The Context Pyramid — with the ERA

In any results oriented initiative, I have used a specific method to quickly understand the context of a conversation for 15 years.

Introducing the Context Pyramid — a framework to understand the level at which an idea is being proposed. Often the smartest and most compelling people have a series of interesting, innovative thoughts that are expressed in a stream of consciousness in conversations. However it gets hard to follow along when we don’t understand the level that the conversation is happening it. Applying this framework without fail has allowed me to be simplify information and focus attention.

Today I want to explain this tool the context of the EcoRestoration Alliance — a group that I have been inspired and intrigued by since December of last year.

VALUES - what do we stand for? Why do we do what we do? It should immediately tug us at our heart, stir us into a desire and point us in a direction.

We are nature; preserving ourselves means preserving the environment that we exist in.

VISION is the view of the world that we then look towards. It paints a picture of the world after we are successful in our endeavor — it is a place we want to rest in and be in until we are stirred into the next moment.

A world where we nourish our environment in our daily action and it flourishes with our touch and our actions instead dying as a result of it.

GOALS break down the vision into smaller chunks and should follow the excellent framework that already exists of creating SMART Goals with a focus on being specific, measurable, relevant and time-bound. 3–5 Goals should be the extent of what a single organizm attempts.

Goal 1: Restore 10% of earth’s degraded land in the next 10 years

STRATEGIES combine into the plan(s) for moving, assessing and adjusting the movement towards a Goal. Modern sales strategies are probably most effective at achieving their goals — the discipline among sales managers and executives can be ruthless and truly something to be marveled at. Strategies should incorporate a cross-disciplinary approach and have baked in operation and impact measurement methods.

1.1 Connect degraded land to restorers and provide monetary incentive for a certain level of restoration result

Finally tactics are the actions that connect stakeholders, build products, activate communities and create the results that, one by one, contribute to our vision

1.2.1 Create a team that identifies and aligns degraded land with potential restorers.

Note that the tactic above is quite granular relative to its vision. However, it is still quite meaty — and needs to be unpacked for true execution. This team and its activities can have its own set of Vision, Goals, Strategies and Tactics — held inside like a fractal pattern. The team that is actually brought into execute on this tactic will be best positioned to develop that layer.

I will follow up on another day on the left hand side — the people and the approach for developing these key pillars of your collective plan.