Why is this Recession so strange?

I finally realized what it is about this latest recession that is so different from any of the other ones I've lived through, people have lost confidence.  Actually, people are hopeless, but they need not be.

There is a lack of stability that has entered our lives that no amount of pundits talking about end of recessions and recovery can replace.  For many of us for the first time we go to work unsure if that job will be with us the next day.  We haven't changed or lost our skills or anything like that.  We are just unsure if those jobs will be there for us a week from now or a year from now.

I talk to people everyday who are quaking in fear about their future.  People are not sure what will happen to them and that is making them seize up, doubt themselves and become so unconfident that they cannot stand up for themselves.  They've lost that sense that things will be alright.  It's unknown.

It used to be that if you worked hard, paid your dues and did your duty you would have a successful career.  It was always an unsaid given that good workers would be safe and secure.  Unfortunately, someone left the back door open.

The difference is of course that no amount of hard work is a guarantee of continued employment.  Companies even when making record profits are still laying people off or not hiring.  The overall mindset of business has changed to a solely bottom line driven miasma that is always out for that extra half of a percent of profit on the backs of workers.  People can sense that they are no longer the heart of a company, but finance is.

So we work and we fret.  We think about the problems and what if's more than the have's and how it is.  We are looking over our shoulder, reading too much into emails and worried. We're afraid, but we need to buck up.

Confidence has nothing to do with circumstance.  It is an emotion that is separate from rational thought and reality.  We have to have it first before a cause.  The cause is ourselves and we cannot fail.  We can get through this latest challenge if we start to demand that companies start putting more thought into more than the bottom line.

Companies that put the need of their employees as part of the formula of their business's success not only make profits, but they secure a loyal workforce.  That workforce is the company in the flesh and if they stay true the company will prosper.

We want so much to be connected to something that is bigger than ourselves and if we can get that idea back into the heads of CEOs and managers, maybe they will see the benefit of having a workforce that is proud to say where they work, proud to clock in, and proud to wear that name badge.

A sketch I did for July 23 Progressive Congress Event

Questions from Pam Stucky

Pam Stucky is amazing.  She is an accomplished author, blogger and all around fun person.  Check out her stuff at pamstucky.com or follow her on twitter @pamstucky.  She asked me to answer some questions and I think ya'll will enjoy my answers.  Okay bye. :P


Q: Three adjectives that describe you?
  funny, compassionate, curious
Q: What are your passions in life?
> reading, writing, people, gaming, making a difference
>
> Q: You do work with Sustainable Seattle [correct name?]. What is that, what is your involvement with it, and why?
> I am a board member of Sustainable Seattle because I believe that the only way to move forward is to focus on the needs and desires of people.  Sustainability has an automatic connection to environmental concerns, but it misses the most important part of meeting our needs, meeting the needs of the people.  We are an organization dedicated to collaboration, stewardship and social justice.

>
> Q: Part of the Sustainable Seattle project is the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative. How is did happiness get bundled up with a sustainable city project?

Happiness is not just a feeling; it is a sense of wellness and true contentment.  We as a society have never really looked at contentment and wellness as real goals.  We are too concerned with material goods and "keeping up with the Jones's."  This is why we have such a huge disparity between the rich and the poor.  The rich think that if they got their next million they would finally be happy, but with that next million they are still unsatisfied.

Only through looking at happiness as a collection of different domains: psychological well being, material well being, community vitality, cultural vitality, health, governance, environmental quality, time balance and education can we get to a place that leads to real contentment.

  Q: What are the elements of a happy life? What makes you happy? What can other people do to make themselves happier?
> A happy life is one that is first and foremost about building and maintaining healthy relationships.  Relationship with others, our environment and the most neglected relationship, with ourselves. 

What makes me happy is helping others live up to their potential.  What makes me happy is knowing that I have been a part of something that helped others.  What makes me happy is dancing, music, spending time doing nothing with people I care about. 

First step in becoming happy is to choose to make your own happiness a priority in your life.  Happiness is not a feeling, but a state of being.
>
> Q: You are also an author. Tell us about your works, past, present, future. What are you working on most right now?
> I wouldn't call myself an author since I do not follow the number one rule of every writer I've ever read, "Not a day without writing."  I am working on mostly a novel about a group of high school teens in a very atypical neighborhood based on my hometown.  It is a story about what real friendship is all about and an experiment in writing without editing.

I'm only editing grammar, spelling and consistency.  I'm letting the chapters and story flow in whatever shape it wants.  I have chapters that involve gaming, love, homelessness, education reform, evil PTA's and a founding of a town.  It is really fun and I'm writing it to prove to myself that a novel is something I can complete.  I'm actually really enjoying the process and the characters are so much fun to write. 

I'm at the point where I cannot just throw them around anymore.  I have to sometimes stop myself from making a character say something that would not come out of their mouth, or if it does I write the reactions from the others to reflect the strangeness of what they just said.  I'm having fun and that really is what writing is all about.
>
> Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?
My stories come from my reading, my life, and my imagination.  I've been making up stories and characters all my life.  My brother and I used to play "choose your own adventure" stories when I was younger.  He was the game master and their were no rules and most of the time I ended up getting squished by Grimlok the Transformer T-Rex.
>
>
> Q: What one book do you wish you'd written, and why?
The one book that I wish I had written would most likely be "The Outsiders."  The book is timeless because it deals with the fundamental question of humanity "What am I worth?  Where do I belong?  What really matters?"  I must have read that book 30 times.
>
>
> Q: Describe a favorite childhood memory.
> One day I was climbing a tree and I must have been 20 feet up easily.  My mother was upset because I hadn't cleaned my room before I went outside.  She was at the bottom of the tree yelling at me to come down right now.  "Right now?" I said.  "Now!" she said.  So I jumped out of the tree.

Q: Music you're listening to these days?
  Coheed and Cambria, Lapfox, Muse, Lady Gaga

 Q: Hobbies, secret talents, goals, dreams?
Hobbies: gaming, reading, cooking,drawing, dancing and singing. 
Secret talent?  I can understand where almost anyone is coming from.  I can see their intent even when I disagree with their actions. 

Goal: To live a life worth living. 

Dream:  To live a life day to day that is meaningful, fun and never looking forward, but being fully present at this very moment.

A break from the norm

Today must have been the first time in quite a while that I was out of the house for the beginning of the day until after business hours.  I pretty much work from home most of the time in my capacity as a Communications Director, but the mighty Meetings had me tied to downtown and Ballard all day.

I was a committee connoisseur today bouncing from one administrative engagement to another.  Decisions, discussions, defensiveness, diatribes and difficulties all wrapped up in a pretty, crinkly paper package tied with a bow of good intentions.

I had a break when I went for lunch and broke down and bought a sandwich (which always reminds me of one of my favorite jokes.   Why are deserts so popular?  Because of the sand which is there.) and after making sure to go light on the sauce, but keeping all the guacamole, I scarfed it down while waiting for the bus OUTSIDE IN THE SUN...FOR REALS.

Meetings tend to be fun affairs for me because i like watching other people stop paying attention.  I can predict with a fair sense of accuracy what time the meeting will move from effective to antagonizing with pen's point accuracy.  Yes, I meant pen's point  because before any meeting starts I write down how long I think it will take for the majority of people to mentally check out.  I then watch how the meeting is going to see if I was correct. 

Some of you may be saying I should be paying attention to the meeting itself and to that I say "tsst."  I keep extensive notes and refer to them from time to time to really commit them to something or other.  I'm one of the best meeting goers ever as I really do help people express themselves even if that expression is detrimental to the stated goals of the meeting.

Pretty much that last paragraph was just for my own amusement.  I actually do really well in meetings, especially picking up the unsaid portions.  Body language of course is the number one way we really communicate and I am a student of the shrug, eyebrow perch and the crossed arms head bob.  I love meetings especially if there is food involved.

Pro-Tip for meetings.  Always have food even if it is the simplest carbohydrates one can find.  Human interactions that have meaning ALWAYS have food involved.  Nothing sends a message that a meeting is a waste of time if their are no vittles available.  If people aren't chawing on something their hearts are in another place.  Feed them and they will not only come back to the next meeting, but they will have a pleasant association with everyone involved with that meeting, of course all bets are off if you serve Spam.

The Flow Campaign 4/10/2011 Issue 5

   4/10/2011-4/16/2011    Issue 5

Community Vitality This week we are focusing on Community Vitality which is the idea that true happiness comes from the connections and relationships we build with the people around us in our homes, our neighborhoods and our work places. Most working adults spend the vast majority of their waking time at the workplace.  People who work forty hours a week spend more time with their coworkers than they do with their family and much more time than with their friends.  Therefore, it is essential for us to make our work environment community a more pleasant, meaningful place. So what are some actions we can take to make our work places more pleasant and more enjoyable?  Here are a few ideas that can transform the experience we have at our workplaces. Firstly, eating is fundamental to the human experience and many people working at full time jobs do not either eat properly or eat with others.  Eating with your coworkers is one of the first steps to take to establish and grow a more pleasant work environment.  When eating with coworkers I would first start by eating on the work campus when appropriate as this will tie the experience with the workplace. Secondly, get rid of your headphones or other personal devices that separate you from your surroundings.  Audio clues are so important to relationships, but body language is even more so.  The act of putting on isolating devices sends a strong signal to others that you do not care to interact and that you don’t value the ambient discussions and hubbub of office life.  Thirdly, come In to work early.  When you are relaxed and rested the day at work is a more pleasant experience as you do not need to be running around and catching up with duties or actions that need to be done.  When you have plenty of time every other action becomes easier and with less effort.  Also, when you come in early you can spend that time chatting with coworkers, getting the best coffee and of course impressing the boss. Lastly, listen more.  Coworkers are starving for attention and if you are a person whom they can talk to about small, and the most important, things they will pay you back in favors, friendship and respect.  Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: Sustainable Industries This week’s book recommendation is: Not On Our Watch by Don Cheadle, John Prendergast Sign up for the weekly newsletter.		Brian Kahn:  Getting Back to Our Founding Values Community, Governance, Cultural www.townhallseattle.org Monday, April 11, 2011 | 7:30 – 9pm   Seattle for Japan Benefit Community, Material www.seattlegreendrinks.org April 12, 2011      5:30PM  - 9PM   Jane Fonda, Inspirational Luncheon Community, Culture, Health www.ywcaworks.org April 14, 2011 Noon-1:30PM

Progressive Self Destruction

A friend of mine over at Cognitive Policy Works is doing fantastic work around getting Progressives to have a unified strategic plan on how to bring about the change that is needed in our modern day politics.  The problem that has been holding him and fellow Progressive organizations back has been a shocking amount of selfishness and close sightedness from fellow Progressives and an overwhelming sense of ownership of missions that deny other organizations that are closely related to find any purchase.

Progressives are good people who wish for social justice, equality and equal access to services and opportunities for all those who wish it.  However, the organizations that claim this mission are often not practicing what they say is their beliefs.  Numerous organizations still have an "us vs. them" attitude even towards fellow organizations whose missions align with their own.  The ownership of missions almost always comes with a sense of exclusivity.  The mission needs to be accomplished in this particular way by us and no other.

The fact of the matter is that many organizations spend too much time taking actions or making plans that other organizations already do better, more efficiently and with a longer history of accomplishment.  It is almost as if some organizations do not ever come out of their small circle of friends to look at some of the impressive work that other like minded organizations are accomplishing.

For instance in the world of green or sustainable certifications there are numerous accrediting agencies doubling and tripling up on the same relevant areas of sustainability.  There are literally dozens of agencies or organizations that provide certifications and reviews with the same basic standards.  Why is this the case?  Instead of many organizations doing the same work, why not have the organizations that do the work the best do it and the other organizations can then focus on a specialty of their own?

Too many nonprofits do not understand that over saturation of services is in the long run hurtful to those very same nonprofits that we claim to want to assist and see thrive.  Nonprofits need to learn from each other and use each other as resources, collaborators and experts.

In order for non profits and progressive organizations they must first have a realignment of their goals and missions to include collaboration and shared responsibility.  Organizations must use the expertise offered in the nonprofit world in order to supplement their own expertise.  Too many nonprofits and progressive organizations feel the need to do their own version of project or program when their are others that are much better and provide better results.

The nonprofit world needs to start thinking like the for profit world in one major way.  What makes your nonprofit special?  What is its major product that is unique either in an original way or additive to another product or service already in existence?  Why does this nonprofit need to exist?  What is its niche?

The other major point that is holding back the Progressive movement is the idea of scarcity.  Progressives have fallen for the oldest trick in the marketing world and that is the idea that their is not enough to go around.  Whatever that enough is, oftentimes Progressives feel that they only have enough to support themselves and they fail to see that in the long run by supporting other organizations that have aligned missions and focus, the overall society will be positively effected.

The nonprofit world cannot afford to be a competitive one as the work we do inherently requires people working together to make a real difference.  We cannot rely on a product or service to bring in consumers without the aid of others in marketing, awareness or reputational help.  We are unique in that we wish to serve others through our work, but we must also be willing and able to assist others who have a similar mission.  There is enough.  There is more than enough and it is through our actions of collaboration and sharing that we can together ensure that there is a safety for ourselves when we fall on leaner times.