Intention, Obstacle . . . and Intervention
281 words on structuring and sequencing your message
In these fraught times, always leading your message with bad news and potentially insurmountable problems may be a really bad idea. That’s true whether you’re a kind-hearted charity or a full-throated advocacy group.
Many messages follow this classic structure: “State the problem. Offer the solution. Restate the problem. Restate the solution. Make the ask.”
No one structure fits every situation. But I’m a big fan of a different approach that screenwriter Aaron Sorkin proposes. He suggests great stories start with two key elements: intention (someone trying to do something that matters) and obstacle (a formidable barrier that gets in their way).
The conflict between intention and obstacle creates friction and emotional tension engaging the audience as the story’s characters pursue the third key element — a compelling resolution.
Here’s why, with some adapting, I like applying Sorkin’s structure to nonprofit messages.
It avoids dwelling on problems right out of the box. Opening with a positive intention (getting medical care to a child, saving an animal, protecting a wildlife area) can be more engaging and hopeful than immediately confronting people with stark problems.
Obstacles create tension and emotion. When intention and obstacle collide, it naturally creates the emotional spark so essential to our messages.
Intervention is the step we need to insert: Unlike Sorkin, we’re not crafting a resolution the audience appreciates from a respectful distance. We have to offer our reader the direct opportunity to step on stage, helping find a way past the obstacle. It’s that avenue to intervention that creates engagement and responsiveness.
Next time you’re crafting a message, don’t overwhelm people with the problem. Try structuring it along the intention-obstacle-intervention sequence. I’ll bet you’ll find it’s an engaging framework.
