G’day from the land down-under

Maritime Navigation Until the later half of 1700’s navigation at sea was a complex issue Finding longitude solved this complex issue Complex issues have been with us for awhile

Key areas over the next hour What makes an issue complex An interpretive approach to navigating complex issues The what – themes and thematic statements The how – engagement strategies including metaphors, analogies, stories

What makes an issue complex? There are a lot of variables These variables keep changing It is difficult to find a single focus It is sometimes hard to know if we are having an influence

What are some complex issues Climate change Endangered Species Food resources Sustainability Breeding programs

My message - aim for simplicity when seeking to interpret complex issues Qualities of complex issues Complex issues can be frustrating Complex issues can be challenging Complex issues can be of benefit – through the value of complexity and multiple perspectives

What sells The easy way to …. iron your shoes 3 easy steps to open your car door Licking ice cream made easy The free and easy guide to …. being free and easy The 5 simple steps for walking

Keeping it simple is often reflected in logos …. in that they aim to communicate the complex nature of an organisation and their offering into a simple symbol

The KISS principle: keep it simple stupid Keep it simply simple Keep it stupidly simple Keep it super simple

Interpretive techniques for finding and communicating the simple Themes Engagement strategies

An interpretive approach to facilitating experiences is about sharing the joy of learning and inspiring people to learn.

YOU PLACE VISITOR Interpretation leads to a meaningful gain for people and place

Themes provide a starting point to interpreting a complex issue

Themes key idea moral of the story premise of the story key message main idea

Themes ‘cut to the chase’ and bring focus to what is relevant

2 techniques for creating themes Get it ‘out of your head’ …. ‘get it down’ ….. then evaluate and find your theme Identify your key idea at the start by asking the so what question of your issue

Subject Area (topic) - Ice creams Possible messages Ice cream is good for life Ice cream is a comfort food Ice cream is a chameleon food Subject Area (topic) – backyards Possible messages Backyards are a window to Australian culture Backyards are a social lubricant Backyards are a window to a wild world

Themes need to be relevant

Once we have our theme we then start building our experience / presentation

Engagement strategies include: Compelling and fun facts Humour Silence Stories Poetry Visuals Sensory Audience involvement etc.. etc…

Listen to the ‘tone’ of the engagement strategy and which works best for your interpretive goal

Describing a perspective using … … devices of comparison Metaphors Similes Analogies They usually involve the use of the concrete to explain the abstract / a concept

Examples of similes The parks are like the lungs of the city. Examples of metaphors The parks are the lungs of the city. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

Broad subject focus Feature you want to highlight Create similar concepts / ideas Make the link Mist in the landscape Softness and fluffiness of mist Doona Pillow The mist cuddled the landscape like a big, fluffy doona. Creating your own metaphors and similes … using an example of wanting to describe the morning mist of a landscape

See the world through the eye of an artist … and especially a cartoonist

Some parting thoughts regards interpreting complex issues

We put in the hard yards to make it easy for our clients / visitors / customers

We need to present our ‘best face’ despite what goes on ‘back of house’

It is sometimes hard to gain traction and momentum with complex issues – so in the spirit of Kaizen … they might require the use of little steps

In finding a way forward we sometimes need to suspend right and wrong

Remain true to your story

The average teacher explains complexity; the gifted teacher reveals simplicity. Robert Brault …. interpretation is about revealing a key idea and message rather than create an environment of rote learning A related quote is by William Arthur Ward: the mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, the great teacher inspires

Begin with the end in mind. Stephen Covey