When you change your mind, you can improve the world. See how tactics that Antanas Mockus used to change the most difficult capital city of all. Then see how these tactics can be used to have a healthier life.
Antanas Mockus was mayor of Bogota, Colombia where physically surviving two terms was a feat in itself. Mockus not only survived, he helped inspire incredible positive change. We can make our lives better by understanding the tactics he used.
Part one of this series explains how Mockus did not impose and enforce rules but changed mindsets using strategies evolved from research on tension between formal and informal rules. He communicated through symbols, humor, and metaphors. He distributed knowledge that empowered people by using art, humor, and creativity, to communicate.
His success began with transparency. He wanted people in Colombia's capital city to see him as honest. Otherwise his ideas would be rejected. Then to capture attention for his ideas he used unusual techniques.
For example one his first steps to reducing traffic deaths was not to add more rules and police enforcement. He took the opposite tact and closed the transit police because many of the 2,000 officers were notoriously corrupt. Instead he installed traffic mimes on street corners. Initially 20 professional mimes shadowed pedestrians who didn't follow crossing rules. If a pedestrian ran across the road, he or she would be tracked by a mime who mocked their every move. Mimes poked fun at reckless drivers.
In addition the mayor had stars painted on the spots where 1,500 pedestrians had been killed in traffic accidents, adding a grimmer but potent, reality check to the gentle, humorous work of the mimes.
Traffic fatalities dropped by more than half in the same time period, from an average of 1,300 per year to about 600. You can read part one of this series and see how the truths we can garner from Mockus' success that can make our lives better here.
This second lesson looks at how, after having success in lower traffic fatalities, Mockus looked around for another big challenge and found it in eliminating the skepticism of the 6.5 million people who lived in Bogota.
He had gained a degree of faith by eliminating the corrupt traffic police. Mockus saw that continued success required that people see him as an honest guy.
Mockus acted as an educator rather than politician. Instead of putting on a grey politician's suit, he wore a Superman costume and acted as a superhero called "Supercitizen".
People laughed at Mockus' antics, but the laughter broke the ice of their extreme skepticism. His wacky notions had intellectual foundations and the Superman outfit captured their attention long enough for them to see this. While he had their attention, he led honestly and provided transparency so that even the most cynical citizen could once again begin to believe.
There are three points we can learn from Mockus in this lesson, the first being that it is never too late to change. Even the most desperate situation can be turned. The second point is that to succeed in change, one has to communicate, and communication requires attention. A refinement in this point is that attention cannot always be gained by turning up the volume. Decibels are subject to the law of diminishing return, so the flavor of the message must change rather than the volume. To gain attention a message must appeal to an emotion. The normal emotion used by politicians is fear. Mockus had success because he appealed to humorous emotions instead.
Finally, a third point is that for communication to succeed in the long term, it must be honestly presented. This is the information era and society everywhere is highly informed and incredibly cynical. The backlash? Society wants honesty more than ever before and thus tests continually for it.
There is much we can learn from Antanas Mockus about the benefits of changing within to alter that which is without. This lesson shows that for positive change we must get attention in a positive way. For lasting respect a positive, emotional transparent and honest message must be provided.
Next lesson looks at how Mockus changed hearts not minds to create a better world. Watch for this lesson at this site!
You can learn more in an article by Mar̀a Cristina Caballero, a fellow at Harvard University's Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/03.11/01-mockus.html
