One of my favourite festivals to date is by far MAD//Fest - which just happened this past week. Such great inspirations, connections, and valuable learnings experiences. However the highlight for me was undoubtedly watching Rory Sutherland on stage. One particular anecdote really stood out - he told it in front of over 500 people so I guess I can tell it here:) One time right before going on stage he went to the bathroom where the washbasin went into spasm and deposited a huge amount of water in the front of his pants. While he was desperately trying to think of a solution…a miracle happened and it started raining. So he went out to stand in the rain and came on stage all soaked. Yes admittedly unusual, but better than the alternative he thought… So why am I telling this story apart from the comedy angle…He brilliantly linked this experience to the concept of non-linear problem solving. A lot of progress actually happens backwards, in a non linear fashion. You might lose the clarity when not going forward but you gain an enormous surface for creativity. In essence, the opposite of an idea is another good idea. How does he tie it to this point? He says, “Sometimes instead of drying the wet patch, you need to wet the dry patch.” Brilliant storytelling ???? While it’s a great metaphor for the importance of embracing unconventional methods, I think the real value lies in how you could turn such a story into an intellectual learning! By the way, I took his masterclass this year, I would truly recommend… #madfest #festival #marketing #advertising #storytelling #masterclass
Julie Ellison
4 个月
Great anecdote and a big fan of non-linear problem solving. Looking sideways or embracing contradictions, can lead to ideas or possibilities we might otherwise miss! I'd love to do the next course :)
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4 个月Loved that final talk by Rory - he is such a great storyteller. It was great to meet you there!