The function of Messages of Hope is to inspire, to comfort, to encourage and empower, and to give strength where strength is waning. We will accomplish our goals by designing the messages themselves. We will to sell our ideas to both existing and potential clients. Every aspect of the company, every activity, every approach, every methodology, everything about it is open to continual redesign.
We must become accomplished designers. Although individuals may be capable of coming up with incredible ideas and approaches themselves, we are going to emphasize instead the methodology of working in team situations, where everybody had an equal standing and an equal right to question or add to another’s ideas. We are going to follow this dictum:
We will begin each effort by focusing upon the need at hand and the concerns that make themselves evident right from the start. Perhaps we’ll hear from some individual staff members who have been privy to some research they’ve come across will share their knowledge with the group. The key reason for this effort is to focus the entire group upon a single goal that is well defined, with some of the plusses and minuses, opportunities and pitfalls spoken out so everyone is grounded in a framework of what we’ll call “beginning reality.” Above all else, we must be aware that however much we think we know about the subject, at some point, very important items previously unconsidered by us will turn all of our well-informed but preconceived notions into obvious Alice in Wonderland fantasies. Reality is a relative thing, as far as the human conception of it is concerned.
During our discussion, some ideas will immediately be recognized as viable and will be written on notepaper and posted on the walls for future perusal. (See the Rules below).
After our brainstorming session, we will break into groups and discuss how to find real experts so we can learn more from them than we can discover on our own. We will be somewhat like anthropologists, studying a primitive tribe. The most valuable members of our group will be those who are out there in the world, talking with the experts, getting opinions from diverse groups of people, and being a “moving body.”
Share the project’s goals with everybody you meet and you will find that the six degrees of separation between you and the person who has the golden key to the best approach to your goal will be traversed in short time.
When everybody returns from their explorations, we will encourage chaos – wild ideas which might serve as jumping-off points leading eventually towards the best solutions. An average ‘chaos’ session could last three hours or more. This focused chaos will follow certain rules:
The person who leads meetings will be selected on the basis of their leadership skills.
The Company is eclectic – even people in the company having seemingly no experience in the area we are exploring will be welcomed into the group.
After three hours or so, there may be hundreds of ideas posted on the walls surrounding the group meeting area. The ideas will be subjected to a vote by the group, with the ideas getting the largest number of votes being implemented right away (perhaps due to low costs or easy connections already established). Another criteria for selection may be based upon which ideas hold the highest promise, even though some extra leg work may be necessary. The ideas to be considered for implementation will be chosen by the entire team before voting begins, and there may be multiple voting sessions based upon differing criteria. This kind of decision-making is best when agreed upon by the whole team.
A self-appointed council of "Adults" will then work to redirect the focus of the group. They may determine that more research needs to be done, or that it is necessary to produce working prototypes to evaluate further, etc., and they will assign other members - like it or not - to take part as members of a team focusing upon a particular area of need. Team members are selected who will go on to produce their own prototypes to express the ideas of their group.
This group of self appointed “Adults” is necessary at this point, because there has to be a “command decision” made eventually. There is no choice but to stop the cycle of chaos and get the group back to becoming focused upon a definite direction, or the chaos process will continue with no end and the group will go nowhere.
At this point everybody will reconvene and the results of their respective efforts will be put on display for the rest of the team to scrutinize . The committee of self appointed “Adults” may decide at this point is more work that must be done. For instance, perhaps suggesting that the teams take each of their ideas and “pull them back” a little considering how they might make a combination of ideas work. The best elements will be singled out by the teams and be combined together.
The motto of the team effort will be, “Fail often in order to succeed sooner!”
A playful and creative atmosphere will be encouraged everywhere, and all workers are encouraged to design their own workspace – with materials that will be paid for by the company. The more involved everybody is in the creation of their own work area, the better the results will be for all our endeavors. Our purpose is serious, but this does not mean that our workspace and attitudes needn’t be playful and fun. We will accomplish more and help many more people by staying “light on our feet.” Lighthearted silliness is perfectly acceptable behavior at all times, as long as it keeps the flow of energy moving towards increased creativity levels.
Everybody is encouraged to simply try stuff out “on his/her own.” Take the approach of asking for forgiveness rather than asking for permission.
A company needs a “boss” who insists that other people’s ideas be considered before than his/her own, and who encourages an atmosphere where “chaos” is encouraged.
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