Here’s some backward thinking…

A friend of mine, named Ellen, recently asked whether I'd ever created a “backward design”. No, I hadn’t, nor did I know what it was. So Ellen explained to me that a backward design is a short description of “the impact that you would like to have had on the world by the time you die.” Hmmm, that sounded familiar. I had heard of something like this before, but it was referred to it as “writing your own obituary.” Somehow, Ellen’s definition of a backward design evoked something very different. Rather than being focused on me and how I hoped to be perceived by others (an ego-centric view of my life), the backward design was about the impact of my life… how others and the world had been influenced and changed as a result of my being here on Earth.

I was inspired to write my own backward design, which I’ll share with you here...

Mark’s Backward Design:
By the time I die, and together with a growing number of inspired and like-minded collaborators, we will have left an indelible imprint upon the world. Schools at every level and around the world will have incorporated the fundamental principles of collaboration into all that we teach our children. Teachers will recognize and acknowledge the inalienable right of students to formulate opinions, express those opinions, and make choices that align with those opinions. Students will be discouraged from entertaining notions of right and wrong, and will instead be supported in developing the skills necessary to create mutual understanding and win/win scenarios and solutions in every human interaction and endeavor. This new breed of students will have graduated into the workforce in significant numbers. Workers will have learned to rely less (if at all) on hierarchical decision making. Instead, they will have developed the practice of seeking their own council and the wisdom of others to create a shared vision upon which to take collective actions… in each case, a vision that they strive to see and understand in the same way as their peers. As a result, they will feel a deep sense of ownership for the results that they generate through their collaborative efforts. Organizational structures will adapt in ways that support the collaborative mindset. The use of power and authority will give way to a new collaborative paradigm in business, government, and community efforts. That paradigm shift will engender a profound sense of engagement in the work that people do in the world, and lead to previously unimagined levels of individual and collective creativity, resourcefulness, productivity, and fulfillment among its practitioners. The world's most intractable problems will be transformed and solutions developed through the powerful collaborative efforts of people worldwide.

And you know what? I actually inspired myself! Of course, that was exactly the point… to inspire and then focus myself on what’s most important. The great thing about sharing your backward design with others (and the world) is that then others (and the world) can offer feedback, guidance and support, specifically to help you achieve what’s most import. If others don’t know what we’re up to, they can’t help… And it’s rare (if not impossible) to achieve big results in the world without help. Amen.

This exercise prompted me to wonder… What if everyone were to write a backward design and post it for the world to see? How might that influence the course of our lives? Rather than requiring people to “reverse engineer” our intended meaning and impact, we would share it explicitly with the world, seeking out guidance and support from others. How might that change the world? I wonder…