Innovative Concepts

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At the championship cycling race during my senior year in high school I planned a breakaway with two other riders with the hopes of riding away at the start. We had already race three stages over two-days so all the competitors were a bit fatigued. We had confided our plans with a member of another team who we asked to join our efforts to eliminate other contenders by surprise them from the start. He agreed and we dispersed ourselves across the front of the starting line. Since the final road race was 60-miles there was no real urgency to race from the gun. The starter’s pistol sounded and the two other riders accelerated forward. I clipped into my pedals and then proceeded to unclip immediately. I hesitated, attempted to rengage the cleat and pedal only to flail. After three attempts I was finally secure but the element of surprise was long gone and my two conspirators were on their way. I found myself completely paralyzed, having prepared to race full out from the start I was now sitting in the middle of the pack obsessing over the failed shoe and pedal routine. My breakaway companions were eventually caught more than halfway into the race, clearly missing an additional partner to share in the effort of staying off-the-front. The pack stayed together to the end and the sprinters rejoiced in the mass rush to the line.

The experience stays with me as a reminder of the importance of being prepared if a fast start is your strategy. The small details of clipping into a pedal separated me from participating in what would have been a memorable adventure.

They

“They have you doing a lot of jobs at once,” I remarked to the young man who was attempting to simultaneously work the register and dole out rewards to customers redeeming their game coupons. It struck me that “they” was an umbrella statement to cover some anonymous figure who I believed to represent management or authority. They was faceless. I have come to expect a they for airlines, hotel chains, large box stores, telephone solicitations and such. I am more alarmed when the concept of they trickles down to small organizations. If the concept of they embeds itself into a micro-enterprise, the coalition of those dedicated to a shared purpose is lost along with trust and authenticity.

When we describe management or authority as ‘they’ then the most powerful point of interface fades away, the human connection. When we no longer connect with a person then we jettison emotion. I have yet to met an organization that could make an emotional connection (can Apple Co. really love you), however I have encountered a lot of people working for great causes that fostered a personal relationship. There is no they when the team has names, stories, and time to build connections with those it serves.

Are You Part of the No Coalition?

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What else do we need to know so we can say ‘yes’ was the question from the back of the room. Heads turned and the most silent of the meeting’s participants had just thrown us all out of the proverbial express boat to the island of No. It was a brillant question and it completely energized the staff and supporters of the proposal. Seconds later sheets of paper were filled with ideas from an immediate brainstorming session. Obstacles and objections were identified as well as strengths and new points of confluence with on-going initiatives. With one question the meeting had come to life, ideas were being shared, engagement was soaring, and camaraderie was building. It is easy to identify one way to say no. The real talent is discovering strategies that let you say yes.

Seth Godin’s post illustrates the defused power of no with perfection. I am glad to have seen the collation of no battled in the arena of institutional habits.

Secure Funding

The topic of fundraising receives proportionally less time than is actually committed by organizations on the typical nonprofit board meeting agenda. Most causes certainly report on their development/fundraising efforts but what does not get discussed is the amount of time the enterprise attributes to the effort of securing funding on a daily basis. What if our enterprises ran like a Kickstart campaigns? You complete a form, uploaded an introductory video, outlined your purpose and business plan and let the market place determine your viability? If you campaign reaches its goal, you are funded and proceed; if not you work on obtaining other sources of financial backing. The freedom that the Kickstarter model offers is tantalizing. You make a heavy investment in fundraising upfront but then have the financial security to move forward with your project, instead of making little steps in-between runs to solicit contributions. Nonprofits, politicians, artists, researchers, educators, and doctors should all be able to focus the majority of their time on their craft. Of course connecting with those who invested in your dream (and their dream) is vital but it should not keep one from practicing your talent.

How would your cause operate if you knew your revenue stream was secure for a year? What would it bring into focus that is currently blurry?

Which Came First?

Do you need a strategy or a bold first attempt before you can declare a movement has started? I don’t know the answer but passed this sign the other day and it made me ponder how a movement gets started.

Merging Passions One Genre At A Time

Being memorable is not about being outlandish and a well executed media campaign. It comes about when your passion stands out because your actions are authentic.

Solving Problems

You can’t solve a problem with the same consciousness that created it.

~ Albert Einstein

A new member to a team with their own unique perspectives may allow them to conquer what seemed impossible just a few deliberations ago. Who have you added to your team that brings a new consciousness?