Awards show
Who stands out in the world of your problem and what does that tell you?
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 that all of the people involved in your problem get together annually for an awards show. What might be the categories of the honors they would bestow? What people or organizations would receive them — maybe you? What do the categories and their winners tell you about your problem?
I have to admit I am a sucker for awards shows. I have many fond memories of watching the Oscars with my mom when I was a kid, even though I am sure I had seen almost none of the contenders.
In the absence of a strong preference about the winners, I remember thinking a lot about the categories. How was sound mixing different from sound editing? Why did the acting categories come in male and female but not the directing category? How exactly do you tell if someone is a supporting actor? And so forth.
Chances are you have participated in some group that has awards like this, even if they are just the “Most likely to succeed” pages from your high school yearbook. The categories of the awards tell us what the group considers to be worthy of acclaim. Nobody’s yearbook records who could do the gnarliest skateboard tricks, yet in another context that kid is royalty.
So now imagine that everyone involved in your problem is getting together to hand out awards. What might you learn about what they value? Let’s try it and find out:
HOW TO DO IT
First, you have to make your list of the various people and organizations involved in your problem. This can be a daunting task, so don't try to be comprehensive. Think about the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who hand out the Oscars. You don’t know most of their names, but you know in general what kind of people they are: writers, actors, producers, Hollywood folks. Try to come up with a similar level of detail for your problem.
At this point someone usually asks, “Do you mean everyone associated with the problem or just people on ‘my side?’” You can do it either way, as long as you are intentional about it. So for example, if Democratic and Republican legislators held their awards shows separately, they would probably have very different categories (like who has the most diverse district or who owns the most guns). But you could also imagine them coming together to vote on relatively apolitical categories like “Snazziest congressional office.”) Just pick one approach and stick to it — you can always try it again another way.
Now comes the fun part, making up the awards. Do people tied to your problem give a lot of PowerPoint presentations? That should be an award! Is there a lot of gossip in your profession? Invent a “best tea” award! Remember, your awards don’t necessarily have to be flattering in nature, since this is just happening in your head.
So who would get which awards? Are there obvious winners in the various categories? Would the group be sharply divided over the equivalent of "best picture”? Would the reputation of certain groups make it hard to win awards they otherwise deserve? Remember, you don't need to actually figure out who gets what, just let the drama unfold in your head.
Finally, reflect on everything you imagined. What does your awards show tell you about what these groups do and do not value? What niches are highly competitive and which ones are clearly dominated by one group? Are there categories that you wish the groups would recognize but that no one cares about but you? Reflect on all of this and consider what it teaches you about the people and organizations involved in your problem.
CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE?
Gladly. I once tried an exercise like this with an organization that was clearly dominant in their industry. They came up with a list of categories, but kept naming other organizations who would be more likely to win than them. In the end, the only award they imagined they could win was “biggest organization.”
On the one hand, the group found this pretty discouraging. On the other hand, they realized that since their size was their most distinguishing trait, they could attempt projects that other players in their space could not, effectively creating new categories for them to win.
COOL, SO WHAT MAKES THIS WORK?
This question is an example of how to jump-start creative thinking about your problem 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.
Photo by Marko Milivojevic