“Just in time” communication

A single communication piece is really only effective at conveying one message or call to action – or, at most, two. Any more than that is asking too much of the audience.

More often than not, organizations first try to put in all the information they have, even if some of it’s six weeks or three months ahead of when the audience actually needs it, placing an unreasonable burden on the audience’s memory.

When trying to pare down the number of messages in a single communication, one key principle I come back to again and again is the idea of “just in time” communication. Every time I develop a communication piece, I ask, is this really the right time for this message?

Determining the right time for a message involves two parts:

• When does the audience need to use the information? and
• When are they ready to receive the information?

This past weekend I was in Niagara Falls with my family. We ate breakfast at a restaurant and, afterwards, my son had to go to the bathroom. It was a very long dining room, so I helped him find the bathroom way at the back of the place. On the door of both the men’s and women’s bathrooms was a notice: TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS. I knew my son’s need was urgent thanks to the long walk to get there, so I tried to scan the notice as quickly as possible. What did we need to know before we went in? Did we have to go all the way back to the front of the restaurant to get a key?

But the notice was just about how important cleanliness is to them and if customers notice a problem, a mess or missing toilet paper, they wanted us to tell staff.

As I waited for my son, I reflected on the placement of the notice and how it was a really great example of how not to communicate just in time. The purpose of the message is two-fold:

• It reinforces the restaurant’s commitment to their customer’s (bathroom) experience and
• It invites customers to keep the restaurant informed of any shortcomings so they can fix them as quickly as possible.

The information is not going to improve a customer’s actual experience. (Although a notice that a particular stall is out of toilet paper or a toilet is not working before they pull their pants down would definitely improve their experience!) So the customer doesn’t need it before they use the toilet. If their need for a bathroom is urgent, they definitely don’t need it before they get to the toilet – it just slows them down.

The right time, based on both when the customer needs the information and when they’re ready for it, is after a customer has relieved themselves and they’ve experienced most of what the bathroom has to offer (or not). So the right place was probably on the mirror, to be read while customers wash their hands. That would have been a much more effective placement.

Figuring out the right time for effective communication requires understanding both the communication’s purpose and the audience’s needs.