Innovative Concepts

Keep Hope Alive

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The most underrated but essential task of a leader in a moment of disruption might be to maintain optimism and create a vision for the future. As a former Firefighter/EMT, it was so easy to get caught up in the incident. Flames draw focus. Damaged vehicles venting coolants after an off-set head-on collision brings a swarm of activity. On the scene, everything is trained on the incident. A leader is thinking about managing the crisis and also the care and well-being of the rest of the community. Therefore, the department does not dispatch all the rigs to the call. A few firefighters are left on standby at the station, prepared to respond to the next call, ready with the gear, and focus on being present to another set of needs.

In our work today, it has to be more than just a response to the Coronavirus pandemic. There is also an anxiety pandemic, economic recession, shelter and food crisis, unemployment, and many other casualties. What we are seeking is individuals who can assist with the immediate needs while providing hope that the future (even if it is different) will be worth the journey we are navigating.

 

 

Cheering for Everyone

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Attend a sporting event in a pre-COVID world, and when the home team takes the ice/field/pitch/floor, the fans cheer. Next, the opponent enters, and the boos and embellished chants commence. It is the way of professional sports and entertainment, or so it has been modeled.

What if the same were true for our workplaces or community activities? What if we were cheered when we volunteered for one organization, but the same group individuals cast aspersions upon us when we took action for another cause? What if we were shunned when we turned down the offer to contribute to one enterprise because we invest deeply in another organization? What if we conspired to derail outside vendors we hired to make ourselves more significant? 

What is the cost of cheering for everyone as the foundational cornerstone of new interactions? Years ago, E.O. Wilson visited our community as a guest lecturer. He spent time in the local high school, giving a brief lecture and then questions and answers. No matter how poorly formed the question posed by a high school student, he directed the first sentences of his response praising the student and predicting they would achieve remarkable heights employing their curiosity in a future trade. The world-renowned entomologist wanted everyone in the room to succeed, and he cheered for them in every interaction.

What if we cheered for everyone?

 

More Miles to Run, Fewer Feed Stations

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The new math for the social sector is complicated. There is more distance to cover and less fuel for the journey. Said differently, increased demand for services, and less funding/donations to deliver. In nutrition circles, fasting is popular right now. As nonprofits, we may have to adapt. It is time to deliver as much impact as possible and use limited time and bandwidth to try and replenish. We are in an ultra-endurance event, and we may start hallucinating due to lack of sleep and self-care. It is not sustainable, but we can test our limits and see where the trail leads. Even if we need to walk, limp, or take a trail-side nap, the fact that we are still in the race is more inspiration than we may fully understand.

Today there was an interesting article in Fox Business, highlighting the disruptions faced by the nonprofit sector.

Yes, Online Conference Can be Done Right!

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With more flexible schedules, there are expanded opportunities to attend webinars and online conferences. Yesterday, I participated in the Real Skills Conference presented by Akimbo and Seth Godin. I entered the Zoom session with a bit of anxiety. How do you deliver customized content to two thousand people from fifty countries? The team at Akimbo is remarkable and ready to deliver. After a brief introduction and a short inspirational story by Seth, we split into twelve sub-conferences sorted by birth month. The December breakout had two hundred attendees and two coaches who provided content-rich guidance. Employing framing questions that oriented around four chapters, they delivered excellence. In each chapter, we were automatically directed into rooms with four participants. Each group of four had five minutes to reflect on each question before returning to the December sub-conference to interact with the coaches. I found myself connected with geographically diverse individuals. They were working on projects such as launching a just published book, leading a software engineering team, directing a coffee roasting company, being a rock star parent, saving a community through nonprofit fundraising, connecting the world to better nutrition, and writing a book on cybersecurity systems.

I was able to gain a valuable platform to assist in my consulting work and identify a specific skill to amplify my future work. The sense of isolation during social distancing was quickly removed. I recommend Akimbo highly, and there are numerous workshops available. Second, professional and personal development does not need to stop during our physical distancing. Online platforms, when used dynamically, provide an excellent platform for education, engagement, fun, and a connection.

Ripples of Inspiration

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Because you were brave enough to get out of bed in the dark and cold.  And because you dressed and drove to the base of the ski hill before anyone else arrived.  You slid your feet into cold ski boots, pulled skis with skins from the car, and turned on a headlamp.  Because you started placing one foot in front of another and step by step ascended from the base area.  Cold hands and frosty breath gave way to exertion and perspiration.  Slowly, the stars receded from their celestial perch and a sunrise foreshadowed on the horizon.  Eventually, you saw the summit but it remained fixed, no closer and seemingly still rising.  Not until the final fifty meters did the slope surrender its grade.  There, you turn and celebrated sunrise, the valley below obscured by clouds.  You replaced fear with inspiration and let it ripple into your actions for the rest of the day. 

Give Away

IMG_0738It might not change the course of history but sometimes giving away a secret, moment, or talent goes a long way.  Doubletree Hotels shared their secret cookie recipe.  Famed Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo hosted core strength workouts online. John Krasinski and special guests created a virtual prom.

What might we offer our community that might create remarkable moments of connection?

Making our Work Visible

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A regional media outlet reported that SpaceX Starlink satellites are being reported to local officials as UFOs.  It turns out you can go to the tracking page and find out when the satellites might be visible overhead.

Our work is much more valuable when we make it visible and share with those who wish to track our journey.  How might you make your work visible to those who want to find you?  How might you make it visible to those who encounter you when they happen to glance in your direction?

What Next?

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What is next is uncertain. What we can manage is our mindset and the questions we ask. Asking, what next, may leave us in a reactive state. Some alternative questions. How are we uniquely positioned to lead in uncertain times? What is different, and how might I use this new information to serve more effectively? What gives me hope? If we can facilitate one interaction today, what would be most valuable? Who is making significant progress, and what might I learn from their success? Who is ready to partner? What are the needs and mindset of the individuals we are hoping to serve?

How do you Measure Success?

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How do you measure success?  Do you employ any of the following?

  • Numerical 
  • Evaluation
  • 360-degree review
  • Opinions of experts
  • Crowd sourced
  • Anecdotal
  • Specific metric
  • Correlation to market average
  • Progress against strategic plan
  • Leader board
  • Happiness
  • Ability to achieve organizational values
  • Arriving at the selected destination

A Harvard Business Review article by Michael J. Mauboussin outlined specific business success theories.  Inc. Magazine published an article titled “7 Ways to Measure True Success.”  And, Influencive provided a synopsis of “11 Ways to Think About Measuring a Company’s Success.”  Among the options, there appears to be no one universal measurement.  So why not customize your own?  Build a success equation.  If we are going to create and nurture our organizations’ purpose, vision, mission, and values then perhaps we should invest in creating our own success formula.

Most Experienced Person on the Trail

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I was running a 25-kilometer loop through sagebrush lined single track, snow-covered forest service roads, and rolling descents, complete with numerous stream crossings. On the initial ascent, I stopped for a brief conversation with a hiker named Mike.  We had a short chat about the trail conditions, his hike, and my intended loop. He mentioned something about being a former runner, and I inquired about his adventures. Mike had run a couple Western States 100 Endurance Runs and the Leadville 100 in the late 1980s and early 90s. He was ‘just a hiker’ now but the most experienced ultra-athlete on the trail that I would encounter today. 

It can be convenient to use current performance as a metric to judge an individual’s total talent and experience. Occasionally, we encounter scenarios where assumptions expose falsehoods. Riding my road bike on an alpine climb, I caught a cyclist who was too fit and in sync with his bike to be caught by an amateur. The rider was a Tour de France finisher out for a recovery ride and socializing with friends. His current performance did not indicate the world-class ability that existed within his performance capabilities.

Let us not be too quick to judge the information we might learn from the individual who is traveling a little bit slower and covering less distance than us. The most experienced person on the trail, volunteering, sitting on the sidelines might be the person who is comfortable with their pace. They have already been there and done that and have vast amounts of knowledge to share.  Let us be more curious about the stories that matter.