Making your ideas “sticky”

1. Making your ideas “sticky” • Paul SewellNATO School Jan 17, 2013

2. Ever been inspired??

3. Knowledge is the ammunition we use every day

4. We are all knowledge workers Raw datainformationknowledge knowledge

5. We are all knowledge workers We are more effective when we can communicate our ‘message’ clearly and with impact We each have a core message

6. 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

7. Background of the MTS model

8. Made To Stick principles  Simple • S • U • C • C • E • S Unexpected   Concrete  Credible  Emotional  = more sticky Story

9. CONFUSION IS THE ENEMY

10. The Curse of knowledge!!

11. The Curse of knowledge!! • Use of jargon and special terminology • Too abstract • Unable to see beyond our own knowledge

12. Made To Stick principles

13. Simplicity

14. 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

15. S - Simple • Essential first step • What is your core message? • How can you communicate this?

16. 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?

17. Simplicity Surprise Interest Unexpectedness =

18. Typical attention grabbers • 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

19. Surprise grabs their attention • Humour • Violate people’s expectations • Only temporary

20. Interest holds their attention • Unravel the story using mystery & suspense • Draws upon their curiousity

21. U - Unexpected • Create gaps in people’s knowledge • Ask questions to evoke curiosity • Unravel the story

22. 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?

23. Concreteness

24. Concrete Abstraction makes it harder to understand an idea and remember it. Beware the Curse of Knowledge.

25. C - Concrete «Let’s work towards maximising our productivity by increasing efficiency across many departments» Kill two birds with one stone How can you take your topic area from the abstract to the concrete?

26. C - Concrete • Use concrete terms • Give real examples • Keep it culturally neutral The tough general test

27. 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?

28. Credibility

29. C - Credibility • Who is more credible? • 3 star General or a Private? • Consider the context • What credibility do you have?

30. C - Credibility • Use your own expertise and credibility • Use statistics & numbers but they must have context and meaning • Importance of Leadership championing an idea

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 2.2.31

32. NEDP final project checklist • What 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?

33. Emotions

34. If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will. Mother Teresa

36. E - Emotions • People care about people, not numbers • WIIFY? • We must make people feel something • Put your information in human terms

37. NEDP final project checklist • How 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?

38. Stories

39. Stories Stories are told and retold because they contain wisdom. Sources of Power - Gary Klein

40. S - Story Movies Novels Conversations Religious texts Anecdotes • Stories are everywhere • Story vs. SOP? • What stories can you tell about you/your area of knowledge?

41. 3 key plots • Challenge (to overcome obstacles) • Connection (to get along or reconnect) • Creativity (to inspire a new way of thinking)

42. NEDP final project checklist • What 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?

43. Quick Test  Simple • S • U • C • C • E • S Unexpected   Concrete  Credible  Emotional  = more sticky Story

44. SUCCES helps people: See the key message Simple • S • U • C • C • E • S Unexpected Pay attention Concrete Understand, remember Credible Believe & agree Emotional Care Act Story

45. 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

46. Resources

47. Make an impression