The Cairn Method
Design an organization where people know and respect each other and have the know-how to get the job done. All it takes is a few cairns on your path to transformation.
Picture this:
You’re out hiking with a map you studied carefully before you hit the trail. The route seemed clear before you started, but now, you’re not sure if you’re going the right way.
Maybe you’ve come to a place where the path divides, and you’ve got a choice to make. You look at the map again and confusion sets in. You’re not at all sure which way to go.
Just on the verge of panicking, you notice a pile of rocks positioned next to a particular path, and you’re flooded with relief. This isn’t any ordinary pile of rocks. It’s a cairn built by someone who has gone before you: someone who has gotten to where you want to go.
Reflecting the unique perspective of whoever built them,
Cairns serve three purposes:
Mark the trail for the best path forward
Clarify the better route when a path diverges
Draw attention to hidden obstacles or pitfalls
"The Cairn Method is a wonderful model! I learned that giving team members “the bigger picture” helps them be more engaged and focused in conversation and action. Bringing everything back to the mission of the organization delivers alignment, purpose, and motivation to continue certain action towards a goal."
Sarah Gerrish, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho Faculty
Kuna Clinic Medical Director
The Cairn Method comprises four components:
Think, Say, Do, and Grow.
Like a cairn, the building blocks of The Cairn Method build upon the next to create enduring change and impact:
THINK is the mindset and intentions of a leader as well as the organization. Without this foundation rock, your words and actions will not stand the test of time.
SAY is an organizations system of communication. It is the way you, the leader, share information and gather feedback. Communication for connection improves collaboration, creates better outcomes, and is imperative to support DO.
DO is where the rubber hits the road, where the People First mindset becomes procedures and processes that put People First.
Grow is building a smart strategy that’s well articulated allows you to see even further ahead. Then, as you build the road head, that road is much smoother, and you can move more quickly in the direction you want to go.