Podium w/Open Mike

There it is, a large room, lots of round tables where attendees will be served dinner, a head table is set up with 14 places, and then a podium with microphone. The event will include 500 people. A program will be offered to include the usual greetings, introductions of special guests, a leader who offers opening remarks and a focus to the evening. Then dinner will be served followed by a keynote speaker. And that person is…you!

What will you say? Now is your chance to speak your mind and persuade others to your special point of view or prime area of interest. What will that be? Will it be related to the theme of the evening? Or will you launch a drive to another topic entirely? Do you have the focus, background information and mental force to push forward in this direction?

The opportunity beckons. What will you do with it?

Most of us have been in conference centers like the one described above. We have attended many professional meetings and events at which we network, socialize and prepare to be moved by speakers with a gift of ideas to share. These functions hone our professional focus and motivation to return to do our work as best we can for our employer, our profession or an organization making strides in an area of special interest to us.

Surely your mind has wondered what it would be like if it were you at the podium and you were delivering the motivational speech. What topic would you choose to speak on? How visionary would your message be? Would it move people to action or scare them into atrophy? Would your efforts be rewarded with thunderous applause, a standing ovation? Or would the reaction be boos, cat calls, or maybe even dreaded silence?

On the edge of vulnerability you approach the microphone. You grip the lip of the podium. With a deep breath, you look out on the expectant audience, smile and say:

“Good Evening ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here and sharing this evening with one another. And thanks to the many people who planned tonight’s event so we could share each other’s company and thoughts.”

“I’ve been thinking about what we share – you and I. We work in the same industry, pursue many of the same dreams, and we work against great odds to make good things happen. That pretty much sums up our challenges, doesn’t it? What could we do better than we are already doing to create a breakthrough in achievement?”

“And then to whose benefit is the achievement?  Ours – the professional? Or the people we serve in this profession?”

At this point we leave the imagined podium to consider who we are and what line of work we are in. Are we accountants, lawyers, doctors, nurses or teachers? Perhaps we are engineers or chemists, biologists or physicists? Maybe we are managers of organizations that serve a specific industry or social interest. If the latter would it include education, health, healthcare, social development of underprivileged kids or families? Would we be following a specific philosophy, creed or religion? What is it we do and why do we do it?

Aha! That’s the core thought – what do we do and why do we do it?

What fires our imagination to perform great feats for others that will benefit – who? All mankind or a targeted market? Why is this focus important? Why does it move us from within?

Each of us has a calling, I think. We want to accomplish something special that holds meaning for us. We want to be associated with it. We feel good about it and thus good about ourselves for being the kind of people who value such things. But how well do we share this commitment or dedication? Can we speak only for ourselves or for others, too?

It is here that the speech you would like to make takes form.

“What are our shared goals, folks? If the world were a perfect place and we had all the necessary resources, what would we be focusing our attention on? What special skills and experiences do we need from those among us who will lead us, manage us, and propel us on toward our shared goals?”

“And then, what elements would be present if we were successful in achieving our goals? Do these elements already exist or do we have to create them out of the chaos we meet with each and every day? What skills do each of us need to have to do this work? And what organizational obstructions are we likely to encounter along the way?

“These are the key humps we must wrestle with on our way toward making a difference in the many lives we touch. Who among us has the ideas and action steps for us to follow?”

“Here is what I think we need to be doing:…”

And now the speech really takes shape and you are on your way.

Will you take this opportunity and make it work for your audience? Will you even take the first step toward the podium?

If not you, who? If not now, when?

The podium still beckons. The mike is on…

January 5, 2015

Seeking Positive in a Negative World

Grumble, grumble. Complain, complain. Gnashing of teeth.

Does the news get you down? Do you react to unwelcome news? Do you occasionally turn off the news and go to another channel where you know the program's content is pleasing? I know about this kind of reaction because I do it from time to time. And more frequently!

The reactions are not healthy. I know that. Do you?

I get it that without a reaction we wouldn't be moved to do something positive. But come on, the negative news really is depressing. No wonder young people prefer to listen to their music or bury their faces in their I-phones.

So what to do? Think positive? Is it really that simple? I doubt it.

It takes discipline to be positive. Try it. If you wake in the morning and approach the mirror with trepidation because you usually encounter a face that would scare a ghost, then you have a negativity issue. You will have to work on being positive.

Why, you ask? Because you and I are endowed with creative genes in our brain. We can do something about the negative issues that plague our society. We can. But first we have to realize we have this capability and then imagine us using it. That is not an easy habit to acquire, but we can do that as well!

Look, I'm trying to be positive here. It is not an easy thing to be, especially given the times in which we live. Here I could recount for you the many negative things we encounter daily. But why do that when each and all are well known? It would just be more complaining!

So the opposite effort and objective should be our focus. In doing that – simply making the effort to be positive – we begin to be positive. It helps build a positive frame of mind.

Remember when you first picked up a violin or sat down to a piano and began playing around trying to make a beautiful sound? Or when you sang your first note at school chorus rehearsal? The sound was not at all pleasing, but the sound was something you made. All on your own, well with the help of the instrument of course! But taking the first step was important. Playing that first note, or chord, or singing a little ditty that became much more successful with practice.

And practice we did. Until we had the piece memorized; then practiced for accuracy, then for tone, and finally for expressive wholeness. When we played that music in our first recital or concert, something amazing happened. We made music. WE MADE MUSIC. And although it appeared to be by magic we knew otherwise. We knew we had put forth an effort and something quite good resulted.

The result was good. It was positive. We did something that sounded good and pleased others. We were not detracting from anyone else; we were not being negative. We were making a pleasant sound that would move others.

Have you attended a concert that closed your throat in a silent sob? Emotion spilled over, eyes misted, breathing irregular. Music had captured our attention. We had submitted to the sounds and emotion of the art. We were transported to another place. A very special place.

Many years later as adulthood swamped my musical endeavors of youth, music making was rich and rewarding. Emotional content welled up in the music. Expression of that emotion became the message, the tempo, timbre and art of it all became one with the performance – whether solo or ensemble – the music making was magical and successful. The audience was moved. So were the performers.

That's how it goes when we seek to do the positive. The acts provide the energy to propel us toward success. I have witnessed this in school rooms, concerts, laboratories, churches, work places and family gatherings. How many volunteer groups do you belong to? How many miracles have you produced together with those group members? And how often? Over and over I bet.

We can choose to do nothing. We can choose to do something. We can be involved or not in the community around us. Being in the lives of others is much more rewarding and productive than being a lone wolf.

Suggestion: turn off the TV and pick up a book. Or maybe turn on the computer and form a question you've long had in the back of your mind. Express it in writing, then type it in to Google and see what happens. Did you get answers to your question? Did you learn that your question could mean several different things? And that each of those meanings had to be explored and eliminated or retained in our research. In the end, what did we learn? More than if we had not started the exploration at all!

Something from nothing. Know more than when you started out. Acquire skills that I didn't have before. Do things I never dreamed I could.

All it takes for this progress is a little kernel of positive thinking. A conscious decision to avoid the negative and pursue the positive has made a difference in my life and perhaps in yours.

Where it all leads is the mystery begging to be allowed.

Will we? Allow it? To happen?

I hope so.

January 4, 2016

Public Policy – Purpose & Objective

Well now, that's quite a title to ruminate over. And yes I think it is high time for us to think about public policy. What is its purpose? And what scope issues are important to consider with this subject matter? Why is this a concern of mine? And why now

All of these questions are good lead-ins to a discussion. Let's see what we can make of this in bits and pieces.

Policy is an intentional statement on how to organize and control resources dedicated to a function or purpose for an organization. Resources include: money, facilities, personnel, and goods or supplies required to fulfill the function addressed. In corporations some policies address human resource use and related expenses, also how operational facilities such as office space, meeting rooms, manufacturing plants, and corporate vehicles are used. Policy formats vary from institution to institution and fit the unique requirements of each. Some commonality takes shape over time in some fields that are common to many organizations.  Human Resource policies are a good example of this. Wage and salary treatment, fairness and market value competitiveness are often addressed by HR policy. So too benefits of all sorts including medical insurance, vacation and sick time, as well as others.

Examples of corporate policy matters could be pursued here, but it is not necessary. I'd rather turn my attention to public policy instead.

Think about public policy for a few moments. Realize that much of policy eventually becomes written into law or standards of performance for many institutions. Public institutions include schools, libraries, park districts, fire districts, city and village governments, county and state governments and their many entities. Universities and state colleges are public institutions funded in the main with public monies. How they are governed and managed is a matter of public interest and goodwill. It is proper to expect that policy would be thought out and set in place to protect public property and finances relative to these institutions.

And public policy does address these entities. But what drives these policies? What demands pull them into conformance with professional formats and accountability? This is the core of my concern.

How private entities protect their assets and goodwill is their business, not mine. You and I need to be concerned, however, over public policy because those policies protect our taxpayer funds invested in governments and their agencies. They are, after all, doing our work for us. They are service agencies. They serve us. To what end will always be fodder for political pundits to argue!

We ask our public institutions to serve us. We elect people to oversee this service and organize resources so functions can be performed on our behalf. This is how schools are funded and operated. We do not personally manage the schools, but others do in our stead. And policy is the method used to specify standards, use of resources, and goals to be achieved over time.

The same works in police departments, fire departments, city and village governments and so forth.

Service. Others doing work that benefits other people. Police do this daily. So do teachers, librarians, administrators for public colleges and universities, water reclamation districts, and so forth. Nowhere are their policies stating how not to serve the public unless such is needed to limit exposure to loss of funds or other resources purchased with public funds.

For example, police policy protects the public and the police force. They are trained to respond to emergencies in manners that protect the public and themselves. Split second judgments must be made by the police personnel in when to use force, how much force is to be used, and so on. They are not instructed to kill bystanders or perpetrators of illegal activities. They are trained and instructed to protect those same people. But when they feel their own lives are in danger or peril, they are trained to take steps to quell the danger to protect themselves and others on the scene. In emergency situations a lot is unknown to the police. Who called them to the scene in the first place? How do they identify that person? Where precisely is the activity in need of suppression and control? How dangerous are the people involved in the event? Is it dark, or shadowy? Are perpetrators in hiding and likely to be sniping at responders?

In such situations it is difficult for anyone, let alone a well trained police officer, to know how to handle firearms; should they shoot to kill, maim or disable? And what distinguishes each of those actions from each other in a dark, foreboding and dangerous setting? Do any of us know what this is like? I don't. But my concern goes to the police officers who are asked daily to step into danger on our behalf.

Mental illness is said to be a large cause of public disturbances. If that is so, how do we manage mental illness in our midst? Long ago we institutionalized mental illness patients. That kept them from public harm, and protected them as well. Living conditions were not pleasant, and in time mental health professionals learned how to treat patients outside of maximum security institutions. They did so with drugs and patients lived at home. Families and friends became the caregivers even though they were not trained to be such. When emergencies arose they were instructed to call the police or 911. They have done so in alarming numbers and now the police and paramedics are the responders at most such emergencies.  Society has pushed this function from health institutions to the police and EMTs.

That is a public policy issue for study and action.

I am not saying police are free to use their firearms willy nilly. There must be ample cause for using their guns to protect themselves and other bystanders. But just how is this determined? And who does the determining?

Until this is well examined and discussed, I hope the public will be patient as public servants consider policy issues and actions to take. Mayors are not automatically guilty of doing nothing or doing the wrong thing. They are not the people on the police line facing imminent danger; the policemen are and they need to be managed effectively. That's where training and policy come into play.

There are other public policy issues to be explored, but this one is the hottest at the moment.

The next one is blaming public servants for things we aren't willing to do for ourselves. And then wondering why many people refuse to work for government agencies or run for public office. The risks  seem too high and the rewards minimal.

January 1, 2016

Happy New Year!

I know, it is the eve of the new year’s celebration, but what the hell. I’ve run out of things to say that are worth reading, talking about or whatever. At least for one day.

So, to all my readers everywhere around the globe, let me be an early wisher of happiness to you and yours in the new year. We have fresh opportunities to do amazing things. Let’s resolve to do just that.

December 31, 2015

Working Through Problems

This is a daily journal. Its purpose is to offer an outlet for my personal musings whatever their source. You know, sources of feelings, whether of joy, wonder, awe, or sadness. Sometimes those feelings come from discoveries, other times from realizations that something is wrong, or a problem is looming. The hollowness of fear grows evident. It isn’t always known – either the issue or the severity of it. It might be related to health, or finances, or relationships. Any of those are fodder enough!

In my current case it is financial. We live on social security benefits. The program was not meant to be the sole source of retirement income, but for many it is. In my case I never planned it to be the sole source of income. But it is. Ill health, early retirement and settling obligations left me without my retirement investments. So social security it is.

Luckily, Rocky and I both have these benefits and together we can cover the basics – rent, auto payment, health insurance premiums, medications, food, and auto expense. It’s tight, but it has worked out for two years.

The issue now is higher costs and stagnant income. Over the past few years there has been some income from the tail end of my consulting practice; not much, but some. And then there has been the occasional service to someone who opts to pay me a stipend for that attention. These bits of income paid for the occasional pair of new socks, underwear or a shirt. It also paid for a lunch or supper out at a restaurant; but no travel, entertainment venues or shopping sprees.

In the past 14 months we have often deferred refilling medications in favor of modest food purchases. Putting off an oil change for the car is another short term solution. So are any actions to reduce routine costs. At this time, however, those options are slim to none. We could eliminate cable TV and one cell phone. That would provide some flexibility in our monthly budget; not much, but some. Cheaper housing would be helpful but that requires moving and the associated costs. Reducing our grocery budget would also help, and it would provide a kick to dieting that would pay other benefits!

But these are stop gap measures that do not really spell sustainability. And that’s what’s bothering me. I’ve always had a rainy day fund or a routine inflow of funds on a seasonal basis that I relied on for taxes, auto repairs, or just a cushion. The rainy day fund is no more and not likely to be rebuilt.

Larger solutions need to be found and implemented. I’m in the process of finding them.

Meanwhile I share this with you because I think it is a sign of the times. It may be a normal thing for elders that I’ve not known about in the past. But I know it now. I’m living it. And I doubt we are alone. The fabric of our society is much more frayed than I had thought and someone needs to talk about it.

I worry about this because being on view is an admission of failure, for anyone who has the nerve to write about it. I don’t want anyone to think I feel entitled to something I didn’t earn. I don’t want to be a burden to society. But increasingly I recognize that I am such a burden, and than many people my age and older are as well.

My situation is fully understood by me. I’ve analyzed every which way and realize what went wrong, what I should have done, and what most people should be doing as well. Lordy, I did all the right things in the past for much of my life, but as push came to shove, short term solutions were acted on that did long term damage. Sustainability was the casualty. And now the problem is much more difficult to repair.

Sort of like the state of Illinois and its unfunded pension debacle! Short term solutions constructed a massive problem that is nearly impossible to repair without hurting an awful lot of people.

Just as the state leaders did themselves in, so did I with my own finances. The only difference is I admit it and take responsibility for it. They don’t. They suffer from a lack of humility. I have the humility to admit it. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it does remove a barricade to finding the answers to the problem.

So be it. Now for the hard work.

Stay tuned as I/we work this out.

Meanwhile, live life in the present, but plan for the future!

December 30, 2015

Year End Wrap-Up

Well, the end of year is an allure to sum up the year just ending. Lots of things happened, some good and many bad. Each happening, however, informed us of our surroundings, circumstances and how and why things occur. We learn from these events. We can count our blessings because of what has happened to others and not us, or we can count our blessings that our lives were spared and the 'stuff' of life we collect can be replaced or wasn't of much value anyway. So what?  People are important and our relationships to each of them.

So I don't really care much for summarizing the year's events. I would much rather attempt to determine – at least for myself – what is most important and what we all should be striving toward. Yes, I'm a goal person. So writing down goals helps me keep my mind focused on what's important and taking action to bring about good things.

This is a noisy year. Presidential campaigns are underway and they make a lot of noise. The media goes overboard covering the campaigns but instead of making sense of them they really only report the outrageous-ness of each camp. And there is plenty to report on in that vein! Much of it, however, is of little value or relevance.

Let's see if I can explain myself on this point.

First, what the candidates say are likely to be a poor reflection on what they can actually do. Words are not actions. They may predict what the candidate wants to do or see happen, but the words are not power or authority to actually achieve them. Or anything for that matter.

The US Constitution provides authority for the three branches of government to take actions. Each action is proscribed – limited in scope and purpose. The Legislative Branch has powers but it cannot make a court decision. It makes laws for the courts to consider for enforcement, but in the end, the courts also have to decide if the laws themselves are constitutional. So Congress has limitations.

The Executive Branch has specific powers as well. Primarily it is tasked with enforcing the laws made by Congress. It can also enact policies that direct executive agencies under the management of the Executive Branch, to shape and pursue desired policies and policy outcomes. Executive Orders have the force of law, as well, and the President can issue these orders to side step Congress when they don't seem apt to perform as the president wishes. These orders, however, can be undone with a stroke of the pen by the successor President. Such orders, then, are not long lasting normally.

The Judicial Branch considers court cases brought before it and judges the fine points of the law to determine if the court decisions of lower courts are fair, just and in accordance with the law. Constitutional law is the result of these considerations and decisions. Each decision has the potential of making law by the mere fact of defining what is and what is not constitutional. Such decisions make precedents in the law and are followed in the future until Congress changes the law, or the constitution itself is amended by the people of the United States.

The separate powers of the branches form checks and balances on each other and themselves as well. The Constitution was well thought out on these elements.

Knowing the above what is possible for America to do or pursue? And that is our nation, not a bunch of nations or the world community as a whole. Somehow each nation has to make its own decisions and also attempt to work in concert with other nations. Then a host of nations must figure out how to work well with all of the nations to make a lasting difference.

Let us not be myopic and think what's good for America is good for the world. That is not necessarily so. If we are truly honest about this we will readily understand it.

The world will do better as a whole if we all are working together on the big issues and finding lasting solutions to them. So we have based this discussion broadly. With that as prologue, what are the issues the globe (and thus America) should be laboring over? Here's my list. See if you agree or would suggest changes large or small.

1. Safe, healthy environment
    a. Pollution free water; access to adequate water supplies for all people
    b. Pollution free soil for growth of adequate food supplies for all people
    c. Pollution free air for healthy breathing for all people

2. Universal access to education and human development support
    a. Preschool and elementary education provided to all children
    b. High school and career preparation provided to all students
    c. Secondary education for career, professional schooling provided to all students interested and
        capable of successful studies
    d. Free access to education support to navigate career shifts and changes

3. Universal access to health care and pharmaceuticals

4. Free trade and a level playing field for all markets throughout the globe (and cultures!)

5. Shared global governance structure in which all nuclear weapons are banned and destroyed and
    war made obsolete

That's my list. How would you change it?

December 29, 2015

Looking to the Future

What is our collective dream? Peace on Earth, goodwill toward all men? Is that your dream? Is that what you want all of us to work toward?

Not a bad goal. It is something mankind has claimed to have pursued throughout all of history. It is just too bad that we haven't achieved it after all of this time.

Of course, history is relative to the period of time referred to.  All of time? Well, just what is that? If the planet is 10 billion years old or older (14 billion, maybe?), what has been the role of mankind in all of that spectrum of time? Not much; mankind wasn't present for most of it.

Man's anthropological history on the planet dates back no more than 3.3 million years, and most would claim history to be only for the past 9000 years or so. Archeology, paleontology and other sciences inform us of life before then, but no written history is available to substantiate it. If you push it, we probably can find etchings and cuneiform from only about 4000 BC. That would make mankind's written history only 6000 years old.

We know the Ice Age ended about 11,700 years ago. What did mankind do from that age to the present? Living in or under massive ice formations must have been impossible. So how did mankind emerge from this age? How, why and when?

Imagine it, ice was thick – 1.9 to 2.5 miles thick! Think of the weight. Crushing weight and it moved upon the face of the earth slowly grinding the surface into lakes, rivers and hills. When it melted, oceans, lakes and rivers further shaped the contours of the planet. In all of this chaos mankind came into being. At least humankind that is recognizable to us. Of course our ancestors existed millions of years ago but lived and appeared much different than modern man.

During the Ice Age, though, mankind is believed to have sheltered in caves in South Africa in what is now termed 'a Garden of Eden'. Perhaps their number were limited to only a few hundred while all other ancestors perished from the extreme temperatures and lack of food. But in 'Eden' the clan survived by relying on each other and living day to day very, very carefully.

Mankind emerged to the end of the Ice Age and spread across the face of the globe. At the time tectonic plates were not where they are today. Land bridges existed to connect Asia with what is now North America. Peoples migrated among continents looking for warmer temperatures, and sea and land food supplies. Flora and fauna were fed upon to support life.

Later, thousands of years later, man's tribes gathered and roamed creating histories and cultures that would later be uncovered in anthropological digs. A far cry from present day man. We are the result of thousands of years of history and striving.

Which leads to the question: what is our striving? Are we as tenacious as our forbears? Do we have a sense of future different from them? Theirs was survival based; ours is less so on survival and more on thriving, yes? If that is so then what are we going to do with it?

Current activity is broad and deep. One wouldn't know this from news reports. The story of man is not a 15 minute news summary from any news organizations. Our story is more an essay from a university's research departments based on their discoveries of the last year. This is more appropriately a reflection on what mankind is doing and achieving than the nightly news.

And then one ponders the political campaigns so prominently evident in newscasts.  Who among the candidates will focus energy and resources on what is important?

Being rude, crude and pushy does not make a politician a valuable person in elected office. What we need are people who will discern what is going on, what is imminently important and what is not. And then those same people discern together what ought to be done. What are our opportunities to pursue? What are the threats we need to defend ourselves from? What weaknesses do we share that need to be addressed, reversed and turned into strengths? Indeed, what are our strengths to be protected and used to manage all of our affairs with intelligence?

Did we say intelligence? Yes, we did. It is the intelligence and shared tasks we focus on that are the most important features of modern day man. We have important things to do. We have lives to protect and to develop for the good of us all.

Not just Americans, but all of mankind all over the planet. This is our interplanetary abode. We must protect it and all peoples who inhabit it. We can only do that by working together. We must shun divisiveness. Apart we accomplish little but trouble. Together we make the future happen.

This is a good time to consider what that future will be. Opportunities are plentiful. Which will we use? In what order will we select and use which opportunities? And how will we use them? For the good of all or only a few? Hopefully the former!

Yes, so much to do. So much to decide. The future is like that. It demands much from us. But it promises much for us, too. It is for us to decide and implement.

Will we? And how well will we?

December 28, 2015