Tell Me Seven Times. No – Make that Three.

In an online article, author Matthew Kirchner says (and this won’t be news to any of us) that attention spans are getting shorter. He writes, “Microsoft published a study that our attention spans had decreased by almost a third in the preceding 15 years, from 12 seconds to just eight. Goldfish, so we’re told, have an attention span of nine seconds, meaning that the little orange-scaled fella in my fishbowl might pay me better attention than will the average teammate, customer or supplier.”

Kirchner says he’s used a method that has worked for him for decades: he delivers important messages seven different times, seven different ways. He says he doesn’t always hit the seven mark, but every repetition increases the chances that he’ll be heard and understood.

What would that look like in your professional life? Usually, an important message or action item will come up first in a conversation. Most managers prefer that staff members take notes when discussing an important project or client. The notes are communication number two, so it’s important to make sure they’re correct. At the end of the meeting, ask that the participants read back their action items. That’s your chance to reinforce any details or dates and correct any errors of fact or assumption.

After the meeting, you can send out an email summarizing the project timeline and to-dos. Now we’re at three. A manager can also put key milestones or dates on the team’s calendars with reminders set for a couple of days before the due dates. That’s four, or five, if you count the reminders.

Regular project meetings and hallway check-ins are formal and informal ways to reinforce your message. All these methods work with a captive audience – your work team.

But it might feel like overkill in your personal life. In fact, there’s a clichéd and much-hated name for repeated reminders: nagging. How can you make sure things get done without being accused of nagging?

I recommend three methods: verbal, written and visual.

As in professional settings, to-dos or key messages in your personal life usually start in conversations. So it’s important to make sure you have the full attention of the person you’re communicating with. Whether it’s an adult or a child, a family member or contractor, you’ll need to communicate clearly and ask the other person to communicate back: confirm the details, add a suggestion, or make a commitment to a specific date. That way you’ll know the message was received.

I’m a big fan of to-do lists because they work. My husband and I sit down at least once a week to discuss our schedules. I usually create a list for each of us so we remember what we’ve committed to a few days after our discussion. Both of us enjoy checking items off our lists. Not gonna lie; sometimes it gets competitive. The written reminders serve as a way to measure progress, too.

Visual reminders are a third way to reinforce an important message. I pride myself on my focus and organization, but even I benefit from a visual reminder. I have a bright orange sticky note on my kitchen desk inbox that reminds me to bill a client every week – something I’d often overlook before I set this simple reminder.

If I have to remember to take something with me when I leave the house, I’ll leave it out in a place in the house where I can’t ignore it or forget it. It has saved me lots of frustration over the years. Visual cues are registered in a different place in your brain than verbal or written communication and it’s recognized faster. Neuroscientists tell us that both cognitively and emotionally, we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

I might use seven repetitions in the workplace, but three might be enough at home. What works for you?