Cultute Change
13 Interdependent Possibilities for Community Development
Our little, rural town of Elk Rapids, Michigan is embarking on a big, bold journey of transformation. Challenged by an ageing population, a declining school enrollment, and a seasonal economy, a small Coalition of the Possible (Yes, you heard that right – more later) considered seeking an outside consultant to speak to us about ways rural communities can overcome their sometimes self-defeating ways to build a healthy community where people love to live. This notion Read More
Pretending
Our dog, Henri, is a big, brown Labradoodle with a loud, deep, fear-inducing bark that would give anyone pause to intrude uninvited. When we take him on a walk he prances loud and proud pretending he is the master of the universe. The truth is that he is a compliant wimp who wouldn’t hurt a flea.
Hubris and Hyperbole
“Hyperbole is not easily dealt with. Usually, it collapses under its own weight.” —Gwen Ifill “Hubris is one of the great renewable resources.” —P.J. O’Rourke “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities” —Voltaire My little town in Northern Michigan is conducting a capital campaign to raise 5 million dollars for a library expansion. The current library is situated on a beautiful island in a pristine community on lovely Lake Michigan. Read More
Organizational Sepsis
My granddaughter, Annie, was born at 26 weeks, weighed one and a half pounds, and had sepsis. The best Doctors in the world took a wild (but educated) guess on a broad spectrum antibiotic that might cure the infections, the best nurses in the world gave her 24/7 loving care to keep alive any speck of life they could find, and her family held her in their hearts constantly. Annie fought for her life and Read More
Fission or Fusion
I’ve always believed we have a lot to learn from physics, biology and math. Our individual and organizational behaviors often mimic the natural sciences. Humans have only been around for a couple of hundred thousand of years, but the laws of physics have been operating for 14 billion years. Perhaps we should learn from the natural laws that brought us to this place. Fusion and fission are a good place to start. Fusion occurs when Read More
Civility
“So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.” —John F. Kennedy “The whole country wants civility. Why don’t we have it? It doesn’t cost anything. No federal funding, no legislation Read More
Attribution of Variance
One of my favorite courses in graduate school was research evaluation which involved the analysis of study designs.
It was fascinating to me to figure out how to determine the impact of independent variables on dependent variables and how to factor out how each potential cause created a specific effect.
Xenophobia
“Whether it is tribalism, racism, xenophobia, or anti-Muslim backlash we’re talking about, we spend so much time and energy fighting ways to divide ourselves from others.” —Loretta Lynch I recently learned that my great grandfather, William, was a large landowner in Michigan and took part in the Gold Rush in the 19th century. William originally came from England in 1835 with 50 cents in his pocket. He somehow managed to make his way to California Read More
Zeitgeist
“Everything we say signifies; everything counts that we put out into the world. It impacts our kids, it impacts on the zeitgeist of the time.” —Meryl Streep “Even a genius cannot completely resist his Zeitgeist, the spirit of his time.” —Victor Frankl On an individual level, it’s hard to keep my spirits up these days. People are dying. The economy is in shambles. Restaurants and bars are closed. Lives and livelihoods are being destroyed. This Read More
Yearning
“People across the world are yearning to be connected to stories of hope.” —Jacqueline Novogratz In 1968, what helped me get through my year in Vietnam was a pen-pal who had agreed, on the suggestion of her boyfriend, to write to me. After all, he said, you will be in Paris while Rick is in Saigon – you two should write. She met me in LA when I returned from Vietnam. We were engaged four Read More
Just A Little Justice
John died this week sitting on a bench in front of our condo building. He was an ubiquitous presence in the neighborhood for many years. John was a 72 year old homeless man with Tourette Syndrome. He walked around the neighborhood all day pushing a cart with all his belongings which he kept meticulously organized. John managed his homelessness with as much dignity as he possibly could. He had a variety of sleeping spots he Read More
Questioning Orthodoxy
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” —Leonard Cohen I just watched three new movies: Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig, A Hidden Life, directed by Terrence Malick, and Two Popes, directed by Fernando Meirelles. All three spoke to the importance of questioning orthodoxy in different times and different places. Little Women was set in the mid-19th century in New England. It’s a wonderful, big-hearted movie that pays homage to Read More
Demonize Digitize or Democratize
In this post, I’m going to discuss how demonization and digitization can undermine democracy and what we need to do to restore democracy in the world. I know…two pretty big challenges for a short post, but here’s my best shot. When I went through Army Basic Training during the Vietnam War, many of the exercises were designed to demonize the Vietnamese people. When we stabbed our bayonets into dummies, we were instructed to yell, “Kill Read More
Language and Loss
Every year I like to look at the New York Times best books of the year and select a few that I want to read. This year I chose Lost Children Archives by Valeria Luisilli, The Topeka School by Ben Lerner, Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips, and The Yellow House by Sarah Broom. Coincidentally they all deal with language and loss in one way or another. Lost Children Archives discusses the language of silence and Read More
Noticing Normalization
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I try to stick with timeless themes vs. timely traumas. For example, I studiously avoid using the “T” word. In the last five years of posting, I have only slipped into the political muck a few times. While this post still remains true to timeless, generic, and universal principles, I apologize in advance for letting my toe slip into those seductive, but poisonous, Read More
We the Trees and Water
I recently read We the Corporations, a new book by Adam Winkler on how American businesses won their civil rights. In this meticulously well-documented history, Winkler puts corporate power on center stage. He charts how corporations systematically and incrementally gained political advantages over a 200 year period culminating in Citizens United which was funded by corporate elites to bend the law in their favor. Winkler methodically points out that America has been pro-corporate and elitist Read More
Wild and Crazy
At a recent leadership development conference I attended, an executive said: “What we might think is wild and crazy in our organization is probably not that wild and crazy in the external world.” The comment made me think about how many great ideas get categorically rejected because they are seen as “wild and crazy” in the culture in which they are being proposed. Although I am not a big fan of Amazon’s culture, I am Read More
Paved Roads and Free Passes
I recently attended the Spring Concert for my grand-kids at their private school. It was perfectly orchestrated performance fully attended by parents and grandparents who applauded appreciatively for every sound and song. The program was a charming event that showcased the musical progress these elementary school children had made over the year. The children were singing songs and playing tunes from the ’60s and each was dressed in fabulous outfits purchased from Amazon. I loved Read More
Helping in Hell
We recently went to the Broadway play, Hadestown. Watching someone go to hell has never been so much fun. Hadestown has its origins in Greek Mythology. The major characters are Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades, Persephone, and Hermes whose job was to guide souls into the afterlife, i.e. helping in Hell. Given the story line, one would think that the experience would be daunting and depressing, but the play is so well performed and directed that following Read More
Dignity and Dollars
I have been thinking a lot about dignity these days.
In simple terms, dignity is defined as the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.
We are born grasping for it. We end our days gasping for it. Read More
Sanity 101
A 21-year-old white nationalist drives 600 miles to El Paso, Texas and kills 22 men, women and children with his assault weapon because he hates immigrants―particularly Hispanics. If this isn’t insanity, I don’t know what is. Let’s face it. We now find ourselves in the ranks of the insane.
Marianne Williamson cites a “dark psychic force” happening in America. Russ Douthat describes a “black spiritual hole” as the source of the hatred and violence ripping apart our hearts and our heartland. Read More
Values Matter
“I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values – and follow my own moral compass – then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.” ―Michelle Obama “There are those who would draw a sharp line between power politics and a principled foreign policy based on values. This polarized view – you are either a realist or devoted to norms and values – may Read More
Possibilists
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” —Helen Keller “Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself.” —Golda Meir Optimists believe that desired results will occur no matter what the facts may portend. Pessimists believe that bad results will occur no what the facts may indicate. Possibilists believe that desired results can happen given the right conditions and the right amount of work. Read More
The Second Question
“God may be in the details, but the goddess is in the questions. Once we begin to ask them, there’s no turning back.” —Gloria Steinem “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.” —Albert Einstein In the age of sound bites, skimming, and superficial answers, we need to dig deeper for substantive solutions. Our inclination is to find “quick fixes” Read More