Show, Don’t Tell: How to Multiply Your Chances of Changing People's Minds
Many years ago, I was tasked with leading the engineering team in charge of the re-architecture of the delivery experience in the Uber Eats Eater App. It was a very bold project, spanning over mobile and a number of critical backend services.
I was excited about the opportunity, but there was a little wrinkle in the plan. In typical Uber fashion, we were given 3 weeks to complete the project.
My first reaction was: “Wow that’s ambitious, I’m not sure we can deliver in such a short amount of time”. But that didn’t seem to concern, nor convince the leadership team.
I wasn’t able to influence my leadership team to change the deadline until I sat down and created a massive spreadsheet breaking down the work and assigning estimates. I used the spreadsheet to show people that 3 weeks wasn’t going to be enough, which helped me negotiate for more time and resources.
The principle that made the difference between the two approaches is: “Show, don’t tell”.
In today’s article we’re tackling:
What is “Show, don’t tell” and how does it work?
🔐 How to apply “Show, don’t tell” in your day-to-day work (paid subscribers)
🔐 “Show, don’t tell” also means “Leading by example” (paid subscribers)
What is “Show, don’t tell” and how does it work?
“Show, don’t tell” is a storytelling technique in which you aim to tell the story through sensory details and actions, rather than exposition.
“Show, don’t tell” is more than an excellent writing technique, it’s also a very effective communication principle that can be used in work contexts to be more persuasive.
The Russian novelist Anton Checkhov explains it best:
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass”.
“Show, don’t tell” works for storytelling and persuasion the same way:
it takes the conversation from the abstract realm, into the more tangible one
it helps your audience tune in by engaging their imagination and/or different senses.
It’s all about capturing your audience’s attention.
When you're trying to get buy-in for your ideas, especially in a team setting, showing rather than just telling can be incredibly effective.
