A Relationship Story
Building a Subculture of Starfish
While polls show that confidence in our democracy and our government is near an all-time low, volunteerism and civic participation since the 1970’s are near all-time highs, with 27% of Americans volunteering in 2006. Political scientists are perplexed about this. If confidence is so low, how is it that increasing numbers of people are volunteering?
In the book The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom, recommended to me by my friend Russ Williams who is the founder of the Passkeys Foundation Jefferson Center for Character Education, the power of decentralized groups and movements is examined - the power of leaderless organizations.
The book describes how a spider dies when its head is cut off, but when you cut a starfish into pieces, each piece just grows into another starfish. There is no head and no leader. The book also describes how decentralized movements also share common characteristics including being driven by a unifying ideology and being inspired by a catalyst.
It appears that an ideology in our country is driving increased volunteerism, even in the face of unprecedented Machiavellian forces and an “it’s all about me” and “empty glitz” culture. What can we do, as individuals and in our companies, to contribute to growth of the movement to do well by doing good (a phrase coined by Benjamin Franklin)?
We can contribute to this emerging subculture of difference makers in two ways – through our works and through our words. We all know that others (employees and our own kids) learn more from what we do than what we say; we must actively set an example. However, our choice of language and the power of our words can set a tone to encourage growing momentum toward difference making.
Here is what seems to be a good example. Within McDermott & Bull, the firm where I serve as an executive search consultant, a “starfish” kind of movement has begun – spearheaded by Jenn Moody, one of our team members. On September 23rd, a team of 20+ from our firm is participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to fight breast cancer, a disease that affects 1 of every 8 women (yes, that’s right, 1 in 8!)
With Jenn encouraging us (our catalyst), and inspired by the Mother of another of our team members currently recovering from the disease (our ideology), we have joined this cause to raise both awareness about the disease and money to help serve those who can’t afford testing or treatment. The volunteer effort among the people in our firm is a great example of a decentralized movement that will help to change the priorities, language, and the example set by those of us who participate.
Why should we consider doing things like this? Why not just go on our Machiavellian way and maximize wealth and pleasure without spending time and energy trying to help those who have less than we do?
Beyond it being just the right thing to do, there is also a very practical argument. Through our efforts to support underprivileged people and communities, some who otherwise may make choices out of desperation or disillusionment, we may help to reduce poor choices; I would argue that desperation and disillusionment contribute to a lot of ills in our society, so working to minimize them is in the best interest of everyone.
How much better could our world be if volunteerism, and the caring that goes along with it, could increase from the current 27% to even just 30-35%? It’s not so much to ask - the 27% number was only 21% less than 20 years ago. Our works and our words can help to make this possible. Let’s all consider what we can do to help make the example greater through our works and the voice louder through our words.
Thanks for sharing your time with me. I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Recommended Links: Passkeys Foundation Jefferson Center for Character Education – Russ Williams http://www.passkeys.org/index.html
Book Recommendation: The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom
Sincerely, Jeff BlackPrincipal Consultant, McDermott & Bull Executive SearchCell: (714) 356-1949 Office: (949) 753-1700 ext. 3102 Venture, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92618
black@mbsearch.net www.mbsearch.net http://www.blogger.com/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Word/www.mbsearch.net
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Relationship Story - A Glimpse of Hometown Reality
A Relationship Story
A Glimpse of Hometown Reality
This Spring I traveled with my great friends Tom, Roger, and Bob on our annual ball park pilgrimage, this time to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and capped off at Yankee Stadium in New York. This would be fulfilling enough for a bunch of baseball nuts, but it seems we always have to make it a full-scale cultural experience as well.
This time, just as we had the year before in Roger’s New Jersey hometown, we took a side trip to visit Bob’s hometown in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The impact on all of us was thoroughly unexpected and taught two big lessons for me – one personal and one professional. I think you all will be able to relate as well.
Bob wanted to know better what the town his folks grew up in was like. New Castle had been a thriving city in the first half of the 20th century right up until about the time Bob’s folks moved the family to California.
The town park must have been an obvious source of pride with a wonderful meeting hall, a giant community swimming pool, and a beautifully crafted lattice-covered merry-go-round. You could envision the bustle of activity in those early days with hundreds of kids swimming on summer days and a festive carnival atmosphere in a beautiful hometown setting.
However, what we saw was something else, something sad. What we saw was a town that time had passed by.
The meeting hall was still being used by a dwindling group of aging long-time residents, but the dance club itself was doing all the work to keep things going and the place looked rundown. Down a little hill was the intricate lattice building where a merry-go-round once stood but had long since vanished. Across a bridge and up a hill was what remained of the pool and locker rooms, now chained up, waterless, and covered with the graffiti of the bored remaining youth of the town.
Stopping to talk to a man who was there with his little girl we were struck by his comment about how the town offered no opportunity for the young people, only minimum wage jobs. You see, the town is a bit too far from Pittsburgh for a reasonable commute, and all the young folks cannot wait to move away.
None of this seems too surprising, but the ironic and powerful images were the plaques all around the park that proudly proclaimed the major park renovation project funded by the State just 15 years ago. Just imagine the passion of the civic leaders that lobbied hard to make this happen, yet there were really no signs that the effort had any lasting effect, as even this facelift had long-since fallen.
It seemed to all of us that the town could not see what an anachronism it had sadly become, holding on to hopes that the Music Man scene of the uniformed brass band marching on parade would stay true for New Castle forever.
For me there are two parallels that hit me hard. The personal one is watching our two college-age daughters establish themselves and “grow away” from Laura and me. It’s easy to try to hold on too tight. I’ll bet a lot of you can relate.
At the same time I can’t help but feel that many businesses struggle to face a rapidly-changing world as creative competition has crept in and many new options like globalization are an ever-present force.
Parents and businesses alike are faced with the same challenge – to avoid the trap of holding on too tightly to their Music Man ideal in the face of grim reality.
New Castle, Pennsylvania has not had a clear view of reality and seems to be losing the war. In our families and our companies we must not allow ourselves to suffer the same fate. We must grasp the challenge of releasing control and embracing the new world we face. Our kids, our customers, and our family and business stakeholders deserve no less.
Thanks for sharing time with me. I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Sincerely,
Jeff Black
Principal Consultant, McDermott & Bull Executive Search
Cell: (714) 356-1949 Office: (949) 753-1700 ext. 310
2 Venture, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92618
black@mbsearch.net www.mbsearch.net http://www.blogger.com/www.mbsearch.net
A Glimpse of Hometown Reality
This Spring I traveled with my great friends Tom, Roger, and Bob on our annual ball park pilgrimage, this time to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and capped off at Yankee Stadium in New York. This would be fulfilling enough for a bunch of baseball nuts, but it seems we always have to make it a full-scale cultural experience as well.
This time, just as we had the year before in Roger’s New Jersey hometown, we took a side trip to visit Bob’s hometown in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The impact on all of us was thoroughly unexpected and taught two big lessons for me – one personal and one professional. I think you all will be able to relate as well.
Bob wanted to know better what the town his folks grew up in was like. New Castle had been a thriving city in the first half of the 20th century right up until about the time Bob’s folks moved the family to California.
The town park must have been an obvious source of pride with a wonderful meeting hall, a giant community swimming pool, and a beautifully crafted lattice-covered merry-go-round. You could envision the bustle of activity in those early days with hundreds of kids swimming on summer days and a festive carnival atmosphere in a beautiful hometown setting.
However, what we saw was something else, something sad. What we saw was a town that time had passed by.
The meeting hall was still being used by a dwindling group of aging long-time residents, but the dance club itself was doing all the work to keep things going and the place looked rundown. Down a little hill was the intricate lattice building where a merry-go-round once stood but had long since vanished. Across a bridge and up a hill was what remained of the pool and locker rooms, now chained up, waterless, and covered with the graffiti of the bored remaining youth of the town.
Stopping to talk to a man who was there with his little girl we were struck by his comment about how the town offered no opportunity for the young people, only minimum wage jobs. You see, the town is a bit too far from Pittsburgh for a reasonable commute, and all the young folks cannot wait to move away.
None of this seems too surprising, but the ironic and powerful images were the plaques all around the park that proudly proclaimed the major park renovation project funded by the State just 15 years ago. Just imagine the passion of the civic leaders that lobbied hard to make this happen, yet there were really no signs that the effort had any lasting effect, as even this facelift had long-since fallen.
It seemed to all of us that the town could not see what an anachronism it had sadly become, holding on to hopes that the Music Man scene of the uniformed brass band marching on parade would stay true for New Castle forever.
For me there are two parallels that hit me hard. The personal one is watching our two college-age daughters establish themselves and “grow away” from Laura and me. It’s easy to try to hold on too tight. I’ll bet a lot of you can relate.
At the same time I can’t help but feel that many businesses struggle to face a rapidly-changing world as creative competition has crept in and many new options like globalization are an ever-present force.
Parents and businesses alike are faced with the same challenge – to avoid the trap of holding on too tightly to their Music Man ideal in the face of grim reality.
New Castle, Pennsylvania has not had a clear view of reality and seems to be losing the war. In our families and our companies we must not allow ourselves to suffer the same fate. We must grasp the challenge of releasing control and embracing the new world we face. Our kids, our customers, and our family and business stakeholders deserve no less.
Thanks for sharing time with me. I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Sincerely,
Jeff Black
Principal Consultant, McDermott & Bull Executive Search
Cell: (714) 356-1949 Office: (949) 753-1700 ext. 310
2 Venture, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92618
black@mbsearch.net www.mbsearch.net http://www.blogger.com/www.mbsearch.net
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