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’ve learned a valuable secret — your problem can only be solved in combination with some other problem in the world. What problem do you imagine it would be? How might your efforts change if you were working on both problems at once?
There’s a device that’s often used in sales pitches that combines the known with the unknown. “It’s like Star Wars but with surfers.” “It’s like Netflix for cats.” “It’s like Edible Arrangements but with broccoli.” The device works because not only does it force you to picture the new thing in your mind’s eye, but it also makes you briefly imagine that the world where it exists is not absurd.
The same thing happens when you try to imagine combining your problem with another problem. It makes you discard many of your assumptions about both problems and the world around them. This can help you see new connections that are useful even if you never decide to take on both problems at once.
HOW TO DO IT
Start by picking a single problem that you’re tackling. Don’t try to cheat on this exercise by picking two problems you already must solve simultaneously, like toddler safety and kitchen organization (yes, I may be writing this with a child underfoot). Just pick a single issue that keeps you up at night.
Next, start making a list of other problems in the world. Don’t think too hard about it — just read the news for five minutes or take a walk around the block and you’ll find plenty. Try to make the different items on the list as unrelated to each other or your problem as you can.
Now try combining your problem with the ones on your list. Since this idea can be a little abstract, I sometimes accelerate my thinking by imagining a disembodied narrator saying, “They were spectacularly successful, but only because they realized they had to solve X at the same time as Y.” Picture your future success and your mind will fill in the blanks.
Your problem probably isn’t a good fit with most of the items on your list, but connecting it with one of them probably made you think in a new way. Or perhaps reckoning with this list made you remember something you read about some other problem — just work with what excites you most. Once you’ve found one that feels right, start making a list of all the ways the two problems are connected.
Finally, turn your attention back to your original problem and reflect on what you have learned. What can you see about this problem that you didn’t see before? Could it help you imagine new solutions even if you don’t take on both problems at once?
CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE?
My friend Jeff Leitner once used this approach when our organization was trying to help corporate lawyers jump-start innovation in their industry. We came up with a whole list of other social problems for them to consider, including declining trust in institutions.
The lawyers imagined that they could help deal with this problem by more clearly explaining their fundamental values to their clients. This turned out to be a good idea anyway in a world where corporate clients were becoming skeptical of the need to retain big firms.
COOL, SO WHAT MAKES THIS WORK?
This question is an example of how to jump-start creative thinking about your problem using the parthood 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! You can also learn more by visiting http://www.teachingsocialchange.com.
This week’s illustration is a Creative Commons licensed photo from the Pacific Pinball Museum.