Track & Fan

My husband is a wildland firefighter, a profession that involves great amount of science and no small amount of art. He has already drilled some of that science into our daughters’ heads. At 5 and 9, they can recite the elements of the fire triangle (what a fire needs to burn): heat, fuel, and oxygen. In the presence of those three things, fire can burn; in the absence of just one, it will fail to ignite or burn out.

Nice science lesson, no? It’s also a lesson in change management. I listened to this short podcast by Esther Darby today (it’s only 14 minutes; totally worth a listen!) in which she discussed the difference between persuasion and influence. In her toolkit of influence, she mentions “tracking and fanning,” a concept which amounts to finding those things that are working well in an organization (things are an example of positive change or that would inspire positive change) and fanning the flames (giving them attention, amplifying them, telling the story to others).

I like how this concept relates to communications, especially. It can be easy to get bogged down in the reporting facet of internal communications; I appreciate the reminder that the stories we tell can inspire, connect, and refresh. As a communicator, I can give oxygen to the stories that will inspire and influence others. I can fan the flames of good things.

I’m going to stop before I pursue the fire metaphor into a place where things get out of hand, but you get the idea. Let’s go light a fire under someone (positively, ha!).