A Privacy Challenge for the Third Sector

Building on the brilliant article by Paul Tarini, at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation directed to researchers in health programs (see below), I have a challenge for those of us in the Third Sector.

We’ve all heard of the Bucket Challenge, or Treasure Hunt Challenge, or even: Find a “matching funder” challenge, etc. These efforts fund important work in our communities, regions, and around the world.  My challenge to those of us who work in the not for profit universe is to take a bold step to protect the rights of consent, and privacy for the people we serve.

Adopt the California Consumer Privacy Act as the privacy protocol for your organization or business.

On January 1, 2020 the California Consumer Privacy Act(CCPA) takes effect.

What would it mean to the nation if US funders, not for profit service providers, program evaluators, and especially the boards who lead all of these organizations were to lead the nation in adoption of this important policy?

We know the CCPA is not the perfect solution to a ‘global’ problem.  We also know 50+ different ways to manage data at the intersection of not for profit and health and wellness will not be a disaster.  Consider how different states might protect privacy in their “own” way?  Medicaid is one example of the 50+ ways of doing policy.

Thousands of organizations (just like yours) are finalizing plans for CCPA implementation!  A quick search of the internet found innumerable support sites for our colleagues and peers.  They have answers to our questions!  

Over the last two years I have spoken to hundreds of policy leaders, advocates, researchers, and grantmakers who are both excited and cautious about the potential for the Internet, AI, and M-devices to improve the health and to focus in on the determinants of health in planning for the future.  

Here’s what I learned:

There are nearly 44,384 mHealth apps on the Apple App Store and 35,000 on Google (now buying Fitbit… 25m users).

The global mHealth app market is expected to reach  US$102.35 billion by 2023.

Most service providers, grant makers, and program participants have not considered what happens to their data being gathered.

As a society, and as systems  we have fallen in love with the potential good of technology, from phone apps for health support, to smart speakers reminding rural seniors to take their meds, to AI customer tracking in major retail pharmacies, data is being gathered and sold.  The same data can also lead to knowledge, insight and better services for those in need.

We must acknowledge the data belongs to real people and protecting their right to consent to the use of their data, and the sharing of their data with researchers invites us all to respect the people we serve by asking permission and protecting their data.

It would be a simple process, and the Third Sector could lead the rest of the nation in this emerging crisis of data privacy by showing respect and consideration for the people we serve.

To read Paul's excellent article please follow the link below

https://www.rwjf.org/en/blog/2019/10/researchers-how-to-leverage-personal-data-and-still-protect-privacy.html?cid=xsp_other_unpd_dte:20191024

Public Health and Kindness

On Monday an email from a former student asked for the quote we used when  facilitating an inter-disciplinary course in public health.  

He said, you need to share the passage to give a context for public health.

“To what extent am I/ are we willing to contribute (or sacrifice) so someone we do not know, and will never meet, can have access to the kind and quality of life, health, education, housing, and safety we would want for a loved one?”

Public health it is about the interconnectedness of family, community, and our world.  

Public health is not just about vaccines, testing, or medical care. 

Public health encompasses multiple professionals from:

Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety

Policy and Law

Epidemiology

Biostatistics

Communications

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

Community Nursing

Behavioral Health

Prevention

Child Care

Exercise Science 

Nutrition

Affordable Housing

Agriculture

Food Safety

Transportation

Education

Hospital Administration

Community Health Centers

Justice and Law Enforcement

Philanthropy

It is ironic many are being introduced to the profession through the practices of social distancing and isolation.  The truth is we are in this moment together… globally and we always have been.  This is not a virus with borders or blame, it is our shared personal responsibility.
The core issue at this moment is how we think about people outside of family and friends.  Our individual action, complying with science-based directives, or not complying, will make all the difference.  

Sacrificing for and contributing to those we might never meet is the only way we will bring the virus under control.  Openness, kindness, respect, and generosity is the path to safety and a shared future. 

Leadership... Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

Recently I facilitated a meeting of COO and “Chiefs of Staff” from large organizations focused on public policy issues. 

In confidence, they shared concerns about the changes in leadership behavior by their bosses. Many were worried their boss was slowly adopting the leadership traits of the current resident of the Oval Office.  

The group developed an inventory to monitor the shift.  

I share this resource to raise this issue for leadersto reflect on their own behaviors.

Does your boss:

• Have an obsession with personal appearance?

• Stare at you quizzically, wondering why you are taking so long to bestow compliments?

• Consider loyalty a key qualifier?

• Ask you to say bad things about your peers? 

• Base their leadership on projecting superiority?

• Need to hear or tell stories about other people’s weaknesses? 

• Ask you to pick a fight on their behalf?

• Consider “winning” and industry rankings as the most important metric?

• Dismiss the expertise or competence of others?

• Self-assuredly throw out data and opinions without feeling the need to double-check? 

• Find ways to privately put down or devalue the competence of others? 

• Always make problems someone else’s fault?

• Treat women and under represented leaders and peers with distain?

• Believe and say no one has ever been a better leader than they are?

• Describe adversaries as defective? 

• Discredit former leaders and erase them from the organization’s history the moment they exit the circle of loyalty?

• Frequently make comments about how nobody can do anything right? 

• Diminish your accomplishments? 

• Trivialize or make fun of your competence or expertise? 

• Have an immediate negative reaction to any criticism?

• Take credit for the accomplishments of others and sideline those who did the real work?

• Use PR staff to condemn bad news as inaccurate, provide only positive information even in crisis, and protect the boss at all costs?

• Threaten to withhold funds or support unless there is full compliance with the leader’s perspective?

• Create discord with peers in trade and professional associations in an effort to take over the organization through innuendo and intimidation of others?

Distraction is a strategy

Distraction is a strategy to make us forget what is important.  Here are five stories we all need to pay attention to: 

Current efforts at Homeland Security and ICE to increase deportations

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-administration-immigrants-test-128ddf67348f/

Imagine if DesMoines, or Jackson, or Orlando, or Akron or Sioux Falls were destroyed by a disaster how FEMA might respond:

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/07/02/puerto-rican-evacuees-face-uncertainty-as-fema-extends-housing-aid-to-july-5

Pre-existing conditions are still at thing, and still at risk:

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/opinion/guest_commentaries/guest-commentary-i-m-a-small-farmer-from-iowa-why/article_56790e92-8ed0-11e8-b90a-436dbd84dba7.html

Why where you live, and your race, gender, housing, and income matters and may prevent you from getting affordable coverage.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/17/629441555/health-insurers-are-vacuuming-up-details-about-you-and-it-could-raise-your-rates

Why is the alt-right gathering to ‘celebrate’?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/07/23/white-nationalists-alt-right-rally-washington-charlottesville/796998002/

Overlooked Heroines and Heroes of Hero Week

The initial announcement from the White House made brief mention of health care professionals (nurses, physicians, techs, clinicians, social workers, orderlies, administrators, etc.) who give so much to change (and save) lives every day.  No major event took place to honor those in public service who make the world a safer and healthier place.

Today being the anniversary of the Department of Health Education and Welfare opening its doors for the first time in 1953, a special thank you to:

The Military Health System employing more than 137,000 health professionals in 65 hospitals, 412 clinics, and 414 dental clinics at facilities across the nation and around the world, the Uniformed Services University, as well as in combat-theater operations worldwide.

The VA Health Administration where 315,000 caring professionals provide care in1, 245 health care facilities, including 170 VA Medical Centers and 1,065 outpatient sites

Local and County Health Departments 160,000 + people working in local community public health positions and 40,000

Workers in State, Territorial and Tribal, Health Departments whose numbers change daily!

The not for profit health safety net where more than 500,000 professionals in healthcare support with at risk populations supported by public funding and private donations.

The US Public Health Service 6,500 Commissioned Corps officers who deliver healthcare to underserved communities, conduct live changing research, and work to improve and protect public health. Corps officers serve in Federal agencies including:

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Food and Drug Administration
• Health Resources and Services Administration
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Indian Health Service
• National Institutes of Health
• Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health
• Office of the Secretary
• Program Support Center
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Federal Bureau of Prisons
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• National Park Service
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Department of Defense
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Division of Immigration Health Services (DIHS)
• U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. Marshals Service
• All of these champions for health work for wages significantly less than their colleagues in the private sector, and many not for profit hospital and system salaries. They do so because they truly care.

Maybe the White House schedule got a little crowded last week… but let’s applaud and thank the people who work every single day to make the world a better, kinder, and safer place for all. 

What Is Not Being Talked About in Health Reform 2.????

1.   Health care insurance is not health care delivery.

This is not only true of the repeal proposal, it is true of the ACA as well.  The idea that people with insurance can get timely care is simply not true.  According to a report released last month:

Researchers at Merritt Hawkins, found the average wait time for:

·       A cardiologist was 21.1 days in large markets and 32.3 days in mid-sized markets; 

·       A dermatologist was 32.3 days in large markets and 35.1 days in mid-sized markets;

·       An OB-GYN was 26.4 days in large markets and 23.1 days in mid-sized markets;

·       A family medicine doctor was 29.3 days in large markets and 54.3 days in mid-sized markets; 

·       An orthopedic surgeon was 11.4 days in large markets and 15 days in mid-sized markets.

The VA Office of the Inspector General reported, based on a sampling last month that 36 percent of appointments for new patients had wait times longer than 30 days. OIG estimated the average wait time for that 36 percent of appointments was 59 days. According to the report, an estimated 20,600 medical appointments in the VA had wait times greater than 30 days.

2.   53 different systems of eligibility and service menus makes no “business” sense. 

Let’s begin with the assumption state legislatures are the best places for making decisions about our health. The GOP plan reduces by 30+%  overall funding for health care and then splits the monies up to the states and territories, we don’t know how that split will be calculated (population under 65 / Medicaid enrollment / or political prowess). These states are working with smaller federal support and smaller budgets. If they are already cutting elementary education imagine what they will do for those who live in poverty.

But they are not alone in making the decisions. The “insurance” approach to health care also involves the State Insurance Commissioner.  The insurance commissioner is a state-level position in all 50 states. The duties of the position vary from state to state, but their general role is as a consumer protection advocate and insurance regulator. The position is elected in 11 states and appointed in 39. 

In today’s business environment, it is common for large and small companies alike to expand across state lines or hire remote, out-of-state workers. The health care coverage will differ from state to state.  If you are pro-business think about this model.

3.   Physicians are in short supply and thousands are at risk of deportation.

A study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, released in March, predicts a U.S. shortfall of physicians somewhere between 40,800 and 104,900, due to factors such as population growth, an increase in the number of aging Americans and the retirement of practicing doctors.

In rural America the irony of Trump’s strong support from these regions, is that they are extremely dependent on a decades old program established by a Senator from North Dakota to attract physicians from outside the US to meet the need for care in rural communities.

Recent research by economists at Harvard and MIT counts over 7,000 physicians in the United States who are from one of the countries listed in the second travel ban. The potential for loss of physicians in rural states and small towns—areas that are already suffering from a lack of access to quality healthcare—can have a substantial impact on the number of available physicians. Add to this the number of undocumented individuals believed to currently be attending medical schools and residency programs in the United States, and the negative impact continues to grow on the access to healthcare.

4.   The Cost of Care

True costs are guessable at best.  We do know, ours is the most expensive health care in the world.  We also know it represents 1/6th of our economy.  We recognize but never talk about the most expensive of care… Some estimates are that one of every seven dollars spent for health care are spent in the first seven days and last seven days of life, on care for a patient who is not participating in the decision making process.

If we start to talk about these ideas, we might just arrive at a very different place.

FOUR ESSENTIALS IN LEADERSHIP TRANSITION IN NOT FOR PROFITS

1.  Get the history right. 

History is leaving much, if not most, of the human and health services not-for-profit sector over the next decade. In many, many cases the founder of the organization is stepping down, or the initial board is being reconstituted. Getting a true sense of what was at the heart and soul of the organization, and codifying it, is essential to moving forward in this time when our basic assumptions about doing good are being challenged.

To that point, it is worth remembering that the origins of human services did not grow out of the best of intentions. Feudal battles left people disabled, and the lords and masters made accommodation by allowing these veterans to beg at the gates of the city, thus the cap-in-handers (and ultimately, the handicapped). Allowing begging was based on the theory of the “worthy” and “unworthy” poor. We know this is not the foundation of your organization, it is however the espoused belief of the majority party in Washington, and the majority of state legislatures in our country.

2.  Acknowledge and embed the history.

Celebrate the fact that the majority of not for profit health and human service founders are women. Have a board member get a portrait done of the current leader. Do an infographic of the chairperson’s time there. Have a big party (with a silent auction) and allow people to say good bye and thank you. Not doing so will hurt the organization and all will regret the lack of closure (this I know from personal experience).

3.  Identify opportunities for core changes before the next leader arrives.

Hire an outside consultant a year before the departure to do an assessment of the change readiness of the organization. Insist they identify no more than three structural or procedural issues that can be resolved prior to the on-boarding of the new leader. Have the outgoing leader implement these changes.

4.  Manage expectations, and prepare for disappointment ahead.

To describe the current federal and state budgets as being in crisis is an understatement. The competing priorities of doing good, and having any sort of cultural infrastructure will change the way you raise money, how grants will be decided, and if your organization will continue to exist as it has for the last decade. There is no precedent for the current attack on our safety net, on our values, and the depletion of tax revenue at the state level for discretionary spending.

Please connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josefreum/

The Three Legs

Researchers at the University of Illinois looked into the qualities of leadership and identified readiness, willingness, and ability as the three qualities needed to be successful. They referred to these as the “three legs”

I have a different experience of legs.
In the header is a photo of three of my many legs.

When I was four years old my left foot was amputated at Denver Children’s Hospital. My first leg (on the left) was made by a true gentleman named Barney Simon, an amputee himself who lost his right leg in Korea, he worked at Gaines Orthopedic Appliances just up the street from the hospital. His company employed other disabled vets from the Korean and Viet Nam wars. I became a fixture in Mr. Simons office as I grew out of the limbs almost annually, thus “many” legs some of which have been repurposed as umbrella stands, doorstops, and trophies.

Barney moved on to the University of Washington as the Founding Director of the Orthopedics and Prosthetics Program, where he helped transform the industry and the lives of others. His vet colleagues were instrumental in coaching me about hunting, fishing, and swearing.

The second leg (middle) was made to fit at a time when I was taller than I am now. It was retrofitted to be a “saltwater fishing leg” as dipping thousands of dollars of metal and graphite into the ocean is dicey. It has made a difference for me in terms of my ability to wade out on the flats and not catch fish. (Cheers! Longos)

When I wear shorts, which is a lot when I am in the tropics or it is summer, people stare and make assumptions. In a trip to the Midwest I was in my hiking shorts and fighting with a diet coke can stuck in the machine. From out of the parking lot a kind man came up, bent down, and slowly bellowed at me “HIIIIII CAN IIIII HEEELLLP YOUUUUU? Certain my leg was an

indication of cognitive or hearing impairment. I said “thank you I’lllll beeee finnnnee.” These days’ people thank me for my service, which is a high compliment, but my service is limited to public agencies and classrooms, and has little to do with the leg.

So the third leg was a masterpiece of plastics, customer trust, and artistry. David Fenton didn’t laugh when I asked for a “wooden” leg. He understood the intent, and the history of people asking me if I have or had a wooden leg.

Mr. Fenton, and Elizabeth found a material to mimic wood (think plastic car siding) and crafted a masterpiece that gets both smiles and compliments, and fewer mistaken thank yous.

David, like all prosthetic and orthotic professionals in the private side of the industry, found himself in the unenviable role of fighting with the insurance company. He was my champion in working with UHC who felt my having a new leg was unnecessary even though I had lost 20 lbs.

http://www.districtamputeecarecenter.com

Being an amputee has allowed me many opportunities and some weird experiences, but overall it convinced me “Disability is not a matter of diagnosis, it is simply a matter of time.”

The rights and accommodations created by current federal law (unless repealed) have benefitted not just those who have a diagnosis but those who deliver our packages! Sidewalk cuts and ramps have reduced workplace injury for those who haul boxes to and fro, as well as skateboarders like my nephew who find the path no matter the prohibitions!

My whole life has been about readiness, willingness, and ability. When I get a new leg it is because my body has changed in weight or strength and some wise person at my insurer decides I am “ready” to get a new limb that fits. I also need to be “willing” to pay much more than I did for my first car in terms of a co-pay. Luckily I have insurance, which makes me “able” to access a limb and continue to be an active citizen.

Over the past weeks we have heard about proposals from the new administration and the GOP for a new health approach. Habilitative and rehabilitative services were one of the specifically identified essential health benefits in the ACA to be stripped out in the “replacement” legislation. 1.9 million Americans wear prostheses. That number is expected to double by 2050 due to Diabetes Type 2.

It is obvious the President and the GOP had no legs to stand on in their effort to destroy the ACA. They certainly demonstrated a lack of readiness, willingness, and ability. For that I am grateful! 

Uncertainty may be our moment

Uncertainty is the new normal for everyone I work with and live with.  What we are all not certain about is different for each person.  Some are uncertain but hopeful, others are uncertain and in despair, others are uncertain and distracted by the sense of uncertainty.

Here is what these people have generously taught me:

Everything we assumed about the “goodwill and core support for good works” of the majority Americans may be wrong, depending on if you use the majority of the Electoral College, or of the popular vote.

Everything has always, and will continue to, change.

Most of us were not prepared for the major shift away from government (at all levels) to provide for basic services for those in need.  We are uncertain of what programs will survive and what will be un-funded.   There is a certainty about the inevitable reduction in resources.  Will we end up pitting providers of safety net services in competition over diminishing resources?

What we can be certain of:

The two candidates for president spent at least $1.4 billion dollars none of which was tax deductible. 

That is a lot of money…. until you consider Harvard University raised $1.6 billion in 2015.

At least $20.0 billion of safety net services will be de-funded if just half of the campaign promises in local, state, and national elections are kept.

So what can we do?

Developing new and innovative strategies for long-term sustainability is required for every 501c3 board in the days ahead.  Postponing these discussions for a month would be an abdication of governance responsibility.

Get started by asking yourself some questions:

Three questions to ask as a board member of a not for profit:

1.     Is this an opportunity to join forces with another complementary not for profit?

2.     Can we tap into new resources before our governmental funds are cut?

3.     Are we ready to declare victory or “mission accomplished” and close our doors passing on our resources to others in the field?

Three questions for board members of foundations to consider:

1.     What is our responsibility to direct service providers at risk of losing core funding?

2.     Should we re-align funding away from capital projects and focus on the safety net (as we define it)?

3.     Is it time to stop funding universities and entities with >50% overhead?

A frank and honest board meeting is essential for building consensus and community awareness of the changing landscape.  The work will be difficult.  Several people may resign.

Then: Bring in a facilitator. 

What we do is engage all voices, make uncertainty a place for creativity rather than fear, and make these gut-wrenching discussions a process where respect, safety, and actionable decisions are guaranteed. 

The people you serve, or those you fund to provide direct services, rely on each of you, as a believer in your work, to accept the truth of the current situation, and to be courageous in your resolve

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD... There is no better place or time than right here and right now.

Nora Pouillon

On Tuesday last week the James Beard Foundation announced Nora Pouillon as recipient of a lifetime achievement award.  This honor is long overdue for someone so visionary.

Nora is worthy for many accomplishments: a pioneering female chef; a singular voice for ensuring the term “organic” meant something; the force behind farmers markets in the nation’s capital; the creator of a scholarship for women to be formally trained at the Culinary Institute of America, funded by other female chefs; author of multiple useable cookbooks, and works on food itself; a leader in movements to reduce overfishing of seafood; and at the helm for three plus decades of the first designated “Organic” restaurant in the Unites States. 

I was privileged to be one of her first employees when Restaurant Nora opened its’ doors in DuPont Circle in a small place that had been a grocery, then a Yugoslavian sandwich shop, and today a world famous establishment.

In the early days it was a place for affordable lunch, dinner, and even brunch on Sundays.  She worked with purveyors and Thomas, the sommelier, to introduce new wines to the palates of our customers.  Nora was our teacher and coach in being better table attendants, bus persons, dishwashers, and bartenders.  Each afternoon we would come in to do set up, and then we would all sit down and dine on the specials of the day.  So we could recommend with truth.   We learned with every meal even more about sourcing and preparation (we became true foodies). Nora’s was a haven for the neighborhood during the President’s Day Storm of 1979.  We kept the doors open for three straight days as the far-flung organic farmers she supported from the start, made their way to her kitchen door in-spite of 18+ inches of snow. 

Her dedication to good, whole, and clean, food transformed us all (immigrants, artists, college students, and chefs in training) into a real team, pooling tips and sharing equally with all.  She taught me about the importance of creativity, belief in self, trust in others, and patience – appreciating that understanding and recognition might or might not happen, and makes no difference if you believe in your vision. 

Over the last decade chefs have become celebrities, and bigger than life characters.

Nora has been mindful of keeping focused on what matters.  She was one of very few women in an industry subjugated by misogyny.  She altered the history of Washington DC eateries, and groceries, by believing people would come to care about the food they ate, how it was raised, prepared, and offered, if only given a chance.   She has done much more; she has changed the world, one plate at a time. 

Lessons: Diane Rehm and Fred Rogers

This last week was filled with many gifts. 

Two gifts came courtesy of NPR through the Diane Rehm Show.  Her final show was powerful for her continued commitment to respectful dialogue and her openness to the opinions of others.   She exemplified civil discourse, and has always been an able practitioner of what Buddhists call the Fourth Precept: Deep Listening and Loving Speech.  In her final sign off from the daily broadcast (I’ve already enrolled in her new podcast format) she asked the audience(three million+) to “truly listen to each other.”

As a lasting gift for those who have tuned in for 37 years, or those who only heard her last show, she curated a week of recordings of her favorite broadcasts.

Today we got to listen to a 14 year old re-broadcast of Ms. Rehm interviewing Mr. Rogers who offered wise counsel to parents, families, and people in general to: “live by the values of kindness, caring, and gentleness toward others.”

In the dialogue between Ms. Rehm and Mr. Rogers they chuckled at being the two slowest talkers in broadcast media.  Mr. Rogers wisely asked “Don’t you think we need some slowness?”   How true at this moment in time.

These two citizens earned the respect, and the trust of people all over the world through their commitment to listening with their all; to meeting people in the moment; and for their shared belief in our obligation to the well being of others. 

Mr. Rogers (who moved on to what is next two months after the interview) continues to be mentioned as one of the people most trusted by generation X and Y.

In the days and months ahead I hope to stay centered, not by being a warrior, but by channeling the courage and integrity of Ms. Rehm, and living out Mr. Rogers’ belief: “What we imagine can be made possible through kindness.”

INVISIBILITY

jr photo

This was going to be a post about the future of the “safety net” and rapidly shifting politics and policy in the year ahead, but in recent weeks the people I encountered in day-to day life made the future real.  They will be the most affected by the impending storm of change.

The greeter at the big box store (a retired elementary school teacher), checkout people at the grocery (a sister and brother from Haiti), or the table attendant at Denny’s (whose grace invited Elizabeth to ask if he had been a dancer).  They are often working two jobs to make ends meet, to make dreams come true. It is likely your parents or grandparents worked in the service industry, to make your dreams come true. Mine did. All too often they were invisible. 

Invisibility is at the core of oppression. 

Can simple acknowledgement and respect be pathways to integrity, freedom, and community?

As I go through this holiday/transition season, I will take time and look into the eyes, see the person, say hello and thank you to those emptying trash, greeting people at the door, checking luggage, stocking vegetables at the grocery, shelving books at the library, sitting reception at the doctor’s office, delivering mail, driving the Uber/taxi, and waiting my table.   

These are people of dignity, whose lives will change in unimaginable ways in the months and years to come.  They have been part of the life we all lead every single day.  I will meet each, as I would want my grandparent met.

I need to do this as much for me, to remember our communities, our ties to each other can remain strong in these uncertain times. To possibly even strengthen, if given recognition, respect, and most of all, simple kindness. 

Three Magic (interview) Questions

Over several decades it was my honor to be the “professor” for thousands of students in a graduate professional program. Many former students are now my teachers, and accomplished leaders in many fields.  Hundreds have stayed in touch and “linked-in” Every month I hear from someone who recalled the outline of an idea offered in class, and sends an email asking for those “Three magic questions.” One suggested sharing them in a post.

The questions work best when the following stars are aligned:

• You are interviewing for a job you want.
• You are interviewing with the person you will be reporting to.
• You have done enough research to fine tune the questions.
• You are excited about the work, and remain open to the possibility that this may not be the place for you

So…. The interview gets to the point where your soon to be boss asks "Do you have any questions for me?" and now you ask:

THE THREE QUESTIONS:

1.    What will be different for you on a day-to-day basis if this works out?

2.    In your time with this organization what project or activity are you most proud of?

3.    Where do you see this organization and this industry in five years?

Here is why the questions work.

For #1, no job description is comprehensive enough, or HR approved to include the personal expectations of your supervisor. Often you don’t find those out until you disappoint one of these unknown expectations. The answer will give you specific outcomes to make you both successful.

Question #2 has several functions. Your ‘boss to be’ will tell a story where she or he is the protagonist and will describe the barriers (organizational and cultural) overcome by this person or their team. You will learn a lot about the organization, and about your potential supervisor. If the answer is “I got my travel reimbursement in under 180 days!“  My advice... skip asking the third question and head (quickly) for the exit.

The final question is a riff on the “Where do you see yourself in five years.” The answers will reveal the degree to which your next supervisor is engaged or involved in the strategic direction of the organization, and the involvement of the organization in the larger “system” of the industry.

Job offers often come your way when you ask these three questions. Having the answers will help you accept the job with joy, or decline the offer knowing you are making an informed decision.

Who Knew???

Over the last ten days I rediscovered the joy of using the phone… for talking.  

Like most Americans, I text. A lot. Every day in the US we send over 6 billion text messages.  98% of texts get opened, about half get a response.  

(In case you are a Trivial Pursuit fan: The first-ever text message was sent December 3, 1992, by software engineer Neil Papworth, to Vodafone director Richard Jarvis. It read: "Merry Christmas")

Email is used less often, and is viewed as a transactional, more formal vehicle. The average US worker receives and opens 60% of 121 emails per day, and responds to 30%.  Some may be spam, newsletters, notices, passive aggressive use of BCC, or the email was just FYI… no response required. 

According to those who keep track of these things:

Every working day we spend

3 hours per day on email
26 minutes per day on texts
60 minutes on social media

Most of these 7+ hours of activity are on hand held devices called phones.

We spend 22 minutes on the phone using it to make calls.

And, we sit every day for 2 hours and 39 minutes watching television. 

My iPhone is usually close at hand. When it chimed for the umpteenth time announcing a new text, I looked at the number on the screen and asked myself why wasn’t I using the phone to talk to people voice to voice?

It is hard to admit, but email and text have become the favored technology for a “virtual conversation” or to make a “collaborative” decision.

Too many of us are accustomed to using digital communication to not have a real conversation about good news, bad news, or to clarify expectations.

So I decided to re-boot my skills at actually talking with people on the phone, even when a text or e-mail would have been expected.

Here is what I learned.  

When having difficult conversations, I was interested in the whole person on the other end, not just the issue we were talking about.  We didn’t have to guess at the feelings the other party. Neither of us had to try and interpret the tone of an email or text. 

If Joan was frustrated with my lack of clarity, we didn't need to send five emails or 20 texts to get to the bottom of what we were talking about.  We had a frank exchange and made decisions quickly and respectfully.  

Pat and I talked about important and personal topics, as well as promising and hopeful ideas, and we used language, timing, reflection, and we both listened... even to the pauses and the unspoken ambiguity of the situation.

Craig negotiated a business transaction to repair a roof for us. He talked me through the process, acknowledged my hesitancy to sign on for another disappointment (fourth fix, fifth company), and we built trust by calling one another several times, connecting, promising to get back to each other, and honoring those promises. 

Afterward, I called the other contractors to thank them for coming out and putting together their bids. Adding how much we appreciated their efforts and responsiveness.  No email, or text, but a voice saying thank you for being professional and an acknowledgment of their effort.

It was hard to do at first; I had grown accustomed to the e-z way as in the email way out of disappointing others.

All this phone time was actually… invigorating. We had conversations, back and forth discussion, and listened and built on each other’s ideas in real time. These calls were productive, connected, and human.

Here is the tip my clients will get on the next visit (or call): If a problem, or difficult decision has landed on your desktop or phone screen. Pick up the phone and call the sender to have a conversation; it might be just the change you both need to find a creative and relationship building result.

A great read on this topic:

Sherry Turkle of MIT, “The Flight From Conversation” see: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html

Our own fingerprints are on the knife... if nothing changes in Washington.

Our own fingerprints are on the knife if nothing changes in Washington [1]

The latest Allstate/Atlantic Media Heartland Monitor Poll reports: 88 percent of Clinton voters and 96 percent of Trump voters identified Washington as a problem. 95 percent of Republicans said the political system in Washington is not working well enough, so too did 83 percent of Democrats. Americans think the most serious issue facing the country is “the political system in Washington is not working well enough to produce solutions to the nation’s problems.”

The poll also shows more Americans believe the federal government is “most likely to provide solutions” to that challenge, outpacing state and local governments, big business or national corporations, local businesses, community or non-profit groups, and individuals. [2]  It sounds hopeful… maybe too much so.

The problems in DC are not from something amiss in the water of the Potomac. We stab ourselves and kill change making by the confluence of three major forces: Our personal echo chambers of news in a digital world, professional/political self-interest, and money in elections.

In three part harmony, here goes:

First, echo chambers… Opinions different for our own are now conveniently avoidable entirely! More than seven-in-ten U.S. adults follow national and local news somewhat or very closely – 65% follow international news with the same regularity. Fully 81% of Americans get at least some of this news through websites, apps or social networking sites. And, this digital news intake is increasingly mobile. Among those who get news both on desktop computers and mobile devices, more than half prefer mobile

For those under 40 phones now serve as the primary conduit for news.[3] About a third often get news from social networking sites (32%) and from news websites and apps (34%). Their use of social networking sites for news is higher than among any other age group, while their use of news websites/apps is higher than that of those ages 50 and older. In today’s digital world we get to curate our sources, opting in to what we like, and opting out of what we don’t. My Apple News allows me to pick what publications I like and agree with. Several outlets have been included only because it keeps my heart rate up which is a good thing.

But if I wanted all news could come to my phone from people connected through a social media site who agree with me, and might even like me!

Please see this magnificent article on the problem @ https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/12/how-technology-disrupted-the-truth

Second, self-interest… as members of any professional association, or special interest group, we must share some responsibility for the mess in DC. Associations have been around since before the nation was founded. They do important and good work in terms of bringing people of like minds together, educating members, advancing research, policing the ranks, holding meetings, and advocating for policies.

FULL DISCLOSURE, as a former executive for a professional organization in DC, I learned (the hard way “The primary purpose of any association is to prevent change unless it is to the direct benefit of the interested parties.”

Associations and special interest groups constitute the third largest employment sector in Washington DC, the raw numbers are overwhelming.

The estimate of registered lobbyists in Washington is 10,000, or 18.7 for every elected member of Congress. Special interest and association employment numbers are around 150,000, or 280 people per member of Congress, and all are employed to prevent change unless it is a change to our benefit.

An emerging complication is the ever hardening of interest group perspectives. It is common to hear people visiting DC to lobby express the following: “Anyone who disagrees with us is the enemy.” One unpublished study found Hill staff felt the advocacy approaches of gun rights and gun control organizations were identical “do what we want, or we will crush you in the next election.”   No question, the lack of civility in public life is evident every day, at every level, in this election year. However, we can each take steps to acknowledge other human beings in how we listen to, and respect, those who hold an opinion different from our own. But that would mean change.

Third, money… This election is already the most expensive in our nation’s history.

Interest group contributions to campaigns in the 2015-2016 so far total $1,310,372,936. “Outside” spending for the same period is $331,163,840.[4]

Top lobbying groups kicked in $78,710,838 over the first five months of this year[5] and we still have 100+ days to go.

Buckley v Valeo and Citizens United v. FEC have had a major impact on elections and on democracy.   They opened new avenues for raising money for causes and for candidates.

However, raising money for re-election has been the first job of our elected officials for more than two decades.

John Oliver did a fascinating story on Congressional campaign funding earlier this year (worth viewing). In it he reported on a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee memo laying out the expectation for members to spend four hours a day (not in their congressional office but off site in nearby DCCC cubicle) making fundraising phone calls.

Every “retiring” member of Congress lists “the endless chase for campaign funds” as a major reason for leaving office.

In 2015, the House met for 157 days, the Senate met but we really aren’t sure of how many days due to a trick of the rules of recess vs. adjournment. If you see Senator McConnell you can ask him.

It is safe to say both houses averaged 18 hours of work per week. Then they fly home to raise money… from people who know what is true from those they know and agree with… and those who are confident their perspective is the right one.

So should we just give up on democracy/oligarchy? Are we doomed to the raw physics of the influence industry? Should we begin investing in state legislators who might someday be elected to serve in Washington?

Recognizing my need (and the opportunity) to work on openness to differences over the next two weeks, here are the three things I am trying, and invite you to join me.

1) For 30 minutes on three days tuning in to the convention(s) in progress, and listening to people I don’t agree with. This is not to re-enforce biases, but rather to hear people who believe their own truth. Be respectful of their fears and anxieties.  Try out some empathy and compassion.

2) Add AlterNet, or RedState to web reading .

3) Make a contribution to a Food Bank equal to the cost of two tickets (including 3D surcharge) to whatever blockbuster movie is playing in an air-conditioned theatre. (See BFG if you still can.. it was amazing).

It might just help me  feel better and more hopeful about the future.  Respect for every voice makes a difference, even if that voice is not in harmony with my choir.

 Let me know what you think/learn in the process!  Thanks for the feedback so far!

[1] Borrowing from: How come every time I get stabbed in the back my fingerprints are on the knife? : And other meditations on management., Jerry B. Harvey, San Francisco : Jossey-Bass,1999.

 [2] How Can The US Fix a Broken Government, The Atlantic, 7/16/16, Clare Foran.

[3] The Modern News Consumer, Pew Research , 7/7/16, Amy Mitchell, Jeffrey Gottfried,, Michael Berthel, Elisa Shearer. 

[4] The Center for Responsive Politics. SourceFEC 6/27/16 and 7/16/16        THE CENTER IS A TREASURE TROVE

[5] http://www.senate.gov/legislative/lobbyingdisc.htm#lobbyingdisc=fec, not a treasure trove, requires hours to do what OpenSecrets.org does in seconds.