“They don’t see the sky” – Overcoming Transactional Myopia
- an African native walking through Manhattan
To solve the crises – financial and otherwise that we find ourselves in — is going to require a transformation. In order to be transformed, we need to rise above/transcend the fray to envision a different vision that like a rising tide will lift all of us to follow.
The problem is that we have trouble transcending and transforming because we are surrounded by too much self-serving, transactional — what about me and my special interests — myopia subverting the process. You can’t meet a transformational challenge with transactional solutions.
Some years ago I spoke at an offsite for Northridge Hospital a jewel in Catholic Healthcare West of which it is a member. Its President, Mike Wall, a modest, but determined leader had turned the hospital around in a few years from a loser to a big time winner. When he spoke at the meeting held in Santa Barbara, CA he received five standing ovations from the department heads who attended.
Clearly each of these departments had special interests and competed for funds, but he was somehow able to have them pull together. I aske Mike what he attributed his success to. Ever modest and not particularly given to introspection, he said: “I don’t really know,” but then he paused and added: “Hmm, maybe it has something to do with the fact that when I arrived at the hospital a couple things were clear to me, first, it’s lousy to be sick, second, it’s lousy to be the family of someone who is sick. So I told everyone, ‘let’s make being sick and being the family of someone who is sick the least lousy experience it can be when you come to Northridge Hospital…and don’t be sending me a lot of emails complaining about stuff that you can handle without me. It’ll be distracting.’”
I don’t think Mike realized what a wonderful, noble vision that was and something that everyone could identify with and want to make happen.
I see President Obama as wanting to do something similar to lift up America towards a hopeful future…unfortunately all the transactional special interest minded others keep sucking him back into the fray.
For more qualities of the kind of leader we need and you might want to be check out: The CEO of the 21st Century
On another note if you’re having trouble getting centered in the economy check out: Freaked Out.
February 1st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Mike made his hospital mission palpably specific or as you say Mark, “actionable”.
When the goal is concrete, then it can become the context by which co-workers chose:
• what to do next, to do first things first
• the “right” action in a situation – one that most serves the top goal
• improvements to put into place
- another Mark Goulston fan
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:14 am
I love Mike’s idea—very simple to understand (everyone has a picture of what being sick looks like and what being a family member to a sick and hospitalized patient looks like). And the beauty is in the very different approaches each person can make based upon culture, experience, and education. That vision each person carries around inside guarantees a common goal. And the final touch? “Own it.”
Superb.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:37 am
Our economy is shifting from being based on consumerism to something else. The question is what that will be. In the past 75% of GNP was based on consumerism. Consumerism, using credit to achieve its ends, has pushed us into economic disaster. We have poured our energy into consuming more clothes, cars, jet skies, jewels, and houses that look like mansions, and we are still not happy or truly wealthy.
So if the next economy is not based on consumerism, what will it be? Well, this is a long story, but let me share a few thoughts. I believe the next economy will be based on the “pursuit of happiness.” Even now religion and spiritual activities are growing. Many people are realizing that community and a relationship with something bigger than themselves brings more happiness than consuming things.
There are many industries that can thrive if the “pursuit of happiness” begins to replace consumerism. Instead of the President saying, “Go shopping” as a solution, what if he said, “Make our world a better place to live.” Our happiness would grow if the air and water, which are vital to life, were cleaner. Our happiness would grow if we lived in communities of people who support and cared for each other. Our happiness would grow if instead of finding ways to have more than others, we were committed to making the human experience here on Earth more meaningful and profound. Our happiness would grow if we were not always striving for something we don’t have, and learned to live in the present with gratitude and joy.
What are the industries that may emerge? To name a few… greening, health and well-being care, architecture, growth of religions and spiritual communities, building mixed use environmentally friendly communities, energy innovation, communication enhancements, meaningful TV, theatre and movies that help people find their own happiness, helping the less fortunate learn to thrive, growing and distributing foods that support health, mind-body-spirit programs, art to create and extend the beauty of the world.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:57 am
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February 28th, 2009 at 5:52 am
As a Newbie, I am always searching online for articles that can help me. Thank you