Ignite Lab

Isn’t it amazing how adversity brings out the very best in humanity? I have recently been inspired by Patrick the Optimist http://patricktheoptimist.org/ . Patrick has Motor Neurone Disease and is successfully persuading me and thousands of others to do something optimistic every day. So often we hear fantastic stories of people overcoming adversity to do super human things.

Inspiration is not confined to human interest stories. Today’s business challenges will be a platform for new pioneers rising up to the challenges of business adversity. Whole swathes of national industries, even Governments, have rapidly taken up arms to distil solutions and find silver bullets for big, ugly challenges. The mere mention of “Sustainability”, “More for Less” or “Managing through the downturn” quickly evokes a Pavlov’s dog reaction – business leaders salivating at the thought of conquering huge issues – the bells are a-ringing.

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Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model (pictured) is taught on most business and psychology courses as being an approach to help assess an individual’s motivation levels. Interestingly, this TED video takes it a step further suggesting that the hierarchy is just as applicable to a team, organisation, market and even a country as it is to oneself in our approach to life.

The appeal for me lies in the model’s application when considering the engagement and inspiration of client-side teams – especially when embarking on projects to deliver radical changes in the face of immense budget pressures.

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There is some horror, and not a little cynicism, surrounding the announcement that central government departments are being asked to look for 40% savings.   “They’re softening us up”, the media cry – but perhaps there’s more creativity in this method than might first appear.   Experience tells us that the more you can stretch people’s thinking, the more achievable the unimaginable becomes.

The political and public sector context makes this kind of thinking uncomfortable for many of us.  So how about a few less contentious examples – what if:

• …Martin Luther King hadn’t spoken about his dream that inspired the civil rights movement in the 1960s?
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