What’s the frequency, Kenneth?!
That’s the title of a song by the rock band R.E.M., and, oddly enough, it had pop-culture influence beyond music. It originated from the 1986 assault and battery on CBS news anchor Dan Rather in New York City, during which the two assailants repeatedly screamed this question. “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” The incident baffled police and the public for years (it was later learned one of the attackers was delusional), and the question immediately became a catchphrase for being confused, out of one’s depth, or out of the loop.
Things can be confusing.
Not just in retail, everything around us can seem confusing or chaotic. So many balls being juggled, never-ending expectations and fire drills, and the constant reflection of inputs and outputs. Figuring out intention and creating intention when it’s busy can be challenging. It can be equally challenging, if not more so, when we assess our outcomes as being won or lost or a complete success or utter failure. It leaves us questioning intention and the aftermath of everything that has happened as good or bad. 
When I started as a manager, I quickly realized “I did not know what I didn’t know.” In fact, I wasn’t sure I didn’t know it until it was required. With time and experience, as well as a lot of good, bad, won, lost, and all success and failure, there was one piece of wisdom that revealed itself. It is something I currently share with all those young leaders.
“Our outcomes represent neither absolute success nor absolute failure. They are a sum total of varying degrees of both.”
Which begs the question, can two seemingly diametrically opposed truths be held by the same person about the same situation and outcome, and at the same time? Yes.
Life doesn’t happen to us; it happens for us.
I believe good and bad can co-exist. That one thing can be both. Take social media. Kaylor Betts, a Canadian podcaster offered two perspectives. He posed “Is it toxic and can it act like a poison? Absolutely.” If it’s being viewed unconsciously in some kind of death scroll, then yes. Then he captured my complete interest when he said,
“If people use it with intention and calculation, it can be a powerful tool.”
That phrase, “with intention and calculation,” resonated in me. To say it another way, with purpose and a plan. I started thinking about how this could impact how I see and set up my day. After a little contemplation, I took Betts’s statement and added a third. Each element supports the other like a three-legged stool.
Intention, Calculation, and Action
Intention gives us a clear purpose. It’s our “why.” It answers the question: What do I want to start/stop/continue and why? Calculation gives us a clear path. It’s our “how.” It answers the question: What specific steps and behaviors do I need to get there? Action gives us perspective. It’s our “what now?” While in the midst of our action, what things do we need to flex, adapt, improvise, or change in our engagement to fulfill the intention? The challenge won’t be the intention or calculation. It will most certainly be the change that will be required in the action.
You see, the intention doesn’t really change. Calculation will probably only indicate change is needed. Action in the pursuit of achieving our desired outcome almost always changes. The Why and How gives us the plan. Does that mean everything goes to plan? Heck no. The plan only gives us a lane to start in. That’s it. Life is unscripted. It’s full of variables – good and bad. Action reveals our response.
We aim with intention, assess with calculation, and then act with determination and self-efficacy. What happens in the aftermath and how do we see the quantity and quality of our efforts? This takes us back to our original question…was the outcome “good” or “bad” and what was the influence?
We’ll See
There is an old parable about a Chinese farmer. Goes like this…
Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years.
One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically, “you must be so sad.”
“We’ll see,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses.
“How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed! “Not only did your horse return, but you received two more. What great fortune you have!”
“We’ll see,” answered the farmer.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. “Now your son cannot help you with your farming,” they said. “What terrible luck you have!”
“We’ll see,” replied the old farmer.
The following week, military officials came to the village to conscript young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. “Such great news. You must be so happy!”
The man smiled to himself and said once again.
“We’ll see.”
Our Take-Away
Creating intention and processing calculation are both formulaic and relatively easy to manufacture. The harder part comes in the aftermath. When action shapes a new context and we respond to the circumstance in hopes of maintaining our purpose and objective.
The Chinese farmer parable teaches us that it is problematic to judge a circumstance as strictly good or bad when it happens. Rather than trying to control every outcome, it encourages patience and the understanding that “good luck” and “bad luck” are both part of our journey.
A “We’ll see” intentionality is not passive. It’s not resignation. It’s a controlled response from a disciplined mindset. It’s the ability to live without overreacting to every swing of the pendulum. To stay grounded when things go well. To stay open when things fall apart. To resist the urge to declare the final meaning of a moment we are given too soon. To be careful what we call “good” or “bad.” It depends, because we are standing inside a story that isn’t finished yet. The frequency is irrelevant.
Read more great leadership perspectives in the RC blog.
