Perspective.

Artists use it all the time to create visually entertaining experiences for the rest of us. I love the whimsy in someone painting the outside of transportation vehicle to look like a burned out wreck. There is constant tension in the business world between efficiency (look at the building practices in the 70s and the ugly, but efficient, schools and public buildings that came out of that) and expression.

The truth is, we need both. There comes a point when you are expressing yourself or having fun at the expense of accomplishing your tasks. But without the "spoonful of sugar" many jobs can feel overly tedious and eventually the paycheck isn't worth the personal cost.

Working in the For-Impact sector is about maximizing that tension. Especially for those of us on the ground, working to create a better world. We know we can't do business as usual, often times we simply don't have the funding to operate on the standard platform. But that challenge can often be our greatest gift. We find ourselves collaborating with diverse organizations and people. This often results in creative, unpredictable outcomes that have a stronger, more powerful impact, than "business as usual" ever could have had.

So in this time of dollar watching, everywhere, remember that funding challenges are just an opportunity to push the envelope for yourself and your company. You will be amazed at what you are able to accomplish!

Easier Said Than Done...

Our business coach is consistently telling me to set my situation up so that I cannot fail--to see success as a set of very simple reasonable goals that WILL happen, and anything in addition to that as just icing on the cake. Now, as a teacher of such ideals you'd think I would have this down pat, but I do not. I find it quite challenging to do a job, feel just okay about it, and go out and celebrate a success. Last week I was shown why.

I did a presentation that I did not feel was my strongest performance. It wasn't bad, but I didn't walk away going, "YEAH! I nailed that!" I left with a feeling of acceptance and a desire to do better the next time.

A few days later I received a phone call about the presentation and an invitation to make a proposal for a major speaking engagement. I guess it WAS a success after all. We often hold ourselves to standards that are not easily achieved, especially when we feel passionate about something. That feeling makes us far more critical than others tend to be.

Moral of the story: Set simple, fool-proof goals for success; the rest is just gravy. Thanks, Jack.