Author: whatifconcepts

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

Pre-Treating

In preparation for a forecasted snowstorm, the local road department might pre-treat the roads with magnesium chloride. The application works best if done in the hours before the first snowflakes fall. Miss the window of opportunity and the effectiveness of the product is marginal. It is the same with relationships. Ask your new neighbor for a 5 AM ride to the airport upon the first introduction; it might not establish a foundation for friendship. Make the same request after you assist the neighbors with moving furniture into their house, invite them to the neighborhood party, and remind them of an anomaly in the HOA rules; the reciprocation might be more favorable. How are you pre-treating your neighborhood (and those you serve) to set them up for success?

Lining Up

Some things are worth lining up for, and others moments are worth taking your own route. A key is knowing what you value. A paid lift ticket for the ski hill on a powder morning might be worth the investment. However, to others, it is a chance to put on climbing skins and ascend under their own power. Knowing your priorities helps you make decisions in real-time.

What Are Your Coordinates?

Pursuing a different mindset to evaluate an opportunity or problem? Assign categories to the X and Y axes. Then, ask your team of decision-makers to plot their individual coordinates. Possible examples deployed as icebreakers:

Y-Axis: Innovate –> Protect X-Axis: Boost –> Undervalue

Y-Axis: Remarkable –> Indespensible X-Axis: Oversight –> UnScripted

Y-Axis: Trust –> Authenticity X-Axis: Passion –> Reliable

Confidence and Perception

Despite all the economic data accumulated and monitored, the emotional perception of the economy is gathered in a few reports; the Consumer Confidence and Survey of Consumer Perception reports are headline examples. These are reminders that despite economic indicators pointing in one direction, the consumer’s emotional state may be uncoupled from economic trends.

How might we incorporate the perception and confidence of those we serve into our deliberations? Few dashboards capture the human element, instead prioritizing headline numbers. Enrollment might be increasing, but the trust we anticipated we were building is actually eroding the foundation. Our assessment of an enterprise’s progress (or regression) may be forecasted by anecdotal narratives before the data quantifies the disruption or delight we have generated.

The Middle = Results

The take-off and landing of an over-sea flight might get the most attention, but the cruise portion of the journey is where the distance is covered. The middle portion of our journeys is often overlooked, but it can have the biggest impact. A tailwind might push a commercial airliner to exceed 800 mph. A headwind and diversion for weather can create extended delays.

How might we recognize when we are in the middle portion of our journey? This is an opportunity to do the work that matters.

Contrast

Contrast is what makes us stand out. It reveals ideas we might miss the first time we encounter an idea or opportunity. When we play the Where’s Waldo game, Waldo appears simple to find when introduced alone on the book’s cover. However, inside the book, Waldo is camouflaged when embedded in the images.

How might we leverage contrast to add depth or dimension to future deliberations?

Cheer for Us!

If professional athletes aspire to have an inspired fan base attend their events and cheer for them during a competition, is their reciprocity that they offer an interchange when encountering recreational athletes during training sessions? Said more directly, if amateur cyclists wish teams of professional cyclists greetings as they pass on the road, are multiple blank stares back from the pro squad a promising way to engage with fans? Might they lift a finger in recognition or utter ‘hi’?

How might we not overlook simple exchanges all due to our focus on assembling the greatest audience to cheer for us at our signature events? How might we remember that the most casual interactions might be the cement that creates a bond? Some of the most pleasing memories are formed in the unscripted moments orchestrated by serendipity.