Jurassic Park... For Kids?

In 1983 Michael Crichton had an idea: What if scientists used DNA from fossils to bring back the dinosaurs? And so the best-selling author excitedly wrote several chapters and sent the first draft of Jurassic Park to his trusted friends for their feedback.

The result?

They all hated it. Not a single person liked the idea.

Surprised and dismayed, Michael wondered why? Whenever he went to museums, he saw kids crowd around dinosaur exhibits shouting the names, “Tyrannosaur! Stegosaurus! Triceratops!” If kids were fascinated by dinosaurs, wouldn’t adults be too?

He was right, except for one problem: when he first wrote Jurassic Park, it was from the perspective of … a child. Though it had all the elements we know and love today… dinosaurs, chaos, science fiction…. The story was told from the eyes and in the words of a young boy.

Here’s how Michael described it:

“Over the years, I’ve come to rely on five or six people who read my drafts; generally they have a range of responses. Not this time.

They were all in agreement: they hated Jurassic Park.

I got angry reactions such as, “Why would you write a book like this?” But when I asked them to explain exactly why they hated it, they couldn’t put their finger on anything in particular. They just hated it, that’s all. Hated every bit of it.

I wrote another draft. They hated that one, too. Just as strongly as the one before. Whatever I had done in the latest draft, it hadn’t helped.

I wrote another draft, but the result remained the same.

Finally one of the readers said that they were irritated with the story because they wanted it to be from an adult point of view, not a kid point of view. They said, “I want this to be a story for me.” Meaning for an adult.

So I rewrote it as an adult story.

And then everybody liked it.”

That is how Jurassic Park, one of the most successful film franchises of all time, was born. At first, nobody liked it.

Why? One reason is: Michael Crichton loved the idea more than he loved the audience. He loved the idea of dinosaurs through the eyes of children, rather than his REAL audience, adults.

What does this have to do with influence and success?

Whether you believe it or not, you are a very creative person. Keep in mind, creativity doesn’t only belong to the likes of Michael Crichton or people in the arts. Creativity applies to anyone who serve others in unique ways.

If you help people, then you are a VERY creative person.

The problem is, sometimes we come up with great ideas that don’t always land the way we want.

Maybe it’s something you presented to a mentor.

Maybe it’s something you tried out with your boss.

Or maybe it was an idea that you worked really hard on… and it just flopped.

In those moments, it can be hard to pick up the pieces and move forward, and like Michael Crichton you probably wondered: why didn’t it work?

One question to ask is… are you more in love with the idea, or with your audience?

When I wrote the first draft of my bestselling book, The Influence Mindset, I poured my soul into it. I put in every fact I knew, every story, and every possible thing I thought would be helpful. But at the end? The book was a bloated mess.

In retrospect, it was an exercise in vanity masquerading as value because I was more in love with the idea, than my audience I was trying to help.

Realizing my dilemma, I took a break, and over several years went on a journey to reshape my thinking. I simplified, clarified, and scrutinized every single idea that I wanted to include. Several drafts later, the book was worlds apart from the original.

I fell in love with the people I wanted to serve MORE than the method I served them with. And the rest has been history. The book became a #1 bestseller, LinkedIn put it in their Top Ten List for books on marketing, and it’s been the basis for the expanded growth of my business, for which I am grateful.

Which brings us to you.

Do you have a great idea that could serve people better? Are you struggling to get it off the ground?

If so, take the time to consider: are you more in love with the idea? Or the people you want to serve?

On the path towards serving others and making a difference, it’s gratifying to feel that YOUR idea made an impact. But sometimes we need to get out of our own way.

So next time you are stuck, ask yourself, “Am I in love with the people I want to serve, or am I MORE in love with my idea?”

Doing the work to dig deep and truly serve the needs of others could make the difference between an idea nobody likes, or a multi-billion dollar franchise that changes the world.

Just ask Michael Crichton.

• Christian

CHRISTIAN HANSEN has gone behind the scenes in some of the biggest organizations in the world to find out the reasons why some people get chosen and why others don’t. As the #1 bestselling and LinkedIn Top Ten ranked author of “The Influence Mindset: The Art & Science of Getting People to Choose You” Christian helps teams and organizations who want to stand out and be the obvious choice. With degrees from Brigham Young University and The London School of Economics, he’s helped thousands of individuals position and sell themselves. A fan of international communication, history, and choral music, he currently lives in Utah with his wife. Reach him at: TheChristianHansen.com