Large cauldrons placed around the Forbidden City in Beijing appear ornamental. In fact, their original purpose was to serve as a water source for structure fires. It is convenient to assign a perceived purpose to an object when, in reality, a different purpose originated its design and placement.
How might we remain curious about the origins of a design or concept?
Why does purpose matter? If you are building a castle, knowing its purpose yields dramatically different features and results. Are you defending? Entertaining? Controlling a harbor? Making an architectural statement? Each version shares iconic similarities but adopts critical elements that amplify its purpose. Knowing who you are serving changes the focus of your work.
Do you perform your craft for attention or the passion of the art you are creating? If we need attention, then we might wait until the crowd assembles. We might play regardless of whether an audience assembles if we are passionate about our craft.
When you share your story, do you prioritize continuity or curation of the narrative? Do you have a default mode, or does it depend on the audience? Does the purpose of the story matter? Are you entertaining or making a call to action?
Last night as I was out a ridin’
graveyard shift, midnight ‘till dawn
the moon was as bright as a readin’ light
for a letter from an old friend back home
He asked me why do you ride for your money
Why do you rope for short pay
You ain’t getting’ nowhere
And you’re losin’ your share
Boy, you must have gone crazy out there
But he’s never seen the Northern Lights
Never seen a hawk on the wing
He’s never seen Spring hit the Great Divide
And never heard Ol’ Camp Cookie sing
Night Rider’s Lament is a classic song illuminating the paradox of a cowboy’s employment for minimal pay versus real-world working opportunities. The song’s refrain provides an insight into the benefits of enduring the challenging conditions; the beauty of nature and the comradery of those who join you in a unique pursuit.
How might we recognize that how we keep score is not universal? How might we remain curious about the motivations of those who take a different route?
The above chart lists college degrees that have the best return on investment. Would your decision on which major to pursue or recommend to your child alter due to this data? If their passion was to teach, would you steer them away due to the projected lack of economic benefit? If they had a pathway to an engineering degree might you devote additional resources to make sure they benefited from the future forecasted earnings?
What program and resource allocation decisions have your enterprise made based on the calculations for return on investment? What if you are uniquely positioned to act but the momentary reward is not sufficient? Where does return on investment rank in your priority of screen questions when debating the merits of future strategy?
Why does the opportunity exist in the first place? A first lens is identifying the opportunity. The work that provides depth and dimension is understanding the conditions that nurtures the opportunity to thrive. How might we not jump into any open lane of travel without a moment of curiosity?
Why is your cause solving the problem it selected? Was there nobody working on it or is there a story?
In the Netflix series Queen’s Gambit, Jolene tells Beth, “I am not your guardian angel. I am not here to save you; I can barely save me. I am here because you need me to be here. It is what family does.”
Who are you here for? Who is part of your family? Otherwise, we are rescue beacons waiting to be activated.
If you were asked to represent your cause’s utopian state and frame the representation, what image comes to mind? For some enterprises, it is an iconic headquarters building; others aspire to a level of impact, another group may highlight the people committed to the cause, and some might capture a signature program. Perhaps ask yourself if you can see yourself in the image. If we see a confluence point, we are doing the work that matters. If we cannot see ourselves in the projection of the future, our attempt to be of service may be misaligned.
If you dedicated a few days to doing new things, what might you try? What would be the impact? What is stopping us from investing 5-minutes in a new thing?
What-if-concepts 