wayfinding

Ready to Go

Just because we are prepared to take off does not mean there is a free runway. How might we recognize that a timeline is frequently the reason an initiative or a campaign fails (deadlines can be used to great effect in the right application)? We might have recently adopted our strategic plan, and our highest priority is enhancing collaboration with key stakeholders. But the projected partners have their own prerogatives, and finding the right situations might take more time than our annual goals forecast.

How might we recognize that part of our purpose is to stay in the game (infinite mindset), even when unanticipated delays make us feel irrelevant and stuck?

Pathways

When the pathway is smooth and well signed, it gives us reassurance that our route is viable. When it is hard to follow and there is a lack of signage, it can be discouraging. What type of experience are we trying to curate? If we want to create delight, it might be best to invest in a well-designed pathway. If we are seeking those who think and act differently, then a sketchy trail that causes moments of disappointment may ensure we attract the true adventurer.

Defending or Earning

Are you defending a position or earning the merits to receive a ranking? Two different mindsets and approaches.

Do you start your board service believing you need to maintain the achievements accomplished by those who preceded you, or do you believe your board term is an opportunity to navigate the unknown and leverage your strengths on the organization’s behalf?

Overcome & Embrace

The renowned author for your literary organization’s gala fundraiser falls ill. The easy solution is to cancel. The school buses contracted to shuttle spectators from a remote parking lot to the World Cup ski race are forced to abandon their shuttle route and pick up school students after the district pivots to an early school dismissal due to weather. The easy solution is to blame the snowstorm. The venue you booked for a conference forgot to provide projectors, so the keynote speakers had to adjust their presentations. The easy solution is to focus on the vendor’s mistakes.

These unplanned moments offer an opportunity for our values to be lived, not just recited. If we talk about ideas such as resilience, grit, determination, people-first, collegiality, we can come together and deliver an unscripted performance. Occasionally, these instances of misdirection reveal an even better experience. People cheer for us when we are working to overcome the elements. How might we use disruption to delight our fans?

Vanishing Point

We can map out our route until we cannot. There is a moment at which our planned itinerary contains a gap or uncertainty. It may appear that we are traveling a continuous path, but serendipity and detours will appear, even in the most detailed schedule of events. How might we expect the unexpected and embrace the elements of our plan that fall into place?