“Fact is, the first 100 years of our country’s history were about who could build the biggest, most efficient farm. And the second century focused on the race to build factories. Welcome to the third century, folks. The third century is about ideas.” Seth Godin.
I had the pleasure of reading another ebook by Seth Godin who is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Seth never ceases to amaze me with his different takes on the seemingly ordinary…he looks at everything from a fresh vantage point. His books are not about theology, ecclesiology, the bible, church history, liturgy or practically anything that a "church person" would take notice of...rather he is about communication and "idea popping" something that people who lead ministries need to pay attention to...communication, shaping people's imagination, and calling people into a new way of living are all aspects of ministry to which Seth has something to say.
The book, The Ideavirus, is only available online. You can check out Seth’s website for more information. His point is clear – “the Holy Grail for anyone who traffics in ideas is this – to unleash an ideavirus….an idea that just sits there is worthless. But an idea that moves and grows and infects everyone it touches…that’s an ideavirus.”
How does an idea manifest itself? Where does it live? What does it look like? How does it grow? These are some of the things that Seth addresses. What’s an ideavirus? According to Godin, it’s a big idea that runs amok across the target audience. He writes, "It’s a fashionable idea that propagates through the section of the population, teaching and changing and influencing everyone it touches. And in our rapidly/instantly changing world, the art and science of building, launching and profiting from ideaviruses is the next frontier."
Some of the Key elements of an ideavirus:
1. Concentrating on the message. If just 1% or even 15% of a group is excited about your idea, it’s not enough. You only win when you totally dominate and amaze the group you’ve targeted.
2. People in contemporary culture are actually resisting "marketing"…Seth says, "stop marketing people"…rather create an environment where people will market to each other...basically, find ways to create movements of information.
3. Figure out how to make an idea worth spreading…spread it properly...and you will influence people.
4. Give attention to Velocity – measure how fast the idea spreads from one party to another.
5. Give attention to Smoothness – how easy is it for an end user to spread this particular ideavirus? How quickly do people get ON board with a new idea?
6. Be a person of Persistence – figure out how an idea can “bug” a person into submission.
7. Study the Vector of an idea – in other words, notice how an the idea “move” through an organization – where did the idea come from? Who resonates with it? Who and what are easy adapters to the idea?
8. Understand an ideavirus LOVES a vacuum...when something fresh hits a stagnant organization, it spreads like wildfire.
One more aspect of the book I thought was fascinating is that Seth says that the heart of an ideavirus are people he calls, "sneezers" – they are the ones who when they tell 10 or 20 or 100 people and people believe them. Sneezers are people of value in an organization...they are trustworthy and will be listened to...Seth says, "you want an idea to spread, carefully choose your sneezers and then let them loose."
Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with being a person committed to God's Kingdom and to the call of Jesus...well, aren't we trying to discover new ways to influence people? Aren't you praying, thinking, dreaming, and brainstorming of new ways that you can share a vision...a compelling picture of what God wants to do in each Christ follower's life as we live and manifest the good news of God's grace? Don't you wonder how to see paradigms shift and how to get new ideas to people that just might influence them in their desire to be transformed by the Holy Spirit? You might want to check out the Ideavirus! Maybe you have a few ideas of your own that need to spread in your context to God's glory!
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