Hotter Than July: Introduction

 

Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster,” contains a lyric

“Everyone’s feeling pretty,
It’s hotter than July
Though the world’s full of problems
They couldn’t touch us even if they tried”

 For all sorts of reasons, July 2021 was so hot that I couldn’t remember too much about it. I’d reached an improbable sixty-eighth birthday that year and, as it turned out, I was less, rather than more, likely to make it to sixty-nine, (the age, not the position!): more to follow; well, on the age bit anyway!

Stevie was right and wrong at the same time: July is, in lots of places, hot and so therefore correct! The world’s full of problems, again correct! And now things get a bit flakey “They couldn’t touch us even if they tried.”  Yes, they could and yes, they had.

Covid 19, from its early emergence in China had, and, I feel, continues, to have changed us, at individual, familial and societal levels. In July 2021 Indonesia launched a Covid led lockdown and at this point, the Covid death toll in India was a reported 400,00, with some suggestions inferring that a more realistic figure was “nearer 1,000,000”

The “Hotter than July” theme was repeated with devastating results in Cyprus, when the worst wildfires in the island’s history broke out in Limassol, killing at least four people. Death Valley, California, saw temperatures of 130 degrees F (54.4 C), one of the highest temperatures ever recorded on earth and June 2021 was declared US's hottest ever recorded in 127 years, average temperature 72.6 degrees F (4.2 degrees above average). On the other side of planet, in Japan, and following torrential rain, mudslides crashed through town of Atami, Japan, killing 27, with many others sustaining multiple injuries. [i]

Perhaps understandably under-reported, it was announced that Leonardo Da Vinci has fourteen living descendants and on the 5^th of July, and almost certainly not one of them, Boris Johnson announced the end of the tattered remnants of Covid 19 restrictions in England, making it the least restricted country in the Europe it had left. I wonder if at around that time, Prime Minister Johnson and his acolytes had a sense of “Thank God that’s over!” If they did, it was premature.

In his book “Beautiful Losers,” Leonard Cohen wrote “..turds float where diamonds sink.” In July 2021, The Trump Organisation and its Finance Officer were charged by the State of New York, with Tax Fraud and Grand Larceny[ii] and as I write, the grand accuser himself is now President of the U.S.A: it is Pinocchio that has outgrown the nose!

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[i] https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/2021/july

[ii] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/nyregion/allen-weisselberg-charged-trump-organization.html

Ethical Bureaucracies Enable Democracies!

 “Things will be very different when this is under control,” seems to be a stock phrase of late and it might be worth thinking about what might happen to make things work differently. Can we begin to describe a set of principles that might inform how and why we relate to each other across a range of political, economic and social contexts? What can we learn from existing ideas on how people operate, why change is necessary and the direction it should take?

We should consider the space occupied by bureaucracies in enabling the fair delivery of resources whilst supporting organisations. This is open to scrutiny driven by the necessity not to measure the efficiency of bureaucracies against a series of metrics but to consider their effectiveness in ensuring that the Ethical Purpose of the organisation is maintained and grown throughout a range of agreed contexts, values and behaviours

Context “I Wouldn’t Have Started From Here”

Given that “here” might be defined as being held in the teeth of a global pandemic that has placed huge and possibly devastating demands on economies, has re-awakened medieval uncertainties and has exposed the limitations of our collective capacity to respond to the challenges; it seems fair to ask “Who would?”

Significant social and economic shifts have led us from collectivism and co-operation towards isolation and individualism: yet it is at this very point that we are witnessing the architects of rapacious national and international individualism bereft of any answers that seem to make sense to those most afflicted by the pandemic. What we may be seeing is the emergence of a different kind of Leadership, one that places the relationship between Leadership and Service at the heart of it Values, Ethics and Behaviours: Servant Leadership.

Our starting point might well be the need to raise “questions of purpose,” in a manner that challenges the status quo, the design and purpose of organisations, outputs, and processes. In short, “If what we are doing fails to serve a greater good, one that is beyond bringing wealth to the share-holder, why are we doing it?” It is the failure to pose this question that results in our being spectators as bureaucracies are configured to bring disproportionate wealth and power to investors, rather than to ensure that services and outputs are delivered in a manner that is sustaining, encourages growth, cooperation and learning.

To Consider

Conversations about our current challenges have exposed the structural weaknesses that have unwittingly acted as an incubator for the pandemic. The weaknesses seem related to the unwillingness of power to recognise and listen to advice and suggestions that contradict its current narrative. There is a need for power to be redefined as a process that takes place within and between people. This requires a “Because I said so!” culture to begin a journey towards one where decisions are taken and enacted “Because we agree and I commit.”

If this were to happen, bureaucracies will be required to adjust so that their purpose shifts towards processes and behaviours aligned to the ethical purpose of the organisation and the relationships into which it enters. They will need to become more agile. To clarify, agility is not seen here as “speed”; it is instead viewed as “robust flexibility”-the capacity to accommodate by stretching boundaries and in doing so create new opportunities for learning, growth and discovering different types of ethical influence outside of the existing structures.

Readiness

No one would have chosen to be where we now are.  The gaps in yesterday’s certainties and assumptions have been brutally exposed there will be changes and it may well be that the powerful groups whose behaviour has helped deliver us here will seek to tighten their grip on power in the post Covid world. There is however a sense that the structures that got us into this situation are, unless they change, unlikely to get us out of it. I state with a note of caution, that I cannot recount one example of powerful groups giving away their power because everyone thought it a good idea. It was taken from them.  I’m not for a second proposing a forceful overthrow: I am suggesting a build-up of ethical pressure on politicians, the financial sector and ultimately legislators to enable us to turn a corner and do things differently.

What Can Aid Our Thought to Action Journey?

 How well placed are we to listen to what is said and not said? 

I believe that we can find some guidance in helping us to formulate questions and challenges that serve the purpose of developing Servant Leadership and in so doing, consider the change journey required to develop Ethical Bureaucracies that give active support to development, engagement and delivery. Our questions:

1. How do we acknowledge and demonstrate that we have listened and heard?
2. How do we reach and communicate our decisions
3. What do we enact or defer?
4. How do we assume the good intentions of others and not reject them as people when at the same time rejecting their performance or behaviour?
5. How do we communicate to others that our purpose is enabled by a search for ethical wholeness?
6. How do we remain aware to the power of the possible?
7. How do we use ethical persuasion rather than rules-based authority?
8. How do all members of our organisations (formal and informal) contribute to “Dreaming Great Dreams”
9. How do we do this and maintain our day to day focus on our present purpose?
10. What lessons do we learn from the past?
11. How do we assimilate and describe the current reality?
12. What are the consequences of today’s decision for future generations?
13. How do we evidence and learn from our commitment to the growth of people?
14. To what degree do we accept that we are stewards of our organisation and that they have a purpose beyond the day to day?
15. How do we ensure that our organisations, our ethics, values and behaviours contribute to the greater good of society?

John Dooner-Original April 2020
Recycled with minor edits January 2021

All Art work by Beth Dooner. https://www.instagram.com/bethdooner/

ZoomTeamSkypeMeetWhatsAppO'Phobia?

They Seem Here To Stay But Where & How Should We Deploy Them?

My meetings on line follow a pretty standard pattern: there are the always welcome, personal ones. I then have professional ones where I'm talking with clients and others about either current issues or how things are looking going forward: these are the subject of today's blog

I also do some on-line learning support-about 4 hours worth a week and I'm able to access some fantastic personal/professional development.

I have other professional connectivity too, where ideas are exchanged, challenged and developed and it's in this environment where, by and large I feel that I'm pretty much in control of things or perhaps more accurately, I don't need control because there's a feeling of mutual acceptance of role and relationship(s).

That's not the case everywhere and I'm increasingly having conversations with colleagues who are "Zoomed Out" (Other platforms are available!). So, this piece isn't one that's aiming its criticism of the meeting platform itself. Rather it's a warning regarding the intensity and frequency of usage.

Recognise This?

There are important messages for companies to produce some interim guidance so that workers are not asked to move from one on-line-meeting to another without some "downtime". This process can create its own stresses discussed in this excellent overview

For self employed/home workers, I'm going to advise you to think about how you are scheduling your days and in doing so, try to build in some time that takes you away from the screen. This is something you are going to have to take on for yourself: if you do, I think I can promise you that you will feel the benefit. It's something I've failed to do on a couple of occasions when I've had a series of "back to back" on line meetings and please believe me, I can tell the difference!

Something a little more concerning: I've had some conversations about how badly some people appear to engage in or react to on-line platforms. I've also spoken to a couple of people who find this medium very uncomfortable. 

Was a necessary response to a terrifyingly new situation and it has affected every aspect of our lives. The on-line meeting platform is a constant reminder that things may never return to their collective, predictable past and that changes to our work patterns serve as an ongoing and significant reinforcer of trauma we are living through. So, be easy on yourself and if you manage, supervise or are responsible for the workplace well-being of others, please give some thought to what it is we are not only asking people to do but also who and what we are asking them to be: it can be very new and very frightening-we discuss it here in a 59 second clip

Your comments and observations are welcome and we are here to listen and help!

Corvid 19 Support Videos

We have been reaching out with a series of blogs that look at some of the challenges we are facing and the opportunities we might create as we move through the Covid 19 period. Some also look forward with a sense of hope and aspiration related to how we might create some changes for ourselves and accept that we no longer and never did by the way, control the bigger picture

I wonder if you agree that things feel very much this way right now? The aggressive spread of the pandemic has damaged our global, national, economic and personal confidence.
Until medicine, science and political will catch up, it feels that we need to take on board the adjacent message; that it is us, our expectations of ourselves and others that needs to change.

From Surviving to Growth & Thriving

These 3 videos talk about our responses to trauma and how we might grow through it. They also acknowledge that we might from time to time, be unable to maintain our progress and that “slipping back is natural and is okay:

Stage 1- The pandemic has had an impact on us all and whereas we have our individual reactions, there are some common threads we can consider. This can help us to understand that what we are experiencing might well be a "normal response to an abnormal situation"

Stage 2- This clip looks at some behaviours that tell you that you are moving in the right direction. You may want to use some of them to set yourself a target that is meaningful to you. Be kind to yourself and if you have the occasional difficult time, remember; it's just that. It doesn't have to stay that way!

Stage 3- This is the 3rd stage of the process that begins with looking at how we behave in Survival mode, moving through to Acceptance and eventually to Growth and Acceptance. It points us in the direction of some improvement criteria, behaviours that tell us we are heading towards a "better place" from where we can function more effectively. We also emphasise the importance of self-acceptance!

Feeling Overwhelmed by the News?

Here’s one of our earliest Corvid19 videos, we were very concerned about the impact 24/7 news coverage was having on individual health and well-being. Our response here is still valid as we move forward.

It’s Okay Not to Feel Okay and Here’s Why
What have unwanted changes got in common? They all put us in a place we don't want to be and they have the capacity to make us angry, sad and depressed before working our way through them. Here's how the model might apply to our current situation and how we need to challenge our thinking about what we expect of ourselves and others

Connecting, Why Bother?
Why reach out to people who aren't in your immediate circle? Why nurture relationships, the value of which isn't immediately clear? Maybe it's time for us to redefine relationships and value!

Connecting Clouds
This is the 3rd in out series "Overwhelmed By The News" and it takes a look at the value of connectivity and the positive impacts it can have on us all. It also asks us to consider what might be different about the way we work with and relate to each other once we are through the current situation.

If you're not coping well and understand that you are feeling sad, anxious and unable to shift these feeling, please talk to your General Practitioner, they will listen without judgement and advise you what to do next. 

A 3 Phase Approach To Coming To Terms with The Pandemic

The individual feelings we have about the pandemic and its impacts on us are just that-they are individual. There's nothing to be gained by pressurising yourself or anyone else by suggesting that  "Hey, you should be doing better by now!"

We've prepared a series of clips where we use the general themes in the Kubler Ross model to explain what might be happening:

And whereas the above goes some way to explaining our responses to change, loss and/or bad news, we need to agree that it is seldom a linear process. We have used a 3 Stage Approach to both describing behaviours associated with each stage, together with some ideas for approaching the challenges and the opportunities that exist as we move through the phases.

We make an important point:

 "It's okay to backslide: it doesn't mean you've failed, it's the most natural of things to happen so please don't assume that you've failed because you've had a bad day!"

And there's another, related one:

"Practice being kind to yourself!"

Here Are Our 3 Clips

Stage 1 - Survival! (5:25 Mins)

Frozen, stuck, angry, unforgiving, lethargic, guilty. All words with powerful associations and ones that feature heavily as we come to terms with the initial shock.
We discuss this and provide what we hope are some helpful observations in this, the first of our 3 clipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f09YKxowO-w&t=1s

Stage 2 - Acceptance (7:35 Mins)

At this point we're beginning to come to terms with the new reality and are making some healthy adjustments that are good for our well being.

We expand on this theme in our second clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHq-MCKx4ys

Stage 3 - Growth and Thriving (16 Mins)

Here we've built on the strength areas we talked about in our clip "Stage 2 Acceptance" and they are having a positive impact on our lives and provide us with a sense of security, purpose and direction as we move forward.
This is the longest of our clips as it reaches out into the possible whilst ensuring that we remind ourselves that we all of us have a bad day from time to time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAIOs4AJV98&t=10s

We hope you find these helpful: please feel free to pass it on to others!

It's Okay Not To Feel Okay and Here's Why

There are occasions when we don't feel okay and these can be tough on us, especially if we hold the view that "It's my job to be okay!"That view can be formed from a number of sources and stock phrases we hear repeated time and time over. They can leave us on a lonely, cold and desolate place!

• Don't be such a cry-baby
• That's it, turn the water works on
• Big boys don't cry!
• Man up!
• Grow a pair!
• Snowflake!
• Millennial 
• Having a bad day are we?
• You think you've got problems?
• Time of the month?
• Drama queen!

You know the sort of thing, it's damaging and every time it happens it places the problem with the person who is experiencing a challenging time. My view is that it leaves a dangerous imprint, one that reinforces the view that "It's better to say nothing than reveal a weakness"

Here's a clip we produced to challenge some of the assumptions and it feels completely appropriate in the current Covid 19 situation.

It's based on the Kubler Ross Change Model, one that deals with loss, challenge and change.