My fight is for Culture, more than Community
This year I discovered that one of my highest personal goals is the transformation of culture, more than creating community, developing technology or designing services.
Because culture is much more permanent and sustainable — it is based in identity and values. And it has also taken many experiences and deep reflection for me to realise that.
Starting up
The first few months of this year have been quite a ride for me and IndegoX, with really experienced and passionate folk joining us in perfect time. We’ve spent much time figuring out who we are and what battles we’d like to fight this year. We even got involved in some pretty cool projects relating to designing experiences in Artificial Intelligence, Hospitality and Corporate Learning. We’re also investing ourselves in collaborations with other like-hearted people.
Yet how would we define what we do? Is our identity a Service Design agency? A User Experience consultancy? Maybe. Is it accurate? Probably not.
I have been challenged by many well-meaning friends about the need to focus on a specific area or domain (largely because so many people do not understand what we do), and I readily acknowledge that it is important for any business to present their product with utmost clarity. Yet at the same time, none of the labels have ever fit us, the stickers keep falling off!
Perhaps that’s why we haven’t updated our website in a while.
This morning while talking with a long-time collaborator about the immense challenges of running a consulting business, the image of standing at the top of a snow-capped mountain with a snowboard came to mind, and also the joy and freedom of carving giant S-shapes in the powdery snow with wind in your face. It was akin to waiting at the top of a massive wave with a surfboard, or at the top of a huge half-pipe with a skateboard.
What appears to be a death drop to some is also the awesomest playground for anyone who loves board sports. The sight of the mountain and snow energises me and propels me to find freedom on its slopes while figuring out how close I can test the laws of friction and gravity.
So here’s what it’s about: It’s about a unique journey that you can’t compare with others because of your specific calling. It’s about what you’re willing to fight for when the odds seem impossible. It’s what brings satisfaction beyond financial earnings or the praise of man. It’s that slight streak of crazy that connects you with others who really get it — fighting to get to sustainable impact, new realities that don’t exist yet or simply connecting with another human to make their life better.
And all of this makes you come alive.
My fight this year is to design and create culture, starting from within my family and company, overflowing into any sphere of influence we might have. The tools to get there will be design frameworks, training, consulting, technology and art. I suspect encouraging words and actions will have a strong part to play too.
What will your battles be this year? Are they worth fighting?
