This is Andrew Benedict-Nelson, social change strategist and innovation educator. Each week, I share a question that you and your organization can use to find a new perspective on the toughest problems you face. Reply to the e-mail or comment on the site and we can talk about them together!
NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S QUESTION…
Imagine you could clone a special individual, sharing his or her talents with organizations around the world. Who would you choose? What is so special about that individual that makes you want to share them with everybody? Are there any real-world opportunities to create this kind of change?
You’re walking through life feeling pretty confident about yourself, and then — wham! You meet a genius. Somebody who seems to have figured out the perfect approach to the problem you’ve been wrestling with for years. Someone who is not just one step ahead, but on a whole other floor. You wish your organization could have what they have.
Or maybe it’s not so dramatic. Perhaps there is an organization working on your social problem who does things entirely differently due to the influence of one person. Maybe there is someone with a unique combination of skills who makes one organization function in a way that no one else can. Or maybe you had a chance encounter with someone from a different profession who makes you say, “Wow, my field could use what you've got it.”
Whoever it is, it’s time to go full Multiplicity. Let’s see where it goes.
HOW TO DO IT
Pick your clone - Don’t worry about getting it perfect. The secret is that this exercise will work with almost anyone. But in general, you should let your curiosity be your guide. All of us get used to the type of people we encounter in our industry or profession. They shape our assumptions about how all people think and behave. When you find someone who disrupts those assumptions in any way, it’s a gift, even if you don’t quite know what it means. So don’t worry about having it all figured out in advance. [break] Note: one thing that does NOT work is cloning someone like Steve Jobs and saying, “Great, he will make us all rich and solve all our problems.” You should be looking at specific individual traits and how they might change your problem, not wishing your problem away.
Explain your rationale - Once your decision is solid, explain in as much detail as you can the particular traits that you wanted to clone to solve your problem. At this stage, you might find that your description is deviating a bit from the reality of your clone choice. For example, lots of people choose to do this exercise with Elon Musk, and someone will inevitably opine that Elon Musk is a jerk. I happen to agree, but I am more interested in what my client or student thinks Musk represents than his actual track record. For example, someone might say, “I wonder what our field would be like if we were more willing to bend the rules, like Elon Musk seems to do.”
Imagine the effects - Now you’ve got as much Steve or Elon or Janelle Monae or whoever as you want. You can distribute their talents throughout the world in whatever way will best solve your problem. Turn away from the actual cloning story for a moment and imagine what the actual effects would be. Would your problem be in the news more often? Would different types of people be attracted to your problem? Might there be downsides and risks to this new infusion of cloned talent? Do your best to tell a story about how the problem changes and might even be solved. If it helps, you might create a timeline of different phases that describe the change.
Name the norm - You will probably notice patterns in the changes you described. Those patterns point to a social norm or “unwritten rule” that your clones disrupted on the way to a solution. This rule is probably embedded in many of the communities of people currently working on or affected by the problem. There are probably some good reasons for it existing (or at least understandable ones). But once your clones are unleashed, the norm will be seriously challenged or impossible to maintain. The challenge to this norm is probably why you were attracted to your particular character to begin with.
Now challenge the norm (without being a mad scientist) - Of course clones are off the table. But seeing how your clones challenged assumptions and norms opens up new paths to change. Once you are aware of the norms holding you back, you will find many less radical ways to challenge them. But if you get discouraged, you can always ask yourself what Janelle Monae would do.
CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE?
Yes, this just happened to me. I was in a meeting with a group of nurses and other health care leaders where everyone admired the work one nurse executive had accomplished in her hospital. Several people during the meeting said things like, “Well the best solution would be to clone her, but since we can’t…” This happens every once in a while, and the nurse usually possesses some kind of unique quantitative acumen — statistics, informatics, or just a good head for business. But it would be short-sighted to say, “Great, we just need more nurses with MBAs.” More productive is looking at the norms that prevent nurses from using their existing quantitative skills to effect change in their field. And I’m happy to say I know some ambitious folks who are working to do just that!
SO WHAT MAKES THIS WORK?
This question is an example of how to generate creative solutions using the actors dynamic. It’s one of six innovation dynamics I help people master to improve their critical thinking and build strategies for social change. Reply to this e-mail with your answer to the question and I’ll let you know what I think! Or learn more by visiting http://www.teachingsocialchange.com.
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