All over the world, people use analogies every single day. They are just a part of life and the language we use to communicate with the world around us. We do this to build connection with people, teach new concepts, and make ideas more relatable. Studies have shown that the use of analogies increases the retention of information from 42% to 75%.
When it comes to running a business and ensuring that every employee is on the same page, analogies are an effective way to turn complex situations and processes into easy-to-understand and digestible points and positions.
Understanding how and when to utilize analogies within your business can become a powerful tool that builds teams, simplifies the process of connecting with employees, increases employee retention, and can significantly impact time management and effective rollout of new processes and programs.
Authenticity and finding analogies and stories that resonate with your audience will help drive the effectiveness of this communication tool. Analogies work when used appropriately and should be used throughout all aspects of an enterprise.
Analogies are the way we naturally speak.
If you step back and look at how you communicate with your friends and family, you’ll quickly discover that you communicate using analogies naturally. They provide highly impactful ways to make a strong point in a simple to understand way, while also making your story relevant and relative. They work because they tie the known to the unknown; they weave history while extending a new bond; and they allow people to retell what they learned or how they applied new information.
So why wouldn’t you incorporate this strategy into the way you communicate with your employees? Taking the approach of simplifying how you explain your business’s complex processes allows your staff to comprehend your intended point more readily. This type of communication creates a team that is on the same page. When done effectively, companies adopt the analogies as a part of the culture and language when working within teams and across business functions. They become an abbreviated version to remind and align teams to a process, program, or goal.
Simple and to the point.
A business runs better when it simplifies its approach. The perfect analogy quickly gets to the point and paints a very clear picture of the desired outcome. Analogies can be drawn from all walks of life; sports, music, dating, family life, nature, and shared experience--in fact anything in which the recipient is able to immediately identify with the picture that is being painted.
Make it relatable.
It is important to match the appropriate analogy with the specific target audience. The perfect analogy for one group may fall completely flat on another group if it does not resonate with them. There is no point using baseball analogies to a CEO who has no interest in sports, as this will lead to even more confusion.
When explaining measuring success, a sales leader uses the following military analogy to explain the difference between tracking data and outcomes in measuring success: “Do we measure the success of the sniper by counting the the number of rounds used?"
While very few people are able to relate to the sniper, the analogy works well to illustrate succinctly the importance of defining and measuring success.
In another situation explaining the importance of maintaining focus, the analogy of the Magpie (renowned for its characteristic of being attracted to shiny things) helps to provide a visual image of something that is continually distracted and constantly looking for the next new thing.
When explaining the role of the sales lead in a complex bid or project, the use of the orchestra works well to illustrate the function of the sales lead as the conductor managing the individual musicians that come together as the orchestra, bringing in the differing elements when required with all playing to the same tune.
Create employee connection.
What we mean by this is that when you teach and empower your employees to communicate using analogies, you’re creating connection. This type of connection is one in which the person or people listening will more easily understand the impact on changes within your company and create a better understanding of complex concepts. Instead of standing in front of your staff and talking at them about some majorly convoluted process to get to where you’re at, try utilizing a simple analogy that they can all understand. Relationships, family, and more common subjects are great, but shy away from sports analogies because they may get lost on people who don’t understand the particular sport.
Keep employee retention high.
One of the most significant benefits of utilizing analogies in your company is that it tends to lead to a higher retention rate. When your employees better understand new concepts, they’re implemented more efficiently, and employees feel empowered.
Whether you’re currently using analogies to communicate within your company, or you’re new to the concept, be sure to find new ways to state things more simply and effectively. Discover for yourself how impactful this type of communication tool can be for your employees' productivity and retention.
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