Not all strategies can be BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Sometimes, section hiking or even linking together day hikes might be more productive than trying to complete the entire thru-hike that we aspire to finish.
Author: whatifconcepts
Branding
How does your cause construct its brand? Does it start by employing SEO, identifying a target audience, establishing a voice, agreeing upon a style guide, and investing in research? Or, does it tell an authentic story? We can build trust with people and their values, and we can establish a meaningful relationship. We might think we have a connection with a brand, but it is similar to a conversation with AI, all the right sentiments, but no depth or dimension.
United Airlines, Marriott, National Car Rental, Specialized Bikes, and Garmin have all added value to my adventures, but none of them has developed anything beyond a transactional relationship. They provide a service and offer loyalty reward benefits, but there is little to sustain our interaction. For comparison, I support social sector causes and am familiar with the individuals who work for these organizations. The blend of the organization’s vision and the team’s role of serving builds the brand.
When we attempt to advance our brand over people, our relationship with them transitions, diluting our connection with those we serve.
Advance Warning
Landing at a large airport contains many sights. The other day, when taxing to the gate, we passed a training fire exercise, which caught the attention of a few passengers on my flight. The pilots did not mention the fire in advance as a courtesy to reduce the alarm, but eventually, the passengers worked out that the flames did not merit panic.
How can we provide advance warning to our constituents when we anticipate turbulent events on the horizon that might not be visible from their perspective? How might we set people up for success? Treating our fans to an amusement ride, where masking adrenaline-inducing drops and climbs is a key part of the design, is welcomed if that is the agreement; otherwise, broadcasting the forecast might be more beneficial.
Design Your Torch
If your enterprise were to run a torch relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, what would be the design of the torch? Which symbols would you include?
I Worry About Him Constantly
What map do you see that is not visible to almost everyone else? Where does your reality diverge from the conventional? Is that what makes you remarkable?
Echo
When you yell ‘echo,’ whose voice responds?
In the right environment, we can create an echo by deploying our voice so that it reverberates and returns to us as if shouted by another person located some distance away.
We can take for granted that we generate echoes in our world. We can communicate out, and there are those who respond quickly and with affirmation or empathy as needed. But what happens when those voices cease to respond?
How often do you celebrate and nurture the voices on the other side of the echo? Do you develop a symbiotic relationship, or is it one-sided? What if you made time to prioritize your echo reflectors and make sure they are recognized for the essential role they play in your work?
One Thing
Life is less complicated when there is one key to success or one thing that causes a negative result. We can focus on the one thing and either amplify or suppress its consequence. But rarely does one thing take the headline and all the influence on results. For example, if we can prevent lightning from striking forests, then all wildland fires would cease. If all planes had parachutes, there would never be another aviation disaster. If all athletes were tested daily, then no one would be seduced to take performance-enhancing drugs. If all roads were one-way, head-on vehicle accidents would cease to exist.
All these statements feel suitable at first read, but reality is more complex. Nature and human behavior have demonstrated that evolution and adaptation happen, and new events take their place.
Are you focusing on one thing that will guarantee success or avoid disaster? If so, are you sure that one thing is everything?
TOGA
In aviation terminology, TOGA refers to a Takeoff or Go-Around thrust setting (essentially the maximum power the engines can produce). It is used only when required since it puts more wear on the engines and creates a greater environmental impact. However, if the conditions dictate, such as a tailwind close to the maximum allowed for a specific aircraft type to achieve take-off, TOGA might be the mandated setting.
What events in your enterprise require TOGA? When are all the resources in your organization needed to achieve your objective? When has your cause used TOGA, but a lower level of exertion would have sufficed? Who and how do you decide?
* Informative video of a pilot describing the procedure for an Airbus A330neo.
Second Career
If you are a donkey that was a companion to a horse, it is a powerful relationship. However, donkeys live a factor longer than horses, so they can find themselves looking for a new function if their companion horse passes away. One Colorado nonprofit runs a donkey sanctuary. To keep the animals engaged and interacting socially, they participate in events, assuming various roles. For last night’s wedding ceremony, they carried around bottles of beer and other beverages. They were adored and celebrated, once again finding their purpose.
When our first thing is done, it may mean a new opportunity is waiting.
Up Close
As we move closer to objects, our perspective may change. As a kid, there was a rock formation that I forever believed to be a pile of rocks sitting perfectly on the saddle of the Continental Divide. However, one summer we hiked to the pass, and when I got closer, I realized my perception and reality were not aligned. A spire of rocks hung off the side of a cliff face on the far side of the saddle, but when viewed from the valley, it became a prominent landmark.
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