Turn Right.
On our way back from the beach, we came to this intersection. I was heading north. As you’ll notice on closer inspection, I had four options for going north including the opportunity to go left, straight or turn right. Fortunately for me, the navigation system did the work for me. I wasn’t looking for options. I just wanted someone to tell me to turn right.
A few years ago, a professor from Columbia University completed a series of studies that resulted in an article “When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?” In one experiment, they set up a tasting booth at a grocery store. They offered 24 different exotic flavors of jams for people to taste in one instance. In a separate instance, they only offered 6 varieties. Customers who stopped by the booth received a coupon for a dollar off the purchase of a jar. In this experiment:
- More people stopped at the booth that offered more choices; however, folks tasted the same number of jams in both locations.
- More importantly, 30% of the people with a choice of 6 jams actually purchased a jar. Only 3% of the people with a choice of 24 jams made a purchase. Fewer choices generated more purchases.
Barry Schwartz wrote in his book The Paradox of Choice:
When people have no choice, life is almost unbearable. As the number of available choices increases, as it has in our consumer culture, the autonomy, control, and liberation this variety brings are powerful and positive. But as the number of choices keeps growing, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear. As the number of choices grows further, the negatives escalate until we become overloaded. At this point, choice no longer liberates, but debilitates.
Now, take a look around your ministry. How many choices do people have for participating in a service, event, class, program, etc.? How many options do people have for selecting a ministry? Our instinct tells us if we offer more options, more people will respond and take a step in their spiritual journey. In reality, we may be making life more difficult for people who are looking for a clear path for where they should go next. It may be time to eliminate all the options for going north and just encourage people to turn right.
That was a really good post Tony. Thanks so much for your insight on decision making. I have been feeling that same push here at Fellowship and just changed our Sunday volunteer options to only 3 categories to get people focused on where they want serve. I had scheduled 2 months to fill our 85 new spots, it only took about 3 weeks. Maybe it was the options, or lack of?
thanks again
- john
Is that intersection in Dothan, AL? Too bad Tim Steven didn’t stay there when he was writing his book, I might have won a copy.
That sign must be in Dothan, Alabama. Immediately, I recognized all the roads. I grew up in Dothan. Sometimes this world is small.
At least road signs in Dothan give choices. Road signs in Washington DC don’t even exist. It’s the lack of choice here that bothers me. :)
Enjoyed the post.
Tony,
Can you come deliver this post live and in person to our pastors? I’ll pay for your airfare, hotel, and food. [Only half kidding]
Do Fewer Things, But Do Them With Excellence
Over the years I think (I hope) that I’ve sounded like a broken record in this area. I believe to my core that the best ministry happens when you do less, but do it with everything you have in you.
That was some serious insight.
Us humans are interesting creatures. Gotta love the way God designed our minds to do the opposite of what even we expect ourselves to do. Fascinating.
That’s some great insight… sometimes the people we’re trying to serve are just left paralyzed by the number of options they’re given!
Yep, Dothan. Been there a million times. Part of the trek of anyone going from the Atlanta area to Panama City Beach. Every time we make that trip, we see probably 50% of the license plates being from the metro Atlanta area.
They just need a bigger sign above that mess saying “TO PANAMA CITY” when you’re heading south and another that says “TO ATLANTA” when you’re heading north. Though if you want to eat at Cracker Barrel, you have to take one of the other “North” options to get there. Sometimes it pays off to try an alternate.
One of your very best posts! Great insight into how things really are for many, many of us. Love the sign! What a symbol of the menu-driven organization.
mark
Great blog and truth – I need to look at our choices (too much I believe) we run away from simple sometimes – thankyou Tony!
Hey that’s great insight! I love they way you just took an observation like that and applied it in a novel way. Keep up the good work :)