At the 2011 BoardSource Leadership Forum, Richard Chait suggested that enterprises ask themselves, “what if we are wrong?” He suggested that we review the assumptions the leadership of the cause has assembled. What if the organization’s game plan is using a playbook with the wrong strategy? If we have made the wrong assumptions all the dedicated work will still lead to a failed outcome.
We often ask if our programs and initiatives are sustainable. Do we ever ask our staff, board, and volunteers if their commitment to the enterprise is sustainable? Are we increasing the workload to generate more mission moments while breaking down the very people who signed-up to crew the ship?
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| Centennial Olympic Park |
For me, seeing a person leave a hotel to go for a run while I am traveling, or a cyclist heading out on the streets provides both inspiration to get out and run/bike but also a assurance that there are viable routes. Some places feel daunting and not easy to navigate but when you start seeing others who have taken the leap, it creates certainty that it is achievable. Who inspires you? More importantly, who are you inspiring? You may never know all the people you have empowered to take action just because they caught a glimpse of you in action. Showing-up may be the most motivating step you can take.
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| Do Not Enter |
Want to make some room on your strategic plan? Stop trying to get everybody to “like”, “friend”, donate, volunteer, or contribute to your cause. You do not need everyone. Most politicians require a majority to be elected but not everyone who votes. They understand that not everyone believes what they believe. Spend your time with those who share your purpose. It will be far more rewarding and productive. Imagine if you spent most of your time nurturing your tribe. Who might the members invite to join you? Who would they also know not to invite?
Compelling that some grocery stores are removing their self-checkout lanes and returning to the previous human manned versions. How should one assess the savings that technology might offer versus the return on investment from human touch? Seth Godin posted an interesting perspective on measuring the implementation of technology?
The message is more important than the location sometimes. One could suggest that some of these lunch bag creations are even more appealing because they are on a bag that we associate with being expendable and temporary. Suddenly the focus is not just on what is inside (the food) but the image that greets us.
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| View from Casa Batlló, Barcelona |
If the path is clear then the journey becomes one that others can follow and yet have time to see the surrounding landscape. If the path is faint then we spend most of our time and energy focusing on finding our way.
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| Castell de Montjuic |
One of the reasons I am intrigued by the process of assisting enterprises and individuals define their purpose is that it provides a platform for consistent communication. When we are uncertain of what we believe then it is common to communicate whatever feels right at the moment, which tends to be be more confusing to our customers than we realize.
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| Park Güell |
Visiting Park Güell in Barcelona today I hit a moment of overwhelm. It came about not due to the inspirational architecture. Nor the endless row of vendors trying to sell inexpensive sunglasses, jewelry, and water. My sense of overwhelm developed due to the number of people. From the moment we left the metro station to walk the twenty minutes towards the park we were passing or being passed by those coming or going towards this major attraction. Once inside the park gates there were moments that I knew I was missing an extraordinary view but could only focus on finding a route through the sea of people climbing, descending, and standing on the main stair case. Tourist swarmed next to the famous lizard/dragon statue (depending on which guidebook you read) waiting to take their picture with this landmark. It was a free-for-all and one was lucky to get their picture with just two or three other strangers in the frame. When we finally got into the higher reaches of the park and found more solitude and paths that took us into equally compelling designs and landscapes. I found myself appreciating the moment far more with space to take-in the design and consider its context.
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| Park Güell |
What is the right balance between number of people attending an event and their ability to appreciate the experience? How do we find the blend between maximizing participation and maintaining a unique experience? How many students fit in a learning environment? How many patrons can reasonably fill an art gallery and view the artwork? How many people can you stay connected with at a personal level without resorting to mass email and communication techniques?
The Bicing rental bike program is a creative transportation resource for residents of Barcelona, Spain. If you are a resident and pay an annual fee, you can pick-up one of the rental bikes for a half-hour without charge or if you wish to keep it longer you incur a modest surcharge. One of the issues for the program is that the bikes are heavily used in the morning when residents ride from the upper part of the city down towards the city center or beach. It is easy riding and the temperature is a bit cooler. As the day progresses the bike racks near the business district and ocean fill-up. In the evening, vans with trailers pick-up the bikes from the full and reposition them at the stations higher-up in the residential neighborhoods.
This trend offers and interesting challenge. How do you create incentives that encourages residents to ride the bikes back uphill to the residential stations? Their is clearly a culture that supports the program but the pattern is not one that sustains itself. What elements from gaming or credits could one develop to empower those who start doing the work that is essential for the program to be a complete?
What-if-concepts 