Impact

It is increasingly difficult to make a difference or have an impact when in the midst of a sea of information and experiences. I run into this concept frequently, a few examples:

1. I was driving in a construction zone in Kansas City last weekend. There were so many signs, markers, cones, and warnings I had to come to a complete stop to figure out where I was supposed to drive. So with so many elements of warning none of them could provide the needed immediate impact of telling me where to drive.

2. There was a tornado warning today, it was the 3rd time in a couple weeks the sirens have gone off. In all cases there was no tornado. Johnson county has dropped their threshold for wind speed that triggers the sirens. How frequently do we need to hear these before people the impact is reduced and people begin to ignore them?

3. This is an obvious concept in marketing and advertising. Each of us are constantly bombarded by ads for everything from perfume to potato chips. How does a marketer have an impact?

4. The UI Children's Hospital groundbreaking on Friday was a truly impactful event. Why? Not because the normal roster of distinguished speakers (no offense, they are all super!) all spoke, but because they didn't. They were instead supplanted by children and parents who spoke about their very real experiences being treated at the UICH.

The same concept applies for fundraising events. Sheila and I could attend a chicken dinner event every week with a silent auction where you can get a Kirk Ferentz signed football helmet and a Fran McCafferey signed basketball. So how does a charitable organization make an impact on potential supporters to gain their attention, volunteerism, and philanthropic support?

The applications/situations of this dilution of impact are everywhere. And it is exhausting. I don't need to go to Hyvee and have 74 different options of cereal and 13 different brands of frozen tater tots. Enough!!!