If we proceed at river speed, our ability to navigate is minimal. If we paddle faster or slower (against the current), our ability to make significant maneuvers is greatly increased. Go for the ride when you can, it nice to be swept along by the current. However, if we need to take action or move across the river body, then adding power may be the most effective way to navigate.
How might we toggle between the river current and paddling with power in our own work?
What are the benefits and residual impacts of our work output? When we look at the light pollution map, we see where the man-made illumination has the most radiance and which parts still retain dark sky characteristics. There are now Dark Sky Reserves dedicated to preserving regions from human-produced lighting.
Jetways and Airstairs located at commercial airports have one job. They are necessary to load and unload passengers and crew. They are deployed for high-use periods and then sit idle. When reviewing utilization patterns, these items might not deliver a compelling return on investment. However, when a plane filled with people arrives, they are essential.
How might we not prioritize utilization metrics but look at the resource’s impact? A ladder would cost less money, but customer satisfaction would definitely drop. Even more critical, a jetway allows us to efficiently board a $100 million commercial airplane that does benefit from monitoring utilization metrics.
What is your power source? Does it rely on pure power, or do you benefit from additional forces such as aerodynamics and physics? How might we ensure we are not wasting power by generating massive outputs but increasing drag by forgetting to put appropriate pressure in our tires?
How might we strategically deploy our power to do the work that matters?
Just because you have a key, it may not be the right one for the vehicle you are trying to start. If you have a template/framework/idea/donor/board member/network from another cause does not mean it will work for your current enterprise. The right key and the right vehicle are essential to initiate your journey. Just as the right resource must match the culture and needs of the organization you intend to serve.
What happens when your proprietorial work makes it into the public domain? What is the impact of others iterating on your creation? How does it align with your values and focus? If you believe in making the world a better place, does it matter who gets the credit? If you believe in delivering for your shareholders (or donors), is it essential that you generate a metric that shows a return on investment? What if your idea is leaked to the sector, and it is the spark that generates an unexplored way of serving those that you are committed to helping? Do you need credit, or does moving closer to your vision suffice?
We will not know there is no more time until we cross some imagined or real threshold. Until then, the anxiety and panic of these alarming pronouncements claiming we are out of time feel insufficient (and liminal). How might we raise awareness and create pathways to change, informed by a limitation of duration but not stating we passed the endpoint? If we miss the last train/plane/bus, there is little we can do but wait in place (and perhaps sulk). If there are options to rejoin our journey, we should make those opportunities visible. Distracting the team by activating the alarm system creates distraction; we focus on evacuation when alarms sound instead of addressing the problem.
A tugboat is not useful for the majority of a transatlantic crossing. However, it is a crucial tool to pilot a large cruise ship from the departure port and upon arrival at the destination port. Tugboats are uniquely positioned to ensure successful voyages. We do not disparage the value of a tug boat when it returns to the harbor once the cruiseliner reaches the breakwater and open seas. The confined and complex waters of a busy port require a specialist, and the tugboat is the ‘offensive lineman’ of the harbor. Working in close proximity to others and rarely receiving the spotlight unless something goes wrong.
How might we maximize our usefulness without fretting about the portion of the journey we are not equipped to support?
We project reflections to those we serve. Despite our original narrative and authenticate approach, the process of interpreting us is left to the receiver, who must decode numerous cues and subtle outputs. No matter how vast, rapid, versatile, gritty, dedicated, inspired, generous, or empathetic our intentions, they must be converted into the base language of the recipient.
How might we remain curious about the impact of our superpowers? We may think we are saving the village nestled in the mountain valley by removing the giant balance rock perched precariously on top of the cliff, but perhaps that boulder was the iconic centerpiece of the town’s identity and folklore.
How might we consider, ‘What else can this represent’ before reacting to our reflection?
How do you deliver your services to those who benefit from your superpower? Is the access point narrow and secretive, or is it broad and expansive? Are you offering urgent care level availability, or are you a specialist that requires an appointment and a long wait? Knowing where we are uniquely positioned to serve allows us to think about the platforms where our services are most effectively delivered.
How might we provide access for those in need? What is worth positioning in the public domain, and what requires safeguarding behind a robust fortress rampart?
What-if-concepts 