In my previous article, I drew a parallel between the improv structure Finding the Game and the Heath brothers’ observation (in their book Switch) that effective change efforts require focusing people on specific, concrete actions. “Reach for 1% milk” is thus a much clearer call to action than “Eat healthier” (and more grammatical, too).
To bring all of this full circle, I’d like to refer to one of my earliest articles in The Daily Improviser blog, in which I discussed the Heath brothers’ previous book, Made to Stick.
In Made to Stick, the Heaths tell how to create “sticky” messages – that is, messages that are memorable, understood, and likely to inspire people to take action. The first step in creating a sticky message, say the Heaths, is to define the essence (or “Core”) of your message and then package it into a succinct (or “Compact”) form that can be readily communicated.
Probably the most powerful example of Core and Compact messages cited by the Heaths – and the one I covered in my earlier article – involves the concept of Commander’s Intent. Commander’s Intent is a brief statement of a military mission’s overall objective, framed so as to provide direction to soliders in the field while leaving them room to improvise as necessary to deal with unanticipated situations along the way. A sample statement of Commander’s Intent might be “Break the will of the enemy in Sector C.”
The beauty of Commander’s Intent, say the Heaths, is that it “aligns the behavior of soldiers at all levels without requiring play-by-play instructions from their leaders.”
Commander’s Intent is also a perfect everyday example of Finding the Game. Both Commander’s Intent and Finding the Game involve compact statements that can guide people’s collaborative actions without having to script every move. In this way, both structures place useful boundaries on people’s thinking, giving them a loose framework (to provide focus and direction) within which they can improvise at will (to let them shift with the vagaries of circumstance).
The Heaths’ “Reach for 1% milk” example also illustrates Finding the Game, but in a way that differs from Commander’s Intent. The "1% milk" message is similar to a Commander’s Intent message in that it uses clear, simple language to put a useful boundary on people’s thinking and prompt them to act in a desired direction. However, whereas the Commander’s Intent message focuses on the ultimate goal, the 1% milk message focuses instead on the first step.
The difference, I think, lies in the context in which the two messages are being conveyed. The battlefield represents a fluid, ever-changing environment that is almost a pure example of improv being played in daily life. Soliders don’t need to be convinced of the importance of accomplishing their mission: They just need to know what that mission is and then be given the leeway to make choices that will achieve it.
In the 1% milk message, though, people do need to be convinced of the value and attainability of the goal – especially since it represents a change in their long-ingrained behavior. Since they’re likely to be either indifferent or resistant to the goal, they need to be shown a small, easily implemented action that will start them on the road to change. Trying to show them the ultimate goal (“Be healthier”) right off the bat may make the journey appear too daunting and thus entrench them in their old familiar habits.
In mobilizing people to take action, then, you have a choice of two useful boundaries you can apply: Either focus people on the goal as a way to guide their actions, or focus them on the first action as a way to start them toward the goal. Your choice will depend on their existing level of commitment to the goal.
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