listening2learn learning2listen

: simply no excuse ... well, maybe one or two :

2010-11-29T14:19:00.001-08:00

Hey Folks ... my last few posts have been staggered through the months, and mostly apologizing for not posting. I sincerely apologize for that. I've been staying busy though, and a little pre-occupied with wrapping up an assignment, conceptualizing a consulting practice, and launching into a challenging new gig, so there's three excuses, not just one or two.

I'm working on a blog component to the web site that the infamous JimmyK is cooking up, this is his prototype logo so we will see where it all goes, eh?

? se7en months, twenty days ?

2009-12-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

... can't quite believe it has been 7 months and 20 days since I last posted here, and that was my AWOL apology. Seems life just gets in the way? In hindsight, I was a much better blogger while on sabbatical! Well, maybe not better, just more present. Anyhow ...

Wondering about a few things these days and wondering if I couldn't/shouldn't at least TRY to fire this baby up again, even on a weekly basis? There's a certain discipline that comes with 'blogging ... and I kind of feel some of that is missing with DLC2009?

Later ...

: awol : two months : no excuse :

2009-04-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

... just realized it has been almost exactly two months since i wandered over here to post anything. sorry ...

it has been a full and rewarding time, lots going on, plenty to do, and ... obviously ... less time to 'blog than before.

much of that would have to do with honcho-ing the pastoral search at www.saanichtonbiblefellowship.org ... which by all accounts is going really well.

not sure if i can or will do anything about that any time soon, but thought i should at least make an appearance. trust you are well ...

dlc

: my friend coop : on homelessness :

2009-02-23T17:33:00.000-08:00

... we had a good day at Saanichton Bible Fellowship yesterday, as what I dubbed Mustard Seed Sunday @ the SBF went off really well. Chris Pollock, the seed's youth pastor, spoke in the morning, with a few comments about the tragedy on Victoria's streets this last week. More on that in the next post. We followed up with a Mustard Seed Street Church benefit concert, with the Seed's Praise Band kicking things off, and a variety of Seed artists, poets, musicians contributing. Amazing the tentacles of ministry an intentional street church must develop ... food bank, Hope Healing Farm, youth outreach, back-to-school supplies, counseling, advocacy, social assistance navigation, you name it.

This is may favourite picture of my buddy Jordon Cooper, taken by his almost 9 year old son Mark. One of the smartest people I know, and that's saying something, Jordon is a voracious reader. And a sage football fan, as both of us are Denver Broncos and Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans. Anyhow Coop works these days in a leadership capacity in a Salvation Army shelter in Saskatoon, SK. He just had an article published in NextWave magazine on the complexities of homelessness, and a way faith communities could be part of the solution. Between his intellect, his reading, and his blogging, he's honed quite an articulate voice on things.

Maybe you will find this helpful as you process your locale's homelessness challenge?

dlc

***

ps. Ron Cole has weighed in on this as well, spurred on by the Coop's article. Well, maybe catalyzed by it? Ron is always thinking about this stuff, but he wrote some of it down here after reading Jordon's article. And then Randy commented on it, and Ron replied ...

: in the city : mustard seed sunday @ sbf :

2009-02-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

... driving up to the SBF this morning I heard the Eagles' version Joe Walsh's 1979 song In the City on 100.3 the Q. Guess I was thinking about urban ministry as this Sunday morning Chris Pollock, youth pastor @ the Mustard Seed Street Church is speaking, and later on Sunday evening various bands, artists, poets and staff from the Seed and Hope Farm will be sharing at a benefit concert. I also just finished reading Gary Haugen's book Just Courage. He is the founder of International Justice Mission. So maybe, just maybe these guys are getting through ... to me?

... a couple of years ago, as I was trying to think through what Lambrick Park Church's role, as a suburban church, might be in our city, I had a similar experience while driving. Michael McDonald's Taking it to the Streets song on the Doobie Bros album titled Taking it to the Streets ... hit me differently, as more than just background lyrics. I eventually wrote to Michael ( I can call him Michael, right? ) and got some background to why he wrote the song, as he did, when he did. I also invited Tom Oshiro, Executive Director of Mustard Seed Ministries to speak @ Lambrick in July 2006, and he was graciously blunt about what the Lambrick's of Victoria could do as partners-in-ministry with the Seed. If you hit that link you can find your way around to Tom's challenge to LPC.

But I digress ...

... it has been a tough week in the city of Victoria. For people on the streets of this beautiful city. For people who work with, serve and love these folks. Maybe the reminder from Joe Walsh is a bit of what we need ...

Somewhere out there on that horizon
Out beyond the neon lights
I know there must be somethin' better
But there's nowhere else in sight
It's survival in the city
When you live from day to day
City streets don't have much pity
When you're down, that's where you'll stay
In the city, oh, oh.
In the city

I was born here in the city
With my back against the wall
Nothing grows, and life ain't very pretty
No one's there to catch you when you fall
Somewhere out on that horizon
Faraway from the neon sky
I know there must be somethin' better
And I can't stay another night
In the city, oh, oh.
In the city

: thoughtful commentary on controversial shack :

2009-02-01T20:45:00.001-08:00

... over the last few months I've heard all kinds of comments, ideas, questions, endorsements and slams regarding the Shack, which apparently just reached the milestone ( of sorts, I guess? ) of #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List for the 36th straight week. Seems there are 3 categories of response: love it, hate it, undecided.

It actually took me two, maybe three tries to get into it, and then to finish it. Not sure why. But I did manage to read it all. Mind you, I think I was sitting at the end of the dock on Shawnigan Lake with a pitcher of lemonaid beside me, and the waverunners zipping across the narrows 150 m out.

Stephen Shields is a 'blogger I respect, who has done a lot of things in ministry and career, and he has posted this review . Might be one of the saner of the handful I've read. Maybe this will help you help one of the many people reading, and asking, about it?

dlc

: last night @ glad tidings w/ tony campolo :

2009-01-30T13:00:00.001-08:00

... World Vision Canada brought Tony Campolo into town yesterday, seeing as he ( and everyone else it seems ) is in BC for MissionsFest this weekend. Not going to get into what he said much here, except to say that he pretty much told a fairly conservative evangelical crowd that any dreams, desires, demands and deliberations towards overtaking government with christians was doomed. Why? because that is a power grab, and position comes with very little actual authority. He challenged us to earn authority through intentional step-by-step acts of radical and sacrificial love. That eventually could change structures and systems and governments, but that is the place to start.

Over the past couple of years MTodd and I have been having a related conversation, although Mike claims Bono started it. Maybe the progression away from positional power to getting things done is ... power > authority > influence > currency? Mike's original question to me was ... compare Michael Jordan and Bono. What have they done for good with the incredible wealth, voice, profile and hearing they have? MJ has a basketball team, some gambling debts, a ba-zillion shoes named after him, and a million kids who were wannabe NBA stars. Bono has other stuff ... he gets invited to Presidential prayer breakfasts. If he has plans to be near Italy, he mentions it to the Vatican, and they say "come on over' ... sheesh, Bill Hybels flew across the Atlantic to interview Mr. U2 for a segment at a WillowBack Summit a couple of summers ago.

I am intrigued by trying to understand how real currency is earned, developed and used strategically as a stewardship of the resources any of us has been given. A good palce to start may be back at a much earlier post here on Kipling's poem "IF" ...

dlc

: what drives you ? and/or who do you blame :

2009-01-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

... maybe you've seen this ad pop up on your FaceBook page? I had kind of ignored ancestry.ca until yesterday, when the teaser line 'why are you such a control freak?' got my attention, not that it occurred to me that I was a c-freak of course!

... however, I have known a few, worked for a couple ( you never actually work with c-freaks, only for them, especially in their minds :) and I am sure have acted like one on occasion. As usual, I often wonder/ponder what exactly drives a real control freak? what makes them think they know the answers? or that they have the global corner on implementation? or that there is really only one right way to do something ... theirs.

... I was on a staff once with a person who others ( not on staff ) declared was a control freak. I begged to differ ... they might have been a quality control freak, but that's a bit different. Another time I was beyond surprised when someone I had seen lead in a macro manner, big picture and mature, tended to micro-manage a project or event nearly to death ( or was it us that were near death? ). I kept asking myself ... 'what did I miss? why had I never seen those tendencies before?' only to come up lame ... no answers, no insights, no valid reasons.

... my mentor David was probably the one who modelled anti-control-freakness for me back in the early 1990's. He had an amazing ability to accept big projects from 'the boss' and break them down into manageable chunks for his own staff. He delegated appropriately, ran interference when things got off track, was available for consultation almost whenever staff deemed it necessary, and ... I realized many years later, never actually yanked the rope that he gave us to run with things, even when they went sideways. He took responsibility and 'credit' for the messes, as well as the successes. That's a great staff environment.

... Jim Collins has researched and written extensively about the kind of leadership that sets the stage, builds great teams, communicates the reason for whatever your organization is about, then gets out of the way ... he calls it Level 5 leadership ... pretty rare, pretty unique, pretty great to work with.

dlc

: takin' it to the streets :

2008-12-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

... the last several years I have been intrigued by what urban, and/or inner-city ministry is supposed to look like, mostly from a suburban church perspective. I think much of my wondering 'jelled' when I was able to visit Ron M in Montreal, a career street minister, and then Greg P in Toronto, founder and pastor of Sanctuary. Then, as Victoria's homeless situation grew more and more desperate, and Vancouver's gained profile in he face of development for the 2010 Olympics ( and a handful of friends working on the DTES ... Down Town East Side ), and a combination of city and provincial politicians landed a proposed shelter next door to a good friend's place of business, well ... there was no escaping it. Not that I wanted to, but I couldn't break it down into manageable, understandable, wrap-my-brain-around-it chunks. All that to say ... while a very, very visual learner/processor, every once in a while something 'audio' rings a bell, gets my attention, makes me sit up and take notice. The last couple of years I have been paying more attention to the lyrics in my generation's songs ... and seeing some kind of social conscience, or some questioning, taking place.

About a year ago I heard the Doobie Bros 1976 hit "Takin' it to the Streets" on the Q100.3 ... and yes, I do have it on a cassette somewhere. However, I heard it very differently this time around, not just Michael McDonald's catchy* tune, but something else. When I got home I downloaded it from iTunes, and listened to it carefully, again and again. Finally I wrote to a MMcD fan site, and actually got a response ( below ) to my query about Michael's motivation in writing "Takin' it to the Streets" ... so here's another challenge, following up on the Desmond Tutu quote below, as we turn the corner into 2009. With both new mayors of Victoria and Vancouver running election campaigns, and winning, on a priority platform of addressing the homelessness issue ... our posture will be critical. McDonald put it this way ... "I ain't blind, and I don't like what I think I see" ... maybe addressing the do-gooder we have the answers for you approach, which is something Canadian Food for the Hungry has beaten out of some of us, in a necessary kind of way.

Here is a YouTube version at some tribute to MMcD by some of his friends. A better one is here, but the YouTube embedding has been disabled, but you decide.

You don't know me but I'm your brother. I was raised here in this living hell.
You don't know my kind in your world. Fairly soon the time will tell.

You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me.
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see.
Takin' it to the streets, takin' it to the streets, no more need for runnin',
takin' it to the streets.

Take this message to my brother. You will find him everywhere.
Wherever people live together, tied in poverty's despair.

Oh, you, telling me the things you're gonna do for me.
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see.
Takin' it to the streets, takin' it to the streets, no more need for runnin',
takin' it to the streets.
Takin' it to the streets, takin' it to the streets, no more need for hidin',
takin' it to the streets.
Takin' it to the streets, takin' it to the streets, takin' it to the...

Oh, you, telling me the things you're gonna do for me.
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see.
Takin' it to the streets,
takin' it to the streets, no more need for runnin',
takin' it to the streets.
Takin' it to the streets,
takin' it to the streets,
takin' it to the streets.

**************

Here's the background ...

Hi Don

You are in luck - we do have a bit of insight about "Takin' It To The Streets" from the man himself - Mike told us this one time when we met him for a fanzine interview.

"Takin' it to the Streets" was based on a paper his sister had been writing for college about urban renewal, civil rights, Martin Luther King and equality. These things were very current down in St Louis when Mike was a teenager and it is clear that they affected him deeply. I think he was saying that people - you and I - have the real power to affect change not the politicians ... we just need to take it to the people - take it to the streets.

Mike has also told us that he was moved by Steve Wonder on this subject (on such tracks as Living For The City for example) and also Marvin Gaye's seminal album - "What's Going On". Incidently, Marvin was Mike's main vocal inspiration - the layered vocal technique which Gaye invented - taking all the parts of the harmony himself with 3 or 4 over dubs. You can see this most obviously in Mike's early work for Steely Dan on tracks such as Peg (album: Aja). As a personal aknowledgement of this, Mike has regularly sung What's Goin On during his live gigs for over fifteen years.

Kind regards,

P

**************

: as Christians, we are prisoners of hope :

2008-12-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

Desmond Tutu put it this way ...

"as Christians, we are prisoners of hope."

May that lens help us prepare this week for 2009.

dlc

: on a more positive note : bible illuminated :

2008-12-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

The American Bible Society has come out with a coffee table Bible ... a sort of hard cover magazine format design. You can have your own 286 page glossy for $35 U$D.

The web page is far better than this graphic. Give it a moment as the main graphic is actually a real page-turner. Really.

Interesting. Wonder how it will fly?

: word for today ? noisome : too good to pass up :

2008-12-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

HyperDictionary Definition: noisome

1. [adj] offensively malodorous; "a putrid smell"
2. [adj] causing or able to cause nausea; "a nauseating smell"; "nauseous offal"; "a sickening stench"

Synonyms: fetid, foetid, foul, foul-smelling, funky, loathsome, malodorous, nauseating, nauseous, offensive, putrid, sickening, smelly, stinking, unwholesome, vile

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \Noi"some\, a. [For noysome, fr. noy for annoy. See {Annoy}.]
1. Noxious to health; hurtful; mischievous; unwholesome;insalubrious; destructive; as, noisome effluvia. ``Noisome pestilence.'' --Ps. xci. 3.

2. Offensive to the smell or other senses; disgusting; fetid.
``Foul breath is noisome.'' --Shak. -- {Noi"some*ly}, adv.
-- {Noi"some*ness}, n.

Syn: Noxious; unwholesome; insalubrious; mischievous; destructive.

Usage: {Noisome}, {Noxious}. These words have to a great extent been interchanged; but there is a tendency to make a distinction between them, applying noxious to things that inflict evil directly; as, a noxious plant, noxious practices, etc., and noisome to things that operate with a remoter influence; as, noisome vapors, a noisome pestilence, etc. Noisome has the additional sense of disqusting. A garden may be free from noxious weeds or animals; but, if recently covered with manure, it may be filled with a noisome smell.

Thesaurus Terms

Related Terms: abhorrent, abominable, arrant, atrocious, awful, bad, bad for, bad-smelling, baleful, baneful, barfy, base, beastly, below contempt, beneath contempt, blameworthy, brackish, brutal, cloying, contaminated, contemptible, corroding, corrosive, corrupting, corruptive, counterproductive, crude, damaging, deadly, deleterious, deplorable, despicable, detestable, detrimental, dire, dirty, disadvantageous, disgusting, disserviceable, distressing, dreadful, egregious, enormous, execrable, fecal, fetid, filthy, flagrant, forbidding, foul, frowsty, frowy, frowzy, fulsome, funky, fusty, gamy, graveolent, grievous, gross, harmful, hateful, heinous, high, horrible, horrid, hurtful, icky, ignoble, ill-smelling, infamous, injurious, insalubrious, insanitary, lamentable, lethal, loathsome, lousy, maggoty, malefic, malevolent, malign, malignant, malodorous, mawkish, mephitic, miasmal, miasmic, mildewed, mildewy, mischievous, moldy, monstrous, morbific, musty, nasty, nauseant, nauseating, nauseous, nefarious, nidorous, notorious, noxious, objectionable, obnoxious, obscene, odious, odorous, offensive, olid, ominous, outrageous, overripe, pathogenic, peccant, pernicious, pestiferous, pitiable, pitiful, poisonous, polluted, prejudicial, putrid, rancid, rank, reasty, reasy, rebarbative, reechy, reeking, reeky, regrettable, repellent, reprehensible, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, rotten, sad, scandalous, scatheful, schlock, scurvy, septic, shabby, shameful, shocking, shoddy, sickening, sickly, smellful, smelling, smelly, sordid, spoiled, squalid, stenchy, stinking, strong, stuffy, sulfurous, tainted, terrible, too bad, toxic, unclean, unhealthful, unhealthy, unhygienic, unsanitary, unwholesome, venenate, veneniferous, venenous, venomous, vicious, vile, villainous, virulent, vomity, weevily, woeful, worst, worthless, wretched, yucky

: been otherwise distracted :

2008-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

... been down for 2.5 weeks now with a lousy, nagging cold/flu virus which seems able to hang on for EVER. Not too much to say ... 'cept that life goes on, governments rise and fall, babies are born and older people die. About two weeks to Christmas 2008, and I've missed much/any preparations.

dlc

: 43 + 1 = 44 ... or does it? asks patrick moberg :

2008-11-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

thought this was great. regardless of politics. the time has come.

moberg is an illustrator/animator who ponders governing right here.

: a hand up is very different than a hand out :

2008-11-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

... a good friend and former co-worker sent me this. They have asked me to be a reference as they head into the application process with freeset ... it is only 3 minutes long, so take a look, and then a second look maybe, watching the faces of the women still on the street, and then in the freeset business. That, my friends, just about says it all.

dlc

: paradoxes and contradictions on leadership :

2008-11-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

... not really looking for it, or looking into it recently, but a few things crossed my radar that I found interesting, informing, and funny even. Also watched Obama's first post-election interview on 60 Minutes last night. Relaxed, focused, at ease with Michelle, firm with interviewer's probing questions.

Mind you, if a contributing editor with Christianity Today's stable of journals refers to the North American church's 'cult of leadership' you need to pay attention, but on the flip side, a dialed in, savvy guy like Seth Godin's new book Tribes is out, along with a Tribes Q&A pdf, claiming people are clamoring for leadership.

Hmmmm ... maybe I'll embellish on those tomorrow, but until then? Here's a leadership smile from Charles Barkley ... retired NBA allstar, media darling ( for his outspokenness ), and future Governor of Alabama? Must be something about governors from states starting with A ... want to get to the front of the pack it seems? Arkansas/Clinton, Alaska/Palin, Alabama/Barkley ... then there's Gov. Ahnold/Schwarzenegger, and Sen. McCain/Arizona.

Charles Barkley interviewed by Campbell Brown on CNN

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Brown: So are you going to run for governor?

Barkley: I plan on it in 2014.

Brown: You are serious.

Barkley: I am, I can’t screw up Alabama.

Brown: There is no place to go but up in your view?

Barkley: We are number 48 in everything and Arkansas and Mississippi aren’t going anywhere.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, Bark is nothing if not a realist.

dlc

: the quotable brian burke on evaluation :

2008-11-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

... I don't usually resonate with abrasive characters, but with Brian Burke it is different, maybe because he is such a straight shooter you can't help but like him? with Burkie there is no BS, no beating-around-the-bush, no political correctness, just the facts, as he sees them. I find it rather refreshing somehow.

So who would have thought that Burke would find his way into a blog post, in a 'blog that at least tries to wrestle with some leadership type things? Here's the quote I am thinking of ... back in 2006, a little over two years ago, he was reflecting on the Pavel Bure trade out of Vancouver. In his own words, he got crucified by Vancouver's fans and media for that, but here's how he looked at it, having attempted to do the right thing, long term, for the franchise's future ...

"people need to evaluate that with a calendar, not a stopwatch"

In a world where ... corporate or social sector, flourishing economy or tanking, 'Type A' personality or not ... the thrust is often immediate results, efficiency over effectiveness, quantifiable, measurable, justifiable ... right here, right now, or else ... taking a page out of Burke's leadership playbook may just be helpful? Take a step back, breathe, look at the horizon, commit to longer term 'results' or developments. When I think of the readers of this 'blog ... I see ministries and leadership and commitment levels that can only be seen in terms of the calendar ... eternal may not be too strong.

Rarely does 'flash-in-the-pan' thinking, or action, or knee-jerk evaluation produce the kind of change really needed. Take a look at the things you have been involved in the last few years ... evaluate them through the lens of a calendar, and see if they don't appear different, deeper, stronger than if you assessed your efforts via a stopwatch. It may be a perspective gaining exercise, and then you can suggest to the stopwatchers in your life what they can do with their ... uh, sorry. Got carried away there.

dlc

: this could be very, very cool indeed :

2008-11-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

: that albert einstein? he was a pretty smart guy :

2008-11-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

loved this when i ran across it the other day, says so many things well

dlc

ps. this one is for 2-3 of L2L's readers ... you know who you are :)

: we may have front row seats to history making :

2008-11-01T06:57:00.001-07:00

: reality check ... i work eight minutes from this :

2008-10-31T22:48:00.001-07:00

: rob bell's new book :

2008-10-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

... just cracking Rob Bell's newest book, co-written with Don Golden, the guy who was lead pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church, which Bell helped start a few years back. Apparently Don left MHBC this summer to take up a key role with World Relief USA that lines up with his passion to help churches help the poor and oppressed. You can see his bio here, but you'll need to scroll down the page.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians : a manifesto for the church in exile :

Anywhooo ... sure looks interesting. And the timing, with the US presidential election in less than a week, is sure to jumpstart some serious conversations among(st) evangelicals. I'll report back in as soon as I can, but it may be worth picking up, for a mere $14 Cdn. By the looks of it they are articulating some questions many people have begun asking ... I'll paste in a little from the book cover below, see what you think? But here's a teaser ...

" ... forces are now occupying a Middle Eastern country until peace can be fully realized within its borders. This puts a Christian in an awkward place. Because Jesus was a Middle Eastern man who lived in an occupied country and was killed by the superpower of his day" ...

dlc

***

" ... there is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building. Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty.

This is a book about those two numbers ... it's a book about faith and fear, wealth and war, poverty, power, safety, terror, Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity.

It's about empty empires and the truth that everybody's a priest, it's about oppression, occupation, and what happens when Christians support, animate and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.

It's about what it means to be a part of the church of Jesus in a world where some people fly planes into buildings while others pick up groceries in Hummers.”

: short week update : october 20 - 27 :

2008-10-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

... hey, just a quick update. A two day work week pour moi, today and tomorrow. Packing quite a bit in ... from prepping for SBF's AGM, to getting snow tires on rims to take to Fraser in Kelowna. Yes, the Okanagan. Colin, Karen and I head outta here first thing Wednesday for a"BC Interior" jaunt. When we wrapped things up @ LPC earlier this year a friend ( and, conveniently, board member of a pastoral retreat place north of Kelowna ) gave us a few days away up there. So we're taking advantage of that this week. Colin is joining us for the trip, but landing at his Uncle and Aunt's place in Kelowna, hanging with his bro Fraser, and his cousin Nate. Wonder if they'll hit Big White? Karen and I will head up near Vernon for Thu-Sat, then back down to spend some time with her bro Wayne, and his family. Then Monday am back down the Coquihalla ( no tolls! ) and for Langley for lunch with Megg. Should be good ... some readin' ... some relaxin' ... some evaluatin' ... not sure if there'll be much in the way of internet access there, so see you next week for sure.

dlc

: and the ( canadian ) elections results, please :

2008-10-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

... okay, so we have a 'strengthened' minority government this morning. Lots of commentary about an unnecessary $300 million election, but I am wondering about the various subplots just underneath the surface of the more obvious results.

Here's a few that came to mind this morning after reading some papers and websites. Maybe trying to get 10 will be stretching it ... but I'll start and see where we get to ... in no particular order :

i) Dion's leadership ... everyone says he is toast. Is he? should he be? will he be?
ii) parliamentary workings ... or machinations. Can "sweater Steve" co-collaborate?
iii) re-distribution of seats ... what does CPC's showing in key urban centres mean?
iv) the Bloc ... there's gotta be a better raison d'etre than "we bloc'd his majority"
v) the economy ... sad, odd and weird even to see Dion admit "it's the economy" stupid
vi) the greens ... on several levels, I missed something. Coulda, shoulda, woulda?
vii) which national party ... can the Tories be that? have the Libs lost that? or what?
viii) the glass ceiling ... not Layton, Broadbent, whomever, can break through ??? %
ix) power ... why do people want this kind of power? Iggy? Bob Rae!?! they're sharks.
x) democracy ... why Canadians so cynical about it? what can we do ( about turnout )?

Well, now that I hit 10 without really having to wrack my brains, I could go on, but won't. Maybe the subplots this morning are like the back of the tapestry ... all knots and loose ends, but when you are able to look at the actual wall hanging, you see something? But on south Vancouver Island alone, two ridings bucked conventional wisdom, and I wonder what that says?

dlc

BA, Political Science 1982
University of Western Ontario

: one down, two to go ... but i'm tired of it all :

2008-10-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

... today is the Canadian federal election, and I am glad it was 'time-limited' as opposed to the US election industry. I am glad we are now one down, only two to go ( for BC residents the municipal elections are sometime this fall, November 14 I think? ). I do wonder what it would look like if an above-board, non-mudslinging campaign was to happen?

After lurking around for years, and more recently putting some oomph behind the Obama-as-a-???? whisper campaign, this guy has either come out, or been outed, as the source of persistent rumours about Obama's past, present and future. Here's an interesting little tidbit of info ... the New York Times reports that Andy Martin's admission to the Illinois bar was blocked in the 1970s after a psychiatric finding of “moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character.”

Yikes! So, politics ... if you ask me, even more troubling than making strange bedfellows, makes the ends trump the means? One case in point? is Sarah Palin's campaign style really what the right wants to project? period? never mind a woman with power, or a conservative christian, or a hockey mom. I guess if the lead dog has to hire an attack dog, then Palin and Biden have to 'play' those roles.

But I don't ( have to ) like it.

dlc

: betwixt 'n between on a holiday monday :

2008-10-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

... okay, so kids came home for the long weekend, and are leaving again. Today is drizzly wet, and we already did the turkey thing. Tomorrow is the Canadian election, and I don't know who to vote for ( yet. Here, or nationally ). There's stuff I could/should do for SBF, but not motivated to.

... actually craving a strong coffee, which I never, ever do after 8 am.

What I'd like to do on Thanksgiving Monday I can't today ... cut the lawn, smell leaves burning, enjoy a crisp October day, going for a walk around Rithet's Bog, or Beacon Hill Park, or Elk Lake. Maybe my funk is that, given the weather, it is painfully clear that not only is summer gone, and fall fading, but winter is coming? Yuck.

So today is just one of those betwixt 'n between days. On a micro level, on the macro level, on an middle level. Tons I should do, but no motivation to do them. Good thing this doesn't afflict me often! But today? Bummer ...

dlc

: back to one graphic, one comment :

2008-10-09T08:47:00.001-07:00

Found this graphic on MarkC's site. Struck me ...

am I prone to creating big 'truths' manufactured from little lies?

dlc

: in case you're wondering, post-debate that is :

2008-10-07T23:03:00.001-07:00

: the irony of thanksgiving and homelessness :

2008-10-07T20:43:00.001-07:00

... over at 'The Weary Pilgrim' our buddy Ron Cole has asked for a little help with a Mustard Seed booth down at the Bay Centre during Victoria Homelessness Action Week, which is October 12 -19, and an initiative of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness.

This evening my friend Gerry B invited me to attend the GVCtEH awareness event described on the poster, and I am going to go. Partly because I have been very impressed by the blue ribbon team put together, and partly because the work they've done so far is impressive, and partly because ... well? I am tired of feeling helpless and myopic and suburban.

But I have to say, isn't it a little ironic that we come off Thanksgiving and right into Homelessness Action Week 2008? Maybe the timing is intentional. Maybe not. Maybe we'll blow right through a short week and on into mid-October without missing a beat. I hope not. Ron's observations are accurate, something is changing, for the worse, not better, and somehow we need to do something, be part of doing something, a solution ... not a bandaid, or a fix. God help us.

dlc

ps. I can rarely not do the PS thing ... but ABSO has 1,000's of 'toons, including one earlier this week, which seemed utterly appropriate :

Ron C added a few thoughts to yesterday's observations. You can read them here.

: seeing as posts are reduced to single photos :

2008-10-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

... not that it makes any sense at all, but earth care and emissions and fuel economy and all that aside, if I was going to indulge in a hobby car it would be a 1969 Chev Camaro like this one ... colour and all. My dad had a '68 RS ( rally sport ), and once upon a time I had a red '77 LT ... but the blue '69 still takes the cake if you ask me.

dlc

: maybe my desk will explain a few things :

2008-10-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

: no real reason ... 'cept i like visuals :

2008-10-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

: great intentions ... lousy implementation :

2008-09-30T21:29:00.001-07:00

... came home today to the usual mail, except for two thick envelopes, unusually thick.

One, in a plain vanilla envelope, was addressed, in fountain pen blue ink, to The Householder(s) at 969 Lucas Avenue ... in it was a JW tract, and a copy of their more, uh, user-friendly magazine ... Awake, and ... get this ... a hand written, in lovely scripted penmanship, note to "Dear Householder" ... wait, it gets better. It goes on ... 'my husband and I live in your neighborhood ( sic ). We've not been able to speak with you personally, but we have some important information ... ' yada, yada, yada ... ending up with 'it is our hope that someday soon we will be able to talk with you personally. Please feel free to get in touch with us through the above address. Sincerely ... "

OK, two things. I can't read her signature, so fancy is her handwriting, but worse, or better maybe? is the return address ... Bowness Rd NW Calgary AB T3B 0H6 ... !?!?

What do you think happened here? My guess is that these letters are mass produced, then sent somewhere to be stuffed in envelopes, with the propa, sorry, literature, hand addressed, and finally dropped off, in person, door-to-door. Somewhere in some sorting/stuffing department her little friendly Calgary neighbour letter got put in our little hand addressed Victoria envelope. Or do they really think neighbourly crosses the Rockies? If you are going to go to these lengths to get the word out, it might make sense to invest in a little quality control. Certainly is, to use an economics term, labour intensive ... all that writing, all that stuffing, all that walking.

dlc

ps. oh! the other fat envelope? our financial planner ( under-employed by us ) sending a Happy Thanksgiving card ... with two chocolates in it? through the mail? Well, it was semi-opposite ... a computer label, signed by her staff, whom we know, but really? chocolate? 2 weeks before Thanksgiving ( too efficient ) ... and coincidentally, THEE week of the financial markets' meltdown? Are we peons really that easy to appease?

: alive 'n kicking ... though you wouldn't know it :

2008-09-29T08:33:00.001-07:00

... this is me, this week. All good, but less margin and/or creative time for reading, regurgitating, or posting.

dlc

ps. regurgitating as in ... re-hashing and 'blogging on stuff I'm chewing on, mulling over, grinding the mental gears to ...

: tim bailey : v. 3.0 : new and improved :

2008-09-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

... our man Tim has re-surfaced, having re-committed hisself to daily 'blogging, and we're good with that. Make some changes to your RSSubscription for "And Another Thing" as he's morphed over to TypePad.

dlc

ps. all manner of stuff there btw ... photos, rants, movies, theology, attempts @ humour.

: hey people : new friend/colleague in victoria :

2008-09-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

... folks, just want to introduce you to Mark Crocker, relatively newly relocated to Victoria, BC. A self-described "Migrant Worker - Foreign Correspondent" he has done a lot, and I mean a lot a lot, of mission trip and team pre-orientation, orientation and de-briefing.

Mark gets around a lot as well, across Canada, and then some, so if you need a good outside trainer type of investment in your next missions team, or want to (re)educate your elders, or whatever ... a dialogue with Mark might be a really good thing.

I'm adding him to the 'blogroll to your right ... and you can find him 'blogging over at www.stopover.ca ... some good stuff there.

over 'n out ...

dlc

ps. not that your really care, but I am attempting an occasional 'blog at 'sbf observation deck' for the folks at Saanichton Bible Fellowship. Just a little window, albeit slighty skewed, of my time here in the admin/exec role week-by-week as their transition winds down. They are pre-interviewing 3 potential candidates the weekend of October 3-4.

: three weeks under my belt :

2008-09-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

... well, time for a little update on my world. I've been hanging out at/with Saanichton Bible Fellowship ( aka SBF ) for 3 weeks now ... and I am enjoying it. The people, the potential, the perseverance, the peninsula ... all conspire, in a good kind of way, to make this 'gig' a unique challenge and worthwhile investment of time and energy and ???

As could be expected, I am valiantly turning my workspace/office into something akin to Al Gore's creative cubicle ... sans large flat screen monitors, but close enough! Easels, whiteboards, flipcharts, piling system. You name it? Al and I have got it.

While I doubt I'd ever want to, or enjoy speaking on a weekly basis, once in a while is okay, and I enjoyed myself yesterday, following up an elder ( Sept 7 on Titus ch 1 ), and Dennis, the other interim pastor ( Sept 14 on Titus ch 2 ) with Titus chapter 3. The prep consumes too much for it to be a weekly thing for me ... time, energy, focus and the discipline of drilling down to a handful of key points and take home lessons for the people. My brain just works the other way ... up and out to macro ... makes preparing for 30 minutes of speaking/teaching/sharing really hard. Not the talking time, the goal being to have people go home with something of value, not just generalities and ideas, or worse, opinion. Anyhow, it seemed to work yesterday ...

On October 3-4 the search committee and elders team will be pre-interviewing 3 pastoral candidates. I've gone through their resumes and application packages pretty carefully, and today will be listening to a couple of sermons from each guy. Quite an interesting process. The short listing process has, I think, brought them to covering the 3-4 essentials that the leadership is looking for in a co-elder/pastor-teacher/partner in ministry. The next stage will be looking for fit, alignment, click and ... well, whatever else it is that needs to be there for the above to happen around here. SBF is ready for a permanent pastor now, and it may well be one of these three. Or not. Anyhow ... having covered the essential bases, all 3 are different, a span of more than a decade in age, a range of backgrounds, a variety of life experience(s), and a diversity in 'status" ... empty nester, kids at home, no kids. I'll be quite fascinated to see the co-chairs of the "SC" navigate and facilitate this 'winnowing' and discernment process. Of course, the references are glowing, but with one guy I know two of his references, and well, yah ... I wouldn't mind having them say those kind of things about me! Point made ... this process is loaded ... first impressions, personalities, styles ( of leadership or non-leadership ), security, self-esteem, etc.

Weird, but good. Necessary, but odd. Hopeful, but scary.

dlc

: life is full of choices ... choose with care :

2008-09-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

... whether it is a 'posture' at work, your 'default' mode in relationships, the way you think your creator 'wired' you, or just as Popeye used to say ... "I yam what I yam" we really do have a choice in life, many in fact.

DDash 'blogged over the weekend about not letting your suffering define you. Bing posted about patience, or lack thereof, and Hugh over at Gaping Void had this cartoon up last week ( the actual post is worth reading as well ... 'Good Ideas Have Lonely Childhoods' ).

Maybe it all got me thinking about what Dennis was teaching yesterday at SBF from Titus 2 when he suggested that a Popeye mentality is not what scripture teaches ... we are to change, we are to grow ( up ), we are to mature. But those things require choices ... which, like last post, require a level of intentionality, perspective, guts, honesty and willingness to solicit ( and hear, listen to, respond to ) feedback.

I love this cartoon ... how many bored people do you know who end up complaining about being in the sheep camp? Fewer end up lonely as a wolf, with 'lone wolf' syndrome, but are bitter or edgy or just-not-fun-to-be-around? Wonder what a healthy middle ground is?

Food for thought ...

dlc

: a week in my life : a perspective on perspective :

2008-09-09T12:17:00.001-07:00

... perspective is a funny thing. This time a decade ago, I had left the staff of a US megachurch for a large, by Canadian standards ( bad word, btw, when talking about church ) multi-staffed church in the GTA, which while good on paper ended up being the worst year of my life ( I did make some lifelong friends during my 10 months there, people who walked through the crucible experience it was with me ). However, not staying there for the 10 years I expected to allowed us to spend 9 years in Victoria, growing LPC/Place from 1200-1300 to around 900-1000 semi-intentionally. When will people get it that ... a) numbers aren't everything, b) real change will mean real consequences, and c) it may be possible for a ministry to be in the centre of God's will but on the margins of popularity, low on "success" rankings, questionable re: attendance figures and charts, 'iffy' on financial stability, and struggling w/ CCRA compliance, never mind ignorant of the latest fad in governance? Yes, yes, yes ... I know all of the above are important, critically so ... but they're not priority #1 ... not our focus, not our passion ( care to know anyone whose passion is all of the above? nyet ), not our raison d'etre. Why is it so tempting to default to a reliance on the quantifiable?

The picture here, taken by Fraser on his iPhone at Vancouver's iMax last Spring, is a reminder that the lenses in your glasses can be perspective bending ... so be careful which prescription you choose. At least twice while watching U2:3D in three dimensions I literally ducked ... expecting Adam Clayton's bass guitar to crack my skull open, or Bono's leap from centre stage to land in my lap. Can our lens of choice actually, or even temporarily, define reality for us? As GK Chesterton famously quoted St Augustine on an 'unexamined life' ... what if our lenses, our perspectives, our worldviews, our whatevers ... are unexamined, even for a season? That could really screw up your life, relationships, family, organization, team, whatever ...

This last week I've had a beautifully downward mobility perspective altering experience. I've temporarily joined the leadership team of a small, technically rural, family church in Central Saanich, the village of 'metropolitan' Saanichton to be exact, on the outskirts, across from the Saanich Peninsula Regional Hospital. I wondered, driving up here Sunday morning, what I would feel ... seeing as the first September Sunday of 1996 I was employed at a place with half a dozen worship staff! and the first September Sunday of 1997 at an influential Toronto church with a megalomaniac leader. And the first September Sunday of 1998 was, uh, between churches, unemployed. And the first September Sundays of 1999-2007 at Lambrick, planning and preparing and hosting big open house extravaganzas?

It was different, refreshing, simple and honest. Not better necessarily, or worse, just authentic. Did I enjoy working/worshiping in a congregation of 3,500? Yes ... at the time. Have I learned and grown in settings of 1,000, give or take a few hundred? Absolutely. Is there something special about a close-knit family community of faith? Certainly. I wish there was a 'perspective lens' available that encouraged people to embrace the fact that different isn't bad, big isn't necessarily better, and small can be just right. Whether church, or IBM, or politics or franchises, we tend to assume our way, our status, our rung on the ladder, our stage in life is the way it should be for others, even everyone. How self-centred and myopic is that? Let's be careful ...

dlc

? r.e.t. or r.i.p ?

2008-09-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

... renewable energy technologies — “E.T.” — are going to constitute the next great global industry. They will rival and probably surpass “I.T.” — information technology.

The countries that spawn the most E.T. will enjoy more economic power, strategic advantage and rising standards of living. Big oil and OPEC want to make sure it is not America.

Thomas Friedman

***************

... I'd rather call them RETs, as it gets the renewable up front and in there consistently, but then again, I am not an NYTimes columnist. Either way, it is interesting to hear the US presidential candidates ( and their vices ) rattle off half a dozen "new" energy (re)sources like North American's commitment is actually there, and not in oil. I guess I sat there last night listening to Mitt Romney, Rudi Guliani and Sarah Palin thinking ... this is all about protection ... of a life style, a sense of entitlement, a role in the global order. What about questions that might some day provide real answers, solutions, instead of entrenched positions that cost more and more and more ( oil dependency, war, whatever ).

dlc

: missing in action : sorry 'bout that :

2008-09-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

... lots and lots going on the last couple of weeks, so I will try to get back to this soon by way of updates, insights ( or lack of ), developments, and life 'n times stuff, okay?

dlc

ps. wanna good read on sending a kid off to "U" or college? our adventurous friends Mike & Kim did so this weekend, and Kim blogged about it here. Might want to get the kleenex out tho'

: politics aside ... a word on trust :

2008-08-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

... some days, one's mental filters see lessons everywhere. I'm still mulling over Mandela's 8 leadership lessons, and maybe here is #9. Stephen Covey's son has built a whole industry around a book he wrote ... "The Speed of Trust" and Patrick Lencioni has 'building trust' as the base of his 5-level pyramid model for 'Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team' ... hmmmm.

When you have trust, relationally, organizationally, politically? terribly difficult and challenging things can be tackled and accomplished reasonably. But when trust is missing even simple, supposedly straightforward things can go south, sideways, screwy. Marc Ambinder, a political columnist-blogger, commented last week on Obama's trust-dependent VP-choice decision making process. Funny though, the people he trusts the most aren't angling for the VP job, while the ones who are angling, he doesn't trust.

Maybe the answer is right there?

dlc

***

"Early in the spring, Barack Obama asked John Kerry for his advice on the vice presidential selection process. Kerry was too happy to oblige. Choose someone, he told Obama, that you trust completely. Don't expect the process to build trust. Don't choose someone with the expectation that you'll develop a trust.

This was, of course, the lesson that Kerry learned from 2004; he thought he could trust John Edwards; Edwards had promised Kerry that he deserved Kerry's trust; Edwards promised Kerry that he would be his full and complete partner.

It didn't work. And the recent revelations about Edwards personal life make Kerry's advice all the more acute.

In truth, there aren't too many potential VP picks who could be fairly said to have earned Barack Obama's trust. Not Hillary Clinton. Probably not Joe Biden. Not Evan Bayh. How could they? They've spent so little time with Obama, and none on neutral territory, when they have nothing to gain and thus no incentive to modify their behavior.

Michelle Obama, too, has counseled her husband about the imperative to trust the person he picks.

Assuming Obama agrees, it stands to reason that he won't choose someone he does not trust ALREADY.

He trusts Gov. Sebelius. He trusts Gov. Kaine. He trusts Sen. Jack Reed."

: on alignment : seeing the forest AND the trees :

2008-08-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

... I came across this great quote ( context would be too long a story ) this morning over at Gaping Void, so ... I guess you could take the time to get the context yourself?

"I was at an open mic in one of hippest downtown coffee shops last week. [ There was ] a guy, angry as hell about the war, capitalism, all the while reading his piece from his new 3g iPhone. It doesn't add up to me."

I've been thinking about alignment, and 'models' and lots of stuff recently, wondering if we've lost the ability to discern means from ends, values from pragmatism, etc. This quote, if you can picture it ... some guy ranting away at an open mic reading the rant from his brand new iPhone ... making no connections at all between his assumed right to have and use technology and the global economic system that created and perpetuates it.

But are most of us any different? for example ... am I using energy ANY differently in my house and lifestyle than I was 2-3 years ago? or will I now that 2 of 3 kids will be away at school in 2 weeks? how comfortably ( numb ) have I gotten to the fact that I can easily make 3-4-5 "quick trips" a day ... just doing some errands you know, when a little forethought could reduce that to 1-2? I don't want some huge, lumbering SUV but I still mock the Smart car as ridiculous looking and probably unsafe. Why?

Anyhow, this is just an off-the-top-of-my-head post having read the above quote. A lot of things just don't add up to me either. I'd bet I could come up with 100 ... easily. Why is alignment so difficult? Specifically values alignment .. I mean, I want to be one of those people who say what they mean and mean what they say ...

Later,

dlc

: mandela on leadership = troublemaker : )

2008-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

... came across this article in Time via Len.

Nelson Madela on eight lessons of leadership. Worth a read. Pragmatic, gutsy, savvy and motivating all at once.

Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday recently, and this article was put together as a sort of retrospective on his life and leadership, which were intimately intertwined. An interesting note ... Rolihlahla, Mandela's real first name, in Xhosa translates as "pulling down the branch of a tree" but its real meaning is "troublemaker." Here's his last lesson ... No. 8 ... Quitting is leading too

"Knowing how to abandon an idea, task or relationship is often the most difficult kind of decision a leader has to make. In many ways, Mandela's greatest legacy as President of South Africa is the way he chose to leave it. When he was elected in 1994, Mandela probably could have pressed to be President for life — and there were many who felt that in return for his years in prison, that was the least South Africa could do.

In the history of Africa, there have been only a handful of democratically elected leaders who willingly stood down from office. Mandela was determined to set a precedent for all who followed him — not only in South Africa but across the rest of the continent. He would be the anti-Mugabe, the man who gave birth to his country and refused to hold it hostage. "His job was to set the course," says Ramaphosa, "not to steer the ship." He knows that leaders lead as much by what they choose not to do as what they do.

Gotta love it. The article wraps up with ... "Ultimately, the key to understanding Mandela is those 27 years in prison. The man who walked onto Robben Island in 1964 was emotional, headstrong, easily stung. The man who emerged was balanced and disciplined. He is not and never has been introspective. I often asked him how the man who emerged from prison differed from the willful young man who had entered it. He hated this question. Finally, in exasperation one day, he said, "I came out mature." There is nothing so rare — or so valuable — as a mature man".

: when you've already (over)done efficiency :

2008-08-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

... another little gem from Hugh at Gaping Void. Could apply many places. I added the graphic, since efficiency can be parsed out so simply, eh?

dlc

"... you've already done 'efficient'. We're living in a post-efficiency world now. We already know how to make things better, cheaper and faster than the previous generation. We already know how to squeeze our suppliers till they squeak. We already know how to build systems that maximize profits at every stage of the production and selling process. We're already outsourcing our stuff to China, and so is everyone else. Been there. Done that. So where does the growth need to come from? What needs to happen, in order to save your job?

THESIS:

... the growth will come, I believe, not by yet more increased efficiencies, but by humanification. For example, take two well-known airlines. They both perform a useful service. They both deliver value. They both cost about the same to fly to New York or Hong Kong. Both have nice Boeings and Airbuses. Both serve peanuts and drinks. Both serve "airline food". Both use the same airports. But one airline has friendly people working for them, the other airline has surly people working for them. One airline has a sense of fun and adventure about it, one has a tired, jaded business-commuter vibe about it. Guess which one takes the human dimension of their business more seriously than the other? Guess which one still will be around in twenty years? Guess which one will lose billions of dollars worth of shareholder value over the next twenty years? What parallels do you see in your own industry? In your own company?It's all about the "Humanification", Folks.

How does a big company [like Dell, like Microsoft etc etc] "humanify" themselves? How do they "de-commodify" themselves? It's a subject that never fails to fascinate me. That's why I do what I do. Rock on.

: twitter : blog : facebook: overlap :

2008-08-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

... okay, inspired by Gaping Void's cartoon, with the new FaceBook's changes, and their encouragement towards a more Twitter-like status update question ... "what are you doing right now?" ... I have been wondering?

... what if ( and I am pretty sure I saw this a few weeks ago ... Twitter asking me if I wanted it to update my FBook status? ) I am coming at this awkwardly? What if Twitter was the main thing, which updated my FBook status, FBook being a little more detailed, and the 'blog was more of a dump of reading, thinking, pondering, sharing ideas and thoughts?

... I've kind been flopping back and forth on this, wondering which makes the most sense? I may stick with the new FaceBook for a bit, use the Twitter update feature, if I can find it again, and 'blog occasionally when inspiration strikes, no pressure.

dlc

: values > mission > vision : discovered vs created :

2008-07-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

... since I keep coming back to this post by Tim I thought I'd toss it back up again so a few more folks could benefit from it. If we got our heads around this progression, we would shake our our heads at the time and energy we've spent in the past on v-i-s-i-o-n ...

dlc

ps. as Kingsley mentioned earlier this week, he is getting a weekly dose of T-Bail on Sundays between 1000-1130. You can check that out over at the Hillside podcast here.

: about delivery systems : some observations :

2008-07-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

... OK, so I am sitting at the deck of a great cottage overlooking South Shawnigan Lake on day one of our summer vacation. You may be asking ... "why is he 'blogging at 0630 hrs on a Sunday morning just as his holidays start?" ... which may not be a bad question. Well, I thought I'd put up one last post, and then grab my pile of books and head out on the dock. Which, by the way, is my idea of a vacation, not DisneyLand, not shopping in Vancouver, barely even Whistler. On vacation I like to see no-one but family. Mine, nuclear, not even extended really. Anyways, that's not why I began this post ...

... I've been reading lots about social sector stuff, social entrepreneur-ism ( the library called the other day reminding me I have a couple of overdue books, 'How to Change the World' is one of them ). I attended a two day institute at UVic the week before last on Community Based Research, and oddly enough, being in the middle of a job search, I have been noticing how organizations present, respond to, and deal with inquiries from their job applicants. Bottomline, how do organizations think about, plan for, understand and do any kind of quality control on their 'delivery systems'... sadly, I think, the answer is ... they don't very well. How does that reflect on the social sector? Does it reinforce an underlying expectation that things can be sloppy? That they are under-staffed and under-resourced and therefore may or may not return your call, or e-mail, or request for information any time soon? Have I been guilty of that? Absolutely! Organizations I have been part of? Certainly. So what? What to do?

... here's a little experiment I did in my head as I was thinking about this the last couple of days ... it is a very limited exercise, totally unscientific, and probably biased, but here goes. Say we contacted 50 community organizations with a request. It would need to be tied to resourcing ( in my test study ), and the basic query was as simple as ... "I would like to hear about what you do, how you are doing it, and what needs you have". Could be anything from the United Way, to a small community group, to a school, to a church, to a mission, to a ... well, you get the point. In my thinking, replying or responding to a simple information request is one teensy part of delivery ... possibly even reflecting on how the organization ( as a whole? ) handles bigger, and more critical situations. Maybe even reflects on urgent vs important discussions?

... what if I had $50,000 to give away, or invest, or reward organizations that responded within 24-36 hours? Do the math, and technically 50 community groups could get a $1,000 unexpected windfall, a little mad money for the Executive Director to spend as s/he sees fit. Realistically? I'd be willing to bet that half a dozen ( 10 max ) of these organizations would 'make the cut' ... and mathematically receive a no-strings attached gift of between $5,000 and up to $9,000 to invest in a special project of their choosing. Imagine getting those letters ... "Congratulations, we did a little study, and you passed ( without knowing it ). Here's a cheque for $7,500" ... or "FYI, we did a little 'response time' study and your organization missed a golden opportunity to communicate what you are all about within 48 hours to an interested and motivated community member. Five ( or seven or ten ) other organizations like you have received cheques this week totaling $50,000. But not yours, and here's why ... ?"

... of course, financial motivation can't be what we want our social sector groups or organizations to be about. But it would point to something(s). And my fear is, it would point to some kind of lack ... of follow through, or systems, or constituency awareness, and therefore a failure of delivery. This is especially critical IF we say we are 'all about the cause' but then blame too much work, lack of staff, under-funding when it comes time ( even on a simple small request for information ) to be part of a two-way conversation. Once again, the applications and implications of this could be staggering ... how does your web site communicate? is your receptionist friendly? do you have one? are they at their desk? how does your phone system work? do you have an 'at your fingertips' information packet that can be accessed? or mailed out? or e-mailed? is there a live person someone can actually get to if they really want to, or just don't want the phone tree? Some of these barriers will be ones that have crept up on community organizations over the years, as their staffs are so very aware of what they do, but no longer can see the constituency as needing good info. Sometimes it will be a lack of vision, or leadership, or yes, resources to do something about it. But I am less and less sure, just from my own experience these last few months on the other side of the community organization equation ( out, vs in ) that 'lackadaisical' on this front is going to cut it much longer.

... I guess my question might be, and could be better phrased, but here goes ... "what do best practices look like in social sector organizations in the 21st century?" ... I've seen great and lousy, both big and small, well resourced and operating on a shoe string. There are examples of little 'mom-and-pop' groups with no money doing this very well. Then there are others, large, well-off, staffed places that are oblivious. I think we should be thinking about this ... don't you?

... I was reading an article, and a book by a local prof/educator/consultant recently and he made the point, in a academic journal cum book chapter titled 'Who Leads?' that there are four contexts, or situations, opportunities for 'kinds' of leadership in any organization: governance, administration, management and service. I will probably post something on that later. He suggests that within each quadrant, each of the four usually operated in a mini-form. So those charged with governance have to be thinking about delivery of service ... on several levels. They must govern well, for the organization to have purpose. They must also ensure that the purpose is delivered, goods and/or services if you will. They need to do that through administration ( thinking about ends ), and management ( thinking about means ). But I think we have to be more intentional about delivery ... or else we are spinning our wheels.

... OK, I'd better lighten this up a little, sorry. Simply as it is now 07:30 and I do not have any caffiene in my system yet ... a 13 minute drive would take me there though ... here's something about delivery systems for you this summer Sunday.

... which delivery system would you choose this morning?

From St. Shawnigan Church on-the-Deck ...

dlc

ps. the Times-Colonist did a series earlier this Spring on customer service. Here's a little insight into MEC's commitment to delivering their product ( service ) in stores.

: a sad, but very proud, day in Bronco-land :

2008-07-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

Rod Smith Steps Away

"I'm done. Thank you very much."

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.

With those words, standing at a podium wearing a suit and two Super Bowl rings, Rod Smith bid a tearful goodbye to the game he has loved since childhood.

The 13-year receiver and career Bronco sat somberly in the front of the room Thursday, listening as President and CEO Pat Bowlen and Head Coach Mike Shanahan talked about a legendary career, then he stood to address the crowd of reporters, photographers, former teammates and current Broncos himself.

"I’m going to miss being in that seat right there," Smith said, standing in the team meeting room. "I’m going to miss the locker room. If I didn’t do anything else I hope I was a great teammate. That’s all I ever wanted to do, was win. And being a part of this organization was amazing. That’s all I’ve got."

And he gave a lot.

Smith was signed as an college free agent after he wasn't selected in the 1994 NFL Draft. He spent that season on the Broncos practice squad, then in 1995 he played in all 16 games and never looked back. From 1995 to 2006, Smith missed only nine games. He played in 183.

In that span, the 6-foot receiver from Missouri Southern University set more than half a dozen Broncos franchise records: 849 career receptions; 11,389 receiving yards; 12,488 all-purpose yards; 68 touchdown catches; 71 overall touchdowns; 31 100-yard receiving games; and eight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Not bad for an undrafted receiver.

Speaking of which, Smith also leads all undrafted players in NFL history in every major career receiving category and leaves the game ranked 12th in the overall league annals in career receptions, 19th in career receiving yards and tied for 31st in career receiving touchdowns.

The three-time Pro Bowler is one of only seven players in NFL history to record back-to-back 100-catch seasons, which he did in 2000 and 2001. His streak of nine seasons with 70 or more catches from 1997-2005 ties for the second longest in league history.

There are 19 wide receivers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Smith has more catches than 18 of them.

Starting to sound like a list? That's a credit to the player Smith was. And in an era when it's harder and harder to find players who spend their entire career with a team, Smith did it all with the Broncos.

"When my son was born, the first football I ever bought him was an orange and blue Nerf football," said a teary-eyed Smith. "That was in college and it just so happens that was the uniform I’ve been wearing ever since. Fate put me here, and I’m glad."

"I’m always going to be in Denver. I’ve rooted myself in this city for a reason," he continued. "I never wanted to and I never got the opportunity to go anywhere else. And I appreciate that they never put me out to test the market -- the market for me has always been right here."

Much of the press conference was spent discussing Smith's illustrious career, filled with big plays and bigger records. But it wasn't all about the field with Smith. While he loved running between the hashmarks on Sundays, he loved helping out in the community just as much. Smith was a vocal leader on the field and in the locker room and it transferred to the community. He was voted the Broncos' Walter Payton Man of the Year in both 2004 and 2006, signifying his importance to his fellow players and coaches and the Denver community as a whole.

Most importantly, Smith loved the fans. And before he left the stage Thursday, he wanted to address the fans personally.

"The Broncos fans are special to me, and I appreciate all you guys really supporting me," Smith said. "I love when I see little kids running around the mall and they have on a No. 80 jersey, it just makes me smile. They don’t know how much that means to me. I’m letting you know, if I don’t come up to you personally, I appreciate you, every single one of you."

Asked what's next for him, Smith joked, "Some yardwork." But Smith leaving the game doesn't mean that he's leaving the Broncos organization. In fact, Bowlen wants to see to it that Smith always remains a part of the team.

"I hope there’s a way that we can keep you involved in this organization, that’s something that I’m a very strong proponent of," Bowlen said to Smith, who he called "obviously the greatest wide receiver to ever play for the Denver Broncos."

Smith said he would accept the team's offer to have a role in the organization after his retirement. At one point, Shanahan said Smith will always have a job with the team. Smith let out a big, "Yesssssss!" with a fist pump, drawing laughter from the crowd. "We'll have to talk about salary," Shanahan said with a smile.

But Smith's involvement won't be anything new. He has already been seen around the facilities at various times this offseason, chatting with coaches and players, even attending a practice during team camp. He talked with some of the new Broncos receivers, including Keary Colbert, who made it clear when he signed with the team that Smith is one of his idols.

"He has had a career that has been remarkable," Colbert said. "I’m really trying to put in a career and a season like he has done in the past. That’s the start of it really, getting to know how to do it through him. He has the blueprint, and I just have to follow it."

With such a remarkable career behind him, the talk around Smith will sooner rather than later turn toward Canton.

"People ask me should Rod Smith be in the Hall of Fame -- you’re darn right he should," Shanahan said.

Smith, standing beside a "Thanks for the memories" banner, was asked what he thought about his coach's comments.

"I think Mike’s a brilliant man," he laughed. "That just adds to his legacy."

"Honestly I don’t know how they measure who goes in the Hall of Fame," he added. "But I did everything I could, and I would love to have a speech there someday."

: religulous ... or, as MT said ... oh boy! :

2008-07-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Bill Maher + director of Borat + documentary on religion = religulous

... those Doobie Bros with 'Jesus is Just Alright' on the soundtrack is OK though. Last time I saw them was in Denver at Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre ( opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd ... my 35th pity-party birthday present to myself. Still have the Doobies' 1976 'Best of" cassette ).

dlc

: blame Canada, eh? or blame demographics :

2008-07-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

... maybe it is just me, but the used books I'd like to get my hands on via amazon.ca or abebooks or the myriad of used bookstores within 15 kms of here just aren't available.

... what is it with Canada? or Canadians? don't we read anymore? or don't we buy books, and then put them up for re-sale at used book sellers? I find this frustrating.

... I challenge you. Pick half a dozen great books you've read this year ( assuming you have, that is ) and pump them into amazon.ca or abebooks.ca ... almost everything will come up as in the USofA, sometimes the UK, often Germany even, but Canada? nooooo ...

... could this really be a function of population and/or demographics? of course with a population of 304,666,534 and counting the States have an advantage, sheer volume. But I have to say ... even IF our population of 33,223,800 could fit inside Southern California's ( 2006 estimate was 36,457,549 ) I still say "we need to be reading more widely, different authors and genres, and making them available to others ( me )" ... or maybe I am just wrong, and Canadians keep their books? Either way, I'd like to get my hands on several books a year and I don't care if they are used. I just wish popping into Amazon's Canadian site or AbeBooks.ca yeilded more results ... and didn't force us to go the US route with all the shipping and customs rates, delays and hassles.

There, I feel somewhat better now.

dlc

ps. while I am at it ... can't Amazon figure out that when you go through a link on their Canadian page we would rather see what Canadian booksellers show up without having to scroll through pages of "Not Shipped From Canada" notices? at least Abe shows Canada first, and has a dialogue-type box with seller locations listed. If I have missed something ( I find amazon.ca's site rather cluttered ) please tell me!

UPDATE : 01 August 2008 : Amazon purchases AbeBooks ... whaddya know! here's an article in today's Times-Colonist w/ info.

: some days are better than some songs :

2008-07-19T23:08:00.001-07:00

... hey, MattyB raised the ante on my quick, perplexed post on diamond days. Pulled 2 lines out of a song ( in italics below ) and wanted me to 'name that tune' ... fortunately for me, while HE was only 14 when Zooropa came out, I was old enough to know something about an Irish band, my roots being over there, but in the Ulster part. Anyhow, these lyrics probably are better than John Denver's ... that was just what came to me in the moment, that's all!

dlc

Some Days Are Better Than Others : Zooropa : 1993

Some days are dry, some days are leaky
Some days come clean, other days are sneaky
Some days take less, but most days take more
Some slip through your fingers and onto the floor

Some days you're quick, but most days you're speedy
Some days you use more force than is necessary
Some days just drop in on us
Some days are better than others

Some days it all adds up
And what you got is not enough
Some days are better than others

Some days are slippy, other days sloppy
Some days you can't stand the sight of a puppy
Your skin is white but you think you're a brother
Some days are better than others

Some days you wake up with her complaining
Some sunny days you wish it was raining
Some days are sulky, some days have a grin
And some days have bouncers and won't let you in

Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others

Some days are honest, some days are not
Some days you're thankful for what you've got
Some days you wake up in the army
And some days it's the enemy

Some days are work, most days you're lazy
Some days you feel like a bit of a baby
Lookin' for Jesus and His mother
Some days are better than others

Some days you feel ahead
You're making sense of what she said
Some days are better than others

Some days you hear a voice
Taking you to another place
Some days are better than others

: some days are diamonds, some days are stones :

2008-07-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

... maybe I never noticed it when working flat out / full time? but ... days can bring wide, or wild extremes.

As John Denver once put it ... 'some days are diamonds, some days are stones' ... I'd like to add ... 'some days are both!'

So ... in that vein ... here's a really good Dilbert 'toon.

dlc

: few material things. plenty of joy. ugandan kids :

2008-07-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

: iPhone v 1.0 vs iPhone v. 3G :

2008-07-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

... on Sunday, Apple sold its one millionth iPhone 3G, the company announced Monday.

“iPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “It took 74 days to sell the first one million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world.”

... uh huh. Geez, you can even mass order them as company gifts with your logo engraved on them. A box of company logo golf balls at the annual tournament just ain't gonna cut it much longer ...

... think about it. 4 days to 1M vs 74 days. Simply crazy.

dlc

: non-profit? n.f.p? social sector? = social profit :

2008-07-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

... okay, I promise I will quit with this short post.
At the 3 day Appreciative Inquiry seminar I took back in May at Royal Roads University the lecturer/facilitator/trainer was advocating the term social profit ... sounded a bit odd to me at the time, not that I ever liked non-profit or really understood the use of the term not-for-profit ... but maybe I just needed a bit of time to let it percolate? Anyhow ... there's apparently lots out there on this ... here's a couple of things along that line.

Social Profit Network

Citizen Powered . org

Tactical Philanthopy

... just realized that, for me, this oaradigm shift probably started, in all likelihood, with the brief Jim Collins monograph following up on G2G. Here's a great explanation of it in a 2 part 'blog post ... scroll down to get Part I, then Part II. I guess he posted both parts on the same day?
Jim Collins on Good2Great and the Social Sectors

dlc

ps. I guess there's another conversation about terminology or semantics ... religious non-profits or religious not-for-profits vs faith-based social profit organizations?? another day, another day ...

: something's up : roi ... sroi ... eroi ... ??? roi :

2008-07-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

... has anybody seen anything pulling together the thinking on ROI ... 'return on investment' from a broader scale than simply a capital or business perspective? if you have, can you send it my way? thanks.

... a key plank in Homer-Dixon's theory is EROI : ENERGY return on investment ... shifts are tectonic because they are taking place below the surface, away from view - shifting today’s globalized society from low-EROI (easy fossil fuels and resources; easy economy) to high-EROI systems ( difficult fossil fuel extraction, and possibly therefore creative alternative fuels, but more difficult economic realities, as seen in 2008 with ripple effect of the bio-fuels on food supplies ).

... then there's the How to Change the World book I've been reading which is talking about SROI : SOCIAL return on investment. Wikipedia suggests ... SROI is an attempt to measure the social and financial value created by a non profit, NGO or business. It has not been proven to drive increased investment, but it is popular with academics and some consultancies. A number of services are now looking at analysing the 'investment' in charities as yielding a social return on investment. Development Ratings is an example of a new type of organization springing up to help private donors evaluate and research charities that work in the developing countries.

SROI is an approach to understanding and managing the impacts of a project, an organisation or a policy. It is based on stakeholders and puts financial values on the important impacts identified by stakeholders which do not have market values. The aim is to include the values of people that are often excluded from markets in the same terms as used in markets, that is money, in order to give people a voice in resource allocation decisions.

London Business School has an SROI primerthat also looks interesting.

Yikes, like that great line somewhere between the 1:05 and 1:20 mark ( depending on the version ) in the Trews Paranoid Freak ... "I'm a man on the brink, I've had too much to think" I'd better quit now ( official video/strange ... live YouTube/rough ... acoustic YouTube/better ... AOL/slow loading! ).

Apparently these are the kind of questions I ponder when not consumed with a full time job? My FaceBook status this morning pondered whether I'd go to church or not, and this is the answer ... 'blogging instead. Is that legit? Hope so ... kinda like Church of St.Arbucks ... or Church of the Mattress ... the 'blogging equivalent being ... Blogger Baptist?

dlc

: G-8 ... what's it gonna take?

2008-07-13T08:49:00.001-07:00

... I don't know what you think, well ... I don't know what I think about the recent G-8 Summit, distracted as the leaders were from climate and other issues by more political things, but sometimes the sheer scale of global challenges simply overwhelms me, not to despair, but to a numbness, a weird paralysis ... me beating a mental retreat to doing some little thing here on my privileged corner of Vancouver Island.

What was it Vaden said recently at thePlace? ... "if you are on Income Assistance in Canada, congratulations! you are in the top 5% economically in the world" ... sheesh.

Anyhow, when I think about this stuff I almost always go back to Thomas Homer-Dixon's 2 most recent books, The Ingenuity Gap and The Upside of Down. Kudos to Coop for his ongoing efforts to get the word out about TH-D ... ironically, a Victoria/Saanich kid who went to UVic, then MIT, and has taught at UofT the last decade or so. This summer he is moving over to a lead role at UWaterloo's brand new Centre for International Governance Innovation ( CIGI is funded by the co-CEOs of RiM. Wonder what he will do, as a Mac guy, with his iPhone in a CrackBerry world? :)

TH-D is one of those unique academics who sees the need to cross the lines of pure academia into some way of popularizing the deep research and writing he has done. He gets some flack from other academics for this once in a while, but I don't think he really cares, either that, or he has decided the stakes are too high for him not to tackle this challenge.

His first popular book, Ingenuity Gap, basically asks if we really have what it will take to address the growing chasm between the increasing number and scale of issues facing the world. He claims we do, if we get it together and get on with solutions.

His second book, The Upside of Down, uses the idea of pre-earthquake movements in the ocean's floor, and identifies 5 'tectonic shifts' coming at us globally ( and by extension, nationally, regionally, provincially, locally, and individually/personally ). Again, he suggests that addressing and applying ingenuity to these massive ongoing potential crises is possible, and necessary, if we're going to have a world to hand off to the next generations ( he has a 3 year old son ).

All that to say, when I semi-identify with the first graphic above, seeing the G-8 leaders as comic ( or tragic? ) figures, almost a bobblehead mentality, it frustrates me to no end. As in frustrates me personally to no end. What am I, should I, do I need to do about this? I find myself mulling the realities and possibilities of the incredible advantage being a homeowner in Victoria 1999-2008 has been ... since our house has doubled in value ( ha! value? ). Do I cash in, sell and rent, downsize, move away and be mortgage free somewhere else? Then it creeps up again and hits me ... there are people living in cars, shacks, on the street, in institutions ... and I'm somehow fantasizing about being mortgage free?

So, back to TH-D's tectonic shifts ... how ( on earth ) will these things be addressed? what would you do about ...

* Population stress arising from differences in the population growth rates between rich and poor societies, and from the spiraling growth of megacities in poor countries;
* Energy stress - above all from the increasing scarcity of conventional oil;
* Environmental stress from worsening damage to our land, water, forests and fisheries;
* Climate stress from changes in the makeup of our atmosphere;
* Economic stress resulting from instabilities in the global economic system and ever-widening income gaps between rich and poor people.

Homer-Dixon tackled this in many ways ... research, writing, travelling, speaking ... but also by taking a risk. He said the opportunity at UW was simply to challenging to pass up ( even a higher profile US college offer ). So he is taking on a big new assignment, leading a movement towards intentionality and excellence in global governance. Whew!

There's a summary of Upside of Down here, over at Global Dashboard titled Summer Reading ( Summer 2007, but it is never too late ). If you scroll all the way down to the end of the summary there's a 3 page Globe&Mail article by Homer-Dixon that captures the jist of the argument as well ( or ask me to send it to you, or tell me if you can attach documents in Blogger? ). Wander over and take a look.

dlc

: perspective + challenge = _________ :

2008-07-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

... MT is at it again over at Waving or Drowning. He's pretty well connected, and has posted a sobering 4 minute video by Chris Seay here. I heard Chris in TO a couple of years ago, one of the most naturally, genuinely funny people I've met in a long time. This isn't funny though. But it is good. Not fancy, but strong. Sort of like that Sarah McLaughlin "World's on Fire" video a couple of years back. Did I say sobering?

dlc

: jesse jackson : open mouth, insert foot, again :

2008-07-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

... the NYTimes has covered the Rev. Jackson's most recent 'open mic' faux pas with a little tongue-in-cheek humour.

"Mr. Jackson, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, has been a supporter of Mr. Obama. He has played no formal role in the campaign, but tensions have occasionally flared behind the scenes with Jackson, who is known for his outspokenness and his penchant for drawing attention to himself.

Mr. Obama’s candidacy has served as an example of a generational and stylistic shift in black political leadership in America. The remarks drew an unusually stern rebuke from Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., Democrat of Illinois, who also serves as a national co-chairman of Mr. Obama’s presidential campaign.

“Reverend Jackson is my dad, and I’ll always love him,” the congressman said Wednesday evening in a statement.

He added, “I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric. He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself”.

FYI : more immediate commentary and some weekend perspective here.

******************

Hope I never have to get called out by one of my kids, at least not like this! Sheesh ... you got the REV and the REP ... talk about the generational and stylistic shift in the USA's black political leadership.

dlc

: google's guiding principles :

2008-07-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

... the crazy people over at Critical Mass have an executive think tank blog they call Experience Matters ... personally, I think Kingsley is a natural fit for their environment, and rather wish I was as well!

But I digress ... apparently they recently had a conversation about guiding principles and David Armano of Logic+Emotion introduced a Google Top Ten list, even more than guiding principles for them, almost core values. As usual, I can see a LOT of applications for this kind of thinking ( Google's AND Critical Mass's ) in a whole raft of organizational settings. Take a quick read and see what you think ... these are Google's 'aspirations' for their user's experience.

dlc

So, from the desk of the CEO ... the Critical Mass 'blog post "Getting Googley" ... ten guiding principles form the foundation of a great experience. What’s interesting is that it is in Google's corporate information. They hold these guiding principles close to their core. And it shows.

When these principles work in an experience they call them getting “Googley.” The principles are simple but powerful ideas that show why Google is so strong in delivering customer value. It’s a well-known fact that Google’s customer value has delivered a lot of business value to their shareholders. Who says business, brand and customer cannot be aligned in an experience?

Start with the list below, and then explore the many interactions you have with Google and see if they ring true.

Ten principles that contribute to a “Googley” customer experience:
1. Focus on people – their lives, their work, their dreams.
2. Every millisecond counts.
3. Simplicity is powerful.
4. Engage beginners and attract experts.
5. Dare to innovate.
6. Design for the world.
7. Plan for today’s and tomorrow’s business.
8. Delight the eye without distracting the mind.
9. Be worthy of people’s trust.
10. Add a human touch.

For more details go to Google Corporate ... each principle is expanded upon, well worth the 4 page printout. Make some notes on it. Italics mine.

It’s no wonder Google has become the go-to for so many of our daily tasks. Simple ideas. Well executed. See if you can get Googley in your next project.

: so i took this project management course :

2008-07-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

Question? when is a big hole in the ground still just a big hole in the ground?

Answer? when it is the mammoth proportioned, and very political, rebuilding of the World Trade Center.

... last month I took in a 2 day intensive Project Management course through UVic's MBA executive programs. Seems most everything I am interested in applying for has a portion of the role dedicated to, or responsible for, some level of "PM" ... so it was good.

... reading this from the NY Times 'City Room' 'blogs put my concerns over project mgmt in a completely different light. Fast becoming a national fiasco, the re-build of the World Trade Center was mired in any and all kinds of problems you can think of. Bottom line, I think, was governance, therefore decision-making, or decision-NOT-making?

... anyhow, take a read, you will learn something, and open the attachment ( 34 pages, just read on-screen, I did ) which is a response to NY's new governor ( inside 3 weeks! ) and a shot across the bow ( for bureaucrats ) from Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority, who was supposed to have some kind of leadership authority all along!

dlc

: week of june 29 - july 5 : camp imadene :

2008-06-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

hey folks ... this time tomorrow will be sweltering in the heat bowl of Vancouver Island's Cowichan Valley, doubled up by kitchen heat at Camp Imadene, where I will be working 0700-1100, and 1530-1800 hours daily :)

Some of you may have noticed Jamie's and Darryl's 'wordle' pictures on their 'blogs, so I thought I'd give it a wordle myself. Wordle grabs the text and word count of a document like a word cloud? and makes a graphic represntation of it. The wordle above is the text of my resume, sans contact information and references. Seeing as in my spare time next week ( 1300-1500, and 2000-2200 hours ) I will be banging out resume packages, I thought this might be appropriate?

dlc

ps. I only ever figured out how to Twitter via FaceBook, so it's disappearance from FB has meant no more updates from me ... until I bother to figure it out, maybe mid-July. UPDATE : just decided to 'give er a go' and sort out Twitter sans FaceBook, and did it.

: social entrepreneurship :

2008-06-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

... I have been reading How to Change the World : Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas.

Bill Drayton is one of the world's more recognized social entrepreneurs, often given credit for coining the term ( which he didn't, by the way ). He is the Founder and CEO of Ashoka, a pretty cool global outfit. Chapter 5 of HtCtW:SEatPoNI talks about his influences as a young student, one of them being Martin Luther King Jr's adaptation of Gandhi's non-violent change approaches/tactics. Just give this a read for your thinking ...

" ... over the years Drayton came to believe that Gandhi's greatest insight was recognizing, early in the 20th century, that a new type of ethics was emerging in the world -- an ethics grounded not in rules, but in empathy. It was a change that was necessary as human society grew increasingly complex. In the past, when people lived in homogeneous communities, and rarely moved far from their birthplaces, rule-based ethics had been adequate to govern human relations. But the world had become too fast-paced and interconnected for rule-based ethics. There were too many interactions in which rules were outdated and belief systems clashed. The new circumstances demanded that people become more ethically self-guiding: people had to be able to put themselves in the shoes of the others around them. Those who could not navigate situations in which rules were changing or could not master the skills of empathic understanding would find themselves unable to manage their behaviour(s) wisely and ethically; increasingly, Drayton asserted, they would be seen as 'loose cannons' and marginalized within society" ...

The line "those who could not navigate situations in which rules were changing or could not master the skills of empathic understanding find themselves unable to manage their behaviour(s) wisely and ethically; increasingly, they would be ... marginalized within society" kind of jumped out at me. Between all the work done by people like Peter Senge, Thomas Homer-Dixon, Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Goleman, Otto Scharmer, Dee Hock, Meg Wheatley and others ... there is a common theme, this common denominator ... understanding systems, understanding organizations, understanding yourself ... and coming to a mature contributing mindset where your awareness, your emotional intelligence, your worldview ... is both empathic and ethical. I wonder what that looks like? Thankfully some very, very smart and motivated people are working towards that goal. We need to be listening to them ...

dlc

: how will people spend a hundred 'green'backs : :

2008-06-23T10:42:00.001-07:00

... four $100 cheques arrived in today's mail for Meggan, Fraser, Karen and I.

Now BC's residents have some decisions to make. Wonder what the majority will do?

The good old Tyee has an article on it from back in February here and BC's suggestions can be found here with ideas like ...

thanks Carol,

dlc

: forging a future : m. scott peck :

2008-06-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

“To develop a broader vision we must be willing to forsake, to kill, our narrower vision. In the short run it is more comfortable not to do this - to stay where we are, to keep using the same microcosmic map, to avoid suffering the death of cherished notions. The road of spiritual growth, however, lies in the opposite direction. We begin by distrusting what we already believe, by actively seeking the threatening and unfamiliar, by deliberately challenging the validity of what we have previously been taught and hold dear. The path to holiness lies through questioning everything.

“The only obstacle to building and maintaining community within an organization is not structural. It’s political.

If you get somebody at the top who is not willing to relinquish the structure, even temporarily, or who has to dominate everything, there’s no way you can have community in that organization.

So the people in the organization, particularly at the top, have to be willing to temporarily lay aside their role and their rank.”

no comment(s)

dlc

: priority check :

2008-06-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

... over at 'Open Hands' Mark posted about a unique response to a potentially resource-abundant situation north of Toronto. I'll add a link, and maybe you can enjoy a little reading over your coffee Saturday morning?

On the flip side, Coop is asking about what our churches might do, in more resourced-challenged type situations.

One of my all time fav books has to be John Stott's 'Christian Counter-Culture' on the message of the Sermon on the Mount. In it he speaks repeatedly to Kingdom priorities. I think the community of faith referred to here, and Ms. Dueck's insights both give us examples of right thinking.

dlc

ps. on a scale of health vs resources, this faith community may be so healthy it not only looked a gift horse in the mouth ( Globe & Mail ) it has a full on 'bells & whistles' web site ;)

: okay, so i was wrong :

2008-06-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

... about not much to say. It has been a busy couple of weeks. Resumes. Courses. Stuff.

But moments after posting about not having much to say, or time to say it, I looked over at David Armano's Logic+Emotion site again, and loved this graphic.

Of course, Armano is a marketer, but I think if you substitute almost anything into his "brand" slot ... leadership, staff relations, governance, customer service, it works. If only I knew how to 'doctor' graphics ... JimmyK ??? where are you when we need you?

dlc

: not much to say :

2008-06-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

... and no time to say it.

Busy days.

dlc

: a radio refugee rant :

2008-05-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

... OK, so I am ( again ) probably showing my age, but when I jumped in the car this morning the radio was set to FM98.5 'The Ocean' ... which bills itself in Victoria as Today's Lite Rock. Their morning co-hosts, a married couple going by Forbes & Marshall, were bantering about upcoming concerts, and long term bands touring this summer.

Rush is playing BC Place tomorrow evening, and when she mentioned Rush, he replied ... 'huh? really? wow! who knew?' ... how can anyone ( in radio ) have missed the advertising of this tour?

This is an example of why I am more and more becoming a refugee from radio. I bailed on christian radio years ago, and I am pretty close to bailing on radio radio. Maybe the iPod/MP3 inputs in rental vehicles have spoiled me?

dlc

ps. then again? UVic's student newspaper, the Martlett, publishes a regular listing of the Top Ten songs played/listened to/requested each week, and I have yet to recognize any of them. Granted, university radio can be a little edgy, but I am guessing this is an indication of me being stuck back somewhere, and frustrated that Mr. McCool radio guy at the Ocean doesn't share my niche in mid-70's through late 80's rock. Bummmer.

: happy 20th birthday meggan marie :

2008-05-27T15:03:00.001-07:00

... this time 20 years ago I had not yet been a father for a full 24 hour day.

Meggan Marie arrived, after a long 22 hour labour, on her due date, May 27th, 1988 ... at Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga, ON. What a concept!

She's been a great kid, has turned into a great young adult, and we are very proud of her ... choices, friends, mission, schooling(s), faith, hope and love ...

Happy Birthday #20 Megg, trust this is a really great year for you, in every way.

dlc/dad

: ten years is a long time :

2008-05-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

... there are very some reflective folks left behind on VanIsland this morning, as JimmyK and Hil wind their way across #10 Highway on BC's Lower Mainland in search of Trans-Canada Highway #1 ... which will take them, eventually, back to Ontario.

This is my favourite pic of James. Maybe taken at Mike & 'Nette's wedding, but I can't be sure. I've saved it under the title: 'JwdK ... Man in Black'.

James headed out here for university a decade ago, hard to believe, I know. Once he stumbled upon 'thePlace' Community, he never looked back. Initially, an HRDC funded summer job here and there, occasionally an anarchist phase, a great housemate for Garner & Giselle, and others ( almost forgot about his couch-crashing phase ), James stepped it up several notches Summer 2004 when Randy was on sabbatical, and ended up interning at Lambrick Park Church, thePlace specifically, but his influence, as a community environmentalist, knew no bounds. Websites. Poasis. StickMan art shows. The Cafe. Camping. Poker. Art. Posters. YLOP. PodCasts. Networking. Digging up crazy ideas and articles. Sharing them. A loss ...

There are touches and traces of the JwdK everywhere, if you are smart enough, or care enough, to look ... those who worked with him already miss him, the only good thing about his internship wrapping up almost exactly this time last year was it gave us time to adjust, knowing that family, and roots, were calling. Not that we adjusted well, mind you, but we tried.

He met Hilary Cain out here, fell in love with, and married her. Their Victoria wedding reception was an all time fav of mine ... seeing as the who's who of thePlace showed up decked out for a night at the Empress, a dress code upgrade never to be replicated, I don't think. Then there's Matty's best man's speech paralleling James & Hil's relationship to U2's Achtung Baby. Gold, pure Gold.

James, or Jamie, to us refugees from London, ON was one of those guys who got stuff done with little or no muss and fuss. He rounded out the Randy & Simon tag team into a strategic troika of complementary gifts, and when his internship ended, his name plate on the Place office suite door was changed to ... "In Memory of James Kingsley". His version of "minutes" for Place vision team meetings were a joy to read, capturing the essentials, with a tinge of subtle humour, and often an editorial comment tossed in that brought clarity to the reader. I will never forget the 3 submissions JK wrote this time last year as LPC turned the corner into nominating elders from thePlace. I read, and re-read them ... soaking up his ability to phrase things so accurately, without fanfare, or BS. Sans James, thePlace leadership limped a little, for a while, and I guess always will?

I can count on one hand the number of people I have worked closely with for almost a decade, and it was a privilege to do that with James William David Kingsley for 9 years. Maybe the UHaul will resist climbing the Rockies, and they will just turn it around and return?

Retrospectively ...

dlc

ps. the Bing weighs in here.

: like a broken record :

2008-05-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

... OK, I had a significant birthday last week, so maybe I'm feeling a generation gap? or language gap? or something?

The other day I heard someone say ... "she sounds like a broken record". It occurred to me ... I know what they mean, but anyone under 25, maybe 35 probably won't. Somehow "you sound like a broken CD ... a broken BlueRay disc, or a broken iPod" just doesn't have the same, uh ... cachet?

dlc

ps. noticed today that I am rather enjoying these lazy, no stress Sunday mornings ... I am showing up 2/3 of the time at Lambrick and/or thePlace, but this no-responsibility zone feels pretty darn good right now. We'll see how long it lasts.

: journey and/or destination :

2008-05-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

... anyone who has done some marketing work, or training, or education will probably have seen this model of "the marketing funnel" somewhere. I first learned about it in Denver, working for OMF International, in the mid-1990's. My boss/mentor, David, had tweaked it for a more non-profit spin ... to A.I.C.I. : Awareness, Interest, Concern and Involvement. Later on, I played with it some more and arrived at O.P-A.A.U.I-P.OtI.A.C.U.C. ... or Oblivious, Pre-Aware, Aware, Unsettled,Interest-Piqued,Open to Involvement, Action, Concern, Understanding, and finally Commitment. Who says I make things more complicated? I think this may have some parallels to various Randy "Bruggemann and Roxborough" talks over the years, and Sunday night's introduction to the Psalms of Ascent by Stacey : orientation, dis-orientation, re-orientation, and I would add a final category ... new orientation.

All that to say ... I have a post-it-note sitting in front of me with half-a-dozen job postings with deadlines for resume submissions. This has been quite an interesting process pour moi ... but seeing as one of those deadline is tomorrow, and the next is Friday, I'd better get to it. My resume is done, only needs tweaking for specifics of these individual jobs. So it isn't rocket science, just feels final, like I don't want this great in-between break to end, even though I can feel the restlessness and antsyness building ... it is time to get on with the new thing, whatever it is?

Problem is? while I really do want my process to look like the 'traditional funnel' as pictured above, I really identify and relate to the second graphic, the 'complexity funnel' ... as I have said to most of you ... the $64 question these months has been ... "what on earth will Don be doing by Fall 2008? Winter 2009? Spring 2010?

This transition may be about the journey AND the destination.

Hang on ...

dlc

: them ramblin' ambassadors :

2008-05-20T06:38:00.001-07:00

... just had to note that while most of us were at Kingsley's 'Farewell Tour' backyard party on Saturday night the Ramblin' Ambassadors were at Logan's Pub on Cook Street. Why is that important, you ask? Well, growing up, as the oldest of 5 kids, we had a steady stream of full size GM station wagons, most of them, I think, with that faux wood grain panelling. I actually remember my dad trading in a '57 Chevy 4 door on an early '60's Pontiac Stratochief wagon. Anyhow ... somewhere in that list was a 1969 Oldsmobile 'Vista Cruiser' exactly like this one on the Ramblin' Ambassadors new CD. In fact, the CD title is ... Vista Cruiser Country Squire. Crazy. Ours was the same cool green shade, although my own kids tend not to believe my story.

This last week JimmyK and Hil have been making good use of my 1990 Pontiac 6000 LE Safari wagon, with ... yes ... the faux wood panelling on it, as they pack 'er up here in BC and head for the rolling hills of SW Ontario. Looks just like this, only better, in white. Apparently the tradition continues as Megg gets to take it to the mainland for Yr III at TWU in September :)

dlc

ps. thought I'd try to re-construct a list of those stations wagons ... here's my best shot at it: 1963 Pontiac Stratochief white; 1966 Chev Caprice dark brown; 1969 Olds Vista Cruiser green; 1973 Pontiac Catalina beige; 1976 Buick Estate Wagon cream. That's about it. Lots of trips ... beach, Niagara Falls, and arenas in them chariots! There's a really great 'family folklore' story for every one of those cars ... another post maybe someday.

: balanced budgets a must? or an intentionality :

2008-05-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

... I found this article today while researching some not-for-profit social sector support agencies.

There is some very good stuff out there, so here's a little teaser.

The full text is available at CompassPoint Non-Profit Services BlueAvocado 'blog. CompassPoint itself has a wealth of information, take a wander over sometime and have a look. You may be pleasantly surprised, I certainly was.

dlc

Nonprofit Budgets Have to Balance: NOT!

*****************************************************

As nonprofits serving people and communities in difficult financial times, we don't expect things to turn around for our communities in the near future. Many of us are wondering: how can we achieve a balanced budget in these times? When is it okay not to have a balanced budget?

A potentially harmful habit practiced in many community nonprofits is presuming that a break-even budget is mandatory. Board members and staff may be under the influence of the false but persistent ‘nonprofits can't make money' myth as they develop the year's income and expense plan. Like other conventional wisdom, the balanced budget is based on sound concepts, but can become unnecessarily constricting. Instead of "How can we make the budget balance?" the annual budgeting cycle should begin with the question, "What financial outcome does our organization want or need this year?" Different scenarios lead to different decisions about what the budget's bottom line should look like:

1. We need to increase reserves or pay down debt: adopting a surplus budget. When the organization's leaders decide that its cash and other reserves are lower than ideal, the organization can plan to generate more income than expenses, creating surplus funds that can be used in future years. If the organization can deliver on a surplus budget, it will have higher net assets (net worth) at the end of the year, and enjoy a stronger financial position.

2. We can't gain ground now, but we can't lose ground either: the break-even budget. Typically, organizations choose break-even budgets by default and the skin of their teeth. A first cut on the budget shows expenses much higher than revenue, so the staff then tries to figure out how to increase the revenue number (but still stay close to reality) and decrease the expenses (but not damage programs). The staff and the Finance Committee tack their way towards a break-even budget, and hope that their cautiously optimistic projections work out.

3. There are three typical reasons for adopting deficit budgets.

First and rarest, the organization's leadership decides that its cash and other reserves are more than sufficient, and so spending some of those reserves in the coming 12 months is a good idea. At the end of the year they will have more expenses than income for the year, and thus a deficit for the year.

A second reason for a deficit budget is a decision to invest. For example, the organization may invest funds in strengthening its fundraising capacity, or in new programming. Leadership believes that resources from previous surplus years can be risked as investments in future programmatic or financial paybacks.

An all-too-common third reason for adopting a deficit budget is a decision that ending the year in a worse financial situation is the lesser evil. For some organizations, simply cutting costs may not be the right financial decision. For example, in an organization that relies on earned income, cutting staff will result in lowering income. The leadership will need to re-work the way its services are structured--perhaps too complicated to do in just a month or two.

At the end of a deficit budget year--assuming that reality matches the budget--there will be a lower net worth and the organization will be in a financially weaker position.

But "weaker" should be in quotes because a planned loss may, in fact, be a sound, strategic fiduciary decision by a board. For example, investing in a new website may mean a deficit this year, but could reap substantial gains in fundraising in coming years.

The core issue is intentionality. An unplanned deficit reflects an error in planning and/or execution, while a planned deficit is an investment of accumulated reserves for the benefit of the organization and its constituents.

Consulting to nonprofits, we've come to see that ... healthy organizations require cash reserves, which means they must generate excess cash in at least some of the years.

The majority of community nonprofits with whom we work need to build reserves. We may have to settle for break-even because we don't see opportunities for income growth or expense cuts. But we'll be settling for break-even, not aspiring to it.

: timing is everything ... and then some :

2008-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

... anyone reading this from Ontario way will appreciate this article. I especially liked the line later on which I have bolded/italicized for you.

Sorry, I can't find a photo of Bess, but she reminded me of Rhoda Morgenstern's mother Ida of Mary Tyler Moore fame, so here's a glimpse of that 4'11" fiery red-headed dynamo.

'Street smarts' and people savvy helped her shape Toronto politics

**************************************

Bess Godfrey, the mother of Paul Godfrey, president and chief executive of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, died on May 13. She was 93.

The Toronto-born woman had only a Grade 8 education. But her street smarts and her way with people would make her a sought-after advisor to local politicians.

She became interested in politics when working as an enumerator, going door-to-door to register people to vote. Later, her reputation as a successful political campaign manager attracted various fledgling politicians, including former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman.

When she was asked to run as a councillor for North York in 1964, she instead promoted her then 25-year-old son, Paul, and coached him to victory.

"She had unbelievable street smarts," Paul Godfrey said. "Having her at my side, no one dared run against me."

The 4-foot-11 woman with fiery red hair was bold and ambitious.

"She may have been small, but she was a giant in the field of politics," Godfrey said. "She had the trust and confidence of premiers, Cabinet ministers and local politicians of all political stripes." She would caution politicians:

"It's better to leave office two years too early than two minutes too late."

After managing campaigns, she served as deputy returning officer in provincial and federal elections for 15 years.

Godfrey and her late husband, Philip, raised their two sons, Paul and Don, in Kensington Market, one of Toronto's oldest neighbourhoods. Don Godfrey is a provincial court judge.

"She strongly believed that you had to live in a happy home to have a happy life. She had a very strong belief in Judaism and Jewish heritage," Paul Godfrey said.

Bess Godfrey suffered from Alzheimer's disease for 13 years prior to her death.

"Although not well-educated, she was very wise and street smart. She taught all of us the importance of treating people fairly. ... She could work the room and network better than any politician I know, and she never said a bad word about anyone."

: okay ... call me crazy ... but :

2008-05-16T14:59:00.001-07:00

OK ... as I said ... "call me crazy ... but" ... I heard this morning on the radio in the car that Ellen Degeneres announced on her show that in light of the California Supreme Court ruling overturning the ban on gay marriages in that state that she is planning on legally marrying Portia de Rossi, Nelle of Ally McBeal and Lindsay of Arrested Development fame. My apologies for the run-on sentence.

Call me politically incorrect but ... all I can say is "ouch" ... some folks will think this is one giant step for a certain orientation, all I can think is "this is one giant step backwards for the male species".

: on liberating the artistes among us :

2008-05-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

... over at Open Hands recently Mark posted some of David's thoughts on arts in the church.

As a failed wannabe artist I eventually landed in the camp of at least being a 'patron' of the arts in the church ( at Randy's prompting, several years ago ). So David's challenge makes sense.

Wonder though, how it will play out, given the church's 'censorious' culture? Give Mark's post a read here or Naked Pastor's full post here.

dlc

ps. to Lambrick Park Church's & thePlace Community's resident artisans ... JimmyK, Chris, Ant, Rhonda, Carren, James N, Nathan, Aileen, 'Nette, Mike, Geoff, AmyK ... this one's for you, and anyone I missed.

: on holding things lightly :

2008-05-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

... my mentor, David, has taught me more than a few critical things over the years. Easily in the top 5 would have to be ... "holding things lightly" ... as in ... nothing we have is actually ours, we may have stewardship of it ( relationships, career, assets ) for a while, but it ain't ours. I have seen a few too many people hang on to stuff ... positions, jobs, resources ... to ever want to do that.

... so is it just me? or? is anyone else asking why is Hillary Clinton hanging on to, grasping even, the chance to be in power? politics aside, she seems so disingenuous to me, every time she's on a platform, or working a crowd. I cannot get past the images of her hanging on so tightly that she's going to lose it all, alienate her party, be sent back to the Senate, which somehow appears to be second best for her now? She's moved away from attack ads, from anti-Obama negativity, but I still don't get her argument that Democratic Uber-Delegates need to support her, as the most winnable. What happened to the best candidate for the party, and the country, and in the USA's case, the world? even IF it means not getting the power? easy for me to say, I guess ... harder if you have a crack a becoming the most powerful 'leader' in the world.

Guess I'd better finish reading Shane Claiborne's book 'Jesus for President' ...

dlc

ps. for both of you reading this, I really do need to finish off a couple of specific resumes, and get them off to the right people/places. My self-imposed deadline for having narrowed my options down to 2-3-4 realistic alternatives was early-mid May, which is now! Made some progress on that yesterday, which was why my Twitter updates ranged between marginally productive, and marginally productive. Wish me well, June 30th cometh!

: whispers, or stopping to smell the roses :

2008-05-14T08:39:00.001-07:00

... just a quick link first thing this Wednesday morning. I've mentioned David Armano's blog, and work, a few times ... mostly for his graphic renditions of concepts and ideas he is working through. Armano is a young dad, working in Chicago, at a pretty cool advertising agency Critical Mass, whose real HQ is in Calgary of all places. I still say JimmyK should be freelancing for CM when he re-establishes himself in SW Ontario in June after a decade's hiatus in Victoria.

Anyhow ... take a minute and read David's whispers commentary on this photo ... not exactly stopping to smell the roses, but close.

... a little 'shabbat' maybe?

dlc

: macro views or micro views or both :

2008-05-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

... not quite sure why, but over the past several months my attention has been captured more by macro thinking than specific micro stuff. Authors like Thomas Homer-Dixon, Jared Diamond, Peter Senge, Jeffery Sachs and others. Maybe just stepping out of day-to-day responsibilities in a local organization freed up some head space, or maybe something altogether different I cannot put my finger on? Maybe time will tell, I rather hope so.

... on the plane ride home from Ontario Friday night I was reading an interview with Naomi Klein, the author, a few years back, of 'No Logo' ... and last year of "The Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism" ... which is pretty heady stuff, but good I think? A Canadian, with a serious pedigree ( her father-in-law is Stephen Lewis, but that's just for starters ), with quite the ability to get her head around issues, for example, as a non-economist she certainly grasped a level of economics in order to write Shock Doctrine Klein is not yet 40!

... there was a quote in the article/interview that jumped out at me. Klein was explaining ( and doing so very well ) that a specific chain of events, from a certain economic world view, may either predispose a reaction/response to world events, or more intentionally, capitalize on them. Here is her explanation/quote ...

Klein ... "there is an awareness that these disasters ( could be significant changes ) create opportunities, and so you have a whole movement ready within a think-tank infrastructure. I think of these think-tanks as sort of idea warmers - they keep the ideas ready for when the disaster ( or change ) hits. Milton Friedman said that 'only a crisis, real or perceived, produces real change, and when that crisis hits, the change that occurs depends on the ideas that are lying around ( at the time )' ..."

She uses a range of examples from 9-11 to Katrina to Poland/Lech Walesa to the fall of the Berlin Wall to describe this. Technically, I think she might say the current US mortgage crisis is big enough to force/create real change in the US financial system, but I digress :) ... basically, on a huge scale, like Myanmar and China this week, 'disasters are malleable political moments -- people are in shock, blasted out of the way, entire world views have been shattered'.

... I wonder, on a smaller, organizational scale, if there are some applications of this theory? what got me thinking was the idea that 'the ideas lying around at the time' are what are going to influence the future ... of that organization, the response to disaster, even recognizing an opportunity. I would hope most of us ... as individuals, families, teams, groups, organizations ... would have an "incubator" function ... like Klein's 'idea warmers' ... where we are perking on, nursing, maturing, developing future concepts. I thought about this in terms of my last 5 years: 2003-2008 ... and it made sense, and may still be influencing developments there.

... so what 'ideas are lying around' your world right now that may influence things for good, or otherwise, and how can you capitalize properly on them? are you writing them down? articulating them in any way? sharing them with your colleagues? ensuring that good things are not lost in trans(la)tion?

... food for thought.

dlc

: Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC :

2008-05-12T12:41:00.001-07:00

... it has been quite a while since I took POL144 "US Government & Politics" with Dr. William McKercher at the University of Western Ontario, so the complexities of this year's Democratic Primaries have intrigued me somewhat. I can't believe 'Wild Bill' is still teaching.

I've been following the Billary / Barack saga for months now, and it has been an interesting ride. I guess, qualifications notwithstanding, the tenor and tone of Obama's campaign ... even his responses to challenges, sound refreshing. I saw this today in the New York Times on-line edition and it kind of summed it up for me. Enjoy!

dlc

: count to ten :

2008-05-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

... yep, 10 ... count 'em. Sat 27 April > Wed 07 May = 10 days in Ontari-ari-ario! Whew ... never imagined helping downsize the folks from a 2000 sq ft home into a 1000 sq ft apartment would be such a demanding, exhausting,multi-tasking, generation-bending adventure. Didn't quite get 'er done in the estimated ( and planned, arranged for flights and car rental ) time frame, so I bumped my flights by 2 days ( I was supposed to be IN the air in 30 minutes ).

Mind you, I did take in a 2 day conference in K/W, have had 2-3 lunches with friends, and checked out a couple of employment opportunities, but still? 10 days? What must have Moses felt like as he transitioned the nation of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land on the 40 year plan? Don't tell me, just shoot me.

dlc

: from ridiculous to sublime :

2008-04-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

... I wrote this post in my head while driving back to my folk's place tonight after dinner with the in-laws ( about 10 minutes apart ... north & south sides of the River Thames ). After a crazy couple of days making decision after decision re: downsizing, and feeling like a nasty first born son dis-allowing my parent's preferences about this furniture or that, and driving a pretty demanding schedule, all the while arranging rental trucks, booking elevators, placing classified moving/garage sale ads, and selling off a big old vehicle, life was feeling ridiculous ... and I had not yet been here 48 hours, but it feels like a week and then some.

... I headed back here about 9:20 pm in order to catch the Colorado vs Detroit Game 3, which isn't going very well right now. Southbound on Wonderland Road, across the Guy Lombardo bridge ( which will only make sense to 2 readers : JimmyK and KingBing ... who have spent time in London, ON ) on a clear April night, just dark enough, with the iPod jacked into the stereo on my rental, a Ford Edge Crossover SUV with the Trews pounding out 'Paranoid Freak' ... everything slowed down, like in that Acura commercial, and felt sublime. This is probably a $3000 stereo in a $40,000 vehicle ( I got upgraded at Pearson Airport, ask me sometime ).

So, from ridiculous to sublime ?

... my 10 minute drive from Oxford & HydePark in NW London across the river to Wonderland & Commissioners in SC London, ahhh!

BTW, there's a couple of biblical images ( get thee behind me ) in that Trews' song, as well as several great Canadian references ( I stand on guard for thee ).

Later,

dlc

: if ... by rudyard kipling :

2008-04-28T10:07:00.001-07:00

... as most of you faithful readers know, I am in SW Ontario helping my parents to move into a nice two bedroom apartment. Never an easy task, but it looks like it will go alright, according to plan even. They were married 51 years ago last Sunday, so while they have downsized a bit over the years, this is still significant, as their retirement home is spacious and has a lifetime of 'stuff' in it.

... one thing I may bring home with me is a framed 'illumination' of Rudyard Kipling's poem ... IF. Kipling, a Nobel prize winner in Literature, wrote what became one of England's most loved poems back in 1895, but IF wasn't published until 1910 in a collection of his works, short stories and poems. IF made it in many ways ... from the Simpson's 'Old Money' episode to Apocalypse Now, to VW's current 'Das Auto' commercial and Fraser's 'Love Stinks' episode.

This poem hung in the front hall of the house I grew up in at 45 Weybourne Crescent, in NW London Ontario, from Grade 3 to when I got married. I remember many a time ... whether in deep, deep trouble, or just hanging out, waiting for someone supposedly coming by, to even a couple of introspective moments in high school, reading and loving this poem. So it made sense that IF I am only going to take one thing back to BC with me, it would be this. Have a slow, pleasant read, and see what you think. My re-reading of it again, last night, brought to mind some of the things I have learned ( the hard way ) and some of the things I aspire to, this next leg of the journey. I think there are applications, insights and gems of wisdom here for anyone ... leaders, followers, friends, family, people who exasperate us, people who motivate us. Enjoy.

dlc

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

: formative faith communites :

2008-04-27T15:53:00.001-07:00

... it is 4 pm EDST in London, ON. Rolled into my folk's place at 0220 hours this AM after a full travel day Saturday. Got up and caught 90% of Hillside Church's service, and Tim's series on "What IS the Gospel?" and he made 'em think ( again, repeatedly :) including saying ... "scared the hell out of us" ... but it was in context, trust me. Skipped out a few minutes early and headed across town from SW to NE to catch North Park's 11:30 service, mostly to get Terry's series on "disharmony.com" on relationships. Great as well. Out to lunch with Ron B the mission(al) pastor at NPCC, which is a bit of an oxymoron since most of the pastors on staff there are missional, but no need to split hairs.

Bottomline, both these churches have changed radically since my time there most of the 1970's and 1980's ... they've grown, shrunk, moved, built, transitioned, deflated, had great stuff happen, absorbed hard stuff, but both are, I think, in very good, although very different places. At Hillside they were putting out more chairs at 10:15, cool. I said to someone there "this is a breath of fresh air". At lunch with Ron he outlined some of NPCC's journey, which was great, gave me goose bumps.

All said? it takes different kinds of churches in different times and spaces to get it done. Both Hillside and North Park are thinking capital "K" Kingdom in London, and beyond. Always great to see.

dlc

: misc wednesday wanderings :

2008-04-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

... sure enjoying Tim's pithy thoughts. Just think ... he's sitting in coffee shops and libraries in London writing them on a BlackBerry Pearl. And yes, he preaches in those jeans, in my Baptist Church. Actually? I am very hopeful for the future of the former Wortley Road Baptist Church. Now Hillside Church of London, I think they're on their way back. And heck! JimmyK with Hilary may just be joining the fray there this summer. How great is that?

... buzz is that Brian Burke is headed to the Maple Leafs. Could Burkie return the Cup to TO in our lifetimes? It would be great to see, if only for the sake of legion loyal Leafs fans. It's been a while. UPDATE: Burke's staying put.

... the GM saga continues. Vancouver names a no-experience guy, and 76% of Vancouver sports fans disagree in a poll taken last night. Do you think this was Luongo's reaction in Florida? While Nonis may not have had long enough, down in Denver, Pierre Lacroix stayed too long. It took Giguere a while to get his feet, but looks like he's doing OK now. This next series vs the Red Whiners should be good. AVs fans are thinking about the bad blood that developed after Claude Lemeiux rearranged Kris Draper's face.

... see? my posts are restoring the cosmic balance of things ... while 'and another think' and 'a living alternative' make you think ... 'listening2learn' ... well, whatever.

dlc

ps. experimenting w/ twitter, as I said, not sure why, exactly.

pps. to Ontario Saturday. 10 days of this 'n that. Will be busy.

: working hard ... or ... hardly working :

2008-04-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

... I am not exactly sure what the dynamic is these days, but when I need to be productive, I ain't, but yet I am being productive, just on a totally different scale ( as in ... creativity ).

... so what's with that? maybe my creative juices are starting to flow again? maybe I am in that 50% category, with those who are in the bottom half of the world population when it come to discipline and productivity and all those good things? maybe I'm lazy ... or need structure ( as in office hours, peer pressure, guilt motivation ) to move?

... at any rate, I have been very productive the last few days on all the 'wrong' things some would say. Time will tell.

... maybe this burst of creativity was just what the doctor ordered?

hope so.

dlc

: and another thing ... finally :

2008-04-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

subtitle : tim the bailey is back with v.2.0

... by my math-challenged calculations today is the first day of the second half of my transition sabbatical, which technically runs from Feb 1 - June 30 ( 'tho Karen might like it to be sometime in May :)

A long story short, I am helping someone through a pretty significant life shift, and no, it is not me! I have spent ALL of today, literally, on the phone, writing e-mails, putting out fires, generally walking &/or counseling them through the morass ( read: hell ) of a mess. I was having one of those days like Judith Viorst's delightful kid's book ...
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

... then up on FaceBook pops a message titled ... "OK, fine!" ... the content stating "so I'll start it up again, but you're to blame ... T " which kind of made my day. I've been in withdrawal for months now, ever since Tim hit 'blogger's block eons ago with version 1.0 of 'And Another Thing'... which, if you missed totally, you can purchase in book form. I have one, signed by the blogger/author/photographer hisself. He says the things I wish I thought of and had the guts to say.

I will update my 'blogroll to your right, seeing as Tim is no longer MIA, and really encourage you to drop in occasionally to read v.2.0's 'rants, confessions and self-deprecations of a recovering hypocrite' ... although? I do wish T wasn't quite so hard on himself. I really do.

Welcome home, Tim ... we've missed you,

dlc

: logic + emotion = __________ :

2008-04-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

... I've mentioned ( and used ) David Armano's Logic+Emotion 'blog graphics before, and I've put another one here, but take a look at his full post here ... the Top 10 Made Up Words of Web 3.0 ... he says "you won't find these in Wikipedia. But someone had to write them down. Inspired by Web jargon and making their first appearence on Twitter, I give you the Top 10 made up words of Web 3.0"

1. Socialstainable

2. Viruseful

3. Scrollax

4. Emotrics

5. Blickroll

6. Intercommunes

7. S'more Locater

8. Twiggles

9. Grokment

10. Facehook

So? this is from a guy who seems to me to be merging, in a good way, two streams of thinking and creativity. Business and Arts/Design. What say you?

dlc

: ever wonder where aol went :

2008-04-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

... once upon a time I had more AOL e-mail addresses in my address book than anything else. I've wondered a number of times whatever happened to AOL, besides going AWOL?

In the '90's and early '00's AOL literally carpet-bombed North American cities with free installation disks in the mail. Now I can't find a single myaddressis@aol.com in recent years in my in-box, not even my mother-in-law.

Well, the answer may be here, in a FastCompany article. As Jim Collins would say ... "maybe they forgot to confront the brutal facts?"

dlc

ps. www.jordoncooper.com beat me to posting this, so thought I'd better catch up. Sorry for the long, pasted in link below ... every time I want to do this I remember that I haven't mastered how! I 'think' the link aboveis working ... if not ... here it is :

www.fastcompany.com/magazine/124/dead-man-walking.html

: i are a weakly, oops, weekly 'blogger :

2008-04-14T16:36:00.001-07:00

... not quite sure exactly how I hit this stride of about 1.15 posts per week, but I have. I wonder how all those uber-creative 'bloggers do it? and to think, I was pressuring TBailey back into the 'sphere. Sorry, Tim. I think I understand your reticence to re-commit.

dlc

ps. I've really been enjoying a 'blog by David Armano @ Critical Mass in Chicago ( but HQ is in Calgary ). If you have a minute ( or 60 ) sometime, take a look around his 'blog. His graphic renditions of his ideas are worth their weight in gold, if you ask me, a visual learner. This recent post ties into the above discussion. Also, here is an example of his graphic work ...

: courage and calling :

2008-04-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

... I am realizing that I am going to have to categorize or classify my favourite &/or most influential books somehow. I've found myself in the last few weeks referring to at least 4 or 5 different books as my 'favourite' ... which can't really be, can it?

Anyhow, one of my favourites the last several years has been Gordon Smith's 'Courage & Calling' ... I came across it when Smith was teaching and dean of students at Regent College.

Yesterday I had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with 2 staff leaders at 2 different homeless shelters on the mainland. One was the director at Lookout Homeless Society's Yukon & 5th Street facility, about 6-8 blocks south of Vancouver's infamous DTES ( Down Town East Side ). The other was a shift leader at Hyland House in Surrey, the residential arm of OPTIONS Community Services.

At some point in each conversation both communicated to us that they loved their jobs. I am thinking ... "wow, that's no small feat". So I got to thinking about it, and Dr. Smith's book came to mind ... and I realized again ... when that combination of calling, partnered with courage, actually intersect? Some profound things can happen. Here's a blip off the book jacket ...

"God has called you -- first to himself, to know and follow him but also to a specific life purpose, a particular reason for being.

This second call, to a defining purpose or mission in life, is often termed a vocation, from the Latin root meaning "calling." And while it has implications for your work or occupation, it also reaches wider. It includes your giftedness, your weakness, your life in community, what you do day to day. In this book, you are invited to discover your vocation by listening to God and becoming a coworker with him."

Hmmm,

dlc

: every little thing you do is tragic :

2008-04-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

... wow, another week blew by. I find myself making those novice or rookie 'blogger excuses ... I was busy. I was sick. I was at a 3 day intensive course. Bottomline? I wasn't inspired yet. Anyhow, as I said in a recent post, inspiration comes to me in various, weird forms. So bear with me on this one. It is in the sad, reflective camp, not dry, funny or remotely uplifting.

I was driving down Cook Street yesterday on my way to a funeral for a guy I had met maybe 4-5 years ago. His dad is a friend of mine, in a 70-something to 40-something kind of way. When I met him he was maybe late 30's, and had a life of drugs, jail, and heartbreak, but he was trying. Trying to dig out, climb up, climb out, whatever. I remember him telling me he was on methadone ( check wikipedia ), up to 3x a day, to combat &/or counteract his addictive dependencies. Finally, it all caught up with him and last week he overdosed, accidentally.

But back to Cook Street. On the radio, which is almost always just background noise when I am driving, was Matchbox Twenty's song Disease. What do I know? I thought they sounded like Carlos Santana. One line jumped out at me ... seemed like a take off on Sting's line in the Police's 1981 song "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic".

In MB20's Disease it is ... "every little thing you do is tragic". What a line to hear headed to the funeral of a 42 year old addict. When I got home I checked the lyrics, and they look to be written about a girl, although somewhere in the 'blogosphere someone said it was about kicking cigarettes? I'll include the lyrics and a link to the video below ... pretty sad.

In this case the application to a mistress, heroin, is real. Truly, every little thing addictions do is tragic.

I imagine if you haven't been there, you cannot understand? I can't.

dlc

ps. you can listen/watch the 'Disease' YouTube video here.

Not sure if it make sense, lyrics + video = ??? but hey ...

*******************************

Matchbox Twenty - Disease

Feels like you made a mistake
You made somebody's heart break
But now I have to let you go
I have to let you go

You left a stain
On every one of my good days
But I am stronger than you know
I have to let you go

No one's ever turned you over
No one's tried
To ever let you down,
Beautiful girl
Bless your heart

I got a disease
Deep inside me
Makes me feel uneasy baby
I can't live without you
Tell me what I am supposed to do about it
Keep your distance from it
Don't pay no attention to me
I got a disease

Feels like you're making a mess
You're hell on wheels in a black dress
You drove me to the fire
And left me there to burn

Every little thing you do is tragic
All my life, oh was magic
Beautiful girl
I can't breathe

I got a disease
Deep inside me
Makes me feel uneasy baby
I can't live without you
Tell me what I am supposed to do about it
Keep your distance from it
Don't pay no attention to me
I got a disease
I think that I'm sick
But leave me be while my world is coming down on me
You taste like honey, honey
Tell me can I be your honey
Be, be strong
Keep telling myself it that won't take long till
I'm free of my disease

Yeah well free of my disease
Free of my disease

I got a disease
Deep inside me
Makes me feel uneasy baby
I can't live without you
Tell me what I am supposed to do about it
Keep your distance from it
Don't pay no attention to me
I got a disease

I think that I'm sick
But leave me be while my world is coming down on me
You taste like honey, honey
Tell me can I be your honey
Be, be strong
Keep telling myself it that won't take long till
I'm free of my disease
Yeah well free of my disease
Free of my disease

****************************

: tears on a plane ... vs ... O.R.D. :

2008-03-27T20:37:00.001-07:00

... as I mentioned below, Mark Petersen's post about safety vs. risk got me to thinking. His post started off with this line ... "I sat on a plane last week and cried" ... which will get your attention. Mark has a great/responsible/challenging/rewarding role in a foundation that is working hard towards their vision of 'building charity capacity and stimulating innovative programs' in organizations across Canada and the world. Basically, this foundation attempts to support non-profit organizations that bring transformation to communities around the world.

So when, in Mark's words ... "it was the first time it hit me so starkly that some people will ultimately choose to go down the safe, predictable pathway that leads to … safe predictability … but also low impact, reduced relevance, and minimal discomfort" ...

I went back to thinking about risk and reward. Mark goes on ...
The scriptures in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:12-27 hit me - the one of the person who digs a hole to sock the valuable away for another day. Thinking that they are preserving the treasure, they end up hiding it and covering it up. The eventual result, I fear, is they will forget where it is hidden, and eventually will walk around aimlessly knowing there are gold coins in the earth somewhere … but where?

Why, when we are faced with the potential of multiplying impact, do we shrink back and maintain the status quo? Why are we motivated by fear, not faith? This paschal weekend, mediate on this thought: the story of Easter is one of great risk".

Back in January 2007 when I began the Executive Arrow leadership program, one of the presenters was Bobb Biehl, a former VP at World Vision International. As Director of World Vision Volunteers, he designed and developed programs which raised millions of dollars worldwide. Anyhow, Biehl went on to establish the MasterPlanning Group, and some very simple but very helpful and even profound leadership and management and planning tools, some of which I try to use regularly.

One of Biehl's dozen or so books is titled ... Stop Setting Goals If You Would Rather Solve Problems ... which, I admit, sounded kind of hokey to me at first. But I was wrong, and I bought my very own copy. Here's his thesis ... about 15% of the western world's population are goal setters. You know them, always wanting to set targets, measure results, begin with the end in mind, establish critical performance measures. They also ( according to Bobb, but I concur ) want everyone else to be like them, and if you're not, they kind of make you feel like a second class citizen. Biehl was one of these people for 25 years of his career, building promotion upon promotion, even his consulting practice on goal setting. One day he had an 'aha' moment. In the course of working with a client he observed a pattern that was new to him ... some people are natural problem solvers. Goal setting is counter-intuitive to them. They're never going to get it. So he went to work asking around his clientele ... and came to the conclusion that 80% of the population are problem solvers. That certainly puts things in perspective. But what about the remaining 5% ... who are they? what are they like? what's their bent, their unique contribution? He decided the 5% are what he calls opportunity oriented ( not opportunists ). He fleshes this out in the book, but in thinking about it, I fleshed it out myself some, and wrote to him, hoping I will get honourable mention in the next edition of 'Stop Setting Goals' ... just to have my name in a footnote about stopping goal setting would be an 'honour' :)

I simply do not 'get' goal setters. I knew exactly what he was talking about when he began to describe them. But if I simply don't get them ... I know I drive goal setters crazy. Trust me. So while I can't shed much light on their psyche, I think I have a few insights into the problem solvers and the opportunity oriented among us ( 85% ).

Among the Problem Solvers there must be at least 2 kinds ... those who are natural fixers ... and those who anticipate problems. The fixers are great, when stuff goes off the rails they like to get in there and put it back together. The anticipators are fixers as well, but my experience says they have this intuition, or something, that smells a problem in the works. Often, if you let them, they will go after the problem before it becomes obvious to everyone, and do a preemptive strike. Obviously, these are important people to have around as well. I was surprised he pegged them at 80% ... but he's been around the block a time or two.

Then there are the Opportunity Oriented. I came up with three basic kinds of OO's ... first, there are those who respond to an opportunity when presented with one. Second, there are those who, like the anticipatory fixers, recognize an opportunity in the offing. Something about discernment? Or vision maybe? Then there's the third category ... the opportunity creators. These folks, maybe they're entrepreneurs? have a way of sniffing out the combination of people, circumstances, resources, momentum, serendipity and maybe luck that tells them there is a gold mine here IF we take a little time, and maybe risk, to uncover it, or put the pieces of the puzzle together, or align the right conversations. This, btw, drives goal setters nuts.

What do you think? Am I way off base, or does your experience semi-confirm this? I can tell you where I was sitting in a conference room in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec where the lights went on for me. I was constantly PO'd at those goal setters. All about the numbers. All about proof. All about stats. No room for mystery, or intuition, or gut-sense. Now I can put them where they belong ... in the 15% file. I'm not saying there's no place for them, I am just saying there's a right place for them ... maybe. Somewhere. Probably once the real vision/direction has been set and some accountability is needed?

So I played around with this a little ... thinking about the leadership teams I have been part of, and Biehl's 80 / 15 / 5 rule of thumb isn't all that far off. In one leadership body half the staff were opportunity oriented: half recognize/respond and half creators, the other half creative advance fixers. The board were almost all problem solvers: mostly fixers, with a couple of anticipators, and there was one goal setter ( who stuck out like a sore thumb ). No wonder leadership team dynamics were unique ... mostly we had figured out how to work together, but boy, I wish I had this insight 10-15-20 years ago.

All that to say ... Mark P is an opportunity recognizer/creator. He sat, in tears, on a plane ... why? maybe because he had run into the 80% rule ... after-the-fact problem solvers who could not rise to the opportunity being presented to them. Scroll back up and re-read the rest of this quote again ... "people go down the safe, predictable pathway that leads to … safe predictability … but also low impact, reduced relevance, and minimal discomfort" ... and ask yourself ... who are the problem solvers in your world? the goal setters? the opportunity oriented?

I don't think one is better than the other ( although I tend to like some more than others ). I think we probably need each other to get things done, but we need to recognize each other's unique contributions. How might I do that better than I have? How can we together avoid having ORD ... 'Opportunity Recognition Deficit'?

Maybe the graphic below is a different way of saying the same thing?

... be a synthesizer.

dlc

: stop avoiding risk. start embracing it :

2008-03-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

On Balancing Risk and Performance : IBM's 2008 Global CFO Study "Growing global risks. Rapidly changing environments. How are leaders responding? Learn about what more than 1200 CFOs and Senior Finance Executives from 79 countries have to say and what actions can be taken to build new flexibility and agility into organizations to help drive growth" ... G&M's Report on Business.

OK, so maybe my 'blogjam is broken? inspiration comes from strange places I guess? I was reading the Globe & Mail at StarBucks today, and I noticed a 3/4 page ad from IBM, which was far more eye-catching than their website is! Obviously, I am thinking lots these days about 'the Kingdom' and how an individual, a family, a small group, a faith community, a church, a denomination, a business, an organization, a government, a whatever ... can make a Kingdom difference in the 21stC? I think we would all agree there's the element of risk.

Over at Open Hands ( http://markpetersen.wordpress.com ) 'blog last week, Mark wondered about safety vs risk. Maybe that was in the back of my head when I saw the IBM ad today? Anyhow, more about Mark's March 20th post later. Watch for it ... Tears on a Plane.

Basically, I think what I am wondering is ... "where is the fine line between security based, money-in-the-bank, compliance ... vs ... challenge, opportunity, Spirit-led risk when it comes to faith based ministries?" For many, or maybe most, this isn't an issue, as they operate on a shoestring, but when the scales tip and there is cash, why do we sometimes bury it, and not invest it again? Or, when opportunity presents itself, why don't we think beyond the box and just maybe see things differently, in a new light? Or finally, why simply stay safe, predictable, and on the known path, instead of the road less taken? An inability to rise to stuff bugs me. Kind of like ... in mammon we trust.

Anyhow, if IBM can be asking the right kind of questions about appropriate ( financial ) risk, why isn't more of the Church asking? why are the ones who are asking so often shut down? Questions, questions, questions ... ironically, Big Blue's ad ended with a challenge:

stop talking, start doing.

dlc

: a missing week in the life of a 'blog :

2008-03-27T13:51:00.001-07:00

... here it is, Thursday again, or already, a week has passed since I wrote anything. Granted, it was Easter weekend, kids were home from school, trips to the mainland were made, and all that. Taking a page from Bing's 'blog ... here is a semi-random sampling of last week's ideas, conversations, challenges and ...

Maundy Thursday : planned to attend UBC's main campus prospective student orientation day with Fraser, but after arranging all the other details, and I mean ALL the other details, UBC's student site wouldn't let him register for Thursday, so we changed gears and went for Tuesday, only to find out Thursday would have worked after all. Note to self ... inefficiency and generalities from big institutions can be very frustrating. I'd better remember that for whatever incarnation my life takes this next few months.

Easter Weekend : for the first time in 8 years I haven't been involved in planning or leading Easter services at Lambrick Park Church. A nice change, but weird. Ended up having a mellow long weekend, which isn't saying much given that every day is like a Saturday these days! Missed the sunrise service on the beach due to rain, bummer. It went on, but I didn't reach on it, lazy bum that I am.

Easter Monday : Spring Break wrapping up, took Megg and roommate Claire to the ferry, along with Fras as we were headed to UBC. Ran into Jamie S on the ferry, a real treat. She has started her new job, or calling maybe? with MCC in Vancouver's DTES ( Down Town East Side ) working with immigrant families, primarily Latino, given her Spanish. Got settled into Carey Hall residence by 8 pm, and went downtown to catch the 9 pm IMAX showing of U2:3D ... wow! Pretty remarkable. I have the Vertigo Tour DVD filmed in Chicago's United Center, but this was filmed outdoors in Buenos Aires, Argentina in a stadium that must hold 60,000. Sound was phenomenal, 3D was crazy, only thing missing ( for me ) was Elevation and Mysterious Ways. However, Miss Sarejevo might well have made up for it? Simply ... wow.

Tuesday : UBC's 'Degree-in-a-Day' with Fraser. A very big campus. 2 hour walking tour. 40,000 is a lot of students. Surprisingly, a lot of USA students checking UBC out. A teensy bit of attitude on UBC's part ... the assumption being everyone wants to be there ... whereas in reality I'd say it was 50/50 people admitted already, and those still scoping schools out. Vanier Place, one of two huge 1st/2nd year student residence complexes houses 1,400 18-19-20 year olds in 10 buildings. Totem Park just down the East Mall houses another 1,200. Hmmm ... can you say "concentrated party zone" 3x fast? Outta there by 3:45 pm thinking the 5 pm ferry is a no-brainer. Not! At 4 pm the 5 was full, and the 7 pm sailing was 43% already. Right ... end of Spring Break.

Wednesday : totally mellow day. Read/re-read a bunch of stuff from organizational thinkers at MIT ... Senge, Scharmer and friends. Really fascinating material. Not sure if many folks actually get it, or can implement it in their organizations, but you have to start somewhere I guess? I've read these guys over the years, and picked up an idea here, a thought there, and probably applied some bits and pieces. It is fun to be re-reading their stuff having taken a step back, and maybe seeing the forest, not just the trees, which so easily happens when you've got the pedal to the metal working fulltime and then some ( like most of you reading this ). But that's partly what this few months break is about, right?

Hockey : took in the Salmon Kings game Saturday night with Pete L. Was good. SKings have partnered to do some fund raising for the Breast Cancer Foundation, and were giving away soft pink t-shirts. Must have had 8,000 shirts on hand. By the end of the game, as the Kings fought their way back from a 2-0 deficit I think all 5,300 fans in attendance were waving a t-shirt, egging the Kings on. It was either profound, that much pink in support of cancer research, or a bit odd, a hockey arena awash in pastel pink. A side note ... people get a little crazy when free stuff is available. Watch sometime.

Last night we had a mix of Avalanche fans and Canuckleheads over for pizza as the battle for the last playoff spot was partly at stake. Kyle & Amy were actually at the game in Denver. Now that is commitment.

Gotta run,

dlc

? does this woman look like a radical to you ?

2008-03-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

You tell me ... does this woman look like a radical organizational thinker to you? Me neither, but I was wrong. Try these quotes on for size.

"most people have a desire to love their organizations. They fell in love with the identity that is trying to be expressed. They connected with the founding vision. But then we took this vital passion and institutionalized it. We created an organization" ...

Wait, it gets better, or worse, depending ...

"people who loved the purpose grow to disdain the institution that was created to fulfill it. Passion mutates into procedures, rules and roles. Instead of purpose, we have policies. Instead of being free to create, we impose constraints that squeeze the life out of us. The organization is frozen in time. We see it's dead and bloated form and resent it for what it prevents us from doing" ...

As a thinker / writer / advocate for almost 35 years now, Meg Wheatley's 'landmark' book Leadership and the New Science : Discovering Order in a Chaotic World gathers up a lifetime of teaching, researching, observing and challenging the status quo. All I can say is ... Ouch! or did I say that already? okay, maybe damn? I'm sorry, but what's not to get about this?

dlc

ps. this might be a really bad idea right now, but as I have a 75 minute drive up over the Malahat to Camp Imadene to pick up some of Lambrick's senior high kids from a work week I plan to listen to a podcast of Frank Viola and George Barna discussing their book Pagan Christianity? exploring the roots of our church practices. Might be just enough to push me over the edge, not good, if you know the Malahat!

: thinkin' about time :

2008-03-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

... one of the great but bizarre things about the 21stC is portable music. I remember when Sony's WalkMan came out. My iPod is as basic as you can get, but I swap various handpicked playlists back and forth all the time while waiting for the the iPhone's price to come down ( who says Canadians need Rogers? I have an 18 year old with an eBay iPhone working just fine. Although, I think it holds a lot more songs than my $79 Shuffle ).

One of those playlists is Hootie & the Blowfish's 'Best of ... 1993-2003' ... I'm not going to pretend to be qualified to editorially comment on music like Bing can, Kingsley will, or Randy often does. I just enjoy it, and sometime it makes me think, differently. A good thing.

Cracked Rear View, which remarkably is the 12th best selling album in music business history, included hits Hold My Hand, Let Her Cry, Only Wanna Be With You, and Time. Drowning was a little too in-your-face I guess? But given Obama's week, maybe someone should dig it up again as it asks some great questions.

1993 and 1996 releases under Atlantic Records picked up Old Man & Me ( an old man's retrospective on a young man's involvement in a war ), Only Wanna Be With You ( settled out-of-court with Bob Dylan for unauthorized use of lyrics from Tangled Up in Blue ), and, of course, Time. 2000's Scattered, Smothered and Covered covered a diverse range of bands from 54-40 to Zeppelin, Bill Withers to Roy Orbison and R.E.M. Even though sued by him, H&TB contributed to a Bob Dylan tribute album with 'The Ballad of Hollis Brown' ... and countless songs found their way onto sitcom and movie soundtracks.

Time is one of those songs, like several of the above, that sound upbeat but have often profound, questioning lyrics. Kind of plaintive, semi-searching, sort of hopeful, almost. It is a great song to dig out when you are feeling a little lost, maybe confused about your life, or life in your world, whether locally or even cosmically. I keep a foot tall 50 year old hourglass on my shelves ... among my other knicknacks and mementos, just to remind me that time is a resource, an ally, an enemy sometimes. Here's someone with a few bones to pick with time, but that's OK. Get it out, I say. Maybe our songwriters and poets are psychologically far healthier than the majority of us?

Anyhow, this post came to me while on a nice long walk in the March sunshine this aft, so I thought I'd share it with you. I listened to 2006's Live in Charleston at www.hootie.com while typing this, and as it wraps up ( right about now ) 'The Killing Stone' is playing. Downright biblical. Say what you will, H&TB is just what the doctor ordered once in a while. Anyways, here's the lyrics to Time ... enjoy them.

dlc

***

TIME

Time, why you punish me?
Like a wave bashing into the shore
You wash away my dreams.

Time, why you walk away?
Like a friend with somewhere to go
You left me crying.

Can you teach me about tomorrow?
And all the pain and sorrow, running free?
'Cause tomorrow's just another day
And I don't believe in time.

Time, I don't understand
Children killing in the street
Dying for the color of red

Time, hey there red and blue
Wash 'em in the ocean, make them clean
Maybe their mothers won't cry tonight?

Can you teach me about tomorrow?
All the pain and sorrow, running free?
But tomorrow's just another day
And I don't believe in ...

Time is wasting
Time is walking
You ain't no friend of mine
I don't know where I'm goin'
I think I'm out of my mind
Thinking about time.

And if I die tomorrow, yeah
Just lay me down to sleep.

Time is wasting
Time is walking
You ain't no friend of mine
I don't know where I'm goin'
I think I'm out of my mind
Thinking about time.

Time, you left me standing there
Like a tree growing all alone
The wind just stripped me bare, stripped me bare

Time, the past has come and gone
The future's far away, but
Now only lasts for one second, one second

Can you teach me about tomorrow?
And all the pain and sorrow, running free?

'Cause tomorrow's just another day
And I don't believe in time ...

Time ... time ... time ...
You ain't no friend of mine
I don't know where I'm goin'
I think I'm out of my mind
Thinking about time.
Walking, wasting ... wasting time.

Time, why you punish me?