How can you use TRAPPIST-1 to prioritize your organization's goals?

1 What is TRAPPIST-1?

TRAPPIST-1 is an acronym for Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope, which is the name of the project that discovered the star system in 2016. The star itself is a red dwarf, much smaller and cooler than the sun, and the planets are very close to it, making their orbits very short and regular. The planets are also tidally locked, meaning they always face the same side to the star, creating extreme temperature differences between day and night. Some of the planets are in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on the surface, but they also face challenges such as strong radiation, atmospheric loss, and gravitational interactions.

2 Why use TRAPPIST-1 as a metaphor?

Using metaphors is a powerful way to enhance your strategic thinking and creativity for creative problem solving. Metaphors help you make connections between seemingly unrelated domains, generate new insights, and communicate your ideas more effectively. TRAPPIST-1 is a particularly interesting metaphor because it represents a complex and dynamic system with multiple factors and trade-offs that affect its potential for life. It also invites you to imagine different scenarios and perspectives, such as how each planet would look, feel, and function, and how life could adapt and evolve there.

3 How to identify your goals with TRAPPIST-1?

The first step to use TRAPPIST-1 to prioritize your organization's goals is to identify them. You can do this by mapping each of your goals to one of the seven planets in the star system. For example, you could assign your most important and urgent goal to the planet closest to the star, and your least important and urgent goal to the planet farthest from the star. You could also use other criteria, such as the size, temperature, or habitability of the planets, to match your goals. The idea is to create a visual and spatial representation of your goals that helps you see their relative importance, difficulty, and feasibility.

4 How to rank your goals with TRAPPIST-1?

The next step is to rank your goals according to their priority. You can do this by using the order and distance of the planets from the star as a guide. For example, you could rank your goals from 1 to 7, where 1 is the highest priority and 7 is the lowest priority. You could also use a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the closest to the star and 10 is the farthest from the star. The idea is to create a numerical and ordinal representation of your goals that helps you see their relative urgency, impact, and value.

5 How to align your goals with TRAPPIST-1?

The final step is to align your goals with your vision, mission, and values. You can do this by using the characteristics and conditions of the planets as a reference. For example, you could ask yourself how each of your goals contributes to your vision, which is the long-term and aspirational direction of your organization. You could also ask yourself how each of your goals supports your mission, which is the specific and concrete purpose of your organization. You could also ask yourself how each of your goals reflects your values, which are the core and guiding principles of your organization. The idea is to create a meaningful and coherent representation of your goals that helps you see their alignment, consistency, and relevance.

Using TRAPPIST-1 as a metaphor for creative problem solving can help you prioritize your organization's goals in a fun and effective way. It can also help you stimulate your imagination, challenge your assumptions, and explore new possibilities. Try it out and see how it works for you.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?