First, try this productivity exercise posted by the New York Times.
What is your reaction to this monitoring system? Does it inspire? Does it connect you to the work? Does it provide motivation and accountability? Is there a hybrid version you would prefer? Is it relevant? Does it empower and build trust?
I am curious where platforms like this will land in the social sector workplace?
What if we thought of planning as a calculation of energy management? What if we deprioritized the role of time in our planning efforts? What if we were more honest about where to focus our energy instead of what schedule we might reverse-engineer on a calendar?
We might assume the forest fire can be extinguished in 24 hours, but external factors may change the reality; a significant weather event, the inability to secure needed resources, or a more pressing fire closer to a town changes the energy we invest in fighting the current fire. There is a scenario where the first winter snowstorm ultimately extinguishes the fire. The ‘let nature take care of it’ option usually does not appear on the first draft of our timeline.
Gapinvoid’s compelling insights on planning. Well stated and relevant to all. Most important, not planning in any form is the strategy certain to fail.
How might we position ourselves when we are ready to do the work that matters? How might we adopt outward signs and symbols so that those who encounter us know that we are ready to engage?
When I trail run with my wonder dog, we occasionally encounter thunder and lightning storms, such as the one building in the background of the above photo. The storm arrived twenty minutes after this picture as we began our descent back towards the trailhead. My mountain canine is not a fan of thunder, and her allegiance to me is quickly tested when it rumbles across the mountains. She considers her option of heading directly back to the car, leaving me to navigate on my own. She always stays close, but I can see the panic in her thought process. No matter my words of assurance, she is fixated on the noise. I, however, spend time evaluating the proximity of the lightning. I am well aware that lightning is the primary threat to our well-being. When we stopped in a dense section of forest to allow the lightning to move out of our location, my running companion thinks it is a poor choice because the noise is still audible.
How might we confirm that we are focused on the right challenges and opportunities? The loudest noise might not be the best area for our focus.
Cyclist have terrain parks to trial new tricks and develop skills? Where do we get to practice our skills? What opportunities exist to expand our repertoire of talents? How do we create new associations and perspectives? How often do we get access?
When we rush to get on the trail, we can forget key items. Perhaps the Hudson Bay Company (17th and 18th Century version) can serve as a model. In their fur trapping days, the expedition party would camp about a mile from the fort on the first night of their journey. The idea was that they would quickly discover which items they might have forgotten and then return to the fort without too much delay. How might we use a reasonably paced start to ensure we bring everyone and everything essential to our success?
Where we are headed might be a point on a map, a compass heading, a vague description, or a point on the horizon. It is easier to consider our course and endurance when the destination is visible.
What we build might remain for others to encounter in the years that follow. It might inspire the next chapter of the journey and leave a story of what was before.
If those who go before reduce the number of barriers, those who follow are likely to continue on the route. From clearing a path to leaving key insights or providing context, the journey can be enhanced by those who show care and concern. That said, we might be selective about which obstacles we remove, as some are necessary for the path to be remarkable.
What-if-concepts 