Two Trails Diverged

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Two trails diverged and I selected one and it made a difference.  I did not wait for the crowd.  I did not look to see which one showed signs of greater wear.  I committed and I was on an adventure.

At which junctions are you standing waiting for perfect information before selecting a route?  Too often the choices I must make become bigger than the terrain and opportunities that lay ahead.  Pick one and take our resourcefulness on an adventure (unless it is one of the small occurrences when pausing before leaping makes sense).

Long Term Progress

Seth Godin’s asked: What are you willing to give up today in exchange for something better tomorrow? Next week? In ten years?

The immediate place this resonates on most social sector agendas is during the financial report.  How often has the balance sheet driven the mission of an organization?  When did doing what is right become the brave thing to do?  Are we perpetuating a problem so our coffers stay full or are we willing to tackle obstacles while acknowledging that our efforts may or may not work?

In my experience, while brainstorming during long-term visioning exercises the most frequent organizational wish list item: an endowment/reserve fund (bigger endowment if one already exists).  It is not always the first thing mentioned but once the words ‘endowment’ are put forth there is a chorus of support.  As if the idea of financial security is more important than solving the very problem/furthering the opportunity the enterprise was founded to address.  Protecting the organizational shield outranks the desire for great quest.  Yet, I am short on stories about the knights of the roundtable who stayed home and collected membership fees.

Some people will risk a lot in pursuit of long-term progress.  Embarking on the journeys that are uncertain.  This is the edge where we should be planning.  Being self-sustaing but unremarkable is not original.  Far too many groups have traveled the path and their legacy (at best) is a mountain full of treasure guarded by a dragon and off limits to almost everyone.

What are you willing to give up today?  Why does it matter?

Authentic Games

John Oliver takes on the NCAA during the most recent installment of his show, Last Week Tonight. The episode is remarkable because it shines a light on the dark corners of the collegiate athletic system.  He makes visible the disparity between the stated belief of the NCAA and its actions.  The NCAA states it purposes as, a membership-driven organization dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of student-athletes and equipping them with the skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom and throughout life.  When the dislocation between vision and activity becomes significant it allows for the type of satire where John Oliver excels.  The fake gaming video advertisement needs no explanation.  

Who is going to start the NACC (National Athletic Co-op Conference) where athletes and universities share in the revenue?  Or, when do collegiate athletics move to an enterprise outside of the university structure?  What if the professional leagues (NFL. NBA, NHL) took over the collegiate sports and created development leagues?  Many options and they each result in a structure that is more aligned with the NCAAA’s stated purpose.

Making Mistakes in Public

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Read the Q&A section on Banksy’s website* and be prepared for simple responses.  

Question: Best and worst part of creating Street Art?

Answer: Make your mistakes in public.

What is worth doing, even if it contains mistakes?  What risks are we willing to take in order to connect an idea with a community that may care?  Who are we willing to disappoint in order to complete our quest?  

The opportunities that cause me the most anxiety are usually the ones that I need to explore.  I said ‘yes’ to a university experience even though I did not have all the answers and was bound to fail repeatedly in a classroom of strangers.  I agreed to work on consulting engagements that challenge my approach and yet I continue to look for ways to serve and add value.  Travel brings numerous opportunities to fail publicly and yet I continue to pursue a destination even when I make a wrong turn or plan poorly.  I participate in sports that provide moments physical pain.  My original front tooth lies somewhere on the side of the road in NH thanks to a cycling team crash in High School.  The very public mistake of inadvertently brushing my front wheel against another rider’s rear wheel left me more committed to my craft.

As Seth Godin reminds us, do work that matters.  I highly recommend Seth’s audio book, Leap First: Creating Work that Matters.  The development of the audiobook inspired the publication of Your Turn, which is equally engaging.  I have been handing out my extra copies to people who are trying to create change and are willing to succeed and fail in public.

I look forward to seeing our mistakes in public venues.  Our art matters.

* Banksy is not on Facebook or Twitter but his art continues to be discovered wherever he produces it.

Leaving the Tribe

Sherman Alexie spoke at the Cabin’s Readings and Conversations program in Boise last evening.  He is known for being a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Native American, poet, film-maker, and author of such novels as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.  He was entertaining, troubling, thoughtful, empathetic, misguided, and unstoppable (the people seated next to me wondered aloud if he would ever stop talking).  He told stories, addressed current events, taunted liberal, shamed conservatives who had attempted to ban his book, and was the punchline of his jokes.  He also took [expletive delete] liberties with his language.

A significant tipping point in Sherman’s life came at age 13 when he left to attend a high school off his reservation.  Sherman reminded the audience that his most powerful discoveries and successes came because he walked away from his reservation seeking something else in the world.  He now serves as one of the most powerful link for both the native american communities and those of anglo heritage.  He refers to himself as a modern day Sacagawea. 

The enduring image of the evening was Sherman walking across the stage, hands raised, middle fingers extended as he mockingly walked out of an imaginary cave and the warmth of its fire.  The power of slipping the bonds of safe for the possibility of better was profound.  

How often do we choose the safety of the tribe over the chance to seek new experiences?  Sometimes, walking out of the cave is the most powerful act we can take.

Sucker Hole

Sucker holes offer hope or false assurance.  Those looking for blue sky use it as confirmation of hope.  The weather forecast will suggest the patch of blue is an anomaly.  It is easy to put the next adventure on hold until better weather arrives.  If we go high enough there is always blue sky.  The question is at what level we are operating.

Being Heard

Screen Shot 2015-03-04 at 6.43.44 PMIn my opinion, experiences that are better in-person include: interviews and hiring, selecting strategy, confirming purpose, finalizing agreements, welcoming new members, reunions, first time adventures, significant milestones, and hearing first person narratives.  Experiences I defer to a virtual realm include: policy and procedures, non life altering results, recommendations, directions, registration, compliance, processing, and being managed.

‘Is the honor in being asked or is the honor attending the meeting?’  This is a mantra I use as a guide to determine the importance of a face-to-face interactions.  We get a rush when invited to the next meeting.  We feel important and want to be heard.  How could the organization survive without our unique and wise input?  However, a balance exists between being in attendance versus perfecting our remarkable craftsmanship.  Sometimes not interrupting the tribe’s work is the wisest decision we can make.

Empowered Conversation

Promoting conversation is not our highest decision-making achievement, rather curating a remarkable process is the goal.  How do we enhance meaningful dialogue empowered by individual perspectives?  What is the result of our current conversation ritual?  Do we create a culture of inquiry and seek out the dark corners? Or do we defer to the convenience of routine?

John’s talk identifies three beliefs that hinder powerful conversation:

Dissent equals disloyalty

Criticism of an idea does equals criticism on and individual

Disagreement with consensus equals not being a team player

What if we insisted on a dynamic process and bold conversations before making remarkable decisions?

Resistance as Compass

Where and when do each of us embrace uncertainty?  If we are doing it for the applause then safety trumps innovation and we cease pushing towards the edge.  The resistance (fear) we feel offers a platform from which to lean-in instead of bending away.  What we do is not for everyone, it is for the dedicate few we picked to serve.  The resistance reminds us that our work matters.