|
|
Notes for
the by Paul Pribbenow, Ph.D. |
|
|
Philanthropy is a journey. Let JGA be your guide.
Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates Inc.
|
Volume Four, Number Two (December 2002) ****** "What we have loved, others will love, and we will teach them how." (W. Wordsworth, from "The Prelude") NOTES FROM READERS >>What you think<< At this time of the year, I’m happy to be back in the upper Midwest, where the cold and snow put me in a holiday mood! There were many interesting responses to the last issue of Notes – especially to Carole Rylander’s helpful insights into organizational vices and virtues. I won’t reprint the comments here, but I will note that clearly Carole’s experience resonates for many of you. If you have additional organizational vice and virtue stories to share, please send them along. One of our wise faculty members recently sent me this intriguing rabbinical tale: “Moses returns to earth, after millennia of absence, and discreetly visits some synagogues. He is perplexed by the unfamiliar teachings and odd doctrines that he hears the rabbis putting forth. ‘What are these strange sayings?’ he wonders, ‘and where did they come from?’ He listens a bit further and much to his surprise, hears the rabbis attribute these things to him. ‘Oh,’ he reflects, ‘in that case I suppose it’s all right.’” And there you have one of the central issues faced by (especially new) college presidents – the issue of translation. Thank heavens for wise faculty members. Occasionally, I (or my colleagues) refer to items from previous issues of Notes. If you have not been a subscriber previously, and wish to review our conversations, past issues of Notes are available on-line at www.jgacounsel.com. The website version of Notes also includes helpful hyperlinks to sources for purchasing or subscribing to the various publications mentioned in Notes. I thank my friends at Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates for their abiding support for our reflective practice. ****** REFLECT ON THIS >>A meditation on being a citizen<< One recent morning stands out for me. I began with a speech to a group of senior citizens who had gathered for an annual awards event, and I was struck by the remarkable list of accomplishments the nominees had compiled in their long and good lives of citizenship. After the event, I drove to an elementary school with which our college has a partnership to do some volunteer work with second graders, and I was impressed with the joy and passion they brought to their opportunities to read their favorite books to me. I covered the age spectrum that morning before I returned to my work here at the college, recommitted to ensuring that our students – firmly in the middle of that spectrum – might gain the wisdom, the skills, the aspirations, and the joy and passion they need to live good lives in our democracy. That is why I am a college president, because I believe with all my heart that colleges like ours are a crucial link in turning the enthusiasm and wonder of 2nd graders into the integrated lives of service of our senior citizens. And that link becomes more and more important as more and more people become disengaged from public life. I give a lot of speeches, and I do a good bit of volunteer work – all part of my effort to model civic engagement, the integrated life of citizenship in the world. As I reflect on the sources of my civic engagement, I come to these four abiding commitments that ground my work – and examples of which I give thanks for – day in and out. First, of course, is the central importance of being educated, of being thoughtful and reflective people, of being lifelong learners. Lifelong learning is about the hunger to know, the curiosity to explore, the grace of the great things (as the poet Rilke tells us) that we want never to forget. I give thanks for the lifelong learners in our midst. Second, I also care deeply about how we are all civically engaged – how we live as good citizens of a democracy. Jane Addams, my college’s most famous alumna, taught us how learning and service go together in pursuit of a stronger democracy. Examples of service and responsibility – civic, nonprofit, corporate, in families and churches – are an inspiration to all of us. I am constantly looking to find ways for our students to emulate examples of lives well led in service to community and country. I give thanks for good citizenship. Third, I have a particular love for the citizens in our midst who have chosen to pursue what I call the public practice of philanthropy. The concept of philanthropy too often gets limited to giving money away and volunteering time and serving on boards (all important in their own right), but I’m concerned about the philanthropic dimension of our lives – the various ways in which we love humankind in the lives we lead in the world. What are our sources of being philanthropic, of living philanthropy, of being generous and thankful, of seeing the world as a place of abundance and not scarcity, of being good stewards of all the gifts we have been given? I give thanks for philanthropic lives, for all the ways we love humankind. And finally, I believe that the life of a citizen is about being called. To be called, to have a vocation, is, of course, what helps us to make sense of lifelong learning and good citizenship and pursuing lives of philanthropy…it is a wonderful concept, well described by many wise people through the ages. A couple of my favorite definitions: a Quaker teacher tells us that the question “Who am I?” leads inevitably to the question “Whose am I?” Those who are called don’t stop with who am I – the quintessential American question – they ask “whose am I?” and that makes all the difference for all of us. And the theologian Frederick Buechner tells us that to be called is to find that place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need – the intersection of gladness and need is what it means to be called. And that is how I believe that good citizens are formed and nourished in our world – by learning, civic engagement, practicing philanthropy, and hearing a call. My vocational credo, if you will. Listen carefully, keep the faith, and don’t forget to practice! >>Mapping and negotiating the nonprofit landscape<< In the past, I have recommended an email newsletter entitled “Observations in Philanthropy” that appears every couple of weeks, produced by an outfit called Changing Our World – which seems like a good thing to do! I have been very impressed by the work of Susan Raymond, who is chief analyst for the organization and keeps a watchful and insightful eye on issues of relevance to the nonprofit community. Earlier this fall Dr. Raymond concluded a series of ten columns that addressed various aspects of the implications of the coming intergenerational transfer of wealth in America. Her tenth column (Volume 3, Number 20, September 20, 2002) offered an intriguing picture of the nonprofit landscape in North America – and our place in that landscape. She suggests that philanthropy has at least three faces: (1) Informal, individual giving – the purest form of philanthropy, our basic community instinct to toss a few dollars in the Salvation Army urn, to buy Girl Scout Cookies, to get our car washed for the local Little League. This is giving entwined with the American spirit, she claims, and it is unlikely to change no matter what happens in the world of trillion dollar transactions. (2) Small, local, and organized philanthropy – those 70% of nonprofits and 65% of philanthropic foundations that do lots of good work, but do it in fairly circumscribed locales and situations. This is the local community foundation, the neighborhood health clinic, the nonprofit day care center, the historical society – important parts of our lives, but fairly small drops in the great ocean of philanthropic wealth. The stakes can be high for these organizations, however – I’ve witnessed what the “millionaire next door” can do by leaving her fortune to the local agency – but even so, the impact of these small, local organizations likely will remain in the settings in which they are located. (3) The philanthropic behemoths – for example, two fifths of foundations control 98% of US foundation assets. The large, national nonprofits have no markets. There is no market pressure to change. Missions can be defined broadly (e.g., social change) and systems designed to pursue organizational interests are entrenched. Changes come slowly, if at all. Raymond’s point is that the dynamics of the philanthropic community are full of tension. Whatever ought to happen as the sector seeks to play a more effective role in building public trust and serving the global commons will need to come not from some sort of great, external force (like the transfer of wealth), but from leadership within the sector that recognizes the need for aspirations and programs that are grounded in mission, values, and public accountability. Strengthening and renewing our philanthropic traditions – saving a “tradition in jeopardy,” as Bob Payton once called philanthropy – will require that all of us dig deeper into the places of individual and organizational integrity that support doing the right thing. That, of course, begins with reflection – and that is why we gather here together every couple of months. ****** PRACTICE THIS >>Getting along with our bosses<< I have long been fascinated by the challenges of “managing up,” as it’s known – working well and effectively with superiors. I have enjoyed many fine role models in my bosses over the years and now, as the one who is the ‘up’ that others must manage, I am getting a first-hand experience of the various dynamics at play in such relationships. A recent article in Harvard Management Update (“Why Managing Up Matters,” Liz Simpson, August 2002) makes the important point that too many people think about managing up in a self-centered, get-mine way. She suggests that, though the power differential between superiors and subordinates will always be a factor, to be successful in today’s organizational life subordinates need to “understand the goals, constraints, and pressures under which your boss operates…” Such awareness can help you develop a sense of the mutual dependence between you and your superior. She urges us to do our part to seek such awareness by eliciting a discussion of goals and expectations – the goals of your boss may be much broader and complex than you imagine. And understanding that broader context can help you do your job more effectively. It also is important, says Simpson, to pay attention to clues in your boss’s behavior. Such clues may help you determine the best ways to use meetings, to communicate effectively, etc. This doesn’t mean subsuming your own goals and styles to that of your boss – no one really likes a ‘brown nose’ – but it can help you to adapt your behavior and priorities to more effectively forge that mutual dependence. Simpson borrows from Harvard Business School professors, John Gabarro and John Kotter, to suggest these questions as a starting point for more effective managing up: (1) Does he prefer a more formal and organized approach? (2) Does she become impatient or inattentive when you veer off the topic at hand? (3) How does he process information best? (4) What is her decision-making style? (5) How does he handle conflict? From my evolving perspective, seeking answers to those questions would be a critical first step in how an employee might forge a more effective partnership with a superior. >>Some helpful insights for practice<< Several items have crossed my desk in recent months that have provided helpful insights for my work. My teacher, Martin E. Marty, introduced me to the work of Jose Ortega y Gasset, a Latin American journalist and professor, who models in his own life what he calls “civic pedagogy.” This wonderful phrase evokes for me a juxtaposition with the more common notion of the “public intellectual.” While the public intellectual seeks to speak in public as one with authority and expertise on issues of social concern, the civic teacher seeks to facilitate conversations in public with concerned citizens about issues of common interest. We may need both public intellectuals and civic teachers, but right now I think we much more need good civic teachers. *** An interview with Dell Computer founder, Michael Dell, addresses his understanding of how the “soul” of an organization is nourished. He suggests four lessons: (1) Use hard numbers to drive a soft revolution – to change culture and manage by values need to be rooted in the metrics of our lives. How do we know if the program is working? (2) You can’t buy cultural change off the shelf – we must build personalized and customized approaches based on our mission, values, and services. We can learn from others, but we dare not mimic them. (3) Seek our unconventional thinking about leadership – go to the humanities and the liberal arts for lessons about how to inspire people to do things better. Dells calls it an aspirational model. (4) Replace a culture of blame with an ethic of responsibility – the success of the organization is in your hands – seize your responsibility and makes things better. *** A colleague from the University of Utah recently offered this wonderful image of the role of a college or university leader: Being president of a college is like driving an 18-wheeler semi-truck – except that the students have the accelerator, the faculty has the steering wheel, and the trustees have the brakes. Your job is to get the truck where it needs to go. My conclusion is that I must make the destination as compelling as I am able so that all of my partners will want to work in concert to get us where we need to do! *** The online version of The Chronicle of Higher Education (October 25, 2002) featured a wonderful article by Milton Greenberg entitled “On Getting and Taking Advice.” Greenberg tells us that the more responsibility we gain, the more dependent we become on others for advice. And there will be no shortage of advice – only a shortage of neutral and/or trusted advisors. Consider these seven categories of advice: (1) Required advice – often “only advisory” but perilous if you disregard it regularly. (2) Expert advice – consultants come to mind, (and though I’ve lived in that world) we all know that consultants give great advice for you to implement… (3) Legal advice – always with us (and I mean that quite literally for my line of work), but not always willing to see the difference between letter and spirit of the law. (4) Moral advice – doing the right thing is always worthy of wise counsel (and opinion) (5) Contrarian advice – you may be unlikely to take it, but it may well be worth soliciting (6) Unsolicited advice – exacerbated by email, beware the Talmud tells us… (7) Political advice – all politics is local, politics is a perspective on the world, and the art of politics is in the possible. ****** PAY ATTENTION TO THIS >>Resources for your reflective practice<< A new book I’ve just begun to read is David Rieff’s A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis (Simon and Schuster, 2002). It tells the story of the paradox of humanitarianism captured in the Walter Benjamin quote that introduces the book: “Every document of civilization is also a document of barbarism.” A book I’ve mentioned here occasionally, Michael Ignatieff’s elegant The Needs of Strangers, long out of print, has been reissued by Picador USA. Hurrah! I’ve just received the first volume of The Selected Papers of Jane Addams: Preparing to Lead, 1860-81 (University of Illinois Press, 2003). The editors have done a wonderful job compiling the early letters and papers of Miss Addams (many of which are in our college archives here in Rockford). Many more volumes to come… >>Living<< I am pleased to close this issue of Notes with this wonderful poem from Naomi Shihab Nye, a poet living in San Antonio, who writes of living in the real world. Living With Mistakes
They won’t wear boots. They march ahead of us into our rooms, dripping.
Give them a chair. Where they sit, the fabric will be wet for days. We have to talk about everything else in their presence.
A powerful lesson about the moral life. Living with your mistakes is the realistic perspective (they’re always there, dripping on the fabric), but it also is this wondrous jumping off point for the adventures and riches of life in the world. We have to talk about everything else – we have to go on despite the messiness of it all. Wise words as we enter a new year. Happy holidays to all of you. >>Subscription information<< Subscriptions to Notes are simple to establish. Send me an email at paul_pribbenow@rockford.edu, ask to be added to the list, and you will receive a confirmation from the mail server at Wabash College that you are on the list. Please feel free to forward your email versions of Notes to others—they then can subscribe by contacting me. The current and archive issues of Notes are available on-line at www.jgacounsel.com. >>Topics for the next issue (February 2003)<<
(c) Paul Pribbenow, 2002 |
|
