I Have a Dream...and Now is the Time!

As we observed the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther Kings’ “I Have a Dream” speech yesterday, many of us Baby Boomers listened to his well-known words again and were as deeply moved as we were the first time we heard them. Here is an audio copy of his speech: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

One of the phrases King used multiple times in this speech that is not quoted as often as, “I have a dream,” is “Now is the time…”  This is a phrase that every individual, team, and organization must continually be considering.  What important actions are you delaying that you know in your heart and soul should be addressed right now—regardless of how difficult they might be?  We can have a tendency to procrastinate, and then rationalize our procrastination.  But as Dr. King so emphatically encouraged, we must feel compelled to act now when an issue needs attention.  Almost like a mantra, we could start each day with, “Now is the time.”  Now’s the time to tell those you love how much they mean to you.  Now’s the time to start taking better care of yourself.  Now’s the time to apologize for a wrong you’ve done, or forgive a wrong done to you.  Now’s the time to provide the leadership you know is needed, regardless of how uncomfortable it feels or what repercussions you may fear.

Early one misty Martin Luther King Day, I was driving on the only road through a very conservative rural town.  I could barely believe my eyes when I saw a large banner displayed across the front of a pub bearing the hand-written words, “Dr. King, We Share Your Dream.”  To share King’s dream means to act now, as the owners of that pub so courageously did.  What have you been putting off that you know needs to be addressed now?  Find the strength to do it, and fulfill your own dreams.

The Power of A Few Small Agreements

I seem to be continually amazed at how a few commitments among a group of people can be transformative, resulting in greater harmony and productivity.  

One of my clients, The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), recently decided to give their organizational culture a jump-start in aligning with their values and business goals.  They chose 3 behaviors that research has shown to exist in constructive cultures and agreed to practice these with one another.  In a few short months, you can feel the shift.  When interns and new staff members join, these 3 behaviors are shared with them, so they know what to expect of others as well as what is expected of them.  Rather than creating a long list of do’s and don’ts, they found that zeroing in on just a few key predictive behaviors was enough to shift their culture. 

Their success reminds me of an event I witnessed and have discussed many times, because of its impact on me.  Dining at the home of friends whose daughter had just come home from Kindergarten, we were asking her about her day at school.  In her dramatic tale, she mentioned another student, whom she described as, “stupid.”  Both her parents took immediate notice, then calmly told her that, although others might use that word, they were “Bakers,” and members of the Baker family never called anyone stupid.  They continued throughout her childhood to gently yet firmly reinforce and model behaviors that they felt embodied their family culture, and to forbid those that they believed didn’t represent their values and beliefs.  Their daughter, now in college, embodies the qualities they intentionally nurtured in her—kindness, cooperation, reflection, and generosity.

Try this in your own family, team, or organization.  If you need a list of constructive behaviors to get you started, contact me and I’ll email you a list.  I’ll bet you already know some obvious behaviors to encourage as well as some to eliminate.  You’ll be astounded at the mutual trust and respect that blooms when you agree upon and intentionally practice positive behaviors.

Harmony through Diversity at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo--and the world's second most sung song!

On my recent visit to Scotland, I had the opportunity to experience the Edinburgh Festival and attend the Royal Military Tattoo, with the castle as its backdrop.  While we heard plenty of the bagpipe bands marching in rows that I expected, I was surprised by the range of dance, vocal, and performance groups from Mongolia, Mexico, Korea, New Zealand, and other parts of the world.

This diversity led to a rich, vibrant harmony, culminating in all the performers coming out together and joining the audience in singing the second most sung song in the world, Auld Lang Syne. Their custom is for people to cross their arms and clasp hands with those on either side of them, swaying to the song--quite a sight with this wide a range of participants, many of whom were enthusiastically swaying and singing in English, a language they don't speak.

Whenever you get stuck in your life or your work, a way of breaking through to a deeper solution is through diversity--either expand the definition of the problem you're facing or expand the size and diversity of the group addressing it.  The Royal Military Tattoo was a spirited reminder of how diversity can often open doors to innovation, growth and harmony.

The HUM of SAILING

Everyone who has ever sailed knows the feeling of exhilaration when their sails are trimmed perfectly.  You can literally hear and feel a sustained note in the rigging that could well be described as a hum.   What a thrill—one I had recently while sailing my San Juan 21 on the Chesapeake Bay on an unusually windy day for this time of year.

As I enjoyed the pleasure of flying over the water, I couldn’t help but reflect on the similarities between sailing and leading an organization.  Sometimes conditions require a light touch, while other conditions demand a stronger hand.  Usually, you can’t sail directly to your destination—the fastest route involves keeping the destination in mind while tacking back and forth as you move toward it.  The cooperation among captain and crew is also critical, affecting timing, speed and safety.

Nature moves toward greater purpose and harmony.  When we accept the organic way in which change occurs and work with nature, we are more successful than when we ignore or fight it.  Sailing is such a good reminder of this, as well as a great metaphor for leading organizations.  Whatever summer pleasures you undertake in this next month, do so with greater purpose and harmony—and bring back to your workplace whatever insights they provide.

Conspirare and Spirit

I have had the privilege over the last two years of working with Conspirare, a creative, cutting edge choral group based in Austin that is redefining choral music. One of the guiding principles of my work is that Order should always follow Spirit.  The purpose of strategic planning and implementation is to align organizational culture, structures, and processes (Order) with the organization’s Spirit, so its purpose can be realized.  Order should never inhibit Spirit; it should exist to allow Spirit to soar.

Conspirare had achieved musical and organizational success through organic growth that occurred over two decades. After maturing into a globally-acclaimed leader in choral music, its board and staff leaders decided to engage in a strategic planning initiative that defined where they want to go, how they want to get there, and what they’ll need to succeed.  They courageously redefined their mission, vision, and core beliefs as well as agreed upon their strategic goals.  This month, they hired a new Managing Director who shares their vision and adds his considerable experience to the endeavor of realizing it.  Because they had done their “homework” through their strategic planning initiative, they were clear about what they were looking for in a Managing Director that would help advance their artistic and organizational goals.

Conspirare’s recent transformation through strategic planning is a great reminder for all of us personally and in our work; we need to know what we want to achieve, and then be sure that the processes we create to realize it are actually the best to do so—and that they don’t instead replace the goal itself.  Congratulations to Conspirare’s board; its Artistic Director, Craig Hella Johnson; and the staff and volunteers who supported it while fundamental assumptions were questioned, principles were defined, and goals were mapped.

Dr. Abdi's Camp

Many of you know I am a great admirer of Dr. Abdi, and wrote about her as a model of connectivity in my recent book, HUM.

The camp run by Dr. Hawa Abdi and her daughters was attacked. Thousands of Somalis living in peace, with free access to education and medical care, are now threatened. Help Dr. Hawa rebuild and provide security in her community: http://www.vitalvoices.org/news/2013/07/emergency-appeal-dr-hawa-abdi-camp-attacked

ANNA's Strategic Planning Journey

I recently had the great fortune to guide the amazingly courageous board of the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) through a strategic planning initiative.  Their previous plan, although many pages long, was unclear, unspecific, and uninspiring.  From the beginning, they were willing to challenge old assumptions and engage members in the conversation about where they want to go.  They examined trends in health care, association membership, and other areas that could impact their future.  And they rigorously asked themselves the same question that evidence-based nursing care is based on: how will we measure success?  Although they knew they would need a detailed road map to guide them to their desired future, ANNA’s board wanted a one page summary that members could understand and appreciate.  The highlights of our work (yes, in one page!) can be seen on their website at: http://www.annanurse.org/download/reference/association/strategicPlan.pdf

ANNA has found that their strategic plan has changed how they conduct board meetings, now focusing on their strategic priorities up front and as the bulk of the content of their meetings.  They continue to listen to members and adjust their path based on what members are telling them.  For instance, members have expressed how work and life pressures have constrained their ability to offer volunteer leadership, so the board is shortening meeting times as well as finding ways for members to engage through social media and in smaller chunks of time.  They are better able to spot and seize strategic opportunities that might have been missed without their focus on advancing their priorities.  And because they are working with agreed-upon ground rules on shared goals, they are being more efficient (and having more fun) than in the past.

I founded the Schiller Center for Connective Change more than 25 years ago so I could work with people like the members of the ANNA board who are doing meaningful work and want help being more effective and efficient in doing so.  The members of the ANNA board had some tough issues to face, yet their commitment to serving their members motivated them to address these issues head on, with stellar results.  The iterative process I use goes through four stages, which, like the seasons, are cyclical:  Define (spring), Design (summer), Align (autumn), and Refine (winter).  ANNA has been in the alignment/ implementation phase for several months now, so its leaders can tangibly measure the fruits of their strategic planning labors and celebrate the benefits being accrued.  From my point of view, they have become beloved family members with whom I have shared an intense, intimate, and rewarding journey.