Innovative Concepts

Hit By It

A couple years ago, I played golf with my father-in-law.  The twosome behind us were constantly waiting on us but we were keeping pace with the group ahead so there was not real opportunity to let them play thru.  On the 18th hole we parked the golf cart in the fairway as we looked for an errant drives.  Walking back into the fairway, the gentleman’s tee ball landed a few feet from us.  We raised our clubs and shout “just wait a second.”  The woman jumped into their golf cart and raced up the fairway.  My father-in-law and I were perplexed at this response to our our shouts of dissatisfaction   The woman arrived in tears.  She explained that her husband has early onset Alzheimer’s symptoms and had teed-off on his own recognizance   Immediately, we felt terrible.  We had assumed their constant shadowing was poor etiquette when in reality it was the wife’s best effort to chaperon for her ailing husband.  Upon reflection we noted that his execution was flawless on the golf course.  Where his mental faculties had begun to fail, his physical skills were superb.  

What assumptions do we make that have been false?  What do they cost us?

Everyone’s Story

I read a LinkedIn post calling for simplified versions of Strategic Planning.  One contributor referenced their book, The Six Hour Strategic Plan, which offers fascinating approaches.  The barrier to simplifying any process is that one must draw a boundary and eliminate the infinite possibilities.  If we took note of every individual’s story in the above painting that hangs in the Louvre, the task would be laborious   But if you know that you are seeking those in a starring role who sit on the stage, the story-gathering is more focused.

Remarkably there can be clarity.  The real challenge is knowing what you believe and how you can deepen your connection.  Then you can work on the pathway to reach them.  The ridiculous part in this methodology is being willing to ignore everyone else, no how compelling their narratives.

Strength in Numbers???

It is easy to go where everyone else is going.  The way is well marked and illuminated brightly.  However, the closer you get to the busiest boulevards the less personal it feels.  The shops and cafes must appeal to the masses, their business relies on volume and high prices.  Rare is the fond memory that start, ‘myself and three thousand people….’  Even in the most popular athletic endurance events you find yourself connecting with those who match your pace.  You tend to encourage and inspire those who surround you, not all fifty thousand runners.  So why not taken the less travelled path?  The activity on the most travelled streets will be well documented but the real treasurers are found in the side alleys where the artists and innovators find room to launch their unique ideas.

What is your focus?

There is a well known rule in racing, you go where you look.  See a stone wall on the outside of corner and stare at it too long, you may just find it unavoidable.  See a gap between competitors, you can squeeze through.  Spot a smooth section of road, you enjoy the experience of riding on silk.

We gravitate towards our focus (maybe not precisely) but powerfully enough that it is a law of attraction.  Where is your focus?  Barriers, paycheck, saying ‘yes’, a new world view?

The Post

Is there a place where your tribe can gather and mark their presence?  The days of signing a guest book have given way in many causes to virtual check-ins on Foursquare, location activation on Facebook, and real-time streaming.  Whatever the technology employed, do you have a special club for those that belong?  Augusta National Golf Club has its green jackets and Harley-Davidson its tattoo.  These are ways of standing out among the masses.  These groups also have specific locations to gather and connect.  Where is your tribes gathering place? 

Connecting

You have just landed in a city that you have never visited.  It is late at night and your senses are overloaded as you try to decode the labyrinth of the airport and find transportation to your final destination for the evening.  Suddenly, a person intersected your meandering path.  “Great game Saturday, wasn’t it'” they state.  You mind races back to the article you read on the plane about the latest travel scams, you tense.  Then the stranger points at the logo on your shirt.  You look down and absorb the fact that your hometown’s college logo is embroidered on your shirt pocket.  The stranger reveals a tattoo on his arm with the same symbol.  You relax and enter into a quick back and forth about the successes of the college football team.  Before long, you have received directions and a few insider tips on getting to your hotel.

Boise State University

What can we learn about building a tribe from college football.  Universities do it as publicly and as well as anyone else.  They gather their members every weekend in the fall to cheer on the team.  The community is full of merchants that sell the tribe’s colors and crest.  Members can connect with each other in-person and online via official and unofficial forums.  Fans plan events the rest of the year to connect outside of game day.  And if you wear the school’s logo around the world, it is assured that you will run into like minded individuals and also somebody who reminds you why failure and doom are certain to befall your warriors during the season. 

Try it someday.  Travel with a favorite college teams logo and count the interactions.

Our Language

To enhance the connection between members of your tribe, do you have a form of communicating that is unique?  Does it help draw in others with the same interest?

Those in the aviation industry would immediately recognize the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet but it might cause a miscommunication in a spelling bee.  Using customizations can be a powerful source of connection or lead to more isolation.