The Tipping Point is a fantastic read with some really interesting insights. However, I found it is difficult to pull specific strategic lessons for my day to day work. If I'm promoting an idea or a cause, what do I need to do to expand the number of activists and donors to that cause?
I'm not sure there are solid answers in the book, but the Tipping Point provides great fodder for strategic questions that we can ask ourselves and our organizations. I offer the following strategic questions based on the different types of people author Malcolm Gladwell identifies to achieve a tipping point.
Connectors
Description: Exhibit high connectedness with an ability to span many different worlds. The closer an idea or product gets to a connector the more likely it is to spread.
Strategic Questions for Your Organization:
- Who are the connectors in your network?
- What are we trying to achieve with our connectors?
- Do we have a clear strategy for identifying the key stakeholders and developing strong relationships?
- Do we empower "connector" board members and staff to build relationships for our organization?
- How can you I or my organization serve more as a connector?
- Do we promote other organizations that are doing great work?
- Are we connecting with the right people outside our field and bringing their expertise to bear on our organization and similar organizations in our subsector?
- Are you promoting other, even if its competitors who are stronger in other niches?
Mavens
Description: People who generally have the most information, are obsessed with getting the best deal and exhibit a genuine interest in sharing their information with others. Since they have the best information, people pay attention to their advice.
Strategic Questions for Your Organization:
- How do we empower discerning stakeholder and donors with information they need to promote our organization?
- Do we have a strategy to find the "mavens" amongst our service recipients and a means to get them the information they need to share with others?
- e.g. In launching a new after school program, what parents should we target?
Salesmen
Description: Good salespeople understand that persuasion is largely based on context. People mimic emotions (e.g. You grimace, if I hit my hand with a hammer.) Emotion can be generated from the outside inward, particularly by charismatic and emotionally expressive people.
- What emotions are you eliciting from your donors and stakeholders through your communications?
- Who is the communicator? Perhaps a client is the best messenger in communicating impact.
- Are you combining hard outcomes data with the stories that connect emotionally?
