When the structure of an organization does not support or enhance the mission that it was originally set out to accomplish, is it time for change?
Most people would usually answer “yes” to the general concept; however, they may not necessarily have any idea on how to actually proceed with a “yes” in terms of creating the process. Machiavelli seems to have captured the conundrum best . . .
“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.”
So when you put it into that perspective, those who currently benefit from a broken system and understand what they may lose if it changes, will ardently oppose change. Those who wonder what their benefits may be, if in fact they lend their support at all to the “new order of things“, may not do so because they have a certain level of fear of the unknown. You are left with a cadre’ of individuals who are either unwilling or are not confident to give their unbridled, enthusiastic support. Change after all is a difficult endeavor.
I for one have never been extremely patriotic. That is not to say that I have not always appreciated all the freedoms that we have available to us on a daily basis, nor have I ever minimized the loyalty, service, devotion and duty that our armed forces provide for us at any given time. I simply have not been impressed with the behemoth machine that we call “the federal government”. I may value the liberties that it affords me in my personal life, as well as the benefits that exist in the business arena because of some of its laws, but generally speaking . . . I am not impressed. I have a real problem with its lack of efficiency, lack of tenacity, lack of professional acumen, and general lack. The left hand perpetually does not know what the right hand is doing and, if it does, it takes forever for them to be in sync. If one hand needs to be gloved, it does not always take into account that there are many forms or options available for the other hand. The covering could be wool, pigskin, calfskin, or a hand-made mitten; a wide array of options must be considered to meet the needs of many people, yet all too often the result is a one size fits all item within the prescribed box answer that serves no one successfully. Choosing just one-kind-fits-all is sophomoric for a nation with our multi-cultural diversity. Although we may BE one people with the same dreams, we have very different backgrounds and fulfillment needs. I always felt that while the government purported to see far and all of its people, it was short-sighted with multi-focal sight lines. I do not believe this ability to be inclusive rather than exclusive has been addressed nor existed successfully in the US. Many groups have been marginalized. That is why I was generally not enthused about being American.
Image via Wikipedia
The State of the Union address delivered by President Barack Obama on Tuesday night, January 25, 2011 changed my opinion.
The idea of creating real change presented by Barack Obama two years ago was intriguing. Now it is even more so. I am now proud to be an American. Even though I am living the effects of a diminished economy, personally feeling the brunt of the healthcare issue and not in a place that I had imagined myself to be in, as one of 75 million new Baby Boomers; I am finally proud to be an American. I am not proud because anything has changed overnight, nor do I believe that it is proposed that a magic wand will be waved to do so and fix things. Rather, I an impacted by the sheer knowledge that a thinking visionary who has innovative ideas about race, education, cultural differences, education, cynicism, education, skepticism, education, clean energy, education, foreign relations and education is actually representing me in the world! He represents me and I am proud. I am now proud to be an American.
He has set a bar from which we all may aspire. We may not make it, nor may our territorial party-driven government be willing to embrace it, but it has been said and set. The energy of his words has been thrown down the gauntlet for us as a country to pick up, embrace the challenge and run with it. We have been charged with an idea to change and make the world a better place; not just for this country but throughout the globe. We must start here in our own homeland but the ideas are global. They speak to the heart of all human beings everywhere.
The U.S. government is more balanced in representation than it has been in decades. If we fail to come to consensus, build bridges across divides, compromise on funding sources and generally seek not to disregard large portions of the population based on age, financial status, social stigmas or ethnic profiles then we simply have missed one of the greatest opportunities in history to be applauded. We will have hearkened back to Machiavelli’s time and his words. We will have not achieved any better than our ancestors.
With technology at the forefront of our very existence, it is incumbent upon us to tear down superficial barriers and embrace The Universe for all it presents to us. Hatred, fear, dominance, control, ego, avarice, violence and ignorance must become qualities of the past. Only when we recognize these facts and move beyond them will we prosper. It is now our moment in time to prove the veracity of commitment for change. The country is waiting. The world is waiting. That is what I hope for. That is why I am finally proud to be an American.
