: values > mission > vision : discovered vs created :

... 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 :

... 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 :

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! :

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 :

... 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 :

... 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 :

... 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