The college student smart enough to succeed at several majors. The retiree who could do a hundred things with the next thirty years of his life. The businessman with a zillion 401K options. Me standing before fifty varieties of spaghetti sauce at the grocery store. The woman at a conference hearing appeals from a dozen non-profits and just causes.
Choice paralysis.
Psychologist Barry Schwartz coined the term. He argues that more choices make us less likely to take action, and to be less satisfied with any decision we may eventually make.
I have a number of friends who organize conferences and events. I’m glad they feel comfortable expressing their frustrations to me.
Why not have multiple child sponsorship organizations at our conference, and also promote clean water and people who stop sex trafficking and vocational training programs and adoption and orphan care and feeding programs and disaster relief and the environment and refugees and….
I’ve been so inspired by these friends – their challenge to the status quo. I’ve championed their idealism and cheered them on as they’ve experimented in recent years with welcoming dozens of non-profits to their events instead of just one.
I agree, after all, that God isn’t just working through one organization or one kind of organization. The world needs more help than any one ministry can provide. And what about unity? We’re all supposed to be on the same team right? Giving one organization a monopoly on an event doesn’t exactly send that message sometimes. Amen. A thousand times, Amen.
But as the choices have multiplied. So has indecision. It turns out that making space for everyone hasn’t been decidedly good for anyone.
Conference organizers get complaints from attendees who feel “spammed.” The attendees, fatigued and overwhelmed, choose not to choose or doubt the choice they eventually make. And the organizations setting up booths and making appeals don’t get the kind of return on investment that their accountants and donors should require them to.
May I propose a new approach? With fear and trembling, I will tomorrow. Not a final answer but what I hope will be the start of a helpful conversation.
Until then, what are your thoughts on all this?
photo credit: Joe Wilcox via photopin cc
kasmith03 says:
I will say for me, as a newbie at Allume last year, I LOVED hearing about all these wonderful organizations. It opened my eyes to new and additional ways that I can give back. But I understand your point, that people can feel stretched too thin and maybe bombarded by too many choices…so I am interested in hearing your thoughts tomorrow!!
Kristin says:
I’m anxious to hear about your idea
Vicki Small says:
Been there, etc. I have hosted Compassion tables at missions-and-ministry fairs, most small, but one way too large. People walked around and looked at all of the tables, each with some kind of display–including mine, on which I had worked so hard, and nobody really looked at it. Maybe some decisions were made by a few to support one ministry or another, but mostly I saw people walking, looking, talking, and moving on. Compassion benefitted nothing from the event, really, and certainly, nothing tangible.
I often mutter to myself in the grocery story that there are too many choices of everything: cereals, laundry detergents and dryer sheets, toilet paper, snacks–you name it. Too many choices in brands, varieties, quantities. More recently, we have seen the gluten-free label on products that might always have been gluten-free, but who knew?
A few weeks ago, I tried to find small pretzel twists. Just regular, old-fashioned pretzel twists. They now come in the large, mall-store size; medium; mini-; and tiny. And that’s just size. They also come in low-sodium, fat-free, and gluten-free. I was unable to find regular, mini-pretzels that are NOT low-sodium, fat-free or gluten-free. I couldn’t find them. I finally bought a bag of small pretzel sticks, only to get home and find out that they aren’t what I want, either. And I have a large bag of “tiny” pretzels that are fat-free, and taste like it. I’ll use them up, some day, but geez! All those choices, but not what I want!
And (by the way, this might hit a bit close to home for you, but try to forgive me, please): concerts. However many bands are on the program, that’s how many booths or tables are set up with their offerings: t-shirts, cd’s, glow sticks, wrist bands, or whatever. And when I have worked Compassion tables at concerts, traffic gets blocked, as young folks make their way in to buy as much as they can pay for from (a) each band, or (b) their favorite of those present. And then, sometime in the program, someone speaks for Compassion and shows a video. After the money is spent. Such was the case at a concert a few years ago, when we had many attendees, but only two sponsorships–which were of enormous value, I know. But we were disappointed, and the bands’ liaison was disappointed. I know many concerts produce a lot more sponsorships for Compassion’s kids, and I was blessed to work some . . . tremendously blessed. But I’ve worked more that were really disappointing. There was just too much competition.
Okay, you got my rant. I mutter about too many choices, almost every time I go shopping.
Jenni says:
Choice paralysis? See also: Florida homeschool convention. It’s the largest in the USA and it’s wonderful in many, many ways. I love that families can find options to suit any learner, any budget, any lifestyle. But if you don’t go in with a plan and knowing exactly what to buy you will suffer for it. And Compassion usually has a booth, and I watch people walk right on by with overwhelmed expressions…
I am looking forward to reading tomorrow!
Nancy Tyler says:
I read “Paradox of Choice” a few months ago and sure saw myself in it–an easily paralyzed maximizer.
Melissa Turner Jones says:
Menus do it for me.
bdillrn says:
Shaun, I feel as if you have been reading my journal entries for the past few months! With so many ministry opportunities, I shift into consumer mode and mentally move from website to blogger to local ministry appeal and yet do nothing. It’s absolutely overwhelming and so I just end up shutting down. I yearn for a place to make a difference in the name of Christ but seem unable to get past the sea of choices and cries for help. Will be looking forward to more of your insight into this problem.
Kahlil Pfaff says:
I agree for the most part, but instead of offering just one option what about offering a “theme” or a small handful that might benefit from a particular presentation, program, or audience? As Vicki shared, too many choices ruin it for one another. Maybe I am wrong as I never was involved in ministry fairs, but I have a feeling that valuable and lasting connections to ministries happen via word of mouth or personal testimony rather than through tens of tables lined up in a college or church campus.
When I was searching for opportunities to go to the Middle East I stumbled across one via word of mouth – that one didn’t meet my needs/criteria but they did suggest I try another organization. The second organization was my foot into Lebanon and ultimately connected me with my current sending agency. All this was via word of mouth and networking.
Kelli says:
I am looking forward to the follow up!
Kristin S says:
As a conference and event planner….. can’t wait to hear what you say tomorrow.
And, this is the reason I shop at Trader Joe’s. Less options.
Amy Dixon says:
I hate having to choose toothpaste, toilet paper, pasta sauce, noodles, hair spray, etc. I get so overwhelmed with ALL the choices, so leave frustrated with none of them.