Good morning from a Spring filled Vancouver! I was reading recently about the concept of “cathedral thinking”. www.cathedralthinking.com  . (I also urge you to check out the site of Jim Meredith at www.archizoo.com )The concept is simple in it’s initial appearance, and rather sophisticated as you think about it. Built over decades and in some cases centuries, cathedrals are often massive buildings built to the glory of something much, much larger than human endeavour. It was common in Medieval Europe for the builders and craftspeople who began the structure would die long before completion and their children, and even children’s children would see the fruits of their labours. How did such difficult and challenging work proceed?

Simply put, as important as it may be to make budget this quarter, a compelling, long term “we’re making a difference in the community or in the world” is what keeps people engaged over the long term. Yes, the quarterly results are important sign posts along the way, marking out our progress, but in ‘cathedral thinking’ the long term, the big picture is what brings people to work in challenging times. Building a “cathedral” gives meaning to the importance of details; without the corner stone being just so, the building will collapse.  Building a “cathedral” gives grandeur to the adventure, and thus is compelling. And to use Meredith’s language, building a ‘cathedral’  “is [a] call to mindfulness of the future in all that we do, evoking a certain humility and humanness in what we do.” (http://cathedralthinking.com/thinkers-cathedral-thinking/)