces a familiar structure for this phase: Lead with the key recommendation Share the top supporting reasons Present only the evidence necessary to make the case Clarify implications, risks, or next steps Make a clear request or action This sequence works because the mind prefers clarity before detail, destination before map. Engagement at the start makes this structure even more powerful: the brain is now on board and ready to follow. Avoiding Gimmicks Importantly, the episode emphasizes what not to do. Engaging first is not about jokes, theatrics, or forced "TED-ification." The goal isn't to "perform." The goal is to help your audience stay with you long enough to understand you. Engagement is the runway. Information is the flight. Both matter, but one must come first. A Leadership Habit Professionals who learn to engage first don't just communicate more effectively — they lead more effectively. Audiences trust them faster, stay with them longer, and remember their message more clearly. Before your next email, meeting, or presentation, try asking: What's my hook? Why will this matter to my audience right now? What moment will pull them in before I deliver the data? If you start there, the rest of your communication will feel smoother, clearer, and more compelling. Because if you want people to listen, you have to earn their attention. Only then can you earn their understanding.
