Rumors, certainty, and inclusiveness

I received an email the other day. It stated that because rumors of change had made it to leadership and to ensure transparency this email is . . . 

The email went on to confirm that potentially significant change is being planned, but the details have not been worked out.

It struck me then that: 

Rumors are the evidence for lack of transparency. 

Now I have also read that in the absence of certainty, rumors flourish.

There must be a way to bring both of these concepts together. 

In the article, Transparency, Certainty and Rumors, Matt Reed, the author, makes the point that one can be transparent but that the lack of certainty becomes the real problem. He writes the following:

Truth is like water. Still water is transparent. Running water isn’t. Right now, we’re in the rapids; the water itself may be transparent, but it’s rushing so fast that it’s hard to see what’s next. Will warm weather hit before the virus explodes, or will the virus explode before warm weather hits? I don’t know.

In the absence of certainty, rumors flourish. Admittedly, some of them are fun; I liked the observation on Twitter that ever since Ted Cruz self-quarantined, there haven’t been any more Zodiac murders. It’s technically true, though perhaps a bit misleading.

I understand his point, but in the description of the situation which caused him to write about certainty I believe that he was not being totally transparent, despite his assertion to the contrary. By not actively providing the information about decisions surrounding closing the college to the workforce instead of having them contact him individually, he turned the running water into swirling rapids through lack of transparency. 

Rumors fill the gap between known and imagined. When leadership fails to keep the workforce, including the subordinate leaders, informed then the resulting rumors can make it hard to implement a great plan before it even gets off the ground. Rumors call into question the leadership intentions before they even get a chance to socialize the reasons for change.

The problem comes when leadership is certain there is going to be a significant change, but because they have not fully characterized the details of the change they withhold the information.

That brings up inclusiveness. Why is significant change planned without including the workforce? That goes against every current leadership principle and hearkens back to the draconian management days of the 60's. 

Including the workforce at the beginning of the change planning is much better for the organization than dropping change on them. Surprise change sows mistrust. 

And let me add a point--mistrust at the operational and tactical leadership levels of the organization could transform into buy-in through inclusiveness.

Rumors, then, are evidence for lack of transparency. There are additional symptoms to be considered, for instance lack of certainty and inclusiveness--but together with lack of transparency these all point to failed leadership. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Pause to Remember

 

The news last evening of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the age of 87 was although not unexpected it was shocking and saddening. 

The headline from and NPR article provides a view of the impact that this Supreme Court Justice had on America. 

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Champion Of Gender Equality, Dies At 87

She was the second woman ever to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. 

Her marital advice, "It helps sometimes to be a little deaf" is important to consider and follow. 

The political ramifications of Ginsburg's death are huge and, sadly, already being discussed and debated. In my view, these discussions should be placed on hold to allow her family and the country to mourn her passing. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Red v Blue

 

2016 Electoral College Results

America is becoming almost hopelessly divided between Red and Blue.

Yesterday, the president made a point of dividing the states between red and blue while speaking of the coronavirus and COVID-19. 

To what end?

Is he not the president of the United States? Listening to him it would seem that the is the president of only the red states? 

The New York Times reports on a statement he made yesterday:

“If you take the blue states out,” he said, “we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at. We’re really at a very low level.”

The statement was as jarring as it was revealing, indicative of a leader who has long seemed to view himself more as the president of Red America rather than the United States of America. On the pandemic, immigration, crime, street violence and other issues, Mr. Trump regularly divides the country into the parts that support him and the parts that do not, rewarding the former and reproving the latter.

  Source: For Trump, It’s Not the United States, It’s Red and Blue States, New York Times, edited September 18, 2020

The constant division of America into camps that are wither for or against the president is reminiscent of elementary school playground politics. Which are the "in" kids today?

The stream of "dissatisfied former employees," as Vice President Pence called them recently, coming from White House staff positions all telling similar stories should send off alarm bells that something is not good at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. No other administration has had such a stream of dissatisfied former employees in the history of the United States. And the story they tell is the same, I almost do not need to buy any of the newly published books to have the writings of previous authors confirmed.

We need to end the division of our people, our land, and our leadership. 

We must become the land of e pluribus unum again.

A "house divided against itself cannot stand." (Matt 12:25 and Abraham Lincoln)

Our nation may not survive coronavirus unless the we start working together.

Let's change the color of the election map to something like black and gray--which are shades of each other. We must find unity while celebrating diversity.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Happy Constitution

 

It is time to celebrate the document upon which our freedom and Republic are founded. 

The Constitution!

It is Constitution Day!

On September 17, 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the most influential document in American history, the U.S. Constitution. (Source: National Constitution Center)

It would be a good day to go to Philadelphia to enjoy the festivities--wait, except for coronavirus. But the festivities will be on line. 

A good reference for the celebration is the National Constitution Center. 

Lately, it seems, that the Constitution is under attack by people who should understand what is contained within it, but choose not to accept what is written. 

Take a moment today to read the Preamble to the Constitution and maybe review one or more of the articles and amendments. They are important!

Happy Constitution Day!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Seven and the Climate

There are seven storms in the Atlantic which are or could become hurricanes. That is a huge number of storms at any one time. The amount of energy that these storms represent is astounding. 

Here is a graphic from the National Hurricane Center:

National Hurricane Center
As of September 16, 2020 at 0530 EDT

The link references the current display of the storms, so it will likely be different from the one displayed. 

Of course Sally is in the news because of the devastation expected along the Gulf Coast--but there are other storms lurking out in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico which also could become problems. 

Do the high number of storms represent yet more evidence to support climate change? 

That is an election issue.

CBS News reported:

President Trump's repeated refusal to accept climate science could not be farther from the view held by opponent Joe Biden, who believes climate change "poses an existential threat." The difference in opinion became clear again on Monday when Mr. Trump dismissed the scientific consensus on climate change at a briefing on California's record-breaking wildfires Monday.

The article later highlights:

Mr. Trump has called climate change a "hoax," and rolled back numerous policies put in place to protect the natural environment. Despite his record, the president recently declared himself the greatest environmentalist since President Theodore Roosevelt, who helped protect 230 million acres of public land.

In contrast, Biden's campaign website features the candidate's climate change plan, which stresses that it threatens not just the environment, but also "our health, our communities, our national security, and our economic well-being."

Biden has endorsed the Green New Deal, noting that it "captures two basic truths"  at the core of his climate change plan: "(1) the United States urgently needs to embrace greater ambition on an epic scale to meet the scope of this challenge, and (2) our environment and our economy are completely and totally connected." His plan sets a goal for a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Whether seven storms in the Atlantic at one time is more evidence for climate change is really a moot point, there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that we must do something to reduce our impact on the climate. 

Science or no science. You make the call.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, again

 

I am not sure what it is about Tuesdays, but I really do not know what to do with the day. It is that day sandwiched between Monday and Hump Day that just seems to be there. It is a way point from the beginning to the midpoint of the week. 

At least on this Tuesday we can celebrate the start of the NFL season and the return to sports normalcy in America. Perhaps we are beginning to find ways to live life and coexist with coronavirus. 

It seems that the trend in new coronavirus cases is continuing down since the high-water mark during late-July.

Perhaps we are finally moving forward as the summer comes to an end.

Maybe that is why Tuesday is good for; assessing our progress against coronavirus.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - September 14, 2020

 

1. It is the second Monday of September. The month is nearing the halfway point. There are 50 days until Election Day 2020.

2. Football is back. Yesterday felt like a more normal Football Sunday in America. The NFL played games and our family responded by watching.

3. Family NFL Results:

    Ravens defeat Browns, 38-6

    Washington defeats Eagles, 27-17

    Cowboys lose to Rams, 17-20

    Steelers play tonight.

4. Thursday, the 17th is Constitution Day. When was the last time you read the Constitution? 

5. Promises, Promises. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Republican candidate Donald Trump promised he would eliminate the nation’s debt in eight years. Instead, his budgets would add $8.3 trillion during that time. It would increase the U.S. debt to $28.5 trillion at the end of eight years, according to Trump's budget estimates.

(Source The Balance: Trump and the National Debt)

6. I have noted that rush hour traffic is getting back to near normal.

7. I wish I could attend a baseball game even though the Orioles had a bad week and essentially took themselves out of playoff contention. 

Star Spangled Banner

8. Today in History. On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort M'Henry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the “Star-Spangled Banner”: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

As West Coast Crews Battle the Fires, Thousands Are Displaced - The New York Times

Afghanistan Peace Talks Open in Qatar, Seeking End to Decades of War - The New York Times

Trump says he’ll ‘negotiate’ for a third term in office  - The Washington Post

Two meat plants were fined $29,000 for failing to keep workers safe from the virus. Critics say it is not enough. - The Washington Post

Israel to lock down nationwide in main holiday season amid COVID-19 surge - Reuters

WHO reports record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases, up over 307,000 - Reuters

Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Tops China Box Office Amid Controversy - The Wall Street journal

China Serves Up Pig-Backed Loans for Its Hogtied Farmers - The Wall Street Journal

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"We the people tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. We the people are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which We the people tell the government what it is allowed to do. We the people are free." 

Jan 11, 1989

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Season-ending Event

End of the Pool Season
Elkridge, MD
September 12, 2020

Yesterday marked the end of the 2020 pool season. Looking at the weather forecast with temperatures dipping deep into the 50's and highs in the 70's, the pool water will be too cold to enjoy without pumping significant amounts of propane through the heater to keep it enjoyable for the brief periods that we would like to swim--and then the air temperature would make getting out of the pool a frigid experience.

Sadly, it was time. 

Resurfacing the Pool
Elkridge, MD
March 29, 2020

The pool season began early this year. We contracted to have the pool resurfaced. That led to a fantastic pool season with no algae problems and a nice smooth pool surface to enjoy. It was without a doubt the best pool season that we have enjoyed. And for the first time since we have lived here, we also were joined by new friends from the neighborhood with their children who also enjoyed swimming in the pool on the incredibly hot days of summer. 

It was a great summer for the resurfaced pool and it was a highlight given that many of the community pools were not open or were severely limiting the numbers of people who could enjoy the cooling waters on the 95 degree days we experienced. 

Now it is covered waiting to be revealed next Spring. Who knows what the next year will bring, but I know that the pool will be there--waiting for another season of summer fun.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

UPS Customer Pick-up Adventure

 

UPS Customer Center
Vero Road, Baltimore
September 9, 2020

I hate missing packages that are arriving via FEDEX or UPS. Missing them means that, if I am lucky, I get to make a trip to the customer center.

Such a situation presented itself as a result of our trip to Florida last week. An unexpected package arrived which required an adult signature. After a great deal of discussion with the delivery person through my doorbell camera and speaker during the third and normally last delivery attempt, I was on a beach at the time, I was able to have the package held at the UPS Customer Service Center for pick-up after my return.

It has been a while since I visited the UPS Customer Center. UPS does not seem to have as many local centers as FEDEX. The center followed strict COVID-19 rules which meant that only two customers could be in the center and everyone else had to queue outside. I was glad that it was not raining. 

They only had one person working the counter and so the line moved very slowly. But, I successfully retrieved my package and was able to maintain physical distancing. 

Picking up a package continues to be an event.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Shining City on a Hill

 

The United States, in the past, was described as "a shining city upon a hill."  We believed in the words of the documents upon which this country was founded. Many of us believed that those ideals were reality. In truth, equality was not, and is not equally available to all of the citizens of this great country. Many of us are blind to reality. 

It has been a tumultuous summer. The year 2020 is going to be remembered as a quite a year. It is of course the year of the pandemic--which shows no signs of passing; but more importantly, I believe that 2020 will be remembered well into the future as the year when the United States finally began to understand and achieve the great charge that the Founding Fathers gave to us when they wrote the Constitution.

I love the Preamble of the Constitution. It states so very clearly what the United States is all about and provides a guidepost for us to measure progress. I do not believe that the Founding Fathers believed that we had attained the utopia described in the Preamble, but wrote the Preamble to guide us.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." (Preamble to the Constitution)

The Preamble to the Constitution sets the stage for the "Shining city on a hill" that we have, until recently, believed ourselves to be. 

This year many of us have come to realize that the "Blessings of Liberty . . . " have not been available to all Americans, equally. I believe that one reason for this is the divisive administration that is working to divide us and to set Americans against each other in a manner not seen since the Civil War. When, before, have the words Democrat or Republican been used as invectives? But yet, they are now being used as such on a daily basis to hide the inability of the administration to to "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility . . . "

Today is the anniversary of a violent attack upon this great country. I remember the day and the time after the attack. After we got past the shock and the tragedy  and the loss of so many thousands of our brothers and sisters, we became united with a purpose. That purpose was not a selfish inward looking purpose, but it was a purpose that caused us to spend our national treasure to make not only the United States, but the entire world a better and safer place. 

Since then we have become myopic and cannot see beyond our borders. We are building walls protect ourselves from imagined threats. We are divided and there is unrest. Out of this division, however, I believe there will come good. We have been sensitized to the fact that we are not yet the "shining city" of which Ronald Reagan spoke. But, we want to be. And many of us are dedicated to that goal--make the United States the best, most just country that the world has ever seen. We must "secure the blessings of Liberty . . . "

And the movement to make America the land of freedom, justice and liberty for all began again during 2020. We are beginning to reunite around those lofty, but achievable goals. We have a new sense of purpose. I am glad that our sports heroes, as witnessed in the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL last evening have taken up the call as are working to raise these issues to into our consciousness, because unless we can see our shortcomings we cannot address and correct them. 

I was appalled at a memorandum issued by the Executive Office of the President, dated September 4, 2020. The words contained in that letter suggest something sinister and contrary to the ideals and goals of the Constitution. The memo can be found on whitehouse.com, titled Training in the Federal Government. 

It is not un-American to examine ourselves individually, identify our beliefs and biases, and then work to understand how they affect our interactions with others. There are many ways to help people come to understand themselves and their biases. If America is to be the "shining city on the hill," then we must address the difficult, unpopular, and divisive issues that are facing us, right now!

Becoming the "shining city on the hill" is our goal, but it needs each of us to commit to achieving that goal. We must no longer be divided and fighting against ourselves, but rather we must unite and work to secure liberty and equality for each other. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD