Customers vs. Journey

Are we trying to engage customers, or are we assisting them to navigate a journey? Can it be both? Is it often one versus the other? Should we write off the organization if the fundraising team does not align with our expectations? Or do we recalibrate and focus on the impact that the programs deliver to those who it serves? Should we call off the expedition because of the behavior of one team member? If it is dangerous and jeopardizes health and safety, perhaps we must. If the team member brings a different approach, perhaps we can find another point of convergence to bring us closer to our collective goal.

Seth Godin’s blog post put it more definitively.

Relegated

Once you begin sprinting in a cycling race, the rules dictate that you must hold your line to the finish. In practice, this makes sense. However, add a pack of cyclists generating 2,000 watts of power and moving at 40+ mph, and the realities suggest the group moves organically. However, if a rider moves erratically or intentionally endangers others, officials are supposed to relegate the rider to last place in the sprinting group (or disqualify them). The reality is that almost every large sprint contains movements worthy of relegation. The reality is that the rules get applied haphazardly.

How we navigate the reality of our work and the proposed guidelines is up to us. Our character is defined by both our results and how we navigate our work.

Payout vs. Ideas

Want to test your organization or individual values? Consider the lottery test. If you win the jackpot payout, would you remain true to your core values, or would you “exchange” or “upgrade” your guiding principles to something perceived as in alignment with your new financial stature?

We build trust and loyalty by stating what we believe and then acting consistently with those beliefs. Loyalty and authenticity cannot be purchased; they are earned.

Who Is It For?

Two Starbucks, located across the street from each other, appear like poor business planning; until we recognize that the stores exist in an urban design that prioritizes automobiles. If ease of pedestrian travel were a preference, perhaps one store would be sufficient.

How might we understand ‘who it is for’ before we begin our design and implementation phase? Starbucks does not exist to serve vehicles, but it does serve people. That said, it inhabits an environment that has amplified the needs of motorized travel; therefore, its design model accommodates those arriving in vehicles.

Branding

How does your cause construct its brand? Does it start by employing SEO, identifying a target audience, establishing a voice, agreeing upon a style guide, and investing in research? Or, does it tell an authentic story? We can build trust with people and their values, and we can establish a meaningful relationship. We might think we have a connection with a brand, but it is similar to a conversation with AI, all the right sentiments, but no depth or dimension.

United Airlines, Marriott, National Car Rental, Specialized Bikes, and Garmin have all added value to my adventures, but none of them has developed anything beyond a transactional relationship. They provide a service and offer loyalty reward benefits, but there is little to sustain our interaction. For comparison, I support social sector causes and am familiar with the individuals who work for these organizations. The blend of the organization’s vision and the team’s role of serving builds the brand.

When we attempt to advance our brand over people, our relationship with them transitions, diluting our connection with those we serve.

Advance Warning

Landing at a large airport contains many sights. The other day, when taxing to the gate, we passed a training fire exercise, which caught the attention of a few passengers on my flight. The pilots did not mention the fire in advance as a courtesy to reduce the alarm, but eventually, the passengers worked out that the flames did not merit panic.

How can we provide advance warning to our constituents when we anticipate turbulent events on the horizon that might not be visible from their perspective? How might we set people up for success? Treating our fans to an amusement ride, where masking adrenaline-inducing drops and climbs is a key part of the design, is welcomed if that is the agreement; otherwise, broadcasting the forecast might be more beneficial.