Basecamp (noun). A main encampment providing supplies, shelter, and communications for persons engaged in wide-ranging expeditions.

A couple of years ago, my friend and mentor Christian Long from Wonder by Design guided some Malvern Prep teachers through a three-day experience with design thinking. At the start he told them, "We are going on a journey, and every great journey embarks from a basecamp."

I have chosen Basecamp as the name for our innovation collaborative to capture the spirit and ethos of heroic journeys. All great journeys challenge us to be:

Mission driven. Great journeys are always inspired by a deep sense of purpose.
Entrepreneurial. Great journeys are unpredictable, and that means they require creative problem solving.
Pluralistic. Great journeys call for inclusive teams, whose diverse talents can be harmonized by shared values.

To preserve and deepen your organization's mission in a world of accelerating change, you will need to go on an innovation journey. And, as Christian Long said, every journey needs a basecamp.

What is your greatest innovation gap?

How does your mission call on you to respond?

And as you prepare for that journey, what will your basecamp look like?

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Why "Basecamp"?