Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Potential of the Seed

While my primary vocation is in the areas of corporate strategy, global technology architecture and the use of predictive analytics to predict human behavior, I receive thousands of emails from people asking me to show them how to identify their purpose and to help them overcome their fear in manifesting their purpose.

Modern fads such as the Law of Attraction (which I refer to as the Law of Distraction) layer extra pressure as they imply that success beyond anyone’s imagination merely requires that one think about it and it will happen.

Ahhhhh ….. if it were only that easy.

I recently came upon a quote from Osho that I believe everyone should read as they strive towards their ultimate potential. 

While Osho’s Life was not without significant controversy, there is wisdom in the quote that follows:

The seed cannot know what is going to happen, the seed has never known the flower. And the seed cannot even believe that he has the potentiality to become a beautiful flower. Long is the journey, and it is always safer not to go on that journey because unknown is the path, nothing is guaranteed.

Nothing can be guaranteed. Thousand and one are the hazards of the journey, many are the pitfalls - and the seed is secure, hidden inside a hard core. But the seed tries, it makes an effort; it drops the hard shell which is its security, it starts moving. Immediately the fight starts: the struggle with the soil, with the stones, with the rocks. And the seed was very hard and the sprout will be very, very soft and dangers will be many.

There was no danger for the seed, the seed could have survived for millennia, but for the sprout many are the dangers. But the sprout starts towards the unknown, towards the sun, towards the source of light, not knowing where, not knowing why. Great is the cross to be carried, but a dream possesses the seed and the seed moves.

The same is the path for man. It is arduous. Much courage will be needed.

I believe Osho has captured the perfect essence of humanity in these paragraphs.

Our unlimited potential is often beyond our own ability to fathom and believe.  How we get there has no guarantees and in fact, if we were told at birth what would be required to get there, I wonder if many of us would ask if we could be sent back for another 9 months to see if anything would change for the better in the meantime.

The path from germination to full blossom is fraught with opportunities for disappointment, fear and failure.

But unless we dare risk experiencing those things, then we will never experience ourselves in full blossom either.  We will remain the seed forever, waiting for the perfect moment that never comes.

If the rose, the cherry tree or any other plant decided that it didn’t have the courage or the interest to bloom or it wouldn’t attempt to unless it knew in advance what it would look like, our world would be denied incredible beauty.

The same is true if we decide we don’t have the courage or interest to blossom.

I can’t imagine a world without a rose or the cherry tree that blossoms in the spring.

Can you?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Syria and the Elephant in the Room

Some years ago, I was contacted by someone from the local Soviet Embassy who explained to me that they were giving away free trips for two to the Soviet Union as a goodwill gesture to people in other nations.

Being a natural sceptic who suspected a hoax, I asked for the lady’s phone number and politely ended the call.  I looked up the number for the Soviet Embassy and sure enough, it matched the number she had given me.

When I called the number back, the same lady answered the phone.  We chatted for a few minutes to explore the “prize”, after which I said I would think about it and hung up.

A few minutes later, my phone rang again but this time a member of the Canadian Intelligence community was on the phone.  He had listened to the conversation I had had with the lady at the Embassy and was now calling to explain what was really happening.

It turned out that I was on a list of people with Canadian Government Top Secret clearance.  The Soviets were calling everyone on the list to offer them genuine trips for two to the Motherland.  While in Moscow, they would wine and dine you and subtly explore whether or not you had a background of particular interest.  If so, they would work hard to “convince you” to immigrate to the Soviet Union.  Otherwise, you had a nice visit on their dime.

All was not what it appeared to be.

The same holds true with the issues that are unfolding in Syria (and a number of other nations for that matter).

The massacre that occurred in Houla, Syria is a heinous act that must be addressed immediately.  Unfortunately, speed is a trait not often demonstrated by the UN.

Then There’s the Elephant

Unfortunately, in addition to the toothlessness often demonstrated by the UN, there is an elephant in the room that must be addressed if we really want to tackle issues like the Syrian slaughter and other international matters.

Syria has a standing arms purchase agreement with Russia that will, when finally executed, have delivered over $4 billion in weapons over the course of the next 5-10 years.

Weapons that the Syrian government is using to kill its own citizens.

Russia, a member of the Security Council of the UN, is a significant enabler of the events in Syria.  They are not the only one (other nations including Iran and North Korea also contribute) but they are the single largest player.

The Security Council, within its mandate, may "recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment if it determines that a situation might endanger international peace and security. “

Of course, such a mandate becomes problematic when members of the Security Council are the ones endangering the peace and security of other nations in the first place.

If I put a gun in the hands of a 15 year old boy and he kills someone with it, he need to be punished.

However, as the enabler, I must be punished also.

Especially since, as the more “mature” person, I should have known better.

By the same token, the Syrian government must not be allowed to go scot-free when it comes to the evil they are perpetrating on their own people.

However, we need to point the finger where it deserves to be pointed and that is to the nations who enable Syria to do what they are doing.

But that doesn’t serve the intentions of the UN and so it chooses to do nothing with such inconvenient truths.

The UN and Facebook – Similar Models

This is why the UN reminds me of how more than 90% of people use Facebook.

There’s a lot of talk and idea exchange.

Heated words or words of praise flow freely between “friends”.

But in the end, little of any real value is accomplished.

This is Not a New Problem

Massacres in Syria have actually been going on for over 20 years and during that time, the UN has threatened to get really angry on different occasions.  Oooooo … sounds scary, doesn’t it? 

Not really.

When a UN envoy to Syria said the other day that it was time to have a “serious and frank discussion” with Syria, I would suggest that after 20 years of such suggestions, rebellious nations tend to ignore what you’re saying.

Now to be fair, Russia is not the only powerhouse supplying weapons to the world.  Our side has had its fair share of gun running also.  Only the occasional story actually makes it to the press (remember the Iran-Contra affair?).  For those interested in the subject, I recommend the thought provoking movie “Lord of War”.

Everything Is With Purpose

Everything happens for a reason. 

Russia provides arms to Syria for more reasons than just making money.

The UN doesn’t slap Russia for reasons of its own.

The US doesn’t squeeze the UN to slap Russia for its own reasons.

And as long as we are not privy to the myriad of reasons (or excuses) and we don’t care to demand accountability from people who in essence work for us, we will appear to be content with getting really angry in the media while the UN continues to issue strong words of condemnation.

Having done so, we will congratulate ourselves that we stood up for the rights of the downtrodden.

Meanwhile, the people who will pay the price will be like those who were slaughtered in Houla.

It’s because of events like this that I am reminded that while I’m very good with corporate diplomacy, I would make a lousy international diplomat.

The transparency and accountability that I would demand from all members of the UN would not only be unwelcome, it would be considered in the way of achieving the real agendas at play.

These agendas, sadly, make the massacre in Syria only the tip of the iceberg.

Massacres that will continue unless we do something more than just tell all our friends on Facebook how angry we are.

Maybe if we were holding our father, mother, sister, brother, son or daughter who had just been killed, then we might do more than express indignation or strong words of condemnation.

Maybe.

In service and servanthood,

Harry

PS For an interesting insider view of the UN, I recommend “Tower of Babble: How the United Nations Has Fueled Global Chaos” by Dore Gold.

Addendum – May 31, 2012

In a move that demonstrates that the UN’s motives are truly difficult to understand and in the midst of the Syrian disaster, the UN announced this week that Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe and with a number of UN sanctions against him, has been honored by being invited to join the “Global Leaders for Tourism” group.

A man who has been accused of human right violations, corruption and brutal repression has been appointed as a “leader” by the UN.

It shouldn’t make sense.  But since everything happens for a reason, it does make sense to someone.

I wonder who that “someone” is.

Addendum – August 3, 2012

This demonstrates what I mean when I express concern over how the UN executes when it comes to Syria.  Months after I wrote this blog, the UN continues to meet to issue words of condemnation.  What a waste of time and lives.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Success and the Proper Order of Things

I often get asked to help bail out business units or organizations who for some reason believe that they can somehow manifest success by doing everything in any order they feel like.

Even while asking for my advice they are arguing about how the “wrong order” wasn’t that wrong and then I need to remind them that if things were running well, I wouldn’t be sitting in the room with them.

While there are many dry, pragmatic theories I can put in front of people regarding the correct order of doing things in business, I think this story best sums up why understanding the proper order of doing things is critical to success.

______________________________________________

Two-Part Questions

Bob had finally made it to the last round of the $50,000 Question.

The night before the big question, he told the program host that he desired a question on American History.

The big night arrived.  Bob made his way onstage in front of the studio and TV audience.  He had become the talk of the week.  He was the best guest this show had ever seen.  The host stepped up to the mike.

"Bob, you have chosen American History as your final question.  You know that if you correctly answer this question, you will walk away $50,000 dollars richer.  Are you ready?"

Bob nodded with a cocky confidence -- the crowd went nuts.  He hadn't missed a question all week.

"Bob, yours is a two-part question.  As you know, you may answer either part first.  As a rule, the second half of the question is always easier.  Which part would you like to take a stab at first?"

Bob was becoming more noticeably nervous.  He couldn't believe it but his confidence was failing him, but hey, American History was his easiest subject and so he played it safe.

"I'll try the easier part first."

The host nodded approvingly.  "Here we go Bob.  I will ask you the second half first, then the first half."

The audience grew silent with great anticipation.

"Bob, here is your question: And in what year did it happen?"

______________________________________________

The bottom line: No matter how smart you think you are, self-confidence can never compensate for doing things in the order they are meant to be done, personally and professionally.

Are you doing things in the correct order?

How do you know?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Putting It All On The Line

I have a confession to make.

While I don’t watch a lot of television, there is one program that I have a weakness for and I try to make sure that I don’t miss any episodes.

The program is America’s Got Talent.

Why would such a menagerie of talent (or lack of apparent talent) have such a magical appeal to me?

It’s because the contestants on this show, whether talented or seemingly not, put everything on the line to make their dream come true.  Some risk embarrassment and humiliation to bring their dreams to fruition, laboring for years in relative obscurity before deciding to go for it.

How badly do they want it?

Let’s consider another program, Dragon’s Den, shown on CBC in Canada and on other networks around the world.

In the Consent & Release document for the CBC version that all participants must sign in advance, paragraph 9 is particularly revealing (emphasis added is mine):

I understand that I may reveal, and other parties may reveal, information about me that is of a personal, private, embarrassing or unfavourable nature, which information may be factual and/or fictional. I further understand that my appearance, depiction and/or portrayal in the Program may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavourable nature which may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation. I acknowledge and agree that Producer shall have the right to (a) include any or all such information and any or all such appearances, depictions or portrayals in the Program as edited by Producer in its sole discretion, and (b) to broadcast and otherwise exploit the Program containing any or all such information and any or all such appearances, depictions or portrayals in any manner whatsoever in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, or for any other purpose, throughout the universe in perpetuity.

In the business world, most of us would never sign a document with such a paragraph.

And yet, people following their dreams, putting everything on the line, happily sign this consent form because they believe in their dream.

The World Is Filled With Talent … But ….

I have been blessed to meet many people over the years with incredible passions, talents, insights and emotional involvement.

They clearly have a calling.

But for some reason, their calling is not making its way to a public manifestation that would inspire others or positively impact the world in some way.

The passion, energy and belief structure is not there that would help them overcome the fear or other sources of inhibition that holds them back and they never “go for it”.  Their dream simmers inside them, aching to escape and see the world.

They are dying with their song still in them.

That’s a shame.  The world would be a better place (and certainly a more interesting one) if they could launch their dream, not caring how they are perceived by the rest of the world.

The unfortunate thing I see in shows like America’s Got Talent, Dragon’s Den and similar program are the number of viewers who poke fun at the people we perceive to be less than talented and who appear to be making fools of themselves.

Instead of poking fun at them, we should applaud them for following their dream no matter how outrageous their dream seems to us.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we were driven as strongly and as passionately and if we could encourage others to be the same.

These participants have a gift that many of us could use a heftier dosage of.

It is the gift of courage to see a dream come true no matter what.

So the next time we accuse someone of making a fool of themselves for following their passion, we should ask ourselves this.

Who is the greater fool – the one who risks losing it all or the one who never goes for it at all (or worse, actively prevents or discourages others from going for it)?

The world is waiting for your gifts.

WHAT are you waiting for?

In service and servanthood.

Harry

Friday, May 11, 2012

Mitt Romney, Bullies and Red Herrings

As news of acts of alleged bullying carried out by Mitt Romney almost fifty years ago makes its way through the media, once again we set an example to our children by demonstrating that acts of hatred in our past are best answered by messages of vehement hatred in the present.

And once again, we never have a dialog around the real issues since getting our opinion (especially negative ones) expressed is more important than getting to core truths.

Especially if the core truths ring closer to home than many of us want to admit.

As a kid growing up just outside St. John’s, Newfoundland, I was bullied throughout school and college.  In the early years, it was the typical pushing and shoving, the verbal taunts and the occasional torn item of clothing and such.  I lived in fear of my bullies and did everything I could to avoid situations where they would be.

In high school (Queen Elizabeth Regional High School in Foxtrap), the bullying took on a new flavor.  From 1978 to 1981, I was routinely mock raped at the hands of fellow male classmates, usually in the changing room prior to and after gym class.

In these mock rapes, seven or eight boys would hold me down while others would take turns “humping me”.  Sorry – there is no easier, less graphic way of describing it.

I never reported it to anyone – it was too humiliating to admit it and this is the first time I have admitted it publicly.

The boys who did this to me for years are now well-known, successful businessmen in St. John’s, Newfoundland and area.

Don’t worry guys – I’m not about to out you.  Revenge is not a dish that I savor.

As a young boy (and young man), I felt many emotions – fear, shame, anger – all tangled up in a ball that took a lot of years to unravel and understand.

In speaking to someone “in the know” a few years ago, it was revealed to me that many of these boys were the victims of verbal, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their fathers.

And this revelation gave me a different perspective.

While it would be easy to look back upon the events that Little Harry was experiencing and feel hatred or the need for revenge (after all, it would be easy to name the antagonists here and watch their lives fall apart), I now look upon the antagonists, I feel their pain and I see the reason for their actions.

They were finding outlets to release the pain they were accumulating at the hands of someone else – outlets that weren’t fair to me but it was the best they could come up with at that stage in their life development.

So instead of feeling hatred towards them, I feel sadness for the pain that they were feeling then (and possibly still feeling) and I offer forgiveness.

The Bottom Line

My point is that oftentimes, we see the bully and their actions and we immediately begin thinking of punishment and retribution.

Instead, if we examine their activities with a true understanding of cause and effect and we really get to know what is feeding their actions, then we will get to the core reasons for their behavior.

Maybe when this becomes our focus, we will then be able to cut the cycle of violence (and the long-term negative impact) that makes up the world of bullying and allow healing to take place for the bully as well as the bullied.

The truth is that many (perhaps most) bullies have been victims in their lifetime also.

I can’t speak to the Romney situation.  As with 99.999% of people who have such a strong opinion on the matter, neither they nor I were there when the incidents allegedly took place and so our opinions on THAT matter are irrelevant.

However, instead of putting our energy into the red herring that is that event, let’s take a closer look at what is going on around us (or perhaps within us).

And let’s do something about that.

In service and servanthood,

Harry

PS Many of the boys described in this blog are gay.  They were closet gay then but openly gay now.  Their bullying behavior had nothing to do with their orientation but came as a result of being abused at home.  When I see legislatures describe the need to protect LBGTQ people from abuse by others (especially in schools), I counter with this thought:

All people should be protected from abuse by others, regardless of the attributes of the victim or the antagonist.

To set aside one group as being especially vulnerable lifts that group to special status while suggesting that other victims of abuse don’t matter.

And as in my situation, the original abuse of the bully occurred at home – abuse that they replayed on others in school.  Legislation targeted at schools don’t reach people at home where the seeds of encouragement and destruction are equally prevalent and relevant.

Respect transcends all differentiating factors.  When we get used to seeing each other as human beings without “special designation”, we will move closer towards respecting each other as human beings overall.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Sex and Premature Dissemination

I was riding public transit recently and seated across from me was a lady in her mid 30s, impeccably dressed with what appeared to be painful abrasions on her knees.

While it was definitely none of my business to ask how she had acquired them, a lady sitting next to her happened to notice them and asked what had happened.

In a hushed voice (we all know how “hushed” a voice we can use on a bus, right?), the lady with the scabbed knees went into great detail about Ron ███████, apparently a successful attorney in the city of ███████, and his insatiable but delightful prowess in certain areas.

While Mr. ███████ may be an awesome lover, his reputation is being destroyed by this woman who happily describes many things about him that the rest of us shouldn’t know.  He should either find a more intelligent woman to hang out with or buy his women carpenter’s knee pads to prevent curious passengers on public transit from instigating dialog.

Information is a fascinating thing, being a key component to creating success or catastrophic failure depending on how it is used.

Too much information can make some people paranoid while empowering others to create powerful results.  Too little can allow some people to live a life of ignorant bliss while driving others to rearrange their Life priorities in order to satisfy some craving or need.

As we immerse ourselves in the age of mobility, preferring to be out-and-about instead of being confined to an office, many are forgetting that such mobility comes with new rules regarding who is around us when we are discussing private matters and who is in a position to obtain and use the information we believe to be private.

I’ve watched businessmen in coffee shops vehemently complain about how Facebook’s privacy policy is way too lenient and then go into amazing levels of detail about an imminent court case against a specific person while stressing the importance of not telling anyone because they don’t want the potential defendant in the case to be prepared.  Meanwhile, people like me, who could be someone closely related to their target, sits at the table next to them and hears the entire conversation.

I’ve overheard lawyers explaining loopholes to DUI drivers who had killed others in accidents, accountants showing clients how to hide their money illegally from the system, guys planning M&A (merger and acquisition) intentions with the highest level of confidentiality, investors discussing secret arrangements, lawyers and doctors discussing privileged information (naming their clients) and even observed one possible terrorist preparing a PowerPoint deck containing his thoughts on jihad.

Then there’s my other personal favorite … the occasional errant email meant for someone else, outlining a highly confidential arrangement that gets emailed to me by accident, followed by a follow-up threat that the information sent to me by accident is privileged and I am not allowed to do anything with it.  They don’t realize that one-way implied contracts have no legal merit nor can they undo the damage that may have been done.  At that moment, they are relying on the values and ethics of the person who received such information in error.  If I were the owner of the information, I’d rather not peg my success on such wishful thinking.

More than once, I’ve had people who, upon realizing that I had overheard them in a public place, had demanded that I sign an NDA (non disclosure agreement).  Unfortunately, I could not comply with their request.  Signing such a document doesn’t cover up their incompetence.

Information in the hands of the unknowing is useless and much of it goes by our ears every day without striking a chord with us.  However, information when mixed with context, strategic plans and tactical intention in the right person’s hands becomes knowledge.

And knowledge is power.

Who you share it with, who shares it on your behalf and who shares knowledge about you provides the opportunity to amplify or diminish that power.

I hear a lot of “gurus” tell people about how they are always on the alert to glean things from the information being shared around them.

Success, personal and professional, also requires one to be on the alert regarding how we share information with others and whom we share it with.

Instead of focusing solely on people who have access to our private information and being paranoid about what they will do with it, whether it be Facebook, some email provider or the like, we should remember that oftentimes, the greatest disseminator of private information is still the person who owns the information and who therefore has ultimate responsibility for keeping private what is meant to be private.

When we point our finger elsewhere and demand better privacy oversight from someone else, we should note where the other three fingers are pointing.

Because oftentimes, that is who we should be expecting more from.

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Poetry in Chaos

Some time ago, while walking home after a very complex, challenge-filled day, I happened to reach for my mp3 player to shut out the noise of the world and I happened to choose Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

As the soothing music relaxed me, I noticed something intriguing – the chaotic traffic around me seemed to be flowing in time with the music.

The seemingly random, stressful chaos that is the typical commute in most cities had transformed itself into fluid poetry right before my eyes.

I was reminded once again as I sat and watched this poetry in motion that the difference between chaos and poetry is often merely perspective.

That’s not to suggest that everything bad or evil in the world can be transformed into something good or enjoyable merely by playing a nice piece of music.  I’m not that naive.

However, much of what we in the western world stress over doesn’t really warrant the amount of bad energy that we tend to assign to things.

Much of it depends on our perspective.

Meanwhile in the world ….

In a similar way, much of the news we see these days tends to suggest that the world has become very chaotic in its day-to-day existence and news of war, evil and greed tends to shout over news of peace, love and sharing.

Sadly (and disturbingly), in meetings I have had in recent months with various Wall St., government and military officials, it appears that they are preparing for something even worse than that which is being reported in the news. It seems that many public officials are now more in the game of public relations, keeping people positive in a world filled with challenge as what they believe to be unstoppable moves closer to reality.

Playing relaxing or positive music won’t change this, of course.  I am not one of those Pollyanna types who believes that evil vanishes just because we pretend it’s not there or because we sit in meditation thinking good thoughts.

In fact, when we pretend that evil is not there, we give it a license to grow and spread.

However, when we change our perspective about the world and focus on the beauty that exists in nature and in the human spirit, we have a greater sense of how much beauty, peace, love and sharing is around us and within our reach to amplify instead of being beaten down by the negativity that seems common around us.

It reminds us that instead of lying down and assuming that the difficulties of today or the challenges on our horizon have doomed us, we instead have many wonderful causes that are worth fighting for.

After all, the human spirit is known for overcoming adversity no matter how dark the moment may be.

It seems that oftentimes, it’s when everything is on the line is when we REALLY shine.

In a world caught in the balance between chaos and poetry, we need people to shine more than ever.

Everything that is wonderful about the human spirit and the future that we create for our children depends on it.

Are you shining today?

How do you know?

The world is waiting for your gifts.

The question is …. what are you waiting for?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Quick Fix? Not So Fast!

I was not surprised to read today that Secret Service agents will be sent to two days of ethics training as a result of the Columbian prostitution scandal.

It sounds very interesting although as many people who have tried to break habits can testify, it takes more than two days of effort to undo a lifetime of mental programming.

It reminds me of a former employer of mine who makes all employees take 15 minutes of diversity training every three months to make them more culturally accepting.

My philosophy is that if the 30 to 50-something-year-olds haven’t learned how to embrace our cultural differences by that point in their lives, 15 minutes every three months is not going to make much difference.

The existence of such programs makes for great press – the kind of press that says “We are doing something wonderful” when in fact, very little has actually changed.

Change occurs when you influence fundamental belief structures – something that cannot be accomplished cavalierly or in MUCH less time than was necessary to create an undesirable behaviour in the first place.

I am also reminded of the time when I was pulled out of a significant client for a mandatory, all-hands, national meeting on leadership.  We ticked off a lot of clients when we were ordered by our employer to tell our clients that we could not miss this conference no matter how important the client’s respective projects were.

When we arrived from all over the country, the event was a 4-hour evening meeting that had two things on the agenda:

1. Pin the tail on the donkey

2. Building a Lego helicopter

I kid you not.  A lot of $2000 to $5000 per day consultants were brought back to NYC to play these two games to help us learn about leadership.

The guys at my table didn’t want to play – they were too angry.  Having assembled many a Lego creation, I dutifully assembled the helicopter and won the contest.

When asked what lesson I learned as a result, I replied, “I have learned that when a team is forced to assemble against their wishes, without any obvious point to their assembly and without a vision, nothing gets done unless someone sucks it up and does it just to get it over with and stop the grumbling.”.

That wasn’t the message they were hoping I would learn.

But the next message was even more telling.

One of my colleagues in the back of the room spoke up and said “Here’s what I have learned.  Any leader who would bring all these people here, sacrifice more than $1.5 million in billing, incur unnecessary travel costs and the wrath of a lot of important clients is not someone I will follow.”

He got up and walked out.  Ed resigned later that evening.

Feel-good, rah-rah stuff feels good to some organizers and looks great when playing the PR game.

But unless it produces positive, measurable results in the desired areas, it may produce more cynicism than accolades.  It may also produce a less than desirable image as perceived by the “outside” world.

A lot of groups that provide “transformational training” often survey the attendees immediately after the end of such events, sampling opinions when the attendees are still experiencing the euphoric, “my life is changed forever”, post-event high. 

Surveying people at this euphoric point almost always provides very positive feedback and causes the organizers to feel like they have made a difference when the truth is that oftentimes they have avoided the really complicated (but necessary) action that is required to make a difference.

My thought is that it is more accurate to sample opinions and measurable results 6 to 12 months later.

That’s when you’ll know if you are really making a difference ….

…. or merely playing pin the tail on the donkey.

In service and servanthood,

Harry