Author: whatifconcepts

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

Fuel for Your Journey

A water fountain requires little maintenance but provides essential fuel (hydration) for those who pass. A thirsty hiker, cyclist, runner, hot canine, and many others benefit from a good water source’s self-service, always-on nature.

What services do you provide that are easy to use, simply designed, and require little labor to monitor?

Ridgelines

When we navigate mountain ridgelines, we get a different perspective. When the views are optimal, we can see multiple sides of the peak we are ascending. When the weather closes in, we are closer to the terminal velocity point, where weather sweeps across the edges, and we adjust to atmospheric pressure differences. It is often a dynamic place.

How might we situate ourselves at our organization’s ridgeline to better understand what terrain we have ascended and what remains above? When I worked at an elementary school, the student drop-off and pick-up points provided a ridgeline vantage point into parent-student interactions. The faculty lounge was a ridgeline to staff morale and mindset. The recess area was the ridgeline for student-to-student interactions outside of the classroom setting. What are your organizational ridgelines?

The Refugio Paradox

When the mountain pass is open, the snow melts from the road, the weather is inviting, the refugio is well stocked, and business conditions are set for capacity. If the environmental conditions alter, business at a mountain hut can cascade to zero quickly. A closed road due to a mudslide, a challenging patch of weather, or a larger event in the valley villages creates challenges.

Location can make us remarkable, but it can also leave us outside the circle of safety. Awareness dissipates when nobody can reach us. However, our setting attracts those seeking our attributes when the conditions are right.

What Baggage Carousels Teach Us About Planning

Airport baggage carousels are interesting devices. A lot of infrastructure and space is dedicated to the luggage retrieval process. When many flights arrive simultaneously, each carousel operates at high capacity. Visit the baggage area between busy periods, and the design appears dated. If a courier delivers packages directly to my doorstep, why can an airline not reunite baggage and passengers in a more personalized manner?

When operations are at full capacity, questioning utilization and design is more demanding. Visit the same site during a slow period, and the respite provides more opportunities for reflection.

How might we embrace generative inquiry during our more relaxed moments and assess if we are trying to solve problems when full or empty?

Future Resume- Do you have one?
@yellowtuxjesse

Bring on the future resumes and know you will not get your traditional training. #hiring #coaching #onboard #fansfirst #interview #savannahbananas #fansfirst

♬ original sound – YellowTuxJesse

How do you respond if somebody asks you to share your ‘future resume’? Do you have a mindset that spends as much time crafting a future resume as you spend on a resume that captures past achievements? This is the approach employed by the Savannah Bananas baseball team when they hire new team members.

What if you try this activity with your team. Take a few minutes to draft a future resume; it may be enlightening.

Five Rules for Your Enterprise

List the five essential rules to successfully merge into your team’s culture? What are the five most important documents/books a new member of your team should consult? Who are the five most important individuals a person should meet early in their tenure? What are the five most important stories about your cause they should know?

Looking for some inspiration, Vu Le has a refreshing look at seven post-pandemic rules the social sector should embrace.