Watching Your Back

In many communitites innovation and experimentation can only take place when there is someone from the mainstream willing to watch your back. Being mainstream this person has credibility with most members of the community. He/she must also have the respect and confidence of the mainstream. This allows the person to vouch for the innovator/experimentor and thereby allow the experiment to continue.

This back watcher intercedes for the innovator when the mainstream questions their legitimacy. "I don't quite understand it myself but I know the intention is right and I think we should let it continue," would be a typical back watcher response. They create an environment that allows the innovator to look completely different than the rest of the community yet still be a part of it. Does Barnabas come to mind?

I think denominations need back watchers too. Unfortunately the emphasis is all too often on getting people and churches to look the same rather than encouraging them to be true innovators. Innovators can be scary because ther innovations are often failures and that looks bad. Who wants to be the one who condones a failure? But that is what it takes to be innovative.

Most back watchers are old, I think. They have been around the block long enough to know that innovation can be life giving. They are often close to retirement or already retired and they are tired of seeing the same old things tried over and over in new wrappings. I think they may even secretly regret not being more innovative themselves when they were younger. They are dying to give "permission" to younger folks to be innovative.

I want to be a back watcher when I'm old. I've worked in situations where I needed one badly and didn't have one. I think they are important. Does that mean I have to become more mainstream to build up my cred though?