"I love that you've brought this to attention. An extensive database of uncommon but resistant and hardy plants/foods could be developed and organized by climate. Ease of growth and processing should also be taken in to account. I will try to…"
A crash course in changing the world.
Share in Cultural Context
I'm inspired to link two things as I explore becoming a social innovator:
1) culture matters; and
2) sharing = contributing and being contributed to.
The way I link these things is:
Culture supports behavior. It supports both positive and negative behavior. Social innovators often notice negative behaviors and set about creating a solution for them. Because culture is the lattice upon which our of lives are organized, most people are relatively conservative when they are approached about new ways of doing things. People typically resist pushy innovators with responses equal to the force they feel is being applied to get them to change. Ideas not supported by the culture have a harder time getting off the ground.
That said, people inside a culture have great intuitions about what kinds of things they and others are willing to do and what they wouldn't. To be a successful social innovator requires being willing to share. Sharing is a two way experience, it happens between people and it happens better among a group of people. They will share with you if you are really willing to listen.
A successful social innovator embeds him or herself in a group, with a minimum size of three people. Preferably the group includes members of the "target" audience. At least one person in the group should be able to translate between members of the "change is bad" culture and the "let's do something really different culture." Typically that person has experiences that helps him or her really understand the things that compel people in a particular culture to do the things that they do and who also understands the benefits of changing a particular behavior. They understand the pressing and felt needs of the people. These are sometimes not apparent to outsiders. But what if you don't know someone like that?
One needn't be a trained anthropologist to be able to understand and translate culture, rather one needs to be a good, active listener. Share an idea, and then ask "so what do you think?" Then really listen and record what people say in response. When people feel that you value their contribution and take what they say seriously they are often willing to help you be successful. This has the added benefit of building that group that will carry the innovation out to others and help disperse negative energy aimed at resisting change.
In short, if one wants to make a contribution, one must work with people by actively seeking their contribution to making one's idea better and more salable.
1) culture matters; and
2) sharing = contributing and being contributed to.
The way I link these things is:
Culture supports behavior. It supports both positive and negative behavior. Social innovators often notice negative behaviors and set about creating a solution for them. Because culture is the lattice upon which our of lives are organized, most people are relatively conservative when they are approached about new ways of doing things. People typically resist pushy innovators with responses equal to the force they feel is being applied to get them to change. Ideas not supported by the culture have a harder time getting off the ground.
That said, people inside a culture have great intuitions about what kinds of things they and others are willing to do and what they wouldn't. To be a successful social innovator requires being willing to share. Sharing is a two way experience, it happens between people and it happens better among a group of people. They will share with you if you are really willing to listen.
A successful social innovator embeds him or herself in a group, with a minimum size of three people. Preferably the group includes members of the "target" audience. At least one person in the group should be able to translate between members of the "change is bad" culture and the "let's do something really different culture." Typically that person has experiences that helps him or her really understand the things that compel people in a particular culture to do the things that they do and who also understands the benefits of changing a particular behavior. They understand the pressing and felt needs of the people. These are sometimes not apparent to outsiders. But what if you don't know someone like that?
One needn't be a trained anthropologist to be able to understand and translate culture, rather one needs to be a good, active listener. Share an idea, and then ask "so what do you think?" Then really listen and record what people say in response. When people feel that you value their contribution and take what they say seriously they are often willing to help you be successful. This has the added benefit of building that group that will carry the innovation out to others and help disperse negative energy aimed at resisting change.
In short, if one wants to make a contribution, one must work with people by actively seeking their contribution to making one's idea better and more salable.
Views: 13
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Comment by Mita Williams on April 16, 2010 at 6:25pm
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Well said! I like how you extended "listen" to "share". Welcome to the network!
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Comment by A.V.Koshy on April 16, 2010 at 6:43pm
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yes i could see why you make such a big deal of culture
salable
well if you approached a group i belong to i wouldnt not allow you to come around and would not listen and would definitely not share
why?
this wh*** things is one sided
you want to bring change
ok fine
how about changing yourself too meanwhile?
does it extend both ways
or is it just about social innovation to and not social innovation back...
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Comment by Dennis Williams on April 17, 2010 at 12:36am
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Of course A.V. Koshy, one who listens deeply can hardly help but to be changed oneself. An initial idea exists in one mind, by sharing it with others and asking them to contribute to it, the idea changes and adapts itself to the mind of others. Including in the group those who affected by the problem and those who create them and listening to them as they contribute to the idea necessitate change and enrichment of the concept and increase the likelihood of solving the problem at hand by shaping the solution to the cultural contextual constraints.
I appreciate your calling onme to clarify that point. I hope that I did adequately.
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dennis your answer is a good one but could i come to oyur place and do this find out your problems there and listen and change you guys
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Sure, come on over, I'll work with you....always looking for ways to do things better.
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Comment by Cecilia Rossiter on April 18, 2010 at 4:08am
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Yes. Thank you Dennis for your thoughts that are like a sign pointing a great way.
So much is in communication. Things that we truly value like acknowledgment, insight, love, expansion, development and so many possibilities which are engines to all parts of the game.
I like the way your commitment to listening is a commitment to communication. A.V. is probably experiencing it now! A.V. is a source himself: noticing the changing that must be. He is heard clearly! His idea can make a difference.
See you in the game!
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ok dennis - it's clear you mean business - i like what you write and look forward to your posts
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A.V.,
I was thinking about your queries and respect your willingness to press me on them. I am sensitive to the issues of cultural imperialism and the rap (well deserved at times) that Americans have for being bullish on their own ideas. Meditating on the issue this morning, I thought I should reply here that I'm not thinking about going elsewhere to solve other peoples problems, but rather I am aware that I'm surrounded by people who live within the constraints to their culture and find themselves in need to getting out the rut of traditions and into a state of creative problem solving.
I do appreciate you reminding me of one of the pitfalls associated with cultural innovation.
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