A Model Communicator

It’s a long one this week and that’s because I’m explaining in full detail the best communication method I know. 

It’s called the MADE model and I’ve referred to it plenty of times but don't think I've ever described it in detail in a Top Tips.

That’s not because it’s difficult or complex, it’s not. It’s actually dead easy and simple. But in order to explain it and show it in a working context I feel it needs to be showcased within an example and that would take a while.

Well, now I’ve done that and my writing software thing tells me it’s a twelve minute read. Which is quite long. So pour yourself a cup of tea before reading, or maybe put it aside to return to a little later when you’ve got free time.

Either way, do please read it. And then start using the MADE model because honestly, it’s the best method for clear and effective communication I’ve come across.

The End Of The Line

I think I read about the MADE model in a book in Morden Library in 2001. Can’t remember the book or the author and can’t find any references online for the MADE model either but I definitely read it somewhere around then. 

You’ll have been in the situation when someone starts talking to you and they haven’t properly introduced what it is they are talking about.

It’s not clear whether they are requesting your time or knowledge, giving you a task, sharing vital information or just shooting the breeze.

All of a sudden all you know is that you are listening to lots of information, but you’re not sure why!

Your brain is working frantically, darting back and forth, trying to fathom out the relevance of this stuff you’re being told.

The MADE model I’m going to give you ensures that you will never be guilty of communicating like that. Using the MADE model means you will always be able to communicate clearly.

To illustrate the need for this model let me share a conversation I experienced.

It was a conversation that was time-consuming, confusing and ultimately pointless.

Yet it could have so easily been a fruitful conversation.

If the MADE model had been used.

Hey, Teacher

Back in the day I was an English teacher in a busy secondary school and was dashing along a corridor between lessons.

I needed to get to a classroom in a faraway part of the building next door so that I could cover another teacher’s lesson.

Amidst the busy flow of students, I spotted a colleague, moving in the opposite direction. They stopped me and began to talk at a furious pace.

THEM: “Hi, Iain! I’m so pleased I bumped into you! Have you got my mobile number? The thing is the Year 10 pupils love the whole camping and trekking thing so much. Oh, and it’s an early morning ferry, I know, but the whole weekend is such good fun. You’ll love it. Everyone gets so much out of it. You will too. D of E is a very special thing that our school does so well. McGuffy normally runs the Sunday section and there’s a huge breakfast at the port. Here’s my mobile number . . .”

I’m standing there thinking what do they want?

Meanwhile they’re still talking going  . . blah, blah, blah.

I was able to make an educated guess at what they wanted from me but I still didn’t have clarity on the situation.

I’d taken in a large amount of detail in a few short seconds yet I couldn’t employ that detail. I certainly wasn’t able to make any decisions based on what they were telling me.

Meanwhile, the full-on chaos of the corridor was rapidly slowing to a trickle of students and I was still far away from the classroom I needed to reach.

My colleague continued.

THEM: “ . . . so I was wondering would you be able to join our Duke of Edinburgh group this weekend? Mr. McGuffy has dropped out at the last minute and we desperately need someone that can come.”

Aha! Now I knew what they wanted.

This was the vital piece of information I could have done with at the start of the conversation.

They had finally offered up the key detail that would allow me to make a decision.

Are You Gonna Go My Way

At this point in a discussion, there are usually two paths to go down.

I had eventually learned that my colleague needed a favour and would like me to spend my weekend on a school trip. Fine.

I’d have been happy to help but the situation is that I already have plans for that weekend, so have to decline.

The upshot now is that, because of the confusing way I was asked, we have both wasted time in the corridor, we are both now late for our lessons.

In all honesty, I’m more than a little frustrated that I’ve been hijacked and bamboozled like this to no eventual purpose.

This sort of thing happens more often than we would like.

Let’s look at the second path.

In this second scenario I have learned the same information from my colleague, that they want a favour, but this in this parallel universe I am free at the weekend and would be willing to step in. Hurrah!

Does that now mean the information was communicated in a good way?

No! Not at all.

Although I now know what they want from me and that I can do it, I still need to re-hear all the information they gave to me in the first place, because now it will make sense.

I can listen to it within a context that makes sense in a way that it couldn’t possibly the first time around.

This sort of conversation goes on in organisations and the fallout can be very frustrating.

These conversations cost time, test patience and can easily cause frustration and resentment.

You Gotta Make It Happen

So let’s get down to the simple model I promised you and see how easily these communication problems can be prevented.

We’ve established the problem and I’ve given you a detailed example that illustrates how it can mess up communication and cause issues.

There’s a very simple communication model that helps to avoid problems like this.

It saves time and creates clarity around discussions, expectations and events.

The way to avoid this is to use the MADE Model. That’s M.A.D.E. And it looks like this:

M = Message 

A = Action 

D = Detail

E = Evidence

It’s very important that you use the MADE model in order. In fact it will only work if you use it in order.

The problems we’re trying to solve are actually created by using elements of the model out of order.

Some things work no matter which order you do them. Other things only work when they are in the right order. This is one of them.

In the example I shared, where my colleague gives me lots of disjointed information first what they’ve actually done is started on the ‘D’ in the model.

D is the . . . Detail

Starting with the D, the detail, is a common thing for people to do. You may well recognise that this is something you do. If so that’s good news. You’re about to improve your communications by a metric mile.

The problem is that I’m receiving detail first and I don’t yet know what to do with it. That’s the problem for the recipient or the audience.

Starting with detail confuses the listener because at this stage there is no context for the detail.

When people start communicating by giving lots of detail it is difficult for the listener to understand which element of information is important.

This is almost always confusing and can easily lead to frustration and mistakes.

Straight Up Now Tell Me

It is much better to start the conversation with ‘M’, the Message.

M – Message – tell them what the message is.

The message should be direct and straightforward. It should be short.

For my colleague in the corridor, it could be as simple as them saying to me:

THEM: “Hi I’m so glad I bumped into you. I need to ask a favour.”

At this stage, I would know that they want something from me. I can prepare my mind to receive a request. This simple message, the M, helps me to get ready for a clear ‘ask’ coming my way.

Now I’m primed to be told what their request is. I’m ready to know what they want me to do. I’m ready to hear how they want me to act.

A – Action – tell them what you want them to do. Action is the second step of the MADE model

They could have said: “Would you be able to join our Duke of Edinburgh trekking group this weekend?”

No further information. That simple question is clear and direct. I’m now in no doubt about what is being asked of me. I know immediately what the request is. They want a favour and this is the favour they want.

I think that people are often worried that they’ll sound rude or forceful if they come straight out with what they want, and so they will try and sugarcoat a request. That’s why they start with the detail.

They’ll soften the ‘ask’ by cloaking it in conversational detail yet not realise that at this stage of the process this is out of place and just confuses things.

See Land Begin To Clear

I should point out that we’re not being salespeople during this conversation. We’re not trying to ‘sell the sizzle’. That’s something else completely. The MADE model is not for sales. It’s for the effective communication of information.

What we’re trying to achieve is to have clear, explicit and efficient conversations.

We’re trying to transfer information as clearly and effectively as possible.

So here I am and I’ve been asked if I’ll help on school trip at the weekend.

Let’s go to those two possible paths again.

Path One. This is the situation where I can’t go on the school trip because I’ve got plans for the weekend. Well, in this scenario I can simply say:

“So sorry, I can’t help you. I’ve already got plans for the weekend. Thanks for asking and good luck finding someone.”

Both of us have absolute clarity about the situation and, crucially, neither of us have wasted any time or become confused by a flurry of, in the end, useless information.

We can both move on.

Notice that, as well as me not having had my time hijacked, my colleague has not wasted their time either. And they haven’t annoyed anybody!

What about path Two, the path where I am actually free at the weekend?

We’re both in the busy corridor and because of the MADE model and the first two steps being used in the correct order, I know what I’m being asked and when I’m needed. Hey, I am actually free, so at this stage, I mention that I could help. Hurrah again!

Of course, my mind now moves on to prepare for the other things I would need to know about the trip. Because we’ve communicated using the MADE Model I’m ready and primed for the Detail.

Tell Her About It

D – Detail – give them any relevant information

We’re both clear about what’s being asked and because of that, we’re both in a better position than before.

So we could continue the conversation in the corridor or perhaps we could arrange to catch up later at lunch, or the end of the day.

Without the confusion from the original back to front conversation, we’re able to think more clearly.

I could say “I’m free this weekend so I might be able to help. Shall we meet at lunch and you can fill me in a bit more?”

Isn’t that way of communicating so much more empowering for both parties?

Then, when we meet they can give me all of the relevant detail. That part of the conversation might go something like this:

THEM: “Yeah so the thing is we’ve had a last minute drop out and need a spare teacher so that the trip can go ahead. It’s an early start. The coach leaves from school at 6am so we can catch the ferry. Big old breakfast when we get to the other side, then trekking boots on and we’re away. It’s a great weekend and means so much to the Year 10s. You’d be a star if you could help us out. Back home by 10pm on the Sunday.”

Now, and only now, does the detail become useful and relevant. Bring on the D!

Before the M and the A all of that information was just going to be confusing.

That’s why detail should never be at the start of a conversation. Now, and I’ll say it again, only now, do I actually need the detail.

At this point, it makes sense and is actually vital to making sure I can carry out the action that followed the message

E's Are Good

The last piece of the jigsaw is the ‘E’, the Evidence.

E – Evidence in the model means any extra information that completes the picture.

Often it is back-up for the detail. In the conversation I had with my colleague the E (evidence) could simply look like this:

THEM: “That’s great. Thanks so much. Here’s the 500-page Health & Safety form that you’ll need to complete in triplicate. Here’s your ferry ticket and you’ll need to bring your passport too. Here’s my mobile number.”

Evidence can be a ticket, an invoice or a timetable. It could be an email attachment, a pair of boots or a business card.

Many times you might not actually need to go any further down the MADE model than detail, it’s very often just the MAD model in practice, but often there will be something extra to add and that is your evidence.

The MADE model is an elegant, easy to use and effective communication template.

Let’s go over those four steps of the MADE Model again.

In order they are: 

1. M – Message – tell them what the message is

2. A – Action – tell them what you want them to do 

3. D – Detail – give them any relevant information 

4. E – Evidence – give them any evidence they might need

It Looks Like We've MADE It To The End

I encourage people to use the MADE model in as many situations as possible.

It is ideal for:

- Issuing instructions 

- Delivering colleague appraisals 

- Drafting a letter

- Writing emails

- Calling a client with bad news (or good news!)

- Making a request

- Asking for help 

- Offering praise

It’s great for any sort of situation where you need to communicate information clearly, quickly and effectively. It avoids confusion.

Using the MADE model will help you to stand out from the crowd as a consistently great communicator.

So this weekend enjoy noticing where in the model you normally start and have fun crafting messages using MADE in the order I've outlined.

I do remember the book I read it in finished with a very cheesy sign off something like “Remember - Use MADE And You’ve Got It Made!” so that's where we're ending too.