Hi Friend
This summer I have found myself at lakes more than I have before. I don’t have a boat or kayak that I’m taking out on them. (I do have a raft however 😆). I’m there simply thinking, running, walking, sitting and enjoying natural beauty. In Oklahoma we don’t have a lot of pretty nature. Sure sure, there are bits and pieces of nature around, but not expansive breath-taking beauty. The lakes are as close as we get.
What’s ironic about that is they are man-made! The two I visit, Arcadia Lake and Lake Hefner are both reservoirs built for a purpose, other than being a natural habitat and outdoor wonder. How funny is that? Our most visited, attractive native wilderness is not that at all. Yet, there are always loads of people there enjoying the trails, sun and scenic environment!
Do you think they know they’ve been duped? Do you think they care? If I were to stop families and individuals along the path and say “Hey, did you know this is man-made?!” would they stop enjoying it and pack up the car and go home? Or would they say “Who cares, quit bugging us dude?”
Arcadia Lake is much more rustic, whereas Hefner is big, round and right off the interstate with not many trees. Arcadia feels like it’s been there forever, when really it only appeared in 1984. Hefner has restaurants on it, a 9.5 mile sidewalk wrapped around it and lots of concrete.
Neither of them were created for family fun, runners, bikers, skiers, fishermen, boaters or outdoor enthusiasts, yet that’s what they are known for and how we think of them.
The peripheral perk feels like their primary purpose.
It is not. City government and Corps of Engineers know why it exists. They view its value through the lens of water management and provision. They were thoughtful and resourceful over the years to build recreational elements around it, so the general population could benefit as well.
We live in world that emphasizes the WHY. You and I knowing our purpose, motivation and compelling reason for what we are doing with our lives. The last decade the same push has been made for corporations and organizations, suggesting people want to purchase from companies whose motive is aspirational.
What if the WHY is actually secondary? What if USEFUL and ACCESSIBLE are always primary?
In business, relationships, society or services what if we viewed value through the Secondary is Primary lens? I know, I know, that’s an oxymoron. If it’s primary, then it’s primary. Maybe. Maybe not? The WHY is the initial reason for creation. The UA (useful, accessible) offers the experienced value.
Business
WHY: Mission for felt need.
UA: Foster a community.
Relationship
WHY: Love
UA: Friendship, fun and build family.
Church
WHY: Relationship with God.
UA: Meet practical needs.
Hobby
WHY: Enjoyment and rejuvenation.
UA: Proximity, others & available tools.
Non-Profit
WHY: Provide for the underserved.
UA: Volunteering and stories.
I’m not sure in my efforts for brevity, those “examples” make sense? The point is, if Oklahoma City said “come to Lake Hefner because it’s an awesome feat of damming and serves our communities water needs well,” no one would show up. Because they stocked it with fish, built playgrounds and trails, created a small marina and put in parking lots, all of a sudden this necessary engineered function, now burst with joy and fun.
The WHY is the required initiator. It also actually never loses its value. The UA though multiplies exponentially the potential for significance.
What if in our relationships we were more useful and accessible? With colleagues, friends and loved ones, we thought: How could I take who I am and add a park around me? Or What would it mean to stock my life with large mouth bass? Or What could I grow, that would cause others to want to sit and relax and find joy in my personal environment?
What if the WHY is not the magnet that draws individuals to us, our organizations, our teams or our services?
Instigating Ideas
1. Consider the WHY and UA of the organization you work for?
2. List three things that would make you as a person more useful and accessible.
3. Get in nature, whether man-made or all-natural.
4. Evaluate some of your favorite places and people. See if you can parse out the WHY from the UA.
When I’m at either lake, I never think about it’s reason for being. Until I sat down here this morning, honestly it hadn’t crossed my mind. I’m grateful it offers a place to be in nature and go for a run.
I dare you to consider a WHY in your life and determine to build UA around it. Would love to hear what you observe in others who have done that and what you borrow from them to make you more UA? Please Share.