Author: whatifconcepts

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

Meet Up

Living abroad offers the opportunity for adventure every time we walk out the door.  Today’s discovery started off by joining a running group I found on Meetup.com.  I was welcomed immediately by the Ingmar, the group leader who offered options for Sunday’s run.  Feeling ambitious I agreed to meet at the early starting point and head out with Ingmar to  do a warm-up run to the official start.  In the hour of running to get to the group start he pointed to numerous sites and locations that might be of interest to me and my family.  We arrived at the official launching point for the run and about dozen runners were ready to head for the hills.  We climbed steeply to an amazing old railway trail that contoured the hillside and proceeded along, high enough to take in a constant view of the city and ocean and yet feel like we were a bit detached.  We ran in groups of two or three but waited at key intersections or the infrequent water fountains.  Runners turned around as the distance increased but not without announcing their intentions.  Eventually we climbed to the highest point where a number of runners opted to take the bus back to the city and a few of began the run back.  One runner knew of a shortcut and another offered advice on how we could intersect our intended route.  As we rolled into the final hour we shared what remaining food and water was in the group’s possession.  Finally we reached the group starting point and Ingmar and I began our final cruise back to the city center.  Almost 40 kilometers later I was back at our apartment.


I share this because it was the perfect road map of how a tribe works effectively.  When I headed out the door this morning, I knew little of where we were headed or how the day would play out.  After I returned, I had been welcomed by a number of individuals who shared the same passion.  We had covered amazing terrain and I was introduced to trails I might have never found on my own reconnaissance.  I finished feeling excited about the experience and ready to sign-up for more.  I even found one of the runners had uploaded pictures to the Meetup group page by the time I got back.


How do you welcome newcomers to your cause?  What is their initial experience?  What is the tribe’s culture?  Do members openly offer assistance to one another? What immediate follow-up can they expect?   Can the members of the tribe communicate with one another using your cause as a platform?  Do newcomers sign-up for more?

More of Less

Residing in a rental apartment it is evident that the unit was equipped for four people (with the possibility to expand to six if one uses the sleeper sofa).  There are six sets of bowls, glasses, and plates.  Cooking utensils are sufficient but only one of each sits aligned in the drawer.  Cookware offers the basics but there is no duplication.  Our initial reaction was this would not work for more than a couple days. We arrived from our own residence where there is a shelf of glasses that never gets touched unless there is at least twelve people in the house.  We can fill the dishwasher with bowls and plates and still serve another meal without worry.  

Both situations work.  The less is more approach requires more constant attention to what one has used and if it needs to be cleaned.  On the other hand each item has specific location where it resides.  There is no throwing a serving spoon into a drawer which is full of other serving spoons.  You have one utensil and you keep track of it.  It reminds me of backpacking where everything on your equipment list must fit in the backpack and think carefully before adding another item.

I am beginning to see the value of the philosophy of more of less.  I am more intentional with items.  I know there is not immediate duplicate sitting in the overflow area.  It makes me wonder if our enterprises often collect programs, services, customers that are really excess.  We have an exceptional purpose but then start adding the easy to grab items.  Suddenly we find our capacity is full and we cannot remember why we added all the features and benefits we promised.  What if we did more of less?  Would it allow us to be more intentional everyday? 

New Point of View
La Pedrare

I am intrigued with the parallel between architects Frank Lloyld Wright and Antoni Gaudi.  Both revolutionized design.  They forever changed the mold of what went into the architectural process.  Each saw the opportunity to combine and blend the exterior and interior spaces like never before.  They designed specific furniture pieces to fit into their buildings because they believed strongly that form and function were influenced by nature.  If you have been fortunate enough to explore their buildings, there is an energy that vibrates throughout the structure.  These are individuals who have passed and yet their creations feel current and even modern.  They saw a power of purpose and brought their respective visions to reality, despite fighting strong headwinds of disapproval and criticism.

Can You?

Can you do it first, fastest, best, most inexpensively, and with massive volume?  If so, you need a lot of followers.  This model is repeatable and hard to defend.  However, if you are willing to be precise and purposeful, you need fewer people in your tribe.  Actually, you may need just a few.  Artists have succeeded because just one person decided to start collecting their work.  That person’s passion brought a few more people.  In reality a dozen collectors created a market.


Are you seeking everybody or just a few?

Compared to the Worst

To make sense of scale, we use reference points.  Hurricane Irene was a less destructive force than Hurricane Katrina.  For some sections of the Eastern Seaboard, the storm was a heavy rainstorm.  Some criticized the precautions taken and the mandatory evacuations.  Yet the unexpected consequence of Irene may be the incredible flooding taking place in New England.  There is talk of 100-year flooding levels (yet another scale).


How does your enterprise use scale to communicate and provide perspective?

Into Uncertainty

To ride with the pack is safe.  You can predict the effort required to finish the race.  If you are feeling strong you can go to the front of the peloton and set a pace that benefits those following.  If you are feeling weaker you can be sheltered from the wind by stronger riders.  To ride ahead solo is daring and uncertain.  It takes commitment to a vision that the effort of of pushing ahead will have its rewards.  Those who seek the unknown are often overtaken by the pack.  But on occasion they are rewarded in the most spectacular fashion.  Finding themselves arriving at the finish solo, celebrating the outcome of molding the unknown to meet their belief.

Recruiting

If you follow NCAA football you are aware there are a few scandals taking place right now.  It is alleged that boosters have paid for numerous athletes  to receive goods and services deemed illegal by the NCAA.  One sports commentator puts the blame right back on the coaches.  He claims that if you just recruit the best athletes you are risking athletic performance at the sake of other qualities that may be important in an academic setting.  If you recruit the best individuals who will make a difference in their respective communities then the scholarship is more than just a trade of athletic talents for education.

How many causes have you seen who recruited the most visible member of the community but suffered due to the individual’s expectation that their name was sufficient service to the organization?  Others recruit the best decision-makers who are committed to serving the enterprise.  They may happen to be philanthropically minded, networkers, or even well-known but the cause loves their board members for their core talent first.  

You Have to Ask

You will receive 0% of the gifts you never ask for.  Hope is a poor philanthropic investment plan.  You may not receive 100% of the commitments you request but you will certainly spark a conversation in all of your asks.  Even if an individual chooses not to invest in your cause, if you listen well you will have received something immeasurably more valuable than the assumptions that kept another person from making the ask.  Go on the journey, even if it appears dark and uncertain. 

Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges— Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!

Ruyard Kipling, The Explorer, Stanza 2 (1903)