Have you been hooked by Harry Potter? Has J.K. Rowling with what seems like
simple story telling reeled you into the world she has created where half
giants, Centaurs, wizards and witches all freely exist? I did not think it would happen to
me. After all, while I enjoyed
usually the first go around with the Potter movies they were nothing to write
home about. You know. Nothing I would pay Hedwig to carry a
note off to one of my besties.
I was recently at a meeting of MPI and we were talking about
Orlando, FL and the Harry Potter Theme park and eventually those books. I said “they just don’t draw me in, I
don’t see what the fascination is”.
My niece had the first book in the series and she happens to be a little
young for it so hasn’t been enthralled yet. I was reading the first couple pages and then I read a
couple more. Even though I had
seen the movie I somehow was sucked in to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone. And as you can tell I was
eating my words as I fell down the rabbit’s hole!
I finished it in a couple days by downloading it on my
Android phone and before you can say Professor Quirell I had downloaded Chamber
of Secrets and was off to the races.
So as this is a blog about education, social media and
business I want to relate what I have learned so far from the Harry Potter
books.
1. Create enjoyable mystery.
Many business models use this and you can too. Do not over describe your product but
describe it just enough that people are intrigued to know more. Apple’s iPhone and Toyota’s Hybrid
Prius are two good examples of mysteries that suck people in. When conducting an educational meeting
use the tool of mystery to keep people engaged. When your mind is searching for an answer you will
listen. Ask questions and engage
your audience!
2. Create characters.
From Mr. Dursley to Ron Weasley and from Professor Snape to
Headmaster Dumbledore characters are what drive your interest. They are what make you feel comfortable
rooting for or against. In your
meeting create characters. Be the
woman in red. Be the Social Media
Geek. Be a character and let
people love or hate you. It is
better than not being interesting and not being noticed at all. (There are some exceptions for example
don’t be the person who doesn’t use deodorant)
3. Evil changes form all the time
I have also just finished “Dale Carnegies’ “How to Win
Friends and Influence People” so a little of that amazing book has seeped in to
this third lesson. In our every
day interactions evil can be coming at us from every direction. We must seek the best in all people and
that starts with who we look at in the mirror every morning. If we conquer the negativity in
ourselves (fear, jealousy, anger, etc.) it will be easier to see past it in
other people. If we remain
alert to evil’s possible various forms within us we will surely be better
prepared to see evil and put a sword through its jugular like Harry and the
Basilisk.
Happy Reading!
Cameron
