EXECUTIVE DECISIONS

Making an executive decision requires more than using that part of your brain called “executive functioning” which can be defined as “a set of cognitive abilities that control and regulate other abilities and behaviors. Executive functions are necessary for goal-directed behavior. They include the ability to initiate and stop actions, to monitor and change behavior as needed, and to plan future behavior when faced with novel tasks and situations. Executive functions allow us to anticipate outcomes and adapt to changing situations…”   (from the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders!)  A mental disorder can affect anyone at anytime and while there may be signs that are ignored or minimized, it’s time we pay attention to behaviors that seem unusual or even puzzling.  Those could be clues of future trouble down the road.

If you are going to be adept at solving problems and anticipating outcomes, one of the main functions of an effective leader, then it’s imperative that you have the ability to anticipate problems before they become even larger. You might call that foresight, something beyond insight. There is even a Foresight Institute that promotes transformative technologies that promise to address how to capture the opportunities and avoid the risks of nanotechnology in the future.   Perhaps every organization should have a foresight institute of some sort, capturing opportunities and avoiding risks.

Two other main functions of an effective leader, from Nan Keohane, are making things happen and taking a stand.  An effective leader is a catalyst for actions that will have positive impact on people and the community that he or she leads.  Making things happen doesn’t just mean deciding what will happen or who will do what, but also understanding why you are doing what you’re doing and why you’re doing it that way. It is then easier to communicate your actions to others.

Taking a stand is being able to articulate with clarity and consistency your core values and how they inform, direct and support programs and policies that are the infrastructure of your organization. Getting everyone on board as much as possible so that you can move forward with common vision and common purpose is also easier when your constituents are subscribers to your mission and understand it sufficiently to repeat it often. 

Executive decisions need to be sound, wise and well-informed and in the best interests of those whom you lead and serve.  The most effective leaders accept the burden and blessing of responsibility that go with the position.  Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to exercise your authority with courage and conviction and perhaps most importantly with grace and generosity of spirit.

SEPTEMBER EQUINOX

The September equinox occurs the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from north to south. This happens either on September 22, 23, or 24 every year.

This year, 2014, it happens on Tuesday, September 23 at 2:29 UTC, which for me in MDT is 8:29 PM today, Monday the 22^nd.  You have to do some calculating depending on where in the northern hemisphere you are.  UTC refers to Coordinated Universal Time, one of the successors to Greenwich Mean Time and is the primary standard by which the world regulates clocks and time.  Imagine that!  We think we can regulate or manipulate time according to the earth’s rotation.  Regardless, the beginning of Fall, known as autumn in many countries is marked by this date and time.

On the equinox, night and day are nearly exactly the same length – 12 hours – all over the world. This is the reason it's called an "equinox", derived from Latin, meaning "equal night". However, even if this is widely accepted, it isn't entirely true. In reality equinoxes do not have exactly 12 hours of daylight.

The point for me is not so much the technical aspects as the opportunity to celebrate Mother Nature and recall many wonderful experiences associated with this time of the year.  One of the more obvious ones is the change in the colors of the leaves, from summer’s green to fall’s brilliant yellows, orange, copper and in some places, red.  Another is the time of harvest, receiving the bounties of field and garden, a time of putting up and preserving for winter.  Our families had “fruit cellars” where we stored vegetables and fruits to be used throughout the cold months. 

What came to mind as I wrote this was an old gospel hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves.”  It was a seasonal hymn in the churches where I endured many Sunday mornings.  For those of you who know the tune or the words, it’s another way to express gratitude for the harvest.  Never mind that Frank Zappa used it in Wonderful Wino or that Faye Dunaway sang it to Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man.  Now, find a way to celebrate later today.  We are planning a light show on the side of our neighbor’s house!

LEARNING FROM ASINTMAH (Native American Goddess of Nature)

Photosynthesis is as natural to plants as eating is to humans.  In fact, there are some similarities with several significant exceptions.  One is that plants seldom overeat.  They take what they need, water from the ground through their roots, CO2 from the air and sunlight to turn water and CO2 into oxygen and glucose.  The way they do this is called photosynthesis, which means literally “putting together with light.”   

Chlorophyll helps make it all happen and is what gives deciduous tree leaves their green color in the summer.  During winter, there is not enough light or water and the trees will rest and live off the food they stored during the summer.  As they begin the transition, as one who lives where I see this magnificent color change into yellow and orange, I am amazed and delighted every year, this year just as much as ever.

Plants and trees are very smart.  As plants grow, they shed older leaves and grow new ones. This is important because the leaves become damaged over time by insects, disease and weather. The shedding and replacement continues all the time.  We do the same, we let go of the old and grow something new for that which we leave behind.

The leaves on our hundreds of cottonwoods here in the Southwest become brilliant orange. The brightest colors are seen when late summer is dry, and these coming Fall days are bright, sunny, and cool (low 40's Fahrenheit) nights. Then trees make a lot of anthocyanin pigments.  The pending frost and freeze will hasten this process, the daylight diminishes, the leaves will turn brown, fall off the trees and most of the plant activity we will not see for it is going on underground.

Lessons from nature abound.  The rhythm and dance continue in their annual display in a riot of color.  Here are some lessons to consider.

1      Eat what you need to sustain your vitality.

2      Save resources for leaner times.

3      Add some color to your life.

4      Figure out what you don’t need and let it go.

5      Prepare well for the next season.

6      Wait and don’t try to rush the process.  Let it work.

7      Embrace and celebrate inevitable change.

8      Know that what is not seen is often more important than what is seen.

9      Stay warm, dry and safe.

10 Encourage growth in the younger species.

AN APOLOGY TO KIA

I rented a car from Budget in Indianapolis and then I saw it sitting there in H-13 in the underground garage.  It was a little white box on wheels called SOUL.   It has no soul.  It has very little power and almost no personality.  I was suspicious when I first saw this car on the market back in 2010.  SOUL?   Was this a marketing gimmick?  How in the world did a car company choose that name for it’s ugly little box on wheels? 

I found this bit in some KIA archives.  “Kia's Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, strongly endorsed that name choice at the Geneva Show , commenting, "The name SOUL accurately reflects how people will be able to 'express their spirit-their psyche' with this new product. Through a variety of options, accessories and colours, they will be able to personalize their Kia Soul and create a sense of individuality, making the car a true reflection of their personality."  Wow!  Enough said!

Peter, my SOUL is not pure white and colorless although your car is.  I know, I know, it’s just a rental car so I should blame Budget for their choice of a bland box with little appeal for me?  I could have refused but I thought, hey, this should be a fun ride.  It isn’t.   I feel like I am sitting on the roadway and it’s not made for big, old people.  I hope those young folks in the youth market like it well enough to find some kind of self-expression of their individuality.  It does nothing for me.  Oops, I forgot.  It got me to work and, in the rain no less.

Was the name SPIRIT already taken?  Oh, that’s the name of an airline.  Really!  I started thinking of car model names starting with classics such as the old Lincoln Zephyr.  Now there’s a name that makes sense. Zephyr, but I’ll bet few people under 30 know what a zephyr is.   Such a defining word!  How about the Volkswagen Beetle?  Beetles are the most common of insects but at least they fly.  Jaguar?  Nice image.  A spyder (spider) is not an insect but Porsche doesn’t mind.  The new 918 is a mere $845,000.  And then there is the Aston Martin Vanquish. 

Come to think of it, maybe the designers and marketeers at KIA were onto something but I’m not sure it works.  How about KAR?  You know, the KIA KAR.  Drive the KAR from KIA.  Oh yes, the meaning of KIA?  It’s from two Korean words meaning “arising out of Asia” and there you have it.

The Real World and Success for Every Child

The Real World and Success For Every Child

When you’re assigned to a job and you can’t do it, you either learn how to do it or you’re fired.  Maybe you need to be in a different environment with different supervisors or mentors.  Maybe you need some remedial instruction or perhaps you need to find out what you can do and start there and build on that.   Too much time and energy are spent on correcting mistakes rather than getting it right the first time.

Every child can succeed at something and this is why kindergarten becomes even more important for starting to build the foundation for success.   Teachers need to be clear about how to make things work and take it a step at a time and keep backing up before going forward into unknown territory.  Before you can play a piece of music, it helps to learn the notes, where the fingers go on certain instruments and then practice, practice, practice. 

It’s the same with sports.  Much more time is spent practicing than in playing the game.  Certain kinds of athletic skills are developed and finally mastered in order to play the game at the highest level.  I wonder if we make the mistake of trying to get to the performance too soon before the skills are refined and there is a sufficient level of confidence in those skill sets to be effective?

We know that we have the education equation bassackwards.  We hold time constant and make education the variable.  If we really cared about a child's success, we would hold education constant and make time the variable.  Who cares if it takes some kids longer to learn the quadratic equation than others?  Isn't the more important thing learning it to be successful.  You can plug in different things whether language, science, history, literature or any other subject or learning experience.  What's the big deal about limiting the time?

School might be restructured more like the real world and organized according to areas of interest.  There are signs of that with magnet schools and some other specialized schools in science and the arts.  I am not particularly interested in mechanics and robotics but there are plenty of kids who are.   I would have been drawn to a school that focused on reading, writing and producing whether producing essays, books, plays and movies or in telling stories of people in different cultures.

I think it’s time to reexamine why schools are structured the way they are and perhaps shift not only the paradigm for educating kids but building entirely different models for different kinds of schools for different kinds of kids.  The schools all look too much alike and smell the same.  Kids are different and schools need to be different too.

Just think.  In the real world there are bakeries and restaurants and hotels and there are engineering, manufacturing and distribution jobs.  There is the world of design, retail and construction.  And then there is the government, local, state and national!  And we will end here before we get side-tracked on the topic of waste and inefficiency.  Just present that to the kids for some creative solutions of how we might do it better.

ANYWAY

Is it just me or has this word "anyway"  crept into conversations to the extent that it's distracting?  Is it the new "whatever" or is it merely a pause while the speaker collects her thoughts to figure out what's coming next?  Would silence be better?   The definition of "anyway" says that it's used to confirm a point or idea just mentioned.  Do we need the point confirmed?  I don't think so in most cases.  If you've made the point, why must it be confirmed?

What if you counted how many times you hear "anyway" in common conversations in the coming week and report in on what you find?   This is hard data, folks.  Useless, but perhaps interesting.  In some academic circles, maybe in those that study linguistics, there is possibly grant money available that will keep a research team gainfully employed over the next year.   You can listen to people on the street, in a restaurant, on their iPhones and become an "anyway" spy.  Forget the content of the conversations, just listen for "anyway" to pop up.

Anyway, it's hard to find much that explains the repeated use of the word, not just occasionally but what seems like continually in casual conversations.  One plausible explanation is the use of the word anyway as an adverbial conjunct,  (eg in addition, so, then, otherwise, anyway, therefore, however) and adverbial disjuncts (e.g. frankly, wisely, really, surely, etc.)  and that sounds to me like the speaker reaching for some kind of transition in order to continue talking.  How about just taking a breath and listening instead of filling in the void anyway?   Anyhow is a synonym for anyway.

Some of you must remember "valspeak" a common name for an American sociolect, originally of Southern Californians, in particular valley girls in the San Fernando Valley. This stereotype originated in the 1970s, was at its peak in the 1980s and lost popularity in the late 1990s and 2000s. One prime example was the widespread use of "like" as conversational filler. Elements of "valspeak" can now be found virtually everywhere English is spoken, particularly among young native English speakers.   Qualifiers such as “like”, “way”, "as if!", “totally” and “duh” are interjected in the middle of phrases and sentences as emphasizers.   

My conclusion about anyway is that it belongs to the same lexiconic genre as many of those expressions that come under that heading of "conversational filler."  I like that and anyway, it fits.  Seriously!

IMAGINARY BOUNDARIES

Part of my morning meditation included reading this article by Margaret Wheatley: //www.mindful.org/at-work/leadership/webs-boxes-and-boundaries and that took me back to all the times we have crossed a border, north, south, east or west. 

What I found was that regardless of country, language or culture, people are all of the same species, homo sapiens, although one has to question the wisdom part.  That we are the only surviving members of this genus is quite amazing when you review the history of wars, poverty, hunger and disease. 

I believe our survival has more to do with our being fairly adept at communication such as language and art for self-expression, the exchange of ideas, and organization. We have created many cooperating and competing groups, from families to countries. 

Our very human desire to understand and influence our environment, and explain and manipulate phenomena, has been the foundation for the development science and religion.  And both have created enormous conflicts in our world and why?   Is it because of the old territorial imperative, pride, jealousy or some psychological need for control?

Right now, the world seems a little wacked out over some big differences in values and consequent behavior of how we human beings treat each other.  On the one hand you have compassion, kindness and love and on the other side of the fence what seems like cold-heartedness, cruelty and hatred.

Each side is trying to prevail through various means and neither negotiation nor force is resolving very much.  The conflicts and disagreements continue to reinforce the boundaries and separation rather than breaking down those things that keep us apart and prevent our cooperation and collaboration to solve some of the common issues that affect everyone.

Sometimes it is like a bad dream and we hope that we will wake up and it will be over but such is clearly not the case.  Some of us have hope that the next generation of children growing up will do a better job at all of this and more, and make the world safer, healthier and more friendly. However, it is really up to us to do what we can while we can to erase those things that keep us apart and strengthen those things that bring us together around common concern for our mutual well-being.

SMALL HOUSE MOVEMENT

SMALL HOUSE MOVEMENT –

Check it out on a web search.  Fascinating and appealing, at least to some of us older folks who have lived in larger houses, in different places over the years.  We often hear people talking about “downsizing” and we all know what that means.  I like to refer to it as “right-sizing” which to me means having enough shelter and comfort to meet our needs.  The small house or tiny house movement began when people became concerned primarily about two things – the environment and finances. 

The typical American home is over 2000 square feet and we were definitely in that category for many years.  Some of the small houses are under 1000 square feet so you can see immediately that the impact is cut at least in half if not more.  Many of the designs of these houses are very creative and use space in interesting ways, often multi-use instead of separate rooms for everything.  I can remember when some houses even had a sewing room! Imagine that!  Who makes their own clothes today?

In January of this year, we sold our 2700 square foot house, six acres, a barn and several outbuildings and moved into approximately 370 square feet, plus an outdoor patio.  Never mind that it is a 47’ motor home with four slide-outs and a diesel engine.  Our carbon footprint is up for review but we often park it for several months at a time, usually in a great place.  This experience started us thinking about what’s next and what some viable options might be.

We had seen many RV parks and a number of them had modular houses or park models as they are called, some known as manufactured houses.  The history of those buildings is simple.  Once upon a time there were house trailers and a classic that has been around for a long time is the Airstream but there were many other brands as well.   They were built on a chassis with wheels, parked somewhere and people lived simply and inexpensively.  In the mobile RV market, there are travel trailers, camping trailers, fifth wheel trailers, Class C which is a truck chassis onto which a camper is attached, Class B which is basically a van outfitted for camping and Class A which is a self-powered diesel or gas motor home that comes in various sizes and configurations. And there is a percentage of RV folks who live and travel full time in these conveyances.

In one particular RV park we noticed a senior community of these manufactured homes, some 60 of them located behind the campground and we started talking with people who lived there and visited a few of the houses.  Voila!  The construction looked solid, the floor plans flexible and we could get everything we needed in a 16x68 single wide house that ends up being just slightly over 1000 square feet with two bedrooms, two baths, living and dining areas, utility room and we will add a small, covered porch/deck.  We rent the lot and we are ordering the house to be built to our specifications within the next few weeks.  It will be delivered intact and it will be our residence for the foreseeable future at least when we’re in town  Seems like a good choice for us given where we are, geographically, chronologically and financially.  And perhaps as important as the house, our neighbors are interesting people and we like them.  Check out the most recent issue of dwell, Clever Living Solutions for Homes Under 1,000 square feet.  Small Space, Big Design.  http://www.dwell.com/magazine

BIRTH OF A SCHOOL

On Thursday, August 14, I was witness to an historic occasion of a school being born.  This was the third such opportunity in my career and while each one was quite different, as you will see in a moment, there were also some surprising similarities.  What we might learn from these occasions will depend on our own insight, understanding and experience.  Starting a new enterprise of any kind can be an enormous challenge and starting an independent, private school has its own peculiarities.

The challenges for those who have a vision for what a new school should be include:

• inspired leadership
• sufficient financial support
• adequate and desirable physical facilities
• outstanding teachers
• a dynamic curriculum
• the enthusiastic support of the local community
• families and students who want to be part of the experience.

Fortunately, in each of the three cases that I will outline very briefly, these elements came together  because there were talented people who wanted to make a difference, who were passionate about the project and who were committed to see it through.  The most recent one, just beginning, does not yet have a track record of success but I believe they are well-positioned to head in that direction very soon with an opening scheduled for August of 2015.  In all three cases, advanced planning has been a key component in putting the pieces together.

1.  Bosque School, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  It opened in August, 1995, with 60 students in grades 6 and 7 and today has over 500 students in grades 6-12 on a campus of 40 acres, nine buildings and growing.  I was asked to become the founding head of school and began work in August of 1994 with a year to put it all together.   I had a lot of good help along with the vision of the founder, Peggie Findlay, who marshaled a field of energy, people and resources that took us forward.  We rang the bell on opening day that has rung every day since for the past 20 years.  The stories surrounding the beginning years has many aspects, more interesting to those of us who were involved than the current constituents.  Suffice to say that Bosque School would not exist without the early support of many people and all seven characteristics listed above.

2. Monte del Sol Charter School, Santa Fe, New Mexico.  In 1998, Tony Gerlicz and I had a conversation about his career path and I suggested that he consider opening a charter school since the legislation for these public schools of choice had just been enacted in New Mexico.  Tony worked diligently, as is his style, and the charter was granted in December of 1999 for five years.  I served as the founding Board Chair.   In the ensuing years, the first 10 of which were under Tony's leadership, the school received many awards and is still ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best high schools in the United States.  The fourth head of MdS has just taken the reins and the school continues to thrive with its innovative and progressive programs.

3.  The Delta School, Wilson, Arkansas.  Last year I was contacted by a former colleague who has known of my work these past 15 years as a school consultant focused on leadership. John Faulkner, formerly of Choate and Ensworth schools, had been hired as the town manager and developer for a small town in southeastern Arkansas about an hour north of Memphis.  John was working with Gaylon Lawrence, Jr. one of the principals of The Wilson Company and Gaylon believed strongly that the town and the region would benefit greatly with the presence of a new, independent school.
I agreed to help The Delta School find a founding head because I saw the possibilities and I had been in the search and consulting business for quite awhile.  I was no longer ready to take on a project of such proportions although it was very tempting because of the uniqueness of the situation.  The Delta School founding Board signed the papers this past Thursday and that paves the way to build this new school with all seven components churning away.  A 17,000 square foot mansion and surrounding property have been allocated for the opening in August of next year.  A new head has been hired, plans are on the drawing board and the next steps are being taken in the weeks and months ahead.

What I conclude from all three of these experiences is that while each one is very different from the other, the similarities may be more important than the differences.  The success of each of these schools rests on those seven characteristics at the top: 1- inspired leadership from both head and board; 2- sufficient funding that comes from numerous sources; 3- a teaching/learning environment that is optimum for both students and adults, 4- passionate, talented and committed teachers,
5- a program that is student-centered, developmentally appropriate, comprehensive, integrated and performance-based; 6- community recognition and support; and 7- students and families who are excited about being part of a progressive educational experience.

The stories of each of these schools are rich with people who care and who have what it takes to make it all happen and keep happening.  I am grateful to have played some part in each one and feel honored and humbled by the experiences.

OBSTACLES TO SUSTAINED THOUGHT

FOG

The origin of the word is obscure but we all know its meaning.

It is usually associated with damp, moist and thick air where

Sound travels better although it might seem muffled.

Apparently the drops of water in fog are not connected

And it’s really hard to see (or think) in a very thick fog!

That exercise of 55 words started a train of thought about some of the things that present obstacles to sustained thought.  I have often thought that I probably “suffered” from ADD as it has always been easy for me, at times, to be distracted by some peripheral, external activity.  In fact, it still is unless I am really concentrating and focusing on a specific activity.  I did not consider my deficient attention to be a disorder but rather a welcome diversion, at least on many occasions when I found something of interest even if momentary.

Here is one example.  We will be driving down the road having a conversation, which we do a lot, and I might say, “Look, there’s a chicken!”  I know it seems rude to my wife and for awhile it became a kind of joke that we could use as a reference whenever either of us interrupted the other with something other than the current thread of conversation.  You need to understand that I had a genuine interest in chickens and kept some for several years.  I was especially fond of French Black Copper Marans.  So it was easy for me to be drawn to chickens in the same way that classic cars might turn my head at another time.

Another obstacle is what I call overloading the circuit.  In other words, there is just too much draw on the amperage, the circuit breaker trips and off goes the current.  Everything stops until we can either reset the breaker or reduce the load and start over.  Too many simultaneous or diverse thoughts at the same time will do that and so, we start over.  We can back up, find out where we were and go at it again.  Actually, there are times when that’s a good idea anyway, to get a fresh start or review where we have been so we know where we’re going.  It’s really quite clarifying!

Here’s my last example and I hope you will think of your own obstacles and how you deal with them.  Or have a discussion with your “team” and discover what others may struggle with that prevents getting to where you want to be with your thoughts, ideas and activities.  I keep a mental list and sometimes write down what I am working on in terms of projects, things to do, what needs attention and who I need to contact for this or that.  When there is a lot on that list, I seldom reorder the priorities.  I just try to plough on the best I can.  I think there may be a better way!