Planning

Obstructed Views

A few years ago, a friend and I made dinner reservations at a hotel restaurant. We had just eaten breakfast and noted that the mountains and snow-covered valley views from the tables by the big windows were remarkable. So we requested a window table if possible. When we arrived for dinner, we were seated at a window table, but we had forgotten to account for the fact that sunset occurred so early in the winter season. We sat at the window table for our meal but could only stare into the night.

Sometimes, we make plans, assuming the views will be amenable to our experience. When an obstacle appears (weather, daylight, misaligned window, selecting the wrong side of our mode of transport), we must be content with the outcome. Planning can be tricky, and we are not guaranteed the results we outlined before arriving in person.

How might we be adaptable to the environment? How might our entire plan not hinge on a single attribute or assumption?

Delayed Reaction

Superheated air takes thirty seconds to reach the top of a hot air balloon and influence its rate of ascent or descent. Therefore, a balloon pilot must make decisions half a minute ahead of the current position. It is a good metaphor for our own expedition. We cannot have the instantaneous response of an accelerator or disc brakes in modern vehicles. Our enterprises are more of a balloon journey; we need to look far enough ahead to navigate and adjust for the wind conditions at different altitudes.

How might we recognize that deploying resources has a delayed impact on our progress?

What, Then Where

If we get precise about what we are doing, it will clarify where we position ourselves. Companies prioritizing returning their employees to the office are reversing this conversation. They are focused on filling their offices with employees that the ‘where’ is proceeding the ‘what.’ Southwest Airlines allows customer support team members to work from home. As an airline, there are vital roles that require presence at an airport or base of operations, but there are roles that allow for a ‘work from anywhere’ approach.

If our journey has the strategic impact we planned, we need to know what road signs to look for. Otherwise, we might confuse motion for progress. If we are living our stated organizational values, it should be evident in the team’s behaviors. Otherwise, we just connect the closest dot without appreciating the whole picture.

Binoculars

Binoculars are a liminal object to me. Most binoculars I have encountered are safely positioned in a case or sitting static on a shelf; they are more accessory than instrument. But, when required, they can transform quickly. Is that a wildfire on the ridge? Is there a vessel at sea requiring assistance? Is that an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker? Did my favorite musical artist playing in a mega stadium change into a new costume? Who walked into the building at the far end of the property?

Using them constantly makes the world myopic, and our sense of scale is unrealistic. By deploying them randomly, we spin the wheel of serendipity, hoping a worthwhile subject will appear. Treating them as a resource can enhance our culture of curiosity and provide confirmation of our interest or render the subject matter a lower priority.

What are the binoculars of your enterprise? What can your team leverage at key moments to make sense of the territory ahead?

It is a Theme (Not a Specific)

When asking nutritionists about the best diets to follow, their answer tends to contemplate themes. They can highlight the benefits and challenges of specific diets, but they return to more prominent themes. How might we recognize that we sometimes require a specific resource to move forward, but on numerous occasions, we can progress with different forms of fuel for our journey? An ultra hiker can snack on Snicker bars, pieces of fruit, plant foods, or nothing (for limited durations), and all these forms will help them move down the trail.

What if our planning was not so rigid about meeting specific goals, except where necessary? What if we developed themes we were curious about exploring, understanding that navigating to a general vicinity of a goal might be more potent than clambering to a specific summit?

The Bucket
Melting snow for water during a yurt trip.

Social media post I encountered. “I completed the first thing on my bucket list…I got a bucket.”

The quip is positioned as a humorous post but embeds truth in its simplicity. Before launching our aspirational moonshot, how might we ensure we have the essential supplies and a basic foundation? If we continuously operate on a burning platform, trying to assemble the basics to stay in the game, perhaps a fully articulated marketing plan is not our next move.

A Year-in-Review

A year-in-review process is like investigating golf scorecards from the past 12 months. There was a script of how the rounds were intended to proceed (par) and the reality of the score we achieved. Setting goals for next year is like looking at blank golf scorecards for the rounds we intend to play. There is the ideal scenario, unfettered by any internal or external factors.

How might we leave room for the serendipity we will encounter along the way? Is the goal (par) equal to our abilities, equipment, playing companions, and mindset? How might we recognize the most transformative moments and best stories are often generated from the obstacles we face, not the predictable outcomes?

Resistance

Resistance is a remarkable force for good and/or a formiable foe. It can appear in numerous forms, mechanical, psychological, chemical, environmental, and humanity to name a few. As winter grips parts of the northern hemisphere, our ability to adapt or subcome to cold is a form of resistance.

Making a decision has a layer of resistance embedded. Embracing homeostatis allows us to postpone resistance in some circumstances. Trying to navigate numerous choices creates points of friction and resistance in certain occurrences.

How might we prepare in advance for resistance points? How might we preload resources to overcome barriers that will postpone our progress? And, how might we adopt a mindset to honor resistance points that are impending signs of failure or damage?

Changing the System

Disney changed the color of lifeboats on cruise ships and created the design for marking the difficulty of ski runs. Disney wanted a different color scheme for lifeboats, so they did research and convinced the US Coast Guard to expand the acceptable palette of lifeboat colors. When Disney considered owning and operating a ski resort, there was no universal system for marking the difficulty of ski runs. Disney created a system that was adopted by many ski areas. Ultimately, Disney never launched its ski resort but altered the ski industry.

We are all working to change the system in some way. We are trying to enforce the existing system, expand the system, or break the system. Understanding that we might effect change without being stakeholders is a paradigm shift.