Author: whatifconcepts

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

Real Conversations (Without Money)

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If you were excused from any worry about raising money from a prospective donor, what conversation would you strike-up?  How would it feel to speak with a person, free from the pressure of securing their financial support for your cause?  What questions would you ask?  What would you share?  How long would you be willing to speak with this individual?  

Why not try it?  Have a real conversation with another person who supports your cause.  Avoid the FAQs and mission statement (unless they ask).  See if the interaction is remarkably different or the same.

Solutions

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There is a solution for many problems.  Asking for help reveals readily available resources.  Spend time on distractions or focus expertise on the work that matters.  Your enterprise exists to address challenges that are not easy to decode.  Heroic journeys are a quest with uncertain outcomes.  The reward is transformation.  These are the adventures worthy of extraordinary people.

Profound Planning in History

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I have seen versions of the above image in history textbooks.  A quick glance and brief text were enough to know that this was a harbor constructed to support D-Day Invasion on Normandy.  An impressive number of ships, lots of activity, and roadways stretching into the harbor seem to tell the story.  What I did not know was the detailed plan behind the harbor.  Nicknamed Mulberry B is was located in Arromanches, France on Gold Beach with the intention of serving the British and Canadian forces.  The harbor was completely devised using old ships scuttled in place, and pre-fabricated pieces flooded on-site as no historical harbor existed in the location.  It was planned over a year in advance, constructed in England, barged over behind the invasion forces on June 6, 1944, and almost finished on June 19th when a ferocious storm hit it.  Mulberry B survived while the United State’s harbor, Mulberry A, on Omaha Beach was abandoned due to storm damage.  All Allied supplies and equipment disembarked upon this floating structure, thoughtfully designed to adapt to 30 feet of tidal flow.  Today, a few remnants sit above sea level, enough to give perspective to the magnitude of Operation Overlord.  The Allied forces understood that getting personnel on the beach was the first obstacle.  The second challenge was hastily placing enough equipment and supplies on-shore to avoid the Axis time to pin the Allied troop against the Channel.

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It is worth remembering the power of thinking about the steps beyond the next step.  The actions that are required to allow us to thrive once we have reached a critical benchmark.  The planning and execution of a temporary harbor made a profound difference to the outcome of World Wat Two.

Better Decisions

Insightful and applicable blog post by Eric Barker. Here is the summary if you need encouragement to read further:

Here’s how to make good decisions:

  • You don’t need more info, you need the right info: Clarify the problem and get relevant data, not all the data.
  • Feelings are not the enemy: For simple choices, use raw brainpower. For complex choices, trust intuition.
  • If you’re an expert in the area, trust your gut: Not sure if you’re an expert? Keep a decision diary.
  • “Good enough is almost always good enough”: Trying to be perfect makes your brain miserable.

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FedEx vs Post Office

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The Postal Service delivers to every address, every day.  FedEx delivers to selected locations when there is something deemed urgent.  Some enterprises show up every day and some people find this rewarding, others feel like it is a door-to-door solicitation.  Some organizations show up on a less predictable schedule.  Some people find this exciting, others deem it frustrating.  A question to consider, are you delivering to everyone every day or are you selecting only a few people and delivering something urgent?  The postal service and FedEx continue to fill a need, they have different purposes and operating plans.

Partnerships

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The building of the transcontinental railroad was a partnership.  Two railroad companies, government, investors, planners, engineers, laborers, immigrants, scouts, moving towns, etc.  The list of partners is too long for this list.  One could imagine a different result had this enormous project been taken on by a single entity.  The final result was better because of collaboration and key partners.  When we know we are working towards somebody who is approaching us with a shared purpose our resolve is stronger.  Obstacles are easier to overcome when we know that there are others working on the same problem.

Our goal should not be to do more alone, rather do more with partners who believe what we believe.

Obstructions

 

If there were no obstructions than our enterprise would cease to exist.  The trans-continental railway unimagined.  Exploration of space left on the launch pad.  Redesigning a city while honoring those who perished in its previous form would not have taken years.  The obstruction is what keep us focused.  Just make sure that the obstruction does not distract from the better future you are creating.