AIDS brings scientists and gamers together...their model can help you too.

While being an expert in your area is great, how often do you look outside your discipline and try to understand the motivations of others?  You might want to consider it...it can change the world. 

One of the coolest collaborations I've seen in a long time just occurred between online gamers and scientists.  Together they mapped the enzyme of an AIDS-like virus.  While this doesn't "cure AIDS" yet, it's a huge step along the way.

What impressed me most about the accomplishment wasn't just the scientific aspect, but the willingness of the science community to think outside its venerated halls of expertise, identify a potentially powerful resource and then devise a contextually appropriate way to leverage that resource.

If they had presented the gaming community with a problem couched in science terms, I'm certain they wouldn't have gotten the awesome outcome they did.  It's got me thinking again on one of my favorite topics...the importance of reading, understanding and tailoring your message to your audience.  How often have you heard, or said the phrase, "It's not what he/she said that bothered me, it's how it was said."?

I leave you with one specific example to think about...  For some people, when they are excited about an idea, their vocal volume increases, they talk faster, and they gesticulate more.  In their minds this is "passion and enthusiasm".  I've seen this interpreted by an audience as "crisis, emergency, call to action" which led to a fundamental disconnect about what was being asked for from the audience.  There are a wide variety of ways to communicate the importance of a message...such as speaking softly but intensely, longer pauses to draw listeners in, allowing your audience to imagine the impact of their contribution, and helping them understand what's in it for them.  These may not occur to you if they're not communication styles you've been regularly exposed to, but if you ask your intended audience or other observers how your idea or message came across, you may be surprised at what you learn.

(Note: I always try to ask people about how my idea or my message came across...not how I did.  People are generally not comfortable with criticizing you as an individual and you may not get accurate feedback that way.)

For the gamers helping the scientists, it came down to the scientists understanding the gamers' strengths and what medium best leveraged them.  Generally speaking, we are all naturally drawn to activities that play to our strengths.

How often to do you take the time to identify the strengths and motivations of your "audience" (co-workers, spouse, significant other, friends, neighbors, children...etc.) before asking for their help, buy-in, support or interest in what you've got to say?

For more info about the scientist-gamer AIDS collaboration go here...it's pretty cool.