Waterfalls tend to attract attention. If reaching one requires navigating a hiking trail, many people use the waterfall as a turn-around point or a place to rest before continuing up the trail.
How might we position ourselves as a point of confluence with the surrounding environment? How might we evaluate our location as part of our strategic value proposition?
What is the value of a painting purchased directly from an artist? Does it appreciate or depreciate over time? Does a thousand dollars spent, divided over time, mean 10 years from the date of purchase, the painting is worth $100 per year? Does the painting’s value increase to us if the artist’s portfolio expands and the market rewards them with a higher sales price on future works? Does the price matter once purchased? Do we recall the purchase price after time recedes? If the art piece represents a significant moment or place, how does our perception change? What if the artist’s personal conduct deviates from what we thought was a shared belief?
Assigning value to customized pieces is challenging. How much is our time worth? Or our creativity? Or our presence? How might we calibrate enduring value versus real-time market value?
Some things are worth lining up for, and others moments are worth taking your own route. A key is knowing what you value. A paid lift ticket for the ski hill on a powder morning might be worth the investment. However, to others, it is a chance to put on climbing skins and ascend under their own power. Knowing your priorities helps you make decisions in real-time.
Ultimatums are for your benefit. Promises are for the benefit of others. If we only focus on creating value, then either an ultimatum or promise works. If we aspire to be of service and create value, then a promise is ideal.
How do you measure progress? By the value created? By doing what is best for those you serve? Do you provide what is easiest or do you combine the unconventional and produce the remarkable? A promise reinforces your core values, which may be more important than any scorecard.
What-if-concepts 