When does service become acts of fraud and self-dealing? When does celebrating volunteers cross the line? What guard rails does your enterprise use to focus on the mission and avoid the perception of a conflict of interest?
Author: whatifconcepts
Exit Rows
A flight attendant briefed our exit row today. They asked for a verbal ‘yes’ that everyone seated in the exit row was willing and able to help in the event of an emergency. There were multiple ‘yes’ responses until one passenger explained that they were an aircraft mechanic well-versed in the exit row door protocols. The flight attendant kindly said, “I just need a yes or no.”
There is a time to share our story and amplify our expertise. Then, there are circumstances when a simple yes or no is all that is warranted. How might we understand when people are seeking a story and when they are complying with policies?
Control
What can you control? What is beyond your control? What falls between these two categories? What if you took the time to map these quickly before your enterprise approves its next budget or decides on resource allocation? What if you started a generative conversation by adding Post-it notes to a larger template of the above graphic? How might our future discussions benefit from agreeing beforehand about what we control and what is beyond our influence?
Thru-hikers planning for one of the ultra-distance trail networks (e.g., Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Appalachian Trail1, etc.) in the United States during 2025 are working on extensive details. They can control the gear they acquire, fitness level, re-ration boxes, and goals. They cannot control the snowpack, wildlife, availability of trail angels to assist them, or other trail users they will encounter. They have variable control over the distance they plan to cover, hiking partner(s), and probable scenarios encountered based on previous long-distance hikes.
A thru-hiker can spend most of their time on the controlled and variable inputs, leaving the uncontrolled inputs for evaluation as departure day approaches.
Amplifying “Can’t”
Does your mindset change if you are informed ‘you can’ versus ‘you can’t’? When we are restricted from taking action or proceeding, it may increase our desire to sample the mission we aspire to complete. I have often found more satisfaction in gaining access to an experience that started with ‘you can’t’ or a restriction and ultimately allowed access.
For example, an airport gate agent informing us that the boarding door is closed, and we are denied boarding, only to have the door re-opened to accommodate a crew member, and we are boarded. The flight feels like a reward. Reaching a closed trail which requires us to retrace our steps for miles, only to learn that a seldom-used side trail allows us to proceed. Or an endeavor that we are told we have not acquired sufficient experience to attempt, but we find a support team and complete the quest.
How might we recognize that our motivation may increase expoentially when we first encounter a barrier before we are able to proceed?
Top 10
What makes a top 10 list engaging? Is it the inherent tension built into any ranking that contains a subjective component? Is it the probablity that people will debate the ranking and advocate for those ranked inappropriately or left off? Is it the direct accessibility of a list everyone has thoughts about?
It is a fun exercise to administer for a group.
Sample ‘Top 10’ prompts include: attributes of a good teammate, US States/or/countries you wish to visit, things to avoid during the winter holiday season, mythical beasts, things people should know about our organization, months of the year, things people get wrong, skills to learn in life, best philanthropic investments.
Algorithm and AI
Currently, on a book tour, David Sedaris has a great line in one of his pieces about how Instagram’s algorithm knows he wants to see a video of a Komono Dragon eating a live goat. The absurdity of the subject matter and the likelihood that such a video exists creates humor and repulsion.
NPR’s All Things Considered broadcast a story about AI generating the first result in a Google search. Using their proprietorial platform Overview, the search giant has allegedly suggested ingesting rocks for nutrition and putting glue on pizza to keep the cheese from sliding off.
These models are unsteady, like a horse struggling to reach its feet after napping in the sun. They require a lot of power and input from outside data sources to create better results. The more we excel at our exceptional work, the higher the likelihood that algorithms and AI benefit from our creation. But they will always be working on a probability scale. Their suggestions and forecasts will be models. We possess the ability to fill the liminal space between real-time and strategic priorities. While the models might focus on ways to get a napping horse to stand, we can consider the choices we will make on this particular horse, using a specific bridle, while out on our favorite trail just beyond the barn’s fence line.
Moguls
Mogul runs start out as relatively smooth patches of snow. Either the run is groomed or early-season snowfall creates an unbroken blanket of coverage. As skiers and boarders descend, the snow piles into clumps, and moguls are formed by the shape of each turn and augment the terrain below the snowpack. Some ski runs are designated as mogul runs and develop unique characteristics throughout the ski season.
When we think about the terrain in which we operate, we are often responding to the influences of those who travel before us. We might believe we are creating an original line, but like a mogul field, our options for where we turn are influenced by our predecessors. We are probably not the first to have traveled on this route but we can descend with our signature style.
Display
Shopping in an outdoor store and I encountered a display for travel luggage. Talking with a team member, the cutout portion from an actual commercial aircraft was delivered to the store, complete with cigarette butts in the ashtrays and oxygen masks still stored in their overhead panels. In my experience, it is not common to encounter the fuselage of an aircraft in a retail environment. The display was remarkable for the story of its acquisition, transport, and installation. If I had been shopping for travel luggage it might have been appealing but instead, the display might be overshadowing the product.
How might we calibrate our displays to amplify our products (or services)? What happens when the display framework takes more commitment to produce than the design of the product? When we assemble a fantastically designed strategic plan, annual report, or capital campaign brochure but the content does not reverberate, we get credit for thoughtful marketing but the depth of our work is forsaken.
Not Just One Thing
Notice, that if you endeavor to do one thing, it typically includes several other things. Submit a proposal for a prospective consulting engagement, the client list needs an update, tentative dates require entry to the calendar, and sample work from previous engagements are potential side quests.
Rarely does one thing equal one thing. Are you prepared for the journey?
First Tracks
It is easier to see your impact if you get first tracks on a ski run. If you catch the last lift of the day, it might be harder to distinguish your line from the thousands of others. Being first comes with challenges but you leave a recognizable trail.
What-if-concepts 