The role of the fool or court jester in medieval history
is a fascinating concept. This person, who was either mentally deficient or
acted that way, was employed to tell jokes and provide general entertainment by a monarch. The
fool could say or do things that no one else would attempt. He provided a slightly cockeyed view of the
world. Of course, the role has been
romanticized by authors like Shakespeare, so we are not sure exactly how much
latitude the court fool really had!
Sometimes we need a person like that to help us clarify our plans and
get a new perspective on a project. Too
often we are limited by our own experiences and preconceived ideas. We need
people who can think “outside the box” and encourage us to do the same. Where do we find these people?
One possibility is the novice, one who is new to the field and is
unencumbered by the expectations and presuppositions that we as “experts” bring
to the table. In his book The Medici
Effect
, Frans Johansson points out that one research team made it a point to
integrate undergraduates with graduate researchers and professors into their
work. One professor noted, “They have
different ideas, ideas that we have become too blind to see. Many of these ideas turn out to be very good.” They are not smarter, but they see things
differently. Don’t be afraid to bring
new church members onto your team. Their
naiveté may be enlightening.
, Frans Johansson points out that one research team made it a point to
integrate undergraduates with graduate researchers and professors into their
work. One professor noted, “They have
different ideas, ideas that we have become too blind to see. Many of these ideas turn out to be very good.” They are not smarter, but they see things
differently. Don’t be afraid to bring
new church members onto your team. Their
naiveté may be enlightening.
Another possibility is to share your ideas with an outsider. We often tend to succumb to “groupthink” when
we are part of a cohesive group that is seeking to reach consensus with minimal
conflict. A potentially negative
consequence of group cohesion is a fear of upsetting the equilibrium of the
group. We can overcome this block by
asking an outsider either to observe our group process or come in and give a
fresh perspective on our finished project.
Finally, we might want to expose our decision to a skeptic. I know that many times our working teams are
already “blessed” with skeptics. The
most valuable skeptics are not those who tell us it won’t work but who explain
WHY it won’t work. These people may
become obsessed with details and plans and can kill the creative process if
engaged too early, but they can help to refine an idea or product before the
team finalizes it. Many church planning
approaches fail because they don’t get these people
“into the tent” (or on the committee or team) from the beginning. You are going to have to answer their questions eventually so make that part of the process.
“into the tent” (or on the committee or team) from the beginning. You are going to have to answer their questions eventually so make that part of the process.
In The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
, Thomas Kuhn explains that “almost
always [those] who achieve . . . fundamental inventions of a new paradigm have
been either very young or very new to the field whose paradigm they change.” If you really want to be creative, seek out
those who can provide a new way of seeing.
, Thomas Kuhn explains that “almost
always [those] who achieve . . . fundamental inventions of a new paradigm have
been either very young or very new to the field whose paradigm they change.” If you really want to be creative, seek out
those who can provide a new way of seeing.
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