quick monday post

Just a quick post--busy day--missed FedEx, but made webinar. They're almost always better than I anticipate, but just not that exciting. Connection is pretty minimal and you never know who all is in on it--seldom discussed. Just your area or all over the state or nation?

Back to leadership of organizations and the apparent disconnect that arises when membership relinquishes control or even influence over their future to selected (and that takes in a lot of territory) individuals who are SUPPOSEDLY better or at least more willing to make wise decisions on behalf of the group.

One of the key difficulties in today's world is the assumption that people with the political skill to reach leadership roles necessarily have the other skills to facilitate making wise decisions. In a technical world full (over full?) of information, how many political types actually have the time and inclination to accomplish the research needed to arrive at an optimal decision?

Some would argue that research isn't needed because the decision will be based on gut feelings and politics anyway. Political acumen is the silver bullet of organizational dynamics?

I think back to my endless hours in committee meetings and can recall a very few times with the committee I was chairing had a new idea. VERY FEW TIMES! I would typically announce that fact and suggest that a brass plaque be placed at the head table announcing that fact to subsequent meetings--without fear of running out of space, but offering a faint glimmer of hope that it could happen again---someday.

How many great scientific breakthroughs were attributable to committees? Inventions, theories, concepts, revelations--not many. And yet organizations run much of human existence--with very mixed results.

Without a greater sense of engagement from the members of the organizations there's not really any point of considering alternatives. The Internet offers a potential catalyst, but the potential hasn't quite lived up to the promise so far.

Off to Caroling Rehearsal---multi-tasking again---need to cut back on that--LOL

Tomorrow--tip toe into the psychology of decision making--why we do the crazy things we do. What were we thinking? (we weren't)