TED's open audition today in New York City unlocked the cage on the upcoming TED2012 U.S. conference theme: Full Spectrum. Their aim is to reinvent the spoken word, if only for a few days. Our video submission wed the full spectrum theme—which is also a latent behavioral definition—to the unstated TED desire to influence future conference presentations everywhere. That is, toward a richer use of technologies, formats, and styles in ways that can have an ultra-positive effect on audiences.
Open4Definition views full spectrum presentation as a latent behavioral definition that trips the most common attributes: Sapient, Sticky, Spreadable and Generative. There is, however, a missing element. Full spectrum presentations will remain dormant without a systematic push to move it from a one-time theme toward favorably prompting more effective presentations everywhere. Our video script follows.
Video Script
Remember one thing from 2012 TED... the theme—FULL SPECTRUM... Enhanced presentations using rich technologies and styles as a new norm. Full spectrum: a theme, a term or a behavioral definition cueing individuals, groups and society?
Behavioral definitions--an under-recognized pattern of spoken words like designated driver, open source and zero-to-landfill with more examples scrolling below. Our research highlights how each has sapient, sticky, spreadable and generative characteristics.
A Full Spectrum presentation enriches messaging... Full spectrum already brands light bulbs and describes battlefield dominance of land, air, and water. A third definition the TED way… is to enhance the spoken word to enlighten and command an audience.
Spreading Full Spectrum as a behavioral definition will spur copy cats. It's a collectively doable take away. Let's enhance presentations everywhere to win over even the toughest audiences beyond 2012.
End Notes
TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences--the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer--TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual $100,000 TED Prize. Nine hundred TEDTalks are now available on-line, with more added each week. This is a clearinghouse of ideas with the purpose of changing attitudes, lives and the world for the better. Speakers include notables from all fields.
A behavioral definition is a hidden persuader that simplifies change. Behavioral definitions also form an under-recognized pattern as distilled and potent as mathematics. It's an approach shaped through a recently identified body of once-haphazard work by those who preceded us. These seemingly ordinary men and women tapped the power of language to help others push improvement and guide behavior; particularly when change was hard. We've integrated their lessons learned into a new way of thinking and looking; then doing. It's a pragmatic view, and at times even contentious; and it works.
