Climate panic button is activated. Do you hear the sirens?

the panic button is activated by Roxanna Samii on Exposure

Who’s who on a typical day in the work place…..

10 am, team invited to a brainstorming meeting. 

Challenge statement put on the table. Team brainstorms.

Here is what happens next:

The “I know it all” person kicks off the conversation by eloquently sharing old wine in new bottle “ideas”. Everyone around the table listens politely without hearing what is being said.

The problem solver paves a pragmatic way forward, whilst the cautious person diligently puts on the table all the rules and regulations oblivious to the reality and the constraints.

The visionary speaks last and shares disruptive, ambitious and out-of-the-box ideas.

The room goes silent, as the team is processing what they just heard.

The “I know it all” person, continues to pitch the old wine in new bottle ideas. The problem solver can see the contours of the visionary’s proposition and outlines how the vision can be implemented. The cautious person goes back to the comfort of the rule book. The visionary keeps quiet.

After the meeting - the “I know it all” inundates everyone with emails reiterating the old wine in new bottle ideas.

The cautious person puts in writing all the things that cannot be done without offering solutions and a way forward, taking comfort in the rules - citing them by name and respective paragraph numbers.

The problem solver person figures out ways to pragmatically implement the vision.

The visionary keeps quiet giving the team time to internalize.

How familiar is the above scenario?

And how many of these stereotyped folks do you know?

I would bet, this is pretty familiar and you probably have come across these folks.

Here is what I’ve learnt from similar situations. 

As I matured, I learnt to listen very carefully to the visionaries around me. I learnt not to pass judgement. I learnt to internalize and try to visualize their vision. I learnt to give the benefit of the doubt. I learnt to try and bring their vision to life. I learnt that even if I did not see their vision at the very moment, if I applied myself, I would be able to see it - may be not immediately, but eventually I would. I learnt to trust these folks and their disruptive, out-of-the-box ideas. I learnt to go with their flow.

And this has had a win-win end result. Even when the idea did not work, it was a win-win, because it brought the team together and resulted in an excellent team building exercise where everyone learnt how to work and trust each other. When it worked - which is 9 times out of 10 - it end up being like watching fireworks on 4 July!!!! 

As I’ve matured, I’ve learnt to see the strength in diversity. As Michelle Obama once said, “Sameness brings more sameness”. We need diversity. This is not just in terms of sex, religion, sexual orientation and race - it is also in terms of personal characteristics and what people bring to the table.

I know, you are probably thinking that there are folks who bring little or nothing to the table. I am not sure this is an accurate statement. If you create a safe space and give folks a bit of gentle nudge, they may surprise you.

What I’ve learnt is that make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to share their idea. It goes without saying that we should not let any one person to dominate the conversation. So, to the “I know it all” person - next time you have the urge of being the first one to talk, pause…… Count until 20 - you’ll be surprised, as someone  other than you will take the floor and you get to first listen before sharing your ideas.

Also, remember, if at that very moment you do not have anything valuable to offer (and this can happen), there is nothing wrong to say “I need more time to think about it. Let me do so and get back to you.” And if you do so, pls take it literally and really think about it.

I’ve come across many cautious folks and trust me, their counsel and guidance is definitely valuable. They become truly an asset when they offer solutions and guidance to work our way through the red tape. They may end up being frustrating when they take comfort in the rule book and do not make a genuine effort to understand what is at stake.

The pragmatic nature of the problem solver makes them the natural fit for taking the situation at hand and making sure things work like a Swiss clockwork. This is why, willingly or not, they assume the control. And quite often this can work against them, as others may see them as ambitious or as the one who wants to impress and show off.

So, to these folks, make sure you involve everyone on team so that the “control” is shared. This way, you can give your best - continue to be pragmatic - get the work done without making enemies and have fun.

So, dear reader, if you have encountered similar situations, please share your experience. If you think the above scenario is a heresy, please share why you think so. At the end of the day we all strive to create a harmonious and non-complacent workplace. So, if there are behaviors that we can change to achieve this goal, why not do so.

Looking forward to your ideas, examples and more.

My take on the captivating “How Democracies Die”

Just finished reading the captivating How democracies die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

The authors, Professors of Government at Harvard University, through an engaging and informative narrative demonstrate how extreme polarization kills democracy.

As I was reading the book, I realized the wisdom in the statement: “the most effective coalitions are those that bring together groups with dissimilar - even opposing - views on many issues. They are built not among friends but among adversaries. History shows that it is possible to reconcile democracy with diversity.”

The authors put forward a fascinating four behavioral warning signs to spot an authoritarian leader.  They suggest if a leader shows one or more of these traits, he/she is a demagogue and an authoritarian:

• “rejects, in words or action, the democratic rule of game
• denies the legitimacy of opponents
• tolerates or encourages violence
• indicates a willingness to curtain the civil liberties of opponents, include the media”

Dare I say that the above four characteristics not only apply to a political leader (head of state/government, minister, party leader, politician, etc.) but also to anyone who is and/or claims to be a leader (CEO, commander, manager, boss, superior, etc.)

The authors make the case that “democracy is a shared enterprise and its fate depends on all us”. As such, they say PEOPLE and PEOPLE’s WILL are more powerful that the Constitution.

Rightfully so, they say “people are the first source of power, and the people can abolish a Constitution if they want to.”

Throughout history, people have been instrumental to topple governments and democracies. They’ve done so through peaceful marches, or violent revolutions. They’ve done so because they were fighting for a cause or because of resentment.

I am not going to pass any judgement on whether these causes  and/or resentments are right or wrong. What I have realized is that democracy is super fragile. And to make sure democracy stands the test of demagogues and authoritarian rulers, we need to invest in people and in education. 

I would like to believe that if people have a good sense of history, if people can tell apart propaganda from facts, if people are able to recognize the characteristics of authoritarian leaders, if people see the early warning signs of democratic norms being eroded, if people can see through the pseudo “economic crises, natural disasters, and especially security threats - wars, armed insurgencies, or terrorist attacks” which de facto allow autocrats to exercise authoritarian  measures and “do whatever they like”, then we would be able to safeguard our biggest gift - democracy.

Sadly, our societies have become so polarized, and this has led to eroding democratic norms, which means democracy can longer be taken for granted.

What we are left with, is to invest in people. Invest in raising awareness and building people’s understanding about the sacrosanct democratic norms and values. Invest in teaching people about the infinite benefits of living a democratic societies and cherishing diversity.

An open invitation from UN Environment Patron of Oceans, Lewis Pugh, to join him as he swims the length of the English Channel #TheLongSwim

Lewis Pugh, UN Environment’s Patron of the Oceans is the personification of inspiration. To raise awareness about the state of our oceans, Pugh has been swimming in the frigid and freezing waters of Arctic and Antarctica. He has been putting his life at risk to show the world the impact of climate change and the vital role our oceans play for humanity.

Over the years, he’s been asking governments to put an end to the rhetoric, roll-up their sleeves and create marine protected areas. In July 2018, Pugh will embark on his toughest swim so far – something that no one to date has done.

He’ll be swimming the full length of the English Channel some 560 kilometres, which he expects will take 50 days to complete. “We’re drowning in commitments ... it is high-time for action”, says a passionate Pugh.

Photo by: Kelvin Trautman 

“I am embarking on this swim to highlight importance of proper marine protected areas – areas where human activity such as fishing, drilling, shipping, gunnery practice and disrupting marine life is restricted and/or prohibited.”

UN Environment states that marine protected areas offer one of the best options to maintain our oceans’ health and avoid further degradation. They can be particularly effective when developed as part of a wider management solution. Pugh’s message to the UK is “you can do better and more!”

UK waters cover 750,000 square kilometers with only 7 square kilometre of these fully protected marine reserve. 

A crowdsourced swim 

Pugh has been training in the cold waters off South Africa for this swim.  A man of many “firsts”, he is crowdsourcing his Channel swim. “I want politicians, mums, children, businessmen and women, anyone to join me for any section of the swim.”

“There is nothing better than seeing the impact of our wrongdoing with your own two eyes”.

At the end of his daily 10 kilometre swim, Pugh will meet with local communities to discuss their challenges and opportunities. Each stop will be an opportunity to raise awareness and advocate for increased marine protected areas.

Surfers Against Sewage, a grass-roots organization engaged in cleaning up beaches in the UK with its 75,000 volunteers, will be amplifying Pugh’s message that “our oceans are in a real mess”.

“We must stop the plastic from entering our rivers and seas. And we must create a series of marine reserves around the UK”, says Pugh.

Become your own creative agency: The back-story of UN Environment’s #BeatPollution campaign

 Those of you in the creative space know that innovative ideas come to life in the most unexpected manner. You also know that to get the creative juice going, you need to first diverge to then converge.

The divergence stage is about putting ideas on the table and not being non-judgmental. And guess what, it is inevitably your very own people and those in the trenches who come up with brilliant and creative ideas.

This is the backstory of UN Environment’s #BeatPollution campaign.

One bright day, the boss asked us to come up with an engaging, public-facing campaign to raise awareness about various dimensions of pollution. With a small budget, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. And guess what, that was the beginning of many creative sessions and iterations that resulted in a citizen engagement with over 2 million commitments to #BeatPollution.

The campaign’s secret sauce 
Embracing and nurturing the power and beauty of internal resources definitely made the difference. From the get go, this was a totally “in-sourced” campaign. It was exclusively powered by the creative juice of our own colleagues.

They came up with #BeatPollution hashtag; they came up with the information architecture for the website; they came up with the gamification; they came up with the citizen commitments; they came up with the overall look and feel of the campaign; they designed and implemented the website; they created the compelling social copy; they crafted the engaging pollution-related stories; they developed the story board for the infographics; they developed the brand identity; they strategically made this a digital-first campaign; they intelligently used social media to push out the content; they created all the cool videos and shout-outs; they forged partnerships with other entities and organizations to amplify our messages; they worked with programme colleagues to get the facts and figures; they pitched the stories…….In a nutshell THEY were the CREATIVE AGENCY.

In-sourcing the creative process meant that we did not have to adopt someone else’s blueprint. It meant we did not break the bank; it meant project management was done through team work; it meant everyone took ownership of the project; it meant we could adopt an iterative process, it meant we could adjust and tweak the campaign based on metrics and audience feedback.

Our own elbow grease allowed us to have full-control over the campaign which put us in a vantage position to swiftly make the necessary changes and respond to new and unforeseen needs.

Lessons learnt
Next time you are embarking on a public-facing initiative, start at home-base, and look inside before venturing out.  Give your own folks the space and opportunity to unleash their creative juice. You will end up with a super sleek product which everyone owns, you will not break the bank, you’ll boost morale, you’ll create an opportunity for cross-functional interaction and team work and most importantly you’ll end up giving an immense job satisfaction to your very own people.

Become your own creative agency and sharpen the skillset of your own folks by challenging and exposing them to uncharted territories.

If you happen to be a one-man band, do not despair. Remember you are not alone. There are many creative folks in the UN Social 500 network who are willing and able to act as your creative agency. What you need to do, is just reach out. You’ll definitely find an extended hand on the other side that can help you with your campaign!!!!

Good luck and make sure you visit beatpollution.org and make your commitment to #BeatPollution

---

This blogpost first appeared on UN Social 500

Celebrating life and paying gratitude

Today, I want to celebrate life... Today, I want to cherish all good memories....

Today I want to learn from painful memories..... Today, I do not want to put off something for tomorrow, rather just do it.

Today, tomorrow for all the days to come, I want to live each day as if there is no tomorrow.

Today, I want to celebrate life.

Today, I want to celebrate the special moments in life.

Today, I want to say thank you to what I have.

Today, I want to celebrate the lessons learnt from my achievements and my failures.

Today I want to celebrate the many people I've crossed path with.

Today I want to celebrate my vulnerabilities.

Today, I want to celebrate the many journeys to come.

Suffering From The ‘Curse Of Knowledge’?

Take a dose of story telling, write from your heart, and adopt the inverted pyramid.

If you had a choice between reading an engineering and hydraulic account of the construction of Three Gorges Dam in China – which is the largest dam in the world – or Arundhyati Roy’s “The cost of living” – which is about the impact of infrastructure projects on people’s lives in the subcontinent, which one would you opt for?

My bet is that if you are not an engineer or hydraulic specialist, you would probably pick up Roy’s book. And this is because Roy’s account is a story about how infrastructures such as dams can positively or negatively impact people’s lives. It’s because while peppered with relevant facts, figures, and historical accounts, it is about real people – it has a plot, it has a hero, a villain, a turning point and a call to action. And this is why it makes it a compelling read.

As development workers, while we excel in writing concept notes, progress reports, case studies, we struggle to unpack the impact of our work in form of compelling stories. This is because we suffer from a chronic disease called the curse of knowledge.

Colin Camerer, George Loewenstein and Martin Weber coined the term “Curse of Knowledge” and described it as the “cardinal sin of finding it hard to imagine that others do not know what you know”. It is when we’re unable to recreate what we know in someone else’s state of mind.

Steve Pinker, Harvard cognitive scientist says, “Anyone who wants to lift the curse of knowledge must first appreciate what a devilish curse it is. Like a drunk who is too impaired to realize that he is too impaired to drive, we do not notice the curse because the curse prevents us from noticing it.”

He then continues to explain, “I think the curse of knowledge is the chief contributor to opaque writing”. “It simply doesn’t occur to the writer that readers haven’t learned their jargon, don’t seem to know the intermediate steps that seem to them to be too obvious to mention, and can’t visualize a scene currently in the writer’s mind’s eye. And so the writer doesn’t bother to explain the jargon, or spell out the logic, or supply the concrete details — even when writing for professional peers.”

The good news is that if you are open-minded enough to acknowledge you are suffering from the curse of knowledge, there is a cure for it.

And the cure is pretty straightforward: simplify your “complex reality” by creating a common picture which everyone can relate to. Tell human and impact stories featuring real people. Use metaphors and analogies. Know your audience and make your content relevant to them by catering to what they need and want.

For example, if you are writing for a policy maker, have a strong call to action; if you are writing for the general public, tell a compelling story that touches both their heart and head, a story that is inspiring, raises awareness, has a message of hope and a call to action.

Make your story fun and shareable. Be direct and write your story in a way so that your reader has an “aha” moment.

Below are a few tips on how to go about writing a compelling story. Let’s not forget that a story is different from a report.

• Use the inverted pyramid paradigm
• Tell the story from the heart, showing impact of the activity on people’s lives
• Write with passion
• Craft catchy titles
• Use quotes
• Write short and simple sentences
• Use headings and subheadings
• Write maximum 500-800 words
• Stories are not reports
• Complement stories with pictures and captions
• Make sure your message is clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent and complete.

When you reach the point of sacrificing, without too much grief, your darlings – or your jargon and insider language – that is when you can consider yourself cured of the invasive “curse of knowledge” disease.

If you are amongst the brave ones out there willing to embrace “curse of knowledge rehab” and adopt story telling paradigm while at the same time sacrificing the intrusive darlings – keep track of your progress and share it with the rest of the community.

May the force be with you!!!

---

I am writing a series of guest blogs for @unsocial500 on how to boost engagement on social media. The purpose of the series is to share best practices and tips. The above blogpost first appeared on UN Social 500 site. If there is a specific topic you want more information and guidance on, please let me know so that I can put it in the pipeline :)

---