Participate Prioritize Public

Writing is a powerful tool for engagement… The definition of Engagement includes the word PARTICIPATION from the Latin “to share in”. And PARTICIPATION sets – and keeps – projects in motion.   Science shows that People are EXPONENTIALLY MORE LIKELY to “buy into” and move forward with what they ACTIVELY play a part in developing…  One way people actively participate – whether personally or for a project – is by putting pen to paper and prioritizing next steps in their own words.  Participation is a positive forcing mechanism that creates MOTION…  A 17th century scientist first noted that a thing WILL GET IN MOTION when acted upon by a FORCE.

But people do not particularly like to be forced. On the other hand people have a bias, an INTERNAL FORCE to FOLLOW THROUGH once something is begun.  Modern brain science shows that we can amplify this commitment and consistency bias, IF FOUR FACTORS ARE IN PLACE: If we PAUSE and create a space for people to ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE, VOLUNTARILY PRIORITIZE and PUBLICLY DISPLAY their commitments…  

People who PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY – one example being to write something down –  are 200% more likely to follow through, which is why it helps to make a list before you go grocery shopping.  People who then PRIORITIZE or rank and SEQUENCE that LIST VOLUNTARILY, see a 4x lift in follow through. And when it is done PUBLICLY –  when others can see it – there is a 6 times lift in follow through. 

Finally, the completion of a task, the crossing of items off a list—triggers the Reward System in the Brain, and the dopamine rush we get makes us want to repeat it.

Research clearly shows the importance of handwriting as an amplifier in this process: because we can’t write down things as fast as someone speaks, we need to organize our thoughts before we put pen to paper. We synthesize and summarize what we’ve heard.      

It is not the GROCERY LIST which is important but the ACT of WRITING and SEQUENCING THE LIST … when we write things out we’re visually imprinting our brain. And visuals get to the brain 30 times faster than words.  That cognitive process creates deeper levels of learning, participation and ultimately engagement. Take this Tip, create space to for People to Participate…To get Projects In Motion, get things In Writing, In Order and In Public.  And we will reinforce the behaviors that make us who we want to be.