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Take Your Time (Do It Right)
Every Tuesday, The Productive Disruptive delivers storytelling science, message makeovers, cultural commentary, and a little rebellious hope for anyone still stubborn enough to believe communication can change the world.
Dorian Johnson
February 10, 2026
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There’s a moment that happens in a lot of conversations.
You’re listening.
You’re trying(so very hard).
You’re open.
And then suddenly…
You’re lost.
Logistically lost.
Like:
Wait. How did we get here?
What are we talking about now?
Why does this matter to me?
But the person talking doesn’t notice.
They’re already three steps ahead of you.
Explaining.
Recommending.
Concluding.
So you nod.
You smile.
And mentally exit.
I’ve been thinking about this after reading Magic Words by Jonah Berger.
I use the teachings from his other book, “Contagious,” every day.
He notes that the most engaging stories don’t rush people at the beginning.
They orient first.
They build a base.
They help you understand the terrain before asking you to move.
And it hit me.
A lot of communication doesn’t fail because it’s wrong.
It fails because it starts too far ahead.
We drop people into the middle of the map
and act surprised when they can’t navigate.
Here’s the context we’re all swimming in, 2026 and beyond.
Our attention spans are stretched thin.
Which means our patience for being confused is even thinner.
We live in a world that constantly asks our brains to switch, scan, and decide.
So when something feels disorienting early on?
We don’t “push through.”
We just bounce away.
Because confusion feels like work with no guarantee of payoff.
So the brain cuts its losses.
What makes this tricky is that many of us are trying to be helpful.
We’re trying to be efficient.
Clear.
Concise.
Straight to the point.
But somewhere along the way…
We design messages for efficiency instead of orientation.
We prioritize getting information out
more than getting people oriented.
We skip the part where people get their footing.
And go straight to where we want them to land.
With no runway.
🧠 Story Science Side Note: Research on event segmentation shows that our brains naturally break stories into meaningful “chapters.”
The beginning of a story is where the brain figures out what kind of situation it’s in and what to expect next.
When that opening is rushed, the brain never builds a clear map.
Attention drops because the structure never formed.
Slow beginnings help the brain organize what follows.
Fast conclusions only work once the story has been oriented.
📝 Message Makeover:
Before
“You have 3 seconds to hook people.”
After
“You have 3 seconds to hook, but less than 30 seconds to help them not feel lost.
🛠️ The PHacilitator’s Corner:
Every message is a story.
Before you move it forward, slow the opening just enough to orient people.
Ask:
Is this story historical?
Situational?
Personal?
Systemic?
Add one sentence that answers that question.
That’s it.
Orientation first.
Progression second.