Ten years ago, I confident that I was on the verge of something new. The organization had a problem. As I discussed the challenges and their goal, I knew the answer. The more we talked about it, the more that I believed my insight was the solution they were looking for. Everything seemed possible. The goal was within reach.
As I look back, I can now see what I could not see then. My insights were good, but they were incomplete. Everything in my solution was needed, yet there was space for more. Nothing that I did was wrong. It just could have been better, more complete. More importantly, the tools may have been new but the concept behind them was not. I had rediscovered an old path.
I am on the third life of this path. The setting is different, a new company, different ways of describing the problem, yet it is a repeat of what others faced before. The core elements of the answer lie in truths that have always been with us. My words may sound different, however, using words centuries old, core of my message lies in the following statement. “My dear friends, I’m not writing anything new here. This is the oldest commandment in the book, and you’ve known it from day one. It’s always been implicit in the Message you’ve heard.” (1 John 2.7)
Communities are always stronger than individuals. Being alone, with an idea or on a project, should never be the priority. Bring others along with you.
Define success and the processes to get there. Knowing what it looks and feels like is important. Never lose your grip on what is important.
Communicate, about everything! Talk about the goal. Remind others of the key principles found in the process. Recognize failures and learn from them. Celebrate progress, of any and all kinds.
Along the way remember that the ideas may not be new but the feeling of hope is. Hope refreshes and reminds us of what is possible. We are called to be voices and carriers of hope.
