The Key to Globalization

In a globalization workshop we facilitated this weekend, a simple truism surfaced that I thought was worth reflecting on. "The key to globalization is not in imposing uniformity. Rather, it is in accomodating diversity--even while being faithful to what you are all about."

Self-reliance—Virtue or Vanity?

Emerson’s essay on this topic is inspiring isn’t it? But as articulate, logical and inspiring as Emerson’s essays are, I think that the sage of Concord was articulating, rather than inventing, the values of a national culture that prides itself on the perceived self-sufficiency of those who settled our country.

But is the source of our country’s historic strength really to be found in this idealized notion of self-reliance, or is it to be found rather in the qualities that made another concept possible: e pluribus unum—out of many, one? It seems to me that being able to create a unified vision out of many cultures and languages is a far more noteworthy achievement than boasting of pride in owing nothing to anyone.

Isn’t this—creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts--what the “third sector” is all about?

If our nation leaves a legacy to the human race, it will be perhaps because we could show that mankind could rise above its tribal past to create something greater. I recall an anthropologist describing an ancient hominoid skeleton that had lost its arm in an accident. It would have been impossible for that hominoid to have survived such a wound, but the wound had healed—showing that there had been someone else who cared enough and who knew enough to save his life. It was with this realization that the anthropologist knew he was looking at the remains of a human being and that mankind had emerged from his animal origins.

The Power of Story Telling

Walking through the souk in Marrakesh, Morocco one day I saw dozens of circles of people sitting on the ground surrounding speakers who were variously sitting or standing while keeping eye contact with their audiences and gesturing vigorously. Some circles were dominated by children who would laugh and squeal at what they heard while other circles were dominated by sober, intent adults. Some circles were large and some were small. I asked our guide what all of this represented. “They are story tellers,” he said. “Each circle represents a different story being told and whether a circle is large or small is a reflection of a story teller’s abilities.” This is the Marrakesh version of American TV channels—only if you want to change channels in Marrakesh you move to another circle!

But story telling of course is not particular to Morocco; don’t we all remember as children having an adult read a story to us at bedtime or even perhaps during the day if we were lucky? Perhaps you have passed this tradition on to your own children with the same spellbinding effect.

What is it about stories that fascinates us so? Perhaps it is in our genes. Perhaps Darwinian selection winnowed out all those humans who would not or could not listen to what they were being told!--but regardless of the cause, in the end we all like a good story. Stories appeal to both sides of our brains—the rational and the emotional; and the result is that we can often easily recall the details of the stories we were told decades after the fact.

Story telling transcends cultures, languages and generations. It offers an almost magical way of capturing attention and creating a lasting impact. Come to think of it--what a wonderful communications technique this is!

As we who are or have been involved in corporate communications concentrate on boiling down messages to “just the facts”--terse little, forgettable sound bites--maybe it would behoove us once in a while to go back to our childhood roots and find what we need to put our messages into the form of a good story. Who knows, you might end up creating messages that people remember a generation from now!

Tragedy of the Commons

The tragedy of the commons is a social phenomenon characteristic of human activity throughout the world. Its thesis is that individuals take care of what personally belongs to them; but they tend to abuse and rush to exploit resources that are shared in common in their haste to get what they can for themselves before these resources run out entirely.

This human tendency to see no further than our own limited interest has always existed of course; but, apart from a few sociologists and environmentalists, it did not attract a great deal of attention until relatively recently. Now with global warming reaching a tipping point, global fisheries in full collapse and every other shared global resource in crisis, even ordinary citizens are starting to realize the impact six billion human souls are having on our planet. Something has to give…..

The tragedy of the commons manifests itself in other ways as well. When given a choice taxpayers everywhere vote to reduce their taxes, even while wondering why the public services they are used to and expect are struggling to make ends meet…. The human brain does not seem to be wired right—or at least wired in a way that can ensure our long term survival.

It seems to me nonprofit organizations could be/should be especially involved in all of the critical issues stemming from these “tragedies of the commons.” Nonprofit organizations are by definition enterprises that are intended to benefit society; in this they are or should be the antithesis of the tragedy of the commons, aren’t they?

Can human behavior be changed in a democratic society that respects individual rights and free enterprise? In this regard, corporate social responsibility (CSR) offers interesting possibilities for nonprofit-for profit collaboration, but does this have staying power and is it enough to make a difference?

Nonprofits that are membership organizations have their own tragedy of the commons of course whenever there is discussion of membership dues. Members don’t like to pay them as a rule…. Are there lessons that can be learned here that might have application in a broader context?

About The Power of Partnership

All too often, the big dreams of visionary leaders are rendered smaller – or worse, nonstarters – by the resource limitations of a single organization. But pool the power of two or more complementary organizations that share a goal, and those dreams can become realities. Indeed, smart organizations view the pursuit of carefully chosen alliances as integral to strategy. They achieve more in partnership with other organizations than would otherwise be possible.
The best partnerships are deliberate, well-defined, and most importantly, tied to strategic imperatives. Effective partnering demands forethought and hard work – both in identifying opportunities and prospective partners and in creating and managing the relationships in ways that produce the desired results. The Power of Partnership, itself the outgrowth of a cooperative research effort by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, digs into the distinguishing characteristics, principles, practices, and application among effective partnerships.
The book defines three different types of partnerships and introduces a four-step model that guides an organization’s readiness to partner, identification of a partner, formation of the partnership, and maintenance of the relationship. When organizational goals are strategically aligned and all involved parties recognize the importance of teamwork and respect, organizations can thrive through such alliances.
The Power of Partnership focuses on conclusions drawn from the study of partnerships among nonprofit organizations, for-profits, and government entities. The book’s preparation comprised virtual discussion groups with association and other industry leaders, interviews with partnering organizations, case studies, and secondary research into the topic of partnership. The result is insight into a key strategic weapon for leaders and organizations bent on achieving their dreams.

To learn more, visit www.powerofpartnershipbook.com