Innovative Concepts

If There Were No Fences

If there were no fences in a baseball outfield, would it change how a batter swings?  If you could not hit one out of the park would it change the game?  The thrill and spectacle of a home run is an easy achievement to focus on and celebrate.  Just watch an ESPN highlight.  Does a fence in the outfield add to the game of baseball?  Does having a boundary change how we execute on a daily basis?

Celebration

Of the social sector celebrations you have attended, which ones are remarkable?  Is one event better than many smaller ones?  Who do you include?   Do you include a celebrity or well-known individual who may draw a larger crowd?  Do you create a separate experience for your leadership philanthropic investors?  How do you exceed expectations?

Behind the Scenes
Perhaps the greatest gift that an outlier can give to those who inspire to follow is to grant a tour behind the scenes.  Only once you get into the day-to-day operations of an enterprise do you get a sense of the work and commitment to purpose that it takes to maximize one’s talents.  Oprah Behind the Scenes is a great example of a master revealing her decision-making process and deliberations.  You get a sense of the alignment it takes to prepare for a show and the challenging decisions that need to be made in the compressed format of an hour television program.
Which enterprise would you most like to visit behind the scenes?  Who could you invite to your cause that would inspire?

Almost

Our fascination with the wedding of William and Kate provides an interesting study in human needs.  Some estimate that one-third of the world’s population took a moment to watch the event.  The whole affair was spectacular but consider that it could have been bigger.  The couple wed in Westminster Abbey as opposed to the larger St. Paul’s Cathedral.  The guest list was notable for both who was invited but additionally for the world leaders and celebrities not included.  There are royal carriages in the Royal Mews that are more ornate than the ones used for the wedding procession.  

The reality is that although the whole event could have been larger and trapped with more royal jewels and symbols of the monoarch, there was something that no made for TV reality wedding with an unlimited budget could touch.  There was a palpable sense of awe.  No wedding planner can manufacture awe.  It is an authentic emotional resonance.  To get people to assemble days before the event in hopes of a quick glimpse of the royal procession requires a strong belief.  To stand on among tens of thousands on The Mall with little chance of seeing the newlyweds wave from the balcony seems irrational unless being in the presence of the event generates an emotional response that is far stronger than conventional wisdom.

How are you creating a sense of awe?  Does it require being bigger and better or simply capturing the magic of what you do best?

Everyone and Nobody

I would guess that if your organization is trying to survive by pleasing everyone then you are competing on price or a commodity based metric.  You are the buffet.  You try to meet everyone’s needs but once your patrons are satisfied the enterprise is forgettable.  I can think of a few buffets that were memorable in my dining experience but usually for the people watching.

The most remarkable restaurants are not afraid to be labeled as unique or remarkable.  Their cuisine may be a fusion of different cultures but they are known for being precise.  Their purpose helps set the menu, the decor, the ambiance.  I once dined at Lasserre in Paris.  An amazing restaurant that was themed after the experience of dining on a luxury cruise ship.  The ceiling would retract during the evening to reveal the night sky and stars as if one were at sea.  Small stools (at footstool height) were placed next to each woman’s seat so she could place her expensive handbag in view of other patrons.  If you needed to use the facilities you were escorted to an elevator, taken to the first floor and then placed in the care of restroom attendant.  There was no thought of pointing you in the general direction of the water closet.  Flower arrangements were stunning with orchids that overwhelmed the senses.  This was perhaps my most memorable evening in Paris and I have not even written about the food.  One had to seek out Lasserre and it was magnificent because it was unique.

Who are you serving?

Bringing the Outside In

Larry Johnson of M.E. Grace & Associates was a presenter at the ClearRock Capital Conference I attended as a panelist yesterday.  He shared an advertisement that ran in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal showing USC (University of Southern California) had raised $100 million in contributions from non-USC alumni.  This was the outcome of a strategic initiative put into place years ago to share the success of the university with those who might be compelled to invest, regardless of their personal ties to the school.  Do you understand the motivations of those in your donor universe?  Are you thinking as far-a-field as USC (i.e. non-alumni)?  Are there members beyond your community or region from whom your enterprise might be a very compelling investment opportunity?