The Tipping Point
By Malcolm Gladwell
Review submitted by Mandie Reed
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, describes his theory about what makes some ideas catch on and become an epidemic, and why others fizzle. I was pleased to discover how relevant The Tipping Point is to extension, because after all, we are trying to get people to change their behavior and create an epidemic. Gladwell references human behavioral patterns throughout the book to illustrate the phenomenon he is describing. I found The Tipping Point to be a very interesting look at human behavior and how it relates to societies reactions to particular ideas at any given time.
There are three factors, or laws, that cause an epidemic. They are the law of a few, the stickiness factor and the power of context. If all three of these ideas come together, the result is wide spread information or idea transfer. It seems that if any piece is missing, the idea or program seems to struggle and may never really take off.
The Law of a Few
There are a few specific individuals who stand out within a community to deliver a particular message. These individuals are described as connectors, mavens, and salesmen and each plays an important role in helping ideas catch on. Connectors know and have relationships with lots of people from many social circles. They are gifted at making friends. Their friends and acquaintances are from many different walks of life and operate within different social circles. The term maven is Yiddish for one who acquires knowledge. Mavens are important in starting epidemics because they know things that the general population does not. They are dedicated to researching and acquiring knowledge. They are generally someone who is in the know. Finally, every idea needs a great salesman. Salesmen are highly expressive individuals and impact how public feels about an idea. Together, these three individuals can be the beginning of an epidemic.
The Stickiness Factor
Using Sesame Street and Blues Clues as a case study Gladwell describes the stickiness factor. For something to create an epidemic, it must remain sticky or attractive to people who find out about it from the mavens, connectors and salesmen. For a program to remain sticky, we must continually break it down and evaluate the results to be sure it remains relevant and appealing. Making something more sticky might mean finding the way to package a program or information to make it attractive to consumers or customers.
The Power of Context
Individuals might be more receptive to a program in one environment than if the exact same message is delivered in a different environment or context. Context can also be developed or by your attention to the small details or a change in setting.
Starting an epidemic, or developing a successful extension program, requires concentrating the available resources on a few key areas. Identify the connectors who can help disseminate the information, the mavens who are in the know, and the salesmen who will help sell the idea to the general population and start your efforts with those people. Evaluation is necessary to ensure that once an idea has gained some ground, it remains sticky, or attractive to people. Just as location is everything in retail, context is everything in creating an epidemic. It is critical for extension to be able to reframe what we think, especially if an idea or program isn’t catching on. It is possible we are not providing the information in the correct context or in a manner that is sticky enough.
Overall, I found The Tipping Point to be a very worthwhile book that was directly relatable to my role in extension. I appreciated the references to case studies, historical facts, and behavior research. The book was interesting to read and provided very useful insight into creating an epidemic. I also appreciate the reminder that we often need to reframe what we think in order to achieve the results we desire. I would recommend this book without hesitation to anyone with an interest in developing their leadership skills.