making your ideas “sticky”
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Making your ideas “sticky”. Paul Sewell NATO School Jan 17, 2013. Ever been inspired??. Knowledge is the ammunition we use every day. We are all knowledge workers. Raw data information knowledge. knowledge. We are all knowledge workers. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Making your ideas “sticky”
Paul SewellNATO School Jan 17, 2013
Ever been inspired??
Knowledge is the ammunition we use every day
We are all knowledge workers
Raw datainformationknowledge
knowledge
We are all knowledge workers
We each have a core message
We are more
effective when we
can communicate
our ‘message’
clearly and with impact
Agenda• Background of the “Made To Stick” (MTS) model
• Explain each of the model’s 6 principles
• Apply them to your final project and beyond
Background of the MTS model
Made To Stick principlesSUCCES
SimpleUnexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
= more sticky
CONFUSION IS THE ENEMY
The Curse of knowledge!!
The Curse of knowledge!!
• Use of jargon and special terminology
• Too abstract
• Unable to see beyond our own knowledge
Made To Stick principles
Simplicity
A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
S - Simple
• Essential first step
• What is your core message?
• How can you communicate this?
NEDP final project checklist What is the core of your project? Do you have one
main message or many?
Do you have a catchphrase or soundbite you can use?
Is your main message clear or is it buried in the text?
Simplicity
Unexpectedness SurpriseInterest=
• Call us NOW to find out how you can make $50,000 a month at home
• Coming right up...the facts about real estate your bank doesn’t want you to know
• Find out what you’re feeding your children thatis slowly poisoning them
Typical attention grabbers
Surprise grabs their attention
• Humour
• Violate people’s expectations
• Only temporary
Interest holds their attention
• Unravel the story using mystery & suspense
• Draws upon their curiousity
U - Unexpected• Create gaps in people’s knowledge
• Ask questions to evoke curiosity
• Unravel the story
NEDP final project checklist What questions can you pose that will keep the
audience engaged?
What pre-conceived ideas about your topic can you break?
Can you unravel your presentation in a way that keeps them engaged?
Concreteness
ConcreteAbstraction makes it harder to
understand an idea and remember it.
Beware the Curse of Knowledge.
C - Concrete
How can you take your topic area from the abstract to the concrete?
«Let’s work towards maximising our productivity by increasing efficiency
across many departments»
Kill two birds with one stone
C - Concrete
• Use concrete terms
• Give real examples
• Keep it culturally neutral
The tough general test
NEDP final project checklist Can you use a real-world example to explain the
importance of your data?
Can you use a metaphor to simplify the concepts?
What’s the common ground between your research and the audience?
Are there any areas in your work that suffer from the curse of knowledge?
Credibility
C - Credibility• Who is more credible? –3 star General or a Private?
• Consider the context
• What credibility do you have?
C - Credibility• Use your own expertise and credibility
• Use statistics & numbers but they must have context and meaning
• Importance of Leadership championing an idea
2.2.31
Why Lessons Learned?”There is no reason to send troops into the fight and get them killed when a lesson learned the month before could have been used for training.
We’re in the kind of war where an untrained man is a bigger threat to his shipmates than he is to the enemy.”
General Mattis
Former Supreme Allied Commander (Transformation)
Jan 2009
NEDP final project checklistWhat sources of credibility can you use to
highlight the importance of your project and/or solution?
What sources of credibility do you as a team have for this project?
Is there credibility in your data?
Emotions
If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.
Mother Teresa
E - Emotions• People care about people, not numbers
• WIIFY?
• We must make people feel something
• Put your information in human terms
NEDP final project checklistHow can you make people care about your
project?
How can you inspire your audience to take action?
What element of the NATO identity in the audience can you appeal to?
Stories
Stories
Stories are told and retold because they contain
wisdom.Sources of Power - Gary Klein
S - Story
• Stories are everywhere
• Story vs. SOP?
• What stories can you tell about you/your area of knowledge?
MoviesNovels
ConversationsReligious texts
Anecdotes
3 key plots• Challenge (to overcome obstacles)
• Connection (to get along or reconnect)
• Creativity (to inspire a new way of thinking)
NEDP final project checklistWhat stories can you tell in your
presentation?
Can you use a story or vignette to explain any of the concepts?
Can your presentation link up with any other larger NATO stories?
Quick TestSUCCES
SimpleUnexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
= more sticky
SUCCES helps people:SUCCES
SimpleUnexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
Pay attention
Understand, remember
Believe & agreeCare
Act
See the key message
Value of the MTS model• Limitless application• Consider each of your roles and their
influence
• Applying the principles–Visible everywhere–Start slow–Start with one principle and expand
Resources
Make an impression