Made To Stick: Book Review 2- The Curse of Knowledge (Mercury Return 2009)

There seems to be consensus that Made To Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath, has generated positive buzz and a bit of optimism for those wishing to improve their communication techniques. The book’s easy-to-follow and engaging storyline have propelled its popularity among a wide array of audiences, including businesses, nonprofits, teachers, and marketing executives. Although not everyone fully agrees with all of the book’s claims (e.g. nurturing creativity, simple core messaging for complex ideas), many agree that the Heath brothers have done an effective job at applying their psychology and business education backgrounds in producing the practical tools for use by a mass audience. The concept of the “Curse of Knowledge”, identified in the book as the archvillain of sticky ideas, resonated as the most important factor to consider if one is interested in “sticky” messaging.

Daniel Connolly, a doctoral student in the educational psychology program at Auburn University, heralds the book’s practical guidance for classroom integration. Connolly also makes note of the tendency for academics to lose their audience when attempting to communicate complex ideas. He states, “…Made to Stick is a helpful reminder that the tendency to be complex can sometimes allow others outside our field to outstrip our benefit to the teachers we are obligated to assist.”1 Dr. Lauchlan Mackinnon, a researcher, consultant, and analyst for businesses, shares Connolly’s assessment in which he believes the Heath brother’s “claimed contribution is not just in ostensibly identifying the characteristics of stickiness, it lies in helping you get beyond the blinkered vision of your own lens on the world to assess if your ideas will be sticky to others.”2 Both writers allude to the trap of getting lost in one’s own knowledge which the Heath brothers distinguish as the problem of communicating in “Answer stage” and the “Telling others stage.” Academics are highly susceptible to the “Curse of Knowledge” because of their rigorous training and expertise in a particular subject. But they are not alone in this regard.

Nonprofits and social entrepreneurs are running into a similar dilemma when trying to communicate their “silo-ed” ideas and concepts to the public. The fact that Chip and Dan Heath are writers for the print and online magazine FastCompany indicates that they had identified a need to reach out and influence their peers in the emerging social impact/entrepreneurship and nonprofit sector. In an article by USNews, Justin Ewers describes Made To Stick as, “…The Tipping Point for the How To Win Friends and Influence People set.”3 This statement calls attention to a distinction of audience: business and entrepreneurial types who have gravitated to the nonprofit sector. This also points to the potential for industry familiarity to haunt the communication styles of professionals who wish to engage a broader audience in order to promote and sell their messages. Aside from losing touch with clients and customers, business professionals can even get caught up in their MBA or other institutional training that they fail to reach their own employees. In a book review by Chuck Bartelt on the Philanthropy News Digest website, he mentions that “Businesses can’t even communicate their purpose to their own workers; in a recent poll of 23,000 employees, only 37 percent had a clear understanding of their employer’s mission.”4 The Curse of Knowledge exists across sectors, especially when those that require specialized training. The Heath brothers’ book managed to influence a diverse audience because they were able to identify this very core communication principle.

1 Connolly, D.J. (2008). Education Review. ISSN: 10945296. Retrieved from: http://edrev.asu.edu/reviews/rev687.htm
2 Mackinnon, L. (2007, March 22). Book Review: “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Message posted to http://www.think-differently.org/2007/03/book-review-made-to-stick-by-chip-heath.html
3 Ewers, J. (2007, January 21). Making It Stick : Your PowerPoint is a snooze. Your ideas are lame. But all is not lost. Use these tips to glue your ideas (and products) to the public. USNews. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/070121/29eestickiness.htm
4 Bartelt, C. (2007, March 20). Philanthropy News Digest: Off The Shelf. Message posted to http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/offtheshelf/ots.jhtml?id=173400092