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