Notice, that if you endeavor to do one thing, it typically includes several other things. Submit a proposal for a prospective consulting engagement, the client list needs an update, tentative dates require entry to the calendar, and sample work from previous engagements are potential side quests.
Rarely does one thing equal one thing. Are you prepared for the journey?
It is easier to see your impact if you get first tracks on a ski run. If you catch the last lift of the day, it might be harder to distinguish your line from the thousands of others. Being first comes with challenges but you leave a recognizable trail.
How does what we see in the foreground impact what we see in the other portions of the picture? Does the foreground impact our initial impression? Can it control or manipulate what is taking place in the rest of the image?
How might we position our ideas and programs so that what people first encounter might make a greater impact?
A sampler pack offers a chance to try different varieties of an item. It is an adventurous way to see what resonates.
How might we do the same with ideas? When and how do you try a sampler pack of ideas? What might we discover and what might we be able to eliminate?
Are you making choices based on an idea or reality? If a snowstorm is forecasted, do you amend your plans in anticipation of the storm’s impact, or do you wait until there is sufficient accumulation to hinder your progress? If you take precautions and the total snowfall is minimal, the journey could have continued, and being off-trail feels unnecessary. If you press on and the snowfall is significant you might find yourself trapped at high elevation with few options for safe retreat.
How do you assess an idea versus reality? How much priority do you assign to one over the other?
What is the mental transition that we make when counting sequential numbers? For example, what is the tipping point that moves us from the number ‘3’ to the number ‘4’. It represents something more than cognition as if a physical permutation is required. The liminal moment when we are no longer on ‘3’ but have not locked in on ‘4’ is micro-seconds but it exists. Have you paused to consider this subtle shift?
What might our numerical counting experience teach us about transitions? How might we recognize that something as simple as moving through sequential numbers can provide hints about how more significant transitions might reverberate.
One meaning of the above phrase is about creating disruption and ceasing work. Another version is about creating disruption and changing the way we work.
If you plan alone, you create a first draft that embeds ideas influenced by your personal magnetic north. If you bring others into the conversation, you can add perspectives and concepts that you might not consider. When we expand the conversation, especially early in the process, we are afforded a plan that has been influenced by those who see opportunities and barriers differently.
If you were asked to throw an object over an eight-foot fence and get one item into a bucket on the other side as quickly as possible, how would you proceed? If the rules state that you cannot use a ladder and you must remain on the side of the fence opposite the bucket but have access to a shed of sporting equipment, is there an opening strategy?
Why are we willing to iterate in a game format but unwilling to take identical chances when executing our mission when the opportunity to start a new initiative arrives?
The differences between an air traffic controller and a passenger on a commercial flight are numerous. One of the most important is that the controller has a perspective on the entire sector. As a passenger, there is little awareness about the actions and intentions of other aircraft. Passengers are afforded a spectacular view of the surrounding scenery, which the controller does not get from looking at their screens.
How might we amplify the strengths of each role we inhabit without trying to make them overlap?
What-if-concepts 