Author: whatifconcepts

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

No Barriers

If the barriers you see or perceive no longer exist, where would you go and what would you do?  Why not take aim for those destinations today from where you are on the map?  A few degrees change in a compass heading may not seem like much but over the course of a year and a lifetime the places you go will be remarkably varied.  Idaho and Iowa are only a few degrees apart but they each offer a unique experience when you arrive.  Be intentional about your direction.


The Present

This is my favorite clock.  The hand transverses a color spectrum background correlated to the seasons.  It takes one year for the annual hand to complete its journey.  The daily movements are so fine as to be imperceptible   Over the course of a week one can observe the subtle passage of time.

My enthusiasm for the Present is not only the remarkable way in which it represents time but also in the manner it calibrates my perception of time.  Far more meaningful are the actions and experiences that take place within the annual transition of seasons than the list of appointments that fill my days on an electronic calendar.  It are those remarkable moments that map back the annual clock.

I use the Present as a metaphor for planning.  Which journeys are worth taking during the next five rotations of the Present that will be meaningful?  Strategy demands a more distant horizon than the actions and objectives that fill the hours of our day.  A new representation of time can be liberating to our thinking.

Narrative or Story?

I am putting my South by Southwest (SxSW) experience on a road show this week.  I returned yesterday to facilitate a retreat for a group that believes deeply in demonstrating the value of water.  The headwaters for the evening’s session was the difference between telling a story and sharing a narrative.  John Hagel made a compelling presentation in Austin at the SxSW conference.  He took us on his journey of inquiry, revealing the powerful divergence between two concepts that are frequently used to express the same thing but have divergent destinations.  John defined story and narrative in the following ways.

Story

  • About you and me.
  • Has a resolution.  The ending is determined.
Narratives
  • Open-ended, the ending is yet to be determined.
  • Offers an invitation for each of us to participate and help take the next step.
  • Powerful narratives motive us to take action which include life and death choices.
  • Express vulnerability.
The most influential narrative was that of the explorer in John’s view.  The Narrative of the Explorer works in the arena of opportunity. They foster openness and encourage collaboration.  Importantly they amplify passion and fabricate the power of wow!  John referred to a study where passionate workers were two times more likely to achieve than those who were uninspired.  The difference can attributed to the passive story or the active narrative.
The big question, how can you and I can create an environment that connects people to a compelling narrative?  NASA curates an on-going narrative each day with the Curiosity rover on Mars.  Curiosity’s journey is unknown and we can follow along on Twitter @MarsCuriosity.  Individuals who want more from stories that reached their conclusion find new narratives.  Spin-offs of Star Wars, Seinfeld, or Harry Potter evolve from fans committed to carrying on the narrative.
The Force Continued
Are you telling stories or a narrative? Stories make for a great dinner party but narratives will build a tribe of followers that take remarkable action.

What Travel Taught Me About Strategic Planning

Travelled to a city or place that has more ‘must see venues’ than times allows you to visit?  Then you have experienced strategic planning.  Want to visit the leading cultural sites in your desired location then research the top rated museums.  Desire a taste of the nation, work the restaurant guides and food blogs.  A thrill seeking bent will keep one on the scent of wild rides and adrenaline drops.  Anytime there is more opportunity than our bandwidth can absorb, we plan.  We select the ‘must visit’ locals and start reversen engineering our schedule to accomodate our choices.  We chart our days, perhaps leaving gaps for serendipity and getting lost but with focus on the central goal of each day.

Strategic planning is the opportunity to select which trips you wish to take over a fixed time.  Each time you get closer to departing on an upcoming adventure you assemble the details, such as airline tickets, hotel reservations, museum passes.  This is equivalent to the annual operating plan of an organization.  You engage experts like travel agent, guide, or the chat forums for advise, recommendations, and reassurances.

We establish travel strategy screens to help assess opportunities that present themselves in real-time.  If you are a lover of trains and the Glacier Express happens to run while you are in Switzerland, I imagine you might adjust your trip around its itinerary.

The big question is where do you want to go in the next ten or twenty years?  Which continents, countries, cities, galaxies?  Could select one or two that rise to the top of your priority list?  Are there three steps you could take today to start making a trip a reality?  What do you value most when you travel and would be willing to adjust your plans to accomodate?

The answers to the above questions is the basis of all strategic, operational, and strategy screen planning.  We do it all the time.  It does not need to be complicated and labored.  If it is not worth the rewards of exploration, why start?

How Do They Change as a Result of What You Give

Five Questions to Finding Your Life Purpose

1. State your name.
2. What do you love to do?  What is the one thing you feel supremely qualified to teach others?
3. Who do you do it for?  
4. What do those people (the ones you do it for) want or need?
5. How do they change or transform as a result of what you give them?

Always focus on the people you serve.