If your enterprise were to run a torch relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay, what would be the design of the torch? Which symbols would you include?
Design Your Torch
Remarkable
Echo
When you yell ‘echo,’ whose voice responds?
In the right environment, we can create an echo by deploying our voice so that it reverberates and returns to us as if shouted by another person located some distance away.
We can take for granted that we generate echoes in our world. We can communicate out, and there are those who respond quickly and with affirmation or empathy as needed. But what happens when those voices cease to respond?
How often do you celebrate and nurture the voices on the other side of the echo? Do you develop a symbiotic relationship, or is it one-sided? What if you made time to prioritize your echo reflectors and make sure they are recognized for the essential role they play in your work?
Reccuring Moments
What experiences do we encounter that reoccur? How might we make recurring moments remarkable? Who has made those moments unforgettable for you? Which enterprises delight you each time you engage them?
I once ran laps at the upper deck of the Houston International Airport parking garage during a long layover. There was a couple in a car plane spotting at one of the better vantage points. Each time I passed their vehicle, they consulted their aircraft tracking app and informed me about an inbound aircraft that I could spot in the sky, which was soon to land. They took their passion, meshed it with my repetitive workout, and made it memorable. I still think about that moment from ten years ago.
Greeting Committee
Who is the first person a guest encounters when visiting your enterprise? What is the setting in which this meeting takes place? Is it consistent with what your cause values? How do we balance safety, accessibility, a welcoming spirit, and functionality? What mindset does the first encounter establish?
A Path
Using an existing path might benefit our journey more than just blindly following a bearing on a compass. Part of wayfinding is making informed choices about navigating the terrain we encounter. The straightest line is not always the preferred (or wise) route.
Work That Matters
If somebody went before us and could not sustain their effort, it might inform our attempt, but it should not discourage us from exploring options. Many first ascents of mountain summits result from mountaineers returning repeatedly to attempt new routes, bringing additional gear, or being armed with knowledge about overcoming obstacles that once thwarted their efforts. We may encounter historical records of their presence, equipment left in place, names attached to geographic and geologic features, and tales about wading into the unknown.
How might we benefit from the lessons learned but not adopt the mindset of inevitability when approaching a barrier yet to be unlocked? How might we honor the efforts of those who proceeded without setting a course to repeat their actions? How might we bring our own approach to the puzzle? How might we step back at least one magnitude before diving into the work?
Updating Beliefs
I posted about Bayes’ Theorem previously, but stumbled across the concept again from another direction. One line that struck me was the need for new evidence to update prior beliefs. It reminded me that one of the key attributes of remarkable team members is their ability to remain curious—to ask, ‘What else might this be/mean?’ before jumping into action.
How might we embrace new evidence as an opportunity, instead of feeling we have to make it reinforce decisions already made?
Best in the World
When the best in the world are near your current location, do you gravitate towards their performance? Are you viewing to say, ‘I was there.’ As somebody who pursues the same craft, are you seeking insights on how to perform better? Do you show up to collect a memento from the event?
Understanding our motivation to prioritize our first steps.
More Cowbell
What events are worth celebrating? Which celebrations can be customized by adding distinctive touches? Bringing a cowbell to a ski race is a borrowed ritual from Europe. Breaking out the super-sized cowbells for a FIS World Cup Finals elevates the celebration.
How might we have levels of celebration? Meeting a quarterly goal might not require the same response as honoring a retiring board member, which might not be the same as completing a generational capital campaign project.
The Making of ____ Was A Sh*T Show
A YouTube channel (The Making of ____ Was A Sh*t Show) highlights iconic movies and the lesser-known details behind each film’s production. The primary focus is on the movie’s obstacles and challenges it overcame. Many films made it to the silver screen despite all the odds stacked against them.
It reminds us that some of our best work encounters more obstacles than our less impactful efforts. A Tour de France cyclist can ride considerable kilometers of training on flat roads, but they will not be prepared for the race if they forego training in the mountains. We must venture into challenging terrain to fully develop a project’s potential. Getting lost, scraped up, and uncomfortable creates the stories we remember and tell afterward.
What-if-concepts 