Leon Gautier was a French literary
historian who lived from 1832 to 1897.
Gautier’s Ten Commandments were written in
the 19th century even though the various codes of conduct he wrote
about were created between 1170 and 1220.
Purpose
The Chivalry code was intended to guide the
behaviour of knights during the Middle Ages.
It was applied to men of noble standing or
ancestry who were capable of equipping themselves with a war horse and a
cavalry of supporting riders.
The world ‘chivalry’ means ‘horsemanship’
in Old French. The Italian word is ‘cavalry’.
Chess fans will note that the ‘knight’ or armoured
cavalry is typically represented as a horse’s head and neck.
The most interesting thing with regard to
this manifesto is the gap between the living of the Chivalry code in the
Medieval period and the six hundred plus years before it was written down and
published by a historian.
Given the tight knit and elite community of
knights in the medieval period, an oral manifesto clearly was effective.
In contrast, in our current social media
world, the balance has swung in the opposite direction – if it is not published
online then it effectively doesn’t exist.
It is perhaps no surprise that it is
written in the classic Bible style of the Ten Commandments given its strong
religious tone.
This connection between knights and their ‘war
horses’ reminds us of the strong influence that religion had on the politics of
the time.
“AECOM
is the world’s premier infrastructure firm, partnering with clients to solve
the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for generations to come.”
(website)
Purpose
This manifesto is a comprehensive proposition for future Sydney
with 8 million residents. Intended to guide business and government, it offers ambitious
reforms to plan for the larger population size, which could be reached as early
as 2050.
In the early 1990s, I was selected to speak
at two international Ecological City conferences.
My topic was to talk about my proposed
strategy for the design of my home city – Geelong.
In particular I was suggesting we needed to
create public Design Goals. This was to counter the closed planning process
that favoured projects that promised short-term jobs and tourist projects but
ultimately did not enhance the public amenity of the locals.
I’m pleased to say the Brilliant City
Sydney Manifesto adopts a similar approach – it presents a series of general
goals and then specific ones to Sydney.
The visual diagram on this page from their
report highlights this.
This manifesto is best read in partnership
with the AECOM Brilliant Cities manifesto.
Together they present a great way to lead
the conversation by offer three tiers:
A unique context
A set of rules or principles
for winning in that context
An application of these
principles
This example of Sydney demonstrates part
three in this process by applying the principles to a real-world situation.
“AECOM
is the world’s premier infrastructure firm, partnering with clients to solve
the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for generations to come.”
(website)
Purpose
“Cities have never been more important, nor
the competition among them more intense. The cities that are positioned to
excel are pursuing visionary, integrated strategies to tap hidden value,
attract people and investment, and overcome financial and operational
challenges.”
Manifesto
Brilliant cities are
globally renowned for being prosperous and highly liveable.
They allow residents
to live close to where they work, and enjoy housing security and easy access to
services, amenities and open space.
Crucially,
infrastructure, services and technology are deeply integrated with people’s
lives.
Digital applications and
the sharing economy operate around the clock, giving residents seamless on-demand
access to transport and other services at any hour of the day.
These technological
innovations connect communities; they also enable remote work and sharing of
ideas. In addition, a greater mix of housing types provides residents
with more diverse,
equitable and, in turn, liveable environments.
Achieving this vision
(in Sydney) will take more than just spending money. Governance, planning and
procurement settings are crucial.
All three tiers of
government, as well as other stakeholders, must also collaborate to identify
goals and prioritise funding, and they must be held accountable for delivering
these commitments.
This is a very clever piece of Thought
Leadership.
AECOM build infrastructure. To create
demand and ultimately pitch their expertise, they have the created their own
opportunity and conversation about what is needed: Brilliant Cities.
That’s a simple and power two-word phrase.
‘Cities’ is the context and ‘brilliant’ is their unique descriptor or niche
term.
Together they ask the questions:
What is a brilliant city?
Is my city brilliant?
What would we need to do to
make it brilliant?
Historically, this type of discussion
document was created by government entities. Instead, I believe this document
is inspired and created by AECOM. That’s being a leader in your market.
Even better, they have created a context
that can applied to different situations – in this case to different cities.
Separately I have posted Brilliant City
Sydney Manifesto. I suggest you download the pdf – it’s a beautifully designed
document that outlines the principles they are pursuing and how they would go
about this. From the three tiers of government (Local, State and Federal) that
could enact the plan, AECOM has highlighted the goals and some broad projects
that could be implemented to achieve these goals.
This sets up a three-tier Thought
Leadership approach:
Define a unique context eg
Brilliant Cities
Write the rules for success –
what critieria do you need to achieve to become a Brilliant City
Jacqueline Novogratz founded Acumen in 2001
with seed capital
from the Rockefeller Foundation, Cisco Systems Foundation and three individual
philanthropists.
Purpose
“At
Acumen, we believe that innovations have the power to transform low-income
communities around the world. From frozen treats that are sustaining
post-conflict farmers to solar-powered lights replacing toxic kerosene lamps,
explore the ground-breaking ideas Acumen supports design to solve even the most
difficult challenges.”
Manifesto
Vision
Neither the markets
nor aid alone can solve the problems of poverty. More than two billion people
around the world lack access to basic goods and services—from clean water and
electricity to an education and the freedom to participate in the economy.
We’re here to change that. Our vision is a world based on dignity, where every
human being has the same opportunity. Rather than giving philanthropy away, we
invest it in companies and change makers.
Manifesto
It starts by standing
with the poor, listening to voices unheard, and recognizing potential where
others see despair.
It demands investing
as a means, not an end, daring to go where markets have failed and aid has
fallen short. It makes capital work for us, not control us.
It thrives on moral
imagination: the humility to see the world as it is, and the audacity to
imagine the world as it could be. It’s having the ambition to learn at the
edge, the wisdom to admit failure, and the courage to start again.
It requires patience
and kindness, resilience and grit: a hard-edged hope. It’s leadership that
rejects complacency, breaks through bureaucracy, and challenges corruption.
Doing what’s right, not what’s easy.
Acumen: it’s the
radical idea of creating hope in a cynical world. Changing the way the world
tackles poverty and building a world based on dignity.
This is an uncommon pair of manifesto and
vision – not what I have seen previously.
For me, the archetypal worldview manifesto is Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. It describes the world he wants to see in both literal and metaphorical form with strong elements of detail.
In contrast, the Acumen vision is light on
the details of what the future will look like. All it says is: “Our vision is a world based on dignity, where
every human being has the same opportunity.”
Instead, the vision focuses on the problem. It’s an example of the ‘not this’ or ‘end this’ vision. (See Yvonne Rainer’s No Manifesto)
This can be very powerful. Research shows
that our ‘away from’ motivation is more powerful in having people act (at least
in the first instance) than a ‘toward’ motivation.
The manifesto is also unusual because it
describes a process. It’s how Acumen delivers their value.
This is clever because it highlights what
is unique and special about Acumen. It also suggests the leaders of the
organisation are very clear about who they are and what they provide.
A third element of interest is the section
on Patient Capital. As they suggest, it’s “a new approach to solving poverty”. This
is Acumen’s approach. It’s a manifesto in it’s own right – a powerful idea with
a strong call to action.
Together, the Acumen vision, manifesto and Patient
Capital form a powerful trinity for their business to both internal staff and
external stakeholders.
Nutiva is a US based good supplier founded
by John Roulac in 1999.
Purpose
Food is no longer just a personal issue
about what you put in your mouth. It is now a choice that can have a profound
impact on the planet.
Manifesto
The Visual
Real food manifesto for all eaters,
growers, producers and marketers
Eat real food not unhealthy
processed food
Power to the people through
collective will, purchasing power and social media
GMOs begone – label our food
because we have a right to know
Hail to the locavore – say yes
to local and organic
Less corn and soy – Half of US
diets come from corn and soy. There are 10,000 other crops – try a few.
End industrial food subsidies
to give organic farms a chance
Carbon farmers unite to heal
our climate
Less toxins and cheap
industrial foods. More organics!
Stop corruption by Wall Street
and Big Ag in regulations and courts
Together, let’s revolutionize
the way the world eats
The Mini-festo
In a world where the
industrialized food system has led us down a tangled path, where food choices
have been reduced to the lesser-of-evils, and where distrust reigns, we are the
champions of the greater good.
Tireless seekers of
pure and delicious foods that will nourish our bodies and our planet, we have
devoted ourselves to a dream, a vision, a mission. We will revolutionize the
way the world eats! And in so doing we will bring nourishment and balance,
health and well being, sustainability and community to people and planet.
We know change is hard
but we want to make it easy. We went out looking for the kind of foods that
packed a powerful amount of nutrition into every bite, so that you could make
small changes to big effect.
We found superfoods –
nutrient-dense powerhouses that can also be grown and processed in a
sustainable way. These are foods that are truly good for you and for the planet.
They’re foods like hemp and coconut, chia and red palm. They’re organic, full
of vital nutrition, easy to use and delicious additions to your diet.
We say food doesn’t
have to be a choice between the lesser of evils. We say let food lead us to a
better world. We say super people deserve superfoods. We say, come join us in
our mission.
This is a great example of sharing your
message and your manifesto in multiple ways.
First, a brief, easy-to-read visual based
on ten bullet points – a rule based manifesto.
Second, a short 230 statement that promotes
a similar message with a different set of words – a worldview manifesto.
Which one do you prefer?
The great benefit of a brief visual is that
it can be readily shared and easily consumed. The downside is that it can over
simply your issue.
The great benefit of a short statement is
that you can be more precise in what you’re standing for and provide more
depth. The downside is that fewer people will engage with a mass of words.
Ideally, you would want to have both to
present different angles and viewpoints for your issue.
Remote Work was created by Greg Caplan and Sam Pessin.
Purpose
In
August 2014, Remote Year was started by two friends asking a simple question,
“Who wants to travel together for a year while working remotely?” Out of that
inquiry grew an incredible community with a set of shared values and a mission
for impacting the world.
“Our
mission is to create a more peaceful and productive world by fostering genuine
human connections across diverse cultures and people.”
Manifesto
Work-Life
Flexiblity
Championing location independent productivity.
We don’t just advocate for it, we live it.
Remote Year is a fully-distributed company, meaning each of our employees works
remotely, either from their home or on the road. We give our team the
opportunity to do great work – on their teams.
Global Perspective
Appreciating the world’s diversity and interconnectedness.
No two people are the same – and that is
what makes the world so inspiring. We believe in seeking out similarities and
celebrating differences. No matter where we are, we seek to understand those
around us and aim to build bridges where before there were walls.
Empathy
Expanding our capacity to care for others.
We have a penchant for pushing ourselves
out of our comfort zones. This lifestyle connects you with people that you may
have never met otherwise, local residents in the cities that you travel to or
fellow Remotes. We live for the moment that an internal light bulb clicks on,
illuminating the way toward making decisions that take all perspectives into
account.
Community
Coming together with a purpose.
It’s not about what you can do on your own,
it’s about what we can do as a whole. Our team lives by this ethos as members
of the Remote Nation, creating meaningful connections and building lasting
bonds as we pursue a life of productivity and positive impact.
Being Present
Embracing awareness and gratitude for the moment.
Every day presents opportunities for
reflection – only if you’re prepared to notice them. We strive to appreciate
every moment of awe, inhale every bit of inspiration and take a break whenever
life feels like it’s moving too quickly.
Dreaming
Creating the optimistic future you envision.
We’re leading the way in remote work and
ushering in a new era of location-independence. At Remote Year we believe
in breaking away from the status quo and changing the possibilities — that
means changing what’s possible for both the future work as well as the
possibilities for each and every one of our participants on our programs.
Having a set of values to live by is one
way to declare what you intend for the future.
By definition, your values are what you
deem to be important – to be valuable. They are like a compass rather than a
map because they set a direction without being prescriptive about what needs to
be done.
In the context of the manifesto, I’m not a
great fan of simply having values. I don’t think they go far enough. I think
they become generic.
In particular, I think the Remote Work
mission fails because it is like most mission statements – it’s generic in that
hundreds of similar organisations could state a similar objective. It lacks
audacity.
For me, a manifesto has a stronger intent.
It’s not just a point of view; it’s a strong belief. The US Declaration of
Independence says it best: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”
What is your truth?
I think this is an opportunity that Remote
Work could take much further by describing the world they want to see. (This is
particularly relevant to me because I’m considering going on one of their
adventures.) And their values don’t speak the full power of the opportunity
they are offering.
For me, remote work is the catalyst for
three major opportunities:
Inspire the careers of future global leaders – consider how your career would be transformed by working abroad for the next 12 months. What would you see? Who would you meet? And most importantly, who would you become?
The future of work – The future of work is here today. For the first time in human history, a large group of people on the planet has the tools of production in their backpacks – their laptop and smartphone. That changes everything about work – in particular what we can do and where we can do it. Work is no longer about a job, it’s about a life worth celebrating. Build your life’s work.
Build a new nation – Our planet is artificially divided based on natural land features and historical tribes that no longer match the global way we live and interact in a digital economy. Remote Work is not just a rambling feel good community, it’s a nation of people committed to peace, prosperity and cooperation. Take Remote Nation to another level! Take it to the literal level you have described in these words – a new nation. (This is the one I like – it’s bold, edgy and courageous – the three personal qualities you would need to embody to want to take on a year of Remote Work.)
Hopefully, you can see my point. There is
an opportunity to elevate Remote Work into a much bigger movement and the key
is to create that possibility through a more potent manifesto.
PS: I’d also add a visual to share the message more freely and widely. If you want us to become a ‘card-carrying’ member of your tribe then we need a card we can carry. We need an easy way to say ‘I’m proudly part of this.’
Jane Milburn is a sustainability consultant
and Slow Clothing pioneer. She established Textile Beat as a purpose-driven
business in Brisbane in 2013.
Purpose
“Every day, we eat and we dress. We have
become conscious of our food, it is time to become more conscious of our
clothing. We believe in slow clothing: dressing for health and wellbeing rather
than status and looks. We believe in ethical, sustainable choices that don’t
harm people or the planet. We want to know the story about where clothing comes
from and we believe in care and repair, refashion and restyle of existing
clothing using simple sewing skills.” (Textile Beat)
Manifesto
Think: make thoughtful, ethical, informed choices
Natural: treasure fibres from nature and limit synthetics
Quality: buy well once, quality remains after price is forgotten
Local: support local makers, those with good stories and fair trade
Care: mend, patch, sort, sponge, wash less, use cold water, line dry
Few: live with less, capsule wardrobe, have one best style, unfollow
Make: embrace home sewing as a life skill, value DIY and handmade
Adapt: refashion, eco-dye, create new from old to suit yourself
Revive: enjoy vintage, exchange, op shop and swap
Salvage: donate, pass on, rag, weave, recycle or compost
It highlights the versatility of a good
idea: slow. There is slow food, slow travel, slow parenting and now slow
clothing.
Slow is not just a way of being in the
world. It also fits into the world of sustainability, nature and making the
most of our resources.
It triggers a diverse response that is
beautifully captured in this manifesto including: natural products, purchasing
decisions, recycling, repair, sharing and expressing yourself.
She is the name behind Emily McDowell and
Friends – a community or artists and writers.
Purpose
The Let’s Get Real manifesto is their
pledge and commitment to be a better-than-average human. It speaks to their
essence and the things they care about.
Manifesto
Let’s get real.
Let’s make friend with our imperfections,
because they’re the side effects of being human, and there’s medicine in “Me,
too.”
Let’s laugh at ourselves: It sure beats the
hell out of the alternative.
Let’s agree that normal isn’t a thing, and
unlovable isn’t either.
Let’s not be dicks. There are already
enough dicks.
Let’s reframe our mistakes as lessons and
start kicking ass at learning.
And let’s use honesty and humour and heart
to leave this place a little better than we found it.
At the end of the day, if it’s your
manifesto you can write whatever pleases you.
But, if you want other people to resonate
with what you have written it must have a congruency. In other words, your
message needs to be consistent with the way you say it.
That’s the strength of Emily McDowell’s Let’s
Get Real manifesto – it’s real.
Compare her language with the Customer Centricity Manifesto. Both fit their intended audience. One is academic intended for corporates. The other is open-hearted and intended to open hearts – it uses real everyday, heartfelt words.
Also, it employs a simple structure that
makes it easy to create and read. There are seven lines and each one starts off
with the simple word: Let’s.
This call to action is gentle and inclusive…
again consistent with it’s message.
And the handwritten font used in the visual,
completes the real picture.
Might Could is a design studio based in the
North Carolina, US. It is lead by Christine, Declan and Oni Nishiyama.
Purpose
The social media platforms like Instagram
all shape how we can consume and share our art. This is Might Could’s
philosophy for how to cope with this and stay in control – rather than being
controlled.
Manifesto
I will make art for myself, not
for likes.
I will pot my art even if I
think it’s not that great.
I will not try t do it all.
I will sometimes take a break
and unplug.
I will be inspired by, not
discouraged by, other art I see.
I will not measure my value by
likes and followers.
There are no prizes for having the longest
manifesto. I’d even add that the longer your manifesto the less likely someone
is to read the whole thing.
Plus, the visual is a complementary style
of being simple and playful.
Naturally, there is a balance here between brevity
and depth. This example is a good one of having a neat short visual with a
longer blog post going into more details. I like to think of content as a series
of layers ranging from a snack to a full meal. Let people enage with your ideas
in multiple ways.
I particularly like the place to ‘sign
here’. This is a simple gesture to invite you to join the movement and more
importantly commit to the manifesto, which I think is more important.
At the end of the day, life is not about
tagging along with the crowd. I think it’s more important that we live true to
the things that are important to us and that we are truly committed to.
Also, when you type ‘social media
manifesto’ into Google there are at least four books with this title on the
home page. You don’t have to be the one and only to make a difference.
Outdoor Photography School is an online
resource and community created by Brenda Petrella to help you master both your
photography skills and your outdoor skills.
Purpose
The
OPS Manifesto is a declaration of their core values that guide everything they
do as outdoor photographers.
Manifesto
Put nature first, even it if means missing
the shot.
Respect all species and ecosystems.
Be kind to others.
Lead by example.
Remember we are part of nature not separate
from it.
Know before we go.
Leave no trace.
Pack it in, pack it out.
Know our limits.
Plan for the unexpected.
Advocate for untouched landscapes, dark
night skies, and keeping wildlife wild.
Produce images with integrity and
authenticity.
Explore the outdoors rather than sit in
front of a screen.
If you didn’t know it advance, you could
probably read this manifesto and think it was about camping and an outdoor
lifestyle rather than a photography school.
If it was just for a couple of mates
wanting to take some pictures in the wild, then it’s a neat expression of their
views, but perhaps not really necessary.
However, when you ramp things up and
multiply the number of people involved (It’s a photography school), then a
manifesto like this one is a great idea.
It’s a great example of a niched manifesto
which reflects the stated niche of the business: photography + outdoor skills.
What I particularly like about it is that
it seems to have both a soft and a hard edge to it. ‘Put nature first’ is a
good general comment. But, when you match this up with ‘even if it means
missing the shot’, then you have a really potent rule that speaks to the heart
of what is truly important to a photographer – the shot is usually everything.
That’s how you make some thing unique!
Plus, these values apply to both beginners
and experts.
From a branding position this manifesto
says we care and we’re here for the long haul. Yes, we take our photography
seriously, but we also take nature very seriously too. As Brenda suggests on
her website – we need nature. “And it’s shrinking every day around the globe.”
