Depart from the format

When I started out my career as a lawyer, each time we were asked to prepare a new legal document (such as a contract, or an affidavit) we’d start by searching for a standard format. We called it a pro forma, because when you’re a lawyer, everything sounds more important in Latin. ;)  

Sometimes, you’d spend hours asking around colleagues, in search of the Pro Forma Perfecta. I made many friends that way. 

Formats can be useful.  

They help to 'scaffold' a way of doing things.
They help people to know what to expect.
They make it easy for people to prepare and contribute.
They avoid reinvention of the wheel - locking in the wisdom gleaned from past experience.
And they are safe; who can blame you for following the Pro Forma Perfecta? 

Formats are useful... until they’re not.

• Think of the meeting you go to which follows the same agenda, week after week - stifling any meaningful dialogue.
• Think of the proposal template you use, even though you feel like it lacks personality and pizazz.
• Think of the slide deck you feel like you’ve seen a million times before, just with different words.
• Think of the acknowledgement of Country that follows a rote script, without any apparent emotion or sense of meaning.*

All so familiar that no one is really paying attention.

So here’s something to try… 

Depart from the format.**

Next time you find yourself reaching for a standard format, ask yourself: “What do I really want to achieve, and how can I best meet that purpose in a way that’s meaningful and authentic?”

And here’s 3 reasons why

1. It favours purpose over process; meaning over monotony. 
2. It shows us the real you - especially if it looks less polished or more spontaneous. And that’s what people connect with.
3. It helps to capture attention, by breaking the patterns that otherwise desensitise people to a message. 

So, what’s your opportunity to depart from the format?

Mine is here, now. I’ve really enjoyed writing "Something to Try (and 3 Reasons Why)"over the last 12 months or so. Some of you have shared how you’ve enjoyed its practical, easy-to-try quality.  

But, for the next little while at least, I’m going to play around with a blend of freeform posts, with the occasional "Something to Try” format thrown in. Just so I can make sure I’m sharing everything I want to share - without the constraint. 

I hope it serves.

Cheers
Simon