The Anonymous Fundraiser

…probably wouldn’t work. Because most donations aren’t for the charity…they’re for the donor. Sure the charity benefits. But the smart fundraiser understands what’s on offer…an opportunity for the donor to tell a story about themselves (and to themselves) about their status, generosity and what they care about. It makes them feel safer within their circle, the people they are trying to influence and those they are influenced by. 

If it was only about the charity…we would have only anonymous fundraisers. But, other things matter... 

What's the Big Idea?

Most big ideas stem from small ideas…and often bad ones. They get shaped like art or music or a dance. Small steps honed, crafted and thrown away making way for the new and improved ones. The current version of Google, Amazon or Photoshop certainly didn’t start out that way. Too often we’re hoping for the big idea, for the hit that a lot of people will use (the ones where we say "I wish I would have thought of that). The fact is it’s not likely to happen…the brilliant hit right out of the box. The better and more effective path is to practice coming up with small, bad ideas. And then maybe some of those will grow up to be big ones. The key of course is to practice…to get really good at developing idea flow. But first you have to start. We hope you do.

What Are You Making Today?

Whether physical, digital or simply an idea. The point is you’re either creating, helping us move forward, or not. Outside of learning, consumption has become the nemesis of creation. Being connected virtually all of the time has its downside…constant inflow of information is disruptive to concentration. Consider that creating something original requires thought which is best isolated to allow focus on the subject. So unplug the fire hose of incoming interruptions and take time to think. Then make something out of it so we can all benefit. Teach us something we don’t know.

Create a Culture

Which attracts…

  • Generosity

  • Lifelong learning

  • Leadership

  • Problem Solving

  • Collaboration

  • Honesty

  • Candor

  • Warmth

  • Curiosity

It turns out most people want to be a part of something like this…something bigger than themselves which creates meaningful change. It might not happen overnight. But when the consistent and convictive work starts to pay-off, as the cultural shift occurs, most of the common hiring problems start to go away.

If your culture is going to be chosen, you might as well make it the obvious one.

What is Complaining For?

Almost all complaints fall into one of these categories...

  • to prove a point

  • to cause harm 

  • to help lead positive and meaningful change

And some fall into the first two. But none fall into all three.

Of course, once you choose the category of being helpful, it’s not really a complaint. And therein lies the true value of complaining…a waste of precious time. Better to offer a generous critique and helping hand instead. Choose wisely.

Leading Change

is what Leadership is for. Everything else falls into a different category, management, productivity, efficiency, busywork, etc.

So if you’re goal is to be a leader, the big questions are…

  • What change are you seeking to make?

  • Who can you enroll to help make it?

  • What story can you tell to inspire them to come along?

  • When will you start?

  • What will happen if it doesn’t work?

The Purpose of the Culture Interview

…is to determine if the candidate’s enrollment in your purpose is possible…to see if she is willing to go where you’re going. The only real way to understand this is to dive deep into the psyche and demonstrated ability of the person…to understand her core values and how she acts, especially when no one is watching. How will she fit (with others) and help us make the change we seek? 

A culture based interview is used to build highly engaged and passionate teams. It’s a long-term approach to solve for purpose vs. transaction. It’s likely you can find someone who can do it faster and maybe even better right away. But will they be disruptive, cause tension and drain the enthusiasm from the organization in the process? What’s the cost of immediate efficiency? 

Ultimately, figure out if someone is aligned with you at the core. Everything else is extracurricular.

Bus Driving

I waved at the school bus driver this morning…she didn’t wave back. She rarely does…too busy driving.

More children would voluntarily ride the bus if the driver was less of a driver and more of a person…a person who’s purpose was to engage, show interest, teach and delight. Children spend hundreds of hours on the bus…to get to the place where learning is supposed to happen. Why can’t it start on the bus?

As an aside…bus drivers are everywhere. They’re disguised as bank tellers, front desk clerks, DMV employees and tech help center agents. Often hired for function over care. What a wasted opportunity…what a shame.

Show Us Something You've Made

Anything. A short movie, a table, a poem, a training pamphlet..a new dance move. The only requirements are original (untested and might not work) and actually released. 

The fear of acceptance, a bosses approval or status in the peer group is the biggest hurdle in trying something new. Creativity isn’t hard until it’s time to show it to someone. 

Leaders dance with this fear and know how to manage it. Status and acceptance is less important than making a difference. And making a difference requires creativity and bold moves into new and uncharted territory. Making something new is the only way to get there.

Leading change requires practice…lot’s of trial and error. It’s best to start with small bits and learn that non-acceptance, failure and ridicule doesn’t hurt as much as you thought. So go ahead…make some art, a new play, a blog post or whatever. Just make.

Don't Jinx It

The HMAS Melbourne sank two friendly war ships during peacetime and was often referred to as “jinxed". The Curse of the Bambino cost the Boston Red Sox an 86 year World Series drought. Or, if we both utter the same thing at the same time…watch out.

The most powerful stories are often the ones we create to match our circumstances and to defend our choices…after they occur. It lets us off the hook…at least in our own minds. It gives us comfort to know that something else is at work, something outside of our control. It can’t possibly be because we made it so, or it was just our statistical turn.

Knowing this we can craft a different story. We can take responsibility to understand what’s really going on, to dig a little deeper to understand the science and the facts. And better yet, we can choose to use that posture of seeking insight to make better decisions, to lead change…and to get back on the hook.

Obsession

…is a requirement for legacy work…doing something worth talking about long after you’re gone. Caring enough about the detail of something to the point of obsession is how the remarkable becomes remarkable. It’s not through luck or happen stance. How something is made and delivered and the posture and culture of the people doing it matters. Is the next one just another one? Or is it the only one…the last one? 

Deciding to focus sharply on the details is a choice. Get enough people to do it and you’ve created a culture of romance, making people feel like they are the center of your universe. That’s really hard to avoid talking about.

Stealing Business

…isn’t a good strategy because much like kids’ toys, it’s based on taking what’s not yours. Typically the tactics include acts of desperation...short-run price drops and deceptive offers to create attention and entice someone to change. The problem then becomes convincing someone to stay…because there’s always a better short-term deal. It’s a downward spiral leading to low quality, poor service and a legacy of trickery.

Alternatively, you could be in the business of creating something worth talking about and delivering what was promised. You could employ care as your strategy…caring enough not to take what you didn’t earn. And you could get busy making something that can’t be easily taken…trust.

Free is Too Expensive

…most of the time. Because most of the time it’s a zero sum game. Free is on offer when there is a concession elsewhere. The movie is free. But we’ll show you some ads. Here’s a free phone…for signing a two year contract. Or, it’s last year’s model. Time, quality, price and trust…they are all interchangeable parts in the system. 

Sometimes though, there aren’t any strings attached. It’s just a generous offer…a gift. Just understand the difference the next time you’re offered a free lunch.

Privilege of Artful Work

A job is more than a chance to do the work someone else prescribes. It’s an opportunity to show your best self, approach and do work in such a way that it changes someone. We all know when we experience someone in this state, it’s a magical and remarkable experience.

Showing up and meeting the standard is important…it’s work that needs to be done. Performing the work in such a way that it moves someone is a choice. It comes with the risk that it might not work. But it’s also one we all deserve. Choose wisely.

All We Need is One Percent

…is one of the most common traps of modern business plans. A speculative, larger outcome is always easier to develop than the smaller, first steps necessary to gain traction. Everyone knows that the grand end will likely be different than planned, so it’s not seen as a promise…just a desired result. But what you’re going to do today and tomorrow to get there…that’s much more real. You’re on the hook and there's no way off.

Best to first focus on how to get the first few people to buy your product or idea. Scale later.