Author: whatifconcepts

Empowering those that inspire so they can excel at the work that matters.

Two Realities

For a few individuals, it is a misty morning. For others, it is sunny with ground fog below. Both are accurate representations generated by individuals occupying the same building.

How might we recognize that multiple realities are forged within the same space? We might report on what we see and benefit from what others notice. The collective is probably more accurate than a single viewpoint.

Why

Why does the opportunity exist in the first place? A first lens is identifying the opportunity. The work that provides depth and dimension is understanding the conditions that nurtures the opportunity to thrive. How might we not jump into any open lane of travel without a moment of curiosity?

Why is your cause solving the problem it selected? Was there nobody working on it or is there a story?

Summit Proximity

Are you more impressed by a climber who is a few yards from the summit or one who has just left the trailhead? Human psychology gives preference to the person closest to the summit. When I am cycling and see another rider in the final minute of a long ascent, there is shared comradery that is not as palpable for the cyclist tackling the initial slopes.

How do we equate the perspective that timing matters? If we climb sooner or later in the day, we encounter other participants in different stages of their journey. Our desire to assign value based on a real-time assessment benefits from a broader picture. Strava creates a virtual leaderboard for cyclists and runners (among others) that can be filtered by day, week, year, or all-time (among other options). We might achieve the best time within a small window, but land pages back in the search of all-time best times.

How might we understand that our current location might impact our value assessment?

Balanced Protection

What needs to be kept behind locked doors, and what is strategically public at your organization? Some organizations prefer to keep more information secret when in doubt. Transparency allows for fewer unknowns, which reduces the number of people who make up facts in the absence of answers. There is necessary information that requires confidentiality, but a posture that is too shielded tends to raise questions.

Hill Towns and Port Villages

The location of our town allows us to specialize. A port town has access to the sea and transportation amenities. A hill town might provide room to terrace the land, grow crops, and benefit from harvesting natural resources. In some locations, the main town was built a few miles inland from the sister port town, allowing the harbor to deploy signal fires to alert the primary village if an enemy approached from the sea.

Based on our geography, we might maximize a specific benefit. We may need to pass on opportunities that do not thrive in our location. Ski resorts are not usually found in the lower latitudes, and beach vacations get more challenging as the latitude increases.

Shouting at Yoga Students

A yoga instructor who shouts at their class might be missing the intention of yoga. A Board Chair who chastizes other board members for not twisting enough elbows to secure more donations from friends and business associates might not have a sustainable approach. A treasurer who reports that the organization’s tax returns have been filed but does not wish to share a copy for review may not be amplifying leading practices.

We might be doing the work that matters, but using the wrong communication methods (or volume) might cause more obstacles than benefits.