Innovative Concepts

Constant or Flooding

McDonalds just announced that it was hiring up to 50,000 new employees on National Hiring Day- April 19, 2011.  McDonalds was planning to add these positions already but decided to lump the hiring into a single event.  The coverage of McDonald’s announcement turned into national news due to size and scope of the one-day event.  

What can we learn from McDonald’s experience?  I recently received a letter from an independent school announcing four significant philanthropic gifts to separate initiatives.  My assessment of the school after the reading the message was that great things were taking place.  Had I received an announcement once a week over a month from the school sharing news about each contribution individually it may not have had the same impact.  Sometimes a flood of information leaves a greater impression that a stream of constant communication running at the same pace.

Perfection?

What would perfection look like for you enterprise?  For some causes this would mean they would cease to exist.  If for example your vision is a cure for cancer then perfection is a cancer free world.  An amazing future but it is uncertain how soon this might be realized.

Consider another question.  How would unwavering commitment to your organization’s purpose manifest itself?  For many causes it would be a fully engaged board and staff, donor who are advocates, volunteers who find opportunities matched to their individual talents, and a community that believes it is better due to the presence of your organization.  Being committed is within your control.  Managing perfection requires variables that are internal and external.  One of these is within your control right now, the other requires execution without setbacks.

#Winning

In the final days of the 2010-11 cross-country ski season there are moments for reflection.  Thoughts turn to past skis with snow so white juxtaposed against a blue sky worthy of a poster in a visitor’s center.  Wicked winds that blew snow sideways for all 40 kilometers of a ski race and obscured the trail.  Intervals that hurt but made me feel faster after having finished them.  Races results with personal bests.  What strikes me this time of year is the fact that I keep skiing.  The competitive season is over.  It would be far more productive to exchange skis for running shoes or a cycling kits and prepare for approaching events in each of those disciplines.  Why ski in wet spring snow that sucks the skis to a slow crawl?  Perhaps it is because the season lasts only four months and the uncertainty of next winter’s snow leaves some anxiety.  The reality is that skiing seems to fill some unquenchable thirst.  The solitude and rhythm of a stride or skating motion tapped out over a variety of terrain matches some universal metronome.  The results of each race do not carry forward but the landscape and moments I encountered stride confidently into the summer months to nourish my passion for a coming winter.

Winning did not alter my passion for the sport.  Getting better each season has sustained me.  The never ending improvements that come with repetition and commitment regardless of scale has become my definition of winning.  What is yours?

Momentum?

Would you rather start a round of golf with four birdies and finish with a triple bogey on the final hole, or bogey on each of the first three holes and then finish with four birdies?  Both rounds of golf net a -1 total score so to the casual observer of a leaderboard there is no difference between the rounds.  Some argue that they would prefer to start with the set-backs early and finish strong since it leads to momentum the next round.  Others suggest that the fast start demonstrates mastery and there was simply a lack of execution on a single hole.


Have you started an initiative with lots of momentum only to struggle to reach ?  Or, have you been set numerous early set-backs only to overcome and achieve your goal.  Many capital campaigns do not announce their goal publicly until they have sufficient commitments from insiders- going for the early momentum approach.  Other organizations make public appeals when they have exhausted all other options, calling on their fans to help them overcome a slow start and avoid impending failure.


Can you shape momentum?  Are you an architect of choice?

Getting Noticed

I had no idea who the celebrity is in this picture when I took it.  Why then did I feel the need to take a random photograph of a crowd of people taking pictures of somebody?  I encountered a mob of people screaming with delight and yelling a name I did not recognize.  People around me rushed forward.  Paparazzi clicked away.  So I took some photos and figured that I might decode who I had almost met.  The funny thing is that my daughter grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and headed into the crowd to get an autograph.  She had no idea who she was seeking either.

Why do we respond in this manner?  Was it the energy of the crowd?  The thought that somebody famous was just beyond reach?  Curiosity?  The presence of paparazzi?

We later learned that the actors and actresses of the film “Killing Bono” were arriving for the movie’s premiere.  I am not sure if it is coming to the US but they certainly created a stir if you happened to be on Regent Street in London.

How does your enterprise get noticed?  Who does it attract?

Are You Remarkable?

Do you standout?  Are you remarkable?  Can you be distinguished from others?  How would your community describe your enterprise?  Are you lumped in as part of the flock, pack, herd, sector?  Are you best of breed or an average representation of others in your class?  Sometimes we believe we are different but we do not take the time to look around and see the environment around us.  If you are a dime-a-dozen then how do you intend to be demonstrate value?  Why would anyone outside of your most loyal fan base be drawn towards your enterprise?  Hold on to those who treasurer your uniqueness and welcome those who are interested in joining your crusade, that alone will make you remarkable.

Creating Value
What seems like thousands of sunflower seeds spread across an remarkably open exhibition space are actually hand crafted replicas of sunflower seeds.  Ai Weiwei’s exhibition at the Tate Modern in London accomplishes a number of objectives.  It overwhelms the senses to take in the landscape he has created.  It is difficult to comprehend the idea of hand-crafting 100,000,000 sunflower seeds.  The project employed numerous individuals in the Chinese city of Jingdezhe, giving purpose to these crafts people.  Remarkably the exhbition created a market.  Of the individuals who were standing near us when we took-in the exhibit, many wondered aloud if replicas of the original sunflower seeds were for sale at the museum’s gift shop.  No replicas existed but I imagine small bags of the artistic sunflower seeds would have been a massive seller, giving even more work to the trades people who produced them.  Sold elsewhere without the context of the exhibit, the sunflower seeds would have been considered trinkets competing for shelf-space with other tourist gifts.  But once placed in the Tate’s Turbine Hall and given meaning, the value of the seeds increased significantly.
Are you producing context for what you hope others will value? 
 

What would your fans do for your cause?  How committed are they?  How do they voice their approval?  What steps do they take if they are displeased?  You can learn a lot about the level of commitment of your advocates from how they react to your victories and defeats.