There can be no better example of spontaneous collective action than what we see as a ” wave ” in sports stadiums around the world. It began to be called by commentators as ‘ the Mexican Wave ‘ after they saw it during the Soccer World Cup in Mexico in 1986. Though, in reality the wave became a wave and originated in the state of Washington in the United States of America.
It is a curious social trend and for those unfamiliar with the concept- it entails one person( lets define this person as a ‘ provocateur ‘)- or at best a small group of people – standing up spontaneously in the middle of a huge audience, throwing their hands in the air and yodel-shouting some sort of noise. If it goes well, their neighbours catch on and do the same with a knock-on effect to other neighbours down the line until the controller of the jumbotron( commonly understood as a very large video display screen of a type used in venues such as sports stadiums) sees what’s happening and trains the camera on the activity. At this point, the movement can take on a life of its own, gradually enveloping the entire stadium audience in a style until it collapses under its own weight.
That’s when it goes well. When it goes badly, the aspiring provocateur is left standing with arms in the air as he turns beet red and whimpers out a few feeble ” who’s with me’s ” before sitting down in shame to drown his sorrows.
It comes as a relief that to activate social movements or spur economic growth, it rarely requires exposing yourself to the boos and laughs of tens of thousands of spectators. Thankfully!
The provocation activated requires us to work with and through an ecosystem to get things done. While the provocateur might see it as a very straightforward path to a desired outcome, they have very little ability to directly influence – except at the very outset- whether it is achieved. The intent is to create a knock-on effect that, once set in motion, you just have to hope that it is seen all the way through. That said, it begins with showing up and shipping out!
Are you making waves? Are you activating your ecosystem?
Before I conclude, I would urge you to read these books(if you have not already) to understand more about ecosystems, network effect and ubiquity:
The Interaction Field by Erich Joachimsthaler and The Platform Paradox by Mauro F Guillen
ENDS