Super Bowl betting is in progress. There are numerous strategies and options. One big question, do you make one big bet, on say the outcome of the game? Or, do you make a bunch of smaller prop bets on first team to score, first turnover, length of the national anthem? Big bet keeps us engaged because of the risk. The small bets keep us focused on the details throughout the game.

The same is true with setting strategies. Make one big bet to fundamentally change education or eradicate a disease. We can go all in with our resources and attention. Or, make a series of smaller investments in pilot programs and beta-testing. They may end-up with similar results but how they are viewed might depend on our organization’s culture. If we value adventure and risk taking, the big bet might fill a need. If we value personal interactions, the micro-bets might allow us to travel alongside with those that we are serving.

Big bets get headlines at the start. Little bets take time to build a track record but might build a movement. No right or wrong, just our best sense on which type of bet is required to perform the work that matters.