Compelling projects are in the works for 2025! The first is a Q&A session that will be uploaded in the coming weeks. To participate, please submit your question(s) using the form below; we will answer the ones relevant to the blog’s theme. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the social sector, leadership, planning, design-thinking, nonprofit trends, travel, storytelling, and facilitation.
Consider adding a name or a screen name to add value to the responses.
A year-in-review process is like investigating golf scorecards from the past 12 months. There was a script of how the rounds were intended to proceed (par) and the reality of the score we achieved. Setting goals for next year is like looking at blank golf scorecards for the rounds we intend to play. There is the ideal scenario, unfettered by any internal or external factors.
How might we leave room for the serendipity we will encounter along the way? Is the goal (par) equal to our abilities, equipment, playing companions, and mindset? How might we recognize the most transformative moments and best stories are often generated from the obstacles we face, not the predictable outcomes?
An innocuous question can solve a major airline crash investigation.
What questions do we need to ask ourselves and our team that might appear rudimentary but reveal significant barriers or opportunities? One of the best places to start is when providing orientation to new staff or board members. Their inquiry might open a new chapter for your enterprise.
Resistance is a remarkable force for good and/or a formiable foe. It can appear in numerous forms, mechanical, psychological, chemical, environmental, and humanity to name a few. As winter grips parts of the northern hemisphere, our ability to adapt or subcome to cold is a form of resistance.
Making a decision has a layer of resistance embedded. Embracing homeostatis allows us to postpone resistance in some circumstances. Trying to navigate numerous choices creates points of friction and resistance in certain occurrences.
How might we prepare in advance for resistance points? How might we preload resources to overcome barriers that will postpone our progress? And, how might we adopt a mindset to honor resistance points that are impending signs of failure or damage?
Is getting first tracks at a ski area an opportunity, or does the possibility create anxiety? When we can create something visible on a fresh canvas, are we ready for the opportunity? It is typical to feel invisible when we proceed with a crowd, but do we rehearse our craft to be prepared when the stage is ours?
It is probably quickly forgotten if we bring a stuffed animal to a hockey game and throw it onto the ice after the home team scores. However, if the home team holds a toy drive and thousands of stuffed animals are thrown onto the ice after the first goal, it is remarkable. Questions are similar; one rouge question might get a quick response, but a cascade of intentional questions can steer an enterprise’s future strategy.
What questions must you answer before you can ask another question?
Do you need to agree that contributed income is a vital source of revenue for your venture? Once established that contributed income is a priority, you can commence with questions about how your cause engages potential supporters in meaningful conversations about their philanthropy? The sub-questions have little value if we have not answered the essential question.
We can pursue other questions when we consent to something existing or being in an agreed-upon state. Other questions are challenging to pursue if the premise is still up for debate.
Navigating relies on our ability to piece together clues and landmarks. A well-placed symbol might set us up for success in a country where the language is unfamiliar.
How might we use language and symbols to help our fans navigate? How might our websites, social media, publications, events, and programs clarify where to find us? When we create unintended barriers to entry, we start encounters with frustration and confusion.
We can achieve optical illusions when we use misalignment to create unique spatial relationships. In the social sector, this can be accomplished by making our cause’s impact appear greater or less. We deploy scales and comparisons showing greater or lesser barriers and success.
How might we spend less time creating illusions and more time engaging those who are committed to our journey? When we assemble the right expedition party, we do not need to reduce or build up the terrain we have chosen to navigate.
Who is the person in the community that can reliably be found at a specific location (or event)? The community member who is always cleaning up trash from the side of the road while waving to passing traffic. The dog walker who appears at the same time of day. The teacher has been a fixture in the third-grade classroom for generations.
Our local legends are easy to take for granted because they show up reliably and relentlessly. We tend to notice them even more when they are absent. How might we celebrate and engage with them now instead of once a void appears?
What-if-concepts 