With so much upheaval in the world, many folks start their calls asking me: “What gives you hope, Kristen?”
Honestly, it is the chance to do once-in-a-generation meaning-making. What exactly is this? It is literally what it sounds like. In a world that seems topsy-turvy, people are trying to make sense of it. This isn’t always the case. People have their minds made up. They know how they see the world. When people are certain, it is hard to get them to open their minds. But right now, many minds are open — and that won’t last forever.
The next question might be: How can we do effective meaning-making while the time is right?
I am going to explore that in a series of posts in the hope that those of us who want to make the most of this opportunity can engage in a discussion about where we see opportunities and what best practices are.
Here are five questions to consider IF you are ready to do meaning-making:
- Can you offer clarity in the chaos? Some are recommending we highlight the chaos as something negative. But for some people, it is a sign that we are at least trying something. In a world that isn’t working for a lot of people, trying something rather than doing nothing is preferred. I offer this: Rather than focusing on how chaotic the world is (because I am not sure people need reminders of that), what is your answer to have not only less chaos but more of WHAT WE ACTUALLY WANT? People are concerned about their own lives and futures. Are you really about less chaos? Or are you about something that connects to their top concerns and dreams? Don’t forget that second part. You may offer something to alleviate concerns about safety. And you might offer something for improved well-being. Because things are so up in the air, we now have a chance to make big moves that lead to big change. What is that big change you can not only promise but build strong demand for?
- Are you prepared to focus on the future? You may have a lot of opinions about how things are going down now. If you are spending lots of communications time airing those, you are focused on the end of the last era rather than shaping the meaning of the new era. Where do you want to spend your meaning-making time — on indictments or on possibilities?
- What big questions are suddenly in play that you might offer answers to? Because of the upheaval, there are big questions in play about what the government’s role is, what independence and freedom mean on campuses and in communities, who the system is rigged against, and how to make it fair. And you can see that there are a number of voices that are clamoring to answer these questions. If the system is rigged against the working class because of out-of-control immigration policies, then the nation will line up behind a set of solutions. If the system is rigged against working class people because of corporate greed and corruption, another set of solutions will gain favor. If size dictates the government’s role, then — guess what — we’ll measure size to know whether the government is effective. But if function defines the role, is it meeting Americans’ top needs? That’s a different story.
- Who might your fellow travelers be, and are you open to new ones? When big questions open back up — like about the government’s role or what drives entrepreneurship — so does who backs what belief. Suddenly, there is a chance to forge new alliances for an evolved world view. This gives a chance to concentrate power behind an answer to a big question that spurs momentum. Consider not only who is in your choir but also all the opportunities to build mega-choirs.
- Do you know the difference between “imagine” and “reimagine”? People often use these words interchangeably, and both are important when doing meaning-making, but it is important to use them correctly. “Imagine” starts from scratch. If you want to ask a different question, you want to imagine. “How might we …” and think of the outcome you want without having to ground it in how it happens now. “Reimagine” takes something that already exists and considers how to transform it. It has constraints built in — such as, “How can we have campuses that are truly inclusive of different points of view?” We are now in a campus environment.
As you consider the questions above, ask yourself as a leader and/or organization: “Is there a meaning-making opportunity we want to make the most of, and how do we need to do that well?”
My next post will focus on strategies to meaning-making.