A transition suggest something or someone is moving from one state of being to another.
America, along with much of the historical, industrial world, are forcefully being moved away from archaic, status nausea, mentally collapsing economic, political and social structures. It is an ugly process as it has no order and often tilts towards chaos. At the end of this transition things, for example businesses, trade, relationships between governments, travel and communication, will look vastly different from what we know today. Fortunately, it will improve the world. Unfortunately, many people will suffer for reasons beyond their immediate comprehension. But the reasons, no matter how noble, will never outweigh the suffering and dislocations of beliefs.
A Transition Recession [TR] is created by unprecedented turbulence at the confluence of economic, political, and social belief systems, which are experiencing systemic internal and external disruptions. This means people feel like the sky is falling. At the census count level, a lot of things happen at the wrong time, in the wrong places, to people who have little real control over their lives and nowhere to hide. In short, a TR creates emotionally numbing experiences similar to the destructive forces of war and nature. Even Hell can feel threatened by a TR. Continue Reading »
America has been in an economic and social recession for at least ten years. I suggest this scheme, as I think back about events, reported and not reported, in the popular press. For instance, remember the recession faced by the Japanese as a lesson in poor recessionomics. It is now January 3, 2010 and I firmly believe we have another ten years of systemic economic discomfort ahead of us. Continue Reading »
Not on my watchIn the landscape of indifference, one particular ego-based feature grows among those in positions of power, responsibility and authority. For some professionals it is a temporary bookmark in their histories. For others, its roots form the routes of success and failure among a succession of managers, most competing for space in the forgotten shadows of time. As a form of indifference, it is known as “Not on my watch!” Stereotypically, this is how it works in its most eloquent and non-evasive form.
No matter what kind of organization we are observing, be it a school, a business, a college, a church, a government agency, and so on; someone is in a position to make decisions. Typically, this man or woman has been with the group for at least a year. More than likely their tenure has been extensive. But once again a time is approaching when their next place of employment is beckoning.
Like people on watch aboard ships at sea, they have been at the helm guiding their organizations through good and bad times. Not unusually, their initiation into their respective organizations required making significant changes in the operations of their systems of people and structures. If they are willing to remember, they can recall their first days with clear memories. Images appear in how they wished their predecessors had had the guts to make changes. Instead, piles of deep Kim chi has been deposited on desks before their departures. You can imagine the former manager or administrator staring down at a folder, holding it gently. Then quickly scribbling a note on a sticky. It reads, “Here lies a little problem for you to tackle, as I ran out of time to take care of it. Check with your assistant who can fill you in with all the little details. Best of luck in your new position. It is now your watch!”
You have been here before: “It is now your watch!” Unfortunately, you have also written such notes for others to glare at, sub-vocally, swearing unpleasant words about you in your absence. For instance, an employee problem may be on hold. The manager thinks, “That so and so didn’t have the “b” to fire that idiot.” Then and now, you already foresee how you will feel and act, when you have to think about a tough decision before you leave for your next post.
In the meantime, you have the option to act and be decisive, taking the hits from those negatively impacted by your decision. Or, you can, in your mind, bravely rationalize why decisions are best deferred to another day and conveniently left for your successor or successors to deal with it on their watches.
These kinds of situations prescribe that a manager must abdicate responsibility to make a decision. As an aside this can also be a committee, too; but back to the manager’s situation. What should a manager do? What is at stake here?
Ah, professional reputation comes to mind. Your reputation is of greater value to you! And it is an acceptable move in the rules of bureaucratic games when deferring a decision to someone else. You know what they say, “Everyone else does it, so will I.” It is also face-saving and it is safe. But, at what cost to the organization does this recurring, if not self-replicating behavior, place the organization?
In my opinion, it creates and sustains a continuous loop of initiatives, restructurings, and other misguided efforts, in inexplicable attempts to correct personal phobias in making decisions. For the record, this behavior is consistently prevalent in organizations where passive-aggressive behavior is tolerated as the norm.
So, what will be your legacy at the end of your watch? What decisions will you leave for someone to clean up?
In summary
Indifference and its social siblings, is a character trait, which can both distract effective management of organizations and render professionals impotent as leaders.
Designing Perspectives of Leadership for the 21st Century is a different approach to looking at leadership development for our evolving workplaces.
America has a new imperative to reinvent many areas of its economy and create new types of jobs, work environments and attitudes about making a living. Even the idea of making a living may require an extensive self-examination. For instance, as we have finally accepted the fact that even a two income home may not have the resources to meet daily needs, we will have to recalibrate what home-life will mean over the next ten years. If anyone is questioning why we need to change our lifestyles, then they need only look at the impact the Transition Recession is having on their communities. We are in a Transition Recession!
Ultimately, a Transition Recession owns the facts, which are indisputable and very clear to honest and sincere individuals. How people navigate through this transition will help define not only their futures, but also those of their children and their communities.
Our blog will include print and audio material for subscribers and others to consider and hopefully add their comments. It is the intent of this author and supporters, through the Blog, to provoke its readers to ponder reality-based and relevant issues, which are impacting the American landscape of ideas and lifestyles. We must recognize that no one is immune from the fate our country is compelled to negotiate over the next ten years. The “good days” were lived in the movies and will remain in our memories. For those over fifty, we must work diligently to make sure those following us will have their good old days to remember as fondly as we do today. Michael Mason Norman
Perspectives on Leadership for the 21st Century 