Observation, Implication, Recommendation

While the debate in the Shaver household is ongoing as to who is the loudest on work calls (my amazing wife Emma vs. me), it’s safe to say after working a bedroom away from each other for the last 3 years Emma’s work impressions of me are spot on.

If you ask Emma to summarize my work persona she would say, “frameworks and lists of 3”.

Lucky you dear reader! This week’s post is a framework AND a list of 3 (jackpot).

For what it’s worth, Emm tells me it’s her favorite framework though and by now she’s heard them all.

You’re a bad communicator

Chances are you aren’t a good communicator.

Sorry, but it’s true.

I’m certainly prone to ramble and / or talk about the weather like the good MidWesterner that I am. Ask me about my least favorite day of the week and you’ll get a long monologue (it’s Tuesday).

That’s why when it’s game time and I need to ensure my message is coherent I use my favorite communication framework:

1. Observation

2. Implication

3. Recommendation

Tactics for clear communication

Tactically, the Observation, Implication, Recommendation (OIR) framework is a useful way to communicate clearly particularly if you’re speaking to a customer or senior leader.

Often leaders do a good job of hitting one or two of the items from the OIR framework, but the hat trick is needed in order to get your point across effectively.

Isn’t my observation enough on its own?

No, it’s not.

Never forget that 9 times out of 10 when you’re communicating with a senior stakeholder or a customer you are likely closer to the problem / more invested in your recommendation than they are.

That means you need to be crystal clear in your message.

Observation without Recommendation = Complaining

Observation without Implication = So what

Recommendation without Implication = Confusing

Don’t skip steps, use the full framework.

Observation

This is the one that most people get right. It’s often easy to dump an observation in someone’s lap and walk away, but that’s not leadership and that’s why all 3 components of the OIR framework are important.

When you look to make an observation it’s important to call out any context that’s needed in order for your audience to orient themselves to the problem and if you made assumptions to come to your observation, don’t hide them.

The truth is that in most contexts the observation on its own is the least interesting part of what you’re communicating. The key here is to provide context, speak clearly, and move on.

Observation example - When looking at the Mid-Market SDR team’s performance last month our conversion rate from connected calls to booked meetings was down by 19% leading to a drop in customer meetings.

Implication

When you get to the implication stage it’s time to slow down. Often leaders fly through this step and pivot straight to the recommendation, but they haven’t explicitly stated the problem or opportunity which comes from their observation.

I see this particularly when new leaders are presenting to more senior leaders for the first time. If you skip this step, there’s a chance your audience won’t care about the recommendation you make.

As a frontline leader it’s easy to forget just how knowledgeable you are about your business. Conversely, it’s easy to forget just how much context switching a more senior leader you’re speaking with will do today.

For these reasons, speaking plainly about the implication which your observation will have on the business is important.

Implication example - If this reduction in conversion from connected calls to booked meetings continues, it’s likely the Mid-Market team will miss our opportunity identification target for the month which means we need to revise our end of quarter revenue forecast.

Recommendation

Time to call your shot. We talked about it last week when Shackleton reminded us that leaders need to have courage, but part of being a leader means having an opinion.

The best leaders I’ve ever worked for aren’t afraid to take a stance. Sure, those strong convictions can be loosely held and you can change your mind if you learn something new, but you need to make a recommendation.

If you just bring an observation and implication but leave out the recommendation you are complaining and that’s not leading.

It is quite literally your job to make recommendations if you are a leader. So own it!

Trust that you’ve done the work, your thinking is clear, and that you have the domain expertise needed to add value.

Make a recommendation, and then shut your mouth. Create space for those around you to debate, it’s now your job to facilitate that discussion.

Recommendation example - I recommend that the Account Executives on the team devote 20% of their time over the next month to Cold Calling in order to make up for our reduced meeting volume.

Jedi communication moves

If you’re an adherent to Barbara Minto’s Pyramid Principle (the consultants have to come up with something good every now and then) you’ll recognize that the OIR framework actually goes against it, and you’re right.

If you’re just getting used to using OIR to communicate clearly start with the framework as it was originally presented: Observation, Implication, Recommendation.

However, as you get more comfortable you’ll realize that leading with your recommendation is a powerful way to communicate your point and ensure you don’t bury the lead.

Instead of a true inversion, my preferred way to communicate ideas using the OIR framework is to transform it to Recommendation, Observation, Implication (pretty cool that it also becomes ROI 💰).

Taking the examples we had earlier you would restructure it as:

“I recommend that the Account Executives on the Mid-Market team devote 20% of their time over the next month to Cold Calling (Recommendation) because our SDR team’s conversion rate from connected calls to booked meetings was down by 19% last month which led to a drop in overall customer meetings (Observation).

If this reduction in conversion from connected calls to booked meetings continues it’s likely the Mid-Market team will miss our opportunity identification target for the month which means we need to revise our end of quarter revenue forecast (Implication).”

Conclusion

Structure your thinking and communicate clearly by using the Observation, Implication, Recommendation framework.

The most important part of the framework is to ensure you include all 3 elements in your communication. As you get more comfortable with the framework experiment with the order of each pillar in order to find the approach that is most impactful for the audience you’re speaking to.

Sometimes, the correct approach is dictated by the audiences seniority or personal preference, but hit all 3 pillars and you’re on the right track.