If every destination had an express lane and no traffic, we would quickly underappreciate the journey required to reach the edges of the map. Because of the switchbacks, wayfinding, and moments of confusion, we are forced to endure the moments of high friction. The liminal space between certainty and uncertainty is where our best stories originate.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” The Great Gatsby
How does our understanding of the green light in The Great Gatsby change over time? How does our work alter with the influence of experience and time? What dreams do we defend, and which do we sacrifice as we watch our own green light pulse from distant shores?
What landscape is visible to you from your current location? How does that add to your understanding of the place you occupy? How does it keep you from seeing other opportunities? How might we assume higher ground to reflect on a broader landscape?
If we place all the outboard motors on one small craft, we will overpower the boat’s structural capabilities. If we apply an underpowered motor, the seas and currents will overwhelm the boat’s capacity. It might be intriguing that more is better, but not if our enterprise cannot handle the potential energy load.
How might we add programs, staff and board members, and partnerships that allow us to move within our capacities? How might we trial experimental efforts with unknown opportunities for success without sacrificing our core efforts?
What new initiative are you launching? Are you embarking on a journey intended to provide service to others, or is it an intriguing route for you to explore? Understanding our intentions helps us provision and promote the quest. What ‘help wanted’ sign will you post to assemble a crew? How does it change based on your motivation?
Features and benefits that set people up for success can also cause damage. How might we recognize that our newest upgrade might disrupt the user’s experience when approached in the wrong direction or with misaligned intentions?
Sometimes the past reveals itself even after the original structure/event has passed. It might add depth and dimension to our understanding of the place we occupy. Otherwise, we will likely label something irrelevant while missing an opportunity to be curious.
When we encounter terrain changes, some give us pause, some cause us to re-route, and others go almost unnoticed.
What topography do we navigate without as much thought as perhaps they are worthy of? What geography causes us to stumble when it might not require special consideration?
If we endeavor to keep our cause in perpetual motion, we might miss the opportunity to address deferred maintenance. Sailors who circumnavigate the globe look for opportunities to lift their boats above the water line to clean the hull and handle other necessary maintenance. To enhance the performance and efficiency of the boat’s movement through the water, the return on investment of a clean hull versus the time lost in port is a formidable decision.
How might we take the same mindset with our enterprises? How might we take time for a generative conversation? How might we address opportunities to improve our governance? How might we reflect upon or update our strategic plan? How might we update our board recruitment roster? How might we test our organizational assumptions?
What is the return on investment if we commit to any of the items mentioned above? What would a transformative moment of pause do for the future journey?
Lighthouses are often located in remote places. Their purpose is communication. A lighthouse might signal a navigation point, warn of danger, offer guidance, or be a historical relic from a time when technology needed fixed navigational aids.
What navigation aids does your enterprise use to confirm the team is on course or avoiding potential barriers? Are they accurate? Do they need recalibration? Are they inherited from an era that may no longer be relevant? Or have you upgraded to a version that allows the cause to move more confidentially?
What-if-concepts 