Everything is different, but it’s all the same.

At one point in my Xerox career, I spent a lot of time with some amazing imaging scientists.  I learned (perhaps in a bit too much detail) how sensitive our perception is to visual differences. Contrast - how we visually perceive our world - is determined by the differences in brightness and color of the objects we see.  As it turns out, people are pretty good at seeing subtle differences.

Recently I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Ethiopia and see the great work that agency I'm working with is doing in that developing country.  It was also a real world study in contrast.

As a first time traveler to any developing country, and to Africa in particular, I had the stereotypical expectations.   Sights, sounds, and smells were unfamiliar, but different in the ways I mostly imagined.  That might have been the extent of it had I been just a tourist.  But I had the opportunity to go beyond the hotel ‘compound’ and learn more about this wonderful country and the Ethiopian people.

The group I work with go where there is the most need and transform or build schools for those that otherwise have very limited access to education.  They make sure there is potable water.  They build pit toilets separated for boys and girls.  They build classrooms, hire teachers, and deliver programs in areas such as early childhood education, literacy, adolescent development, and health and nutrition.  They teach the children and even the community.  They build a school that can sustain itself.  They make a difference in the lives of their fellow Ethiopians.

Yes, the buildings are different than schools I’m used to.  There are no school buses. Children walk a long way for the chance to learn. The location is remote.  There is a slate for every student rather than lockers stuffed with notebooks.  All different for sure.

But in the bigger picture, not so much.  I walked in on a PTA meeting.  People and communities work together because they know the value that education offers for their children. I met teachers that become part of the community where they teach.  Those teachers care about their students and know how to help them learn vital skills.   And I saw kids walking to take their end of year tests.  Their excitement about school was as easy to see as their smiling faces.

By the end of the week, I had spoken to a lot of people, and had a chance to introduce over 50 people in the field office to QwikSolver as an approach to continuous improvement. This was a new method for them.  What wasn't new was their desire to learn so they can continually improve and offer even more to the children they serve.

With apologies to imaging science, visual contrast doesn't let you see the whole picture. Sometimes you have to experience the world.  One thing is always the same. People are looking for better and better ways to keep making a difference.

Dual Citizenship

"Us" and "Them".  "You guys".  "We" do it this way..."  "Yours and Ours".  When I started out, just about two and half month's ago, I was definitely the outsider looking in.  I was constantly, consciously trying to use the right personal pronouns to fit in, although it took effort to keep it straight.  When I did try to say "we", including myself as one of  "them" ("us"?), it felt forced and artificial.   I told myself stories that the people around me knew I was 'faking it'.  That I really wasn't part of this place.

But driving back on my biweekly 6-hour commute, I caught myself thinking about the week ahead, and realized that sometime in the very short last two and half months, my brain had switched.

"I" felt like one of "them".  How did that happen?  Truly the best way to learn is immersion.

I thought back to the meeting I was in  a week or so ago filled to capacity with folks from across the agency, both functionally and geographically.  Looking  around that room, I realized I pretty much new who they were and what they did.  If I said 'Hi' in passing, I could attach their name (with at least an 80% chance of getting it right).  They knew me too.  I'm pretty sure they'd say 'hi' back.  Cool.

More surprisingly, I didn't feel I'd given up my identity with my 'real' company to do it.  I kind of belong to both right now.  Being decidedly mono-lingual (is that a real word?), I wonder if that is how people's brain's work when they are speaking a language that isn't the one they grew up with.  Is it still translation or at some point do you just start speaking and thinking based on where you are?  When in Rome, and all that.

All good, right?

Well, that was my initial thought too.  But then I thought a little bit more about the challenge it presents.  One of my big values to the agency is that I bring an outside perspective...different experiences and a way of looking at things.  That's my big value add, and it is what gives me some initial credibility (coupled with my charming disposition, of course).

Of course, I want to make new friends and new colleagues.  I know I can help at a different level if I understand more about how this place works,... who is who, what is what.  But I can't abandon my perspective to fit in too tightly.  I have to be a citizen of both.  I simply never thought it would happen so quickly.

At least now I can see it again.  I guess that's the advantage.  It is less conscious to translate between Fortune 500 commercial industry and the non-profit space, but I've been translating all along. It is good that I'm less of an unknown. It is good that I understand the place I'm professionally residing in. And if I keep challenging myself to look at my experiences and test them against this new place, I'll continue to add value as an outsider...just a little more inside than I once was.   I can add the context to my translation, not just use the vocabulary.  I'm sure that helps me do a better job of knowing what will work, and what might just get lost in translation.  I can choose better, and offer even more value.

and when this is done, and I'm off to my next assignment, I'll have another language added to my vocabulary.   Definitely good.

A slice of Pi

Pi is famously calculated to trillions of digits—but how many of them do we really, really need?  Apparently, just 39 will do.

According to a recent article, taking pi to 39 digits allows you to measure the circumference of the observable universe to within the width of a single hydrogen atom. Sure, you could use more digits , but it's not really worth the effort.  And that means that on a day-to-day basis, you can ignore far more of those pesky digits.  (although, I still have to wonder how they really know.  There's not a measuring tape you can buy at Home Depot to confirm some pretty hairy math).  

And going 1 step further, 3.1 digits gets you to a 95% confidence interval.

Wow, John.  Fascinating.  What exactly does that have to do with your social service leave experience? 

Great question.

I was talking to a colleague back in the big house the other day and sharing my reflection that what we think is a streamlined approach There, still needs to be trimmed way back Here.  A smaller organization can’t tolerate waste when trying to remove waste.  There’s no spare capacity.  The phones still ring.  Someone has to answer them.  When coming to a (much) smaller organization, it is obvious there still needs to be a lighter weight approach.  Often 20% of the approach seems to be capable of getting 80% of the value.  More lean.  Less precision.  Same great taste.  Less filling. 

And once you realize that, the obvious next question is, “Why isn’t that approach good enough most of the time?”  Sometimes ‘close’ is good enough.   Sometimes, of course, it isn’t.  The trick is to be aware of the opportunity and decide what you need.

I just keep wondering how often I’ve fallen into the trap of “that’s just the way it’s done”, and don’t stop to ask myself first “How much do I really need?”   Sometimes I do.  At least for a while, I know I’ll think about that almost every time.

unsustainable

Time to switch themes.  I'm finding time is just getting away from me, so counting down the weeks isn't going to be the sustainable theme.  Time will continue to march on, of course.  No need for me to stress out over the number of days passed (besides, I'm not keeping up with that pace).  Not everything that counts can be counted. (as reportedly, Mr. Einstein noted.)

But I digress.

I have lots of time.  In my hotel home away from home I have little else to do right now than to work, sleep, workout, and work more.  While that's not a sustainable plan, it seems kind of necessary at the moment.   Because  the desire to make a difference is the reason I came here.  The need to make a sustainable difference, however, is critical.  There's so much to do.

After a little more than a month (see, a kind of soft count works ok), the plan to create a culture of sustainable continuous improvement is coming together.  At least the framework is getting clearer.  The steps to get there are shaping into an actual plan.  Some basic problem solving skills are gaining ground.  The enthusiasm of those early workshops didn't fade away.  It is starting to take hold and be put into practice. The bigger projects are getting defined, as are the mechanisms to prioritize and manage them.  All good.

But as we've started shaping this program into something that will live beyond my short year, I've also been reminded that everyone has their blind spots to the way they work.   I was pretty proud of myself that I didn't start out by thinking I had all the answers.  I've developed a lot of scars and I know what caused them, so perhaps I can spare us making similar mistakes.  However, as I keep trying to transfer that learning, I  realized I was making assumptions too.  I've gone from a fortune 500 company to a non-profit.  While big in non-profit terms, it's small  relatively speaking.  Everything needs to be scaled. Usually means scale up, making it bigger, doing more with more.  That's not to say we intend to make things more complex than they need to be.  Who plans to do that?  It happens and we don't always see it.

It isn't a one size fits all world.  I was reminded sometimes things have to be be scaled down.   Do more with less. You might not think that is an amazing revelation.  Yeah, not so much.  The point is, it can be challenging to see things differently.     Taking something down to the bare basics is harder than it seems.  It can be done, though, and once you have scaled it back, it just begs the question of how much is really needed when you scale up again?  I'm not sure, but I'm wondering if it all has to go back in.  Maybe.  But maybe not.  My money is on 'not'.

Once you know you've fallen into the trap of making assumptions, you have to wonder what other assumptions are hidden in plain sight.  I guess that is the basics of continuous improvement.  There's always something to learn.  That is why it's called continuous improvement after all.

Oh, and best of all, this is still one of the best professional experiences I've had.  Social service leave is wicked awesome. :)

Forty Nine

As I near the end of week 48 I am just getting around to writing about week 49.  That ought to be a clue.  I am really, really busy.   I guess I underestimated the work it would take to be part of this new organization, having been in my old position for practically a lifetime.   But it's all good.  At this point in life you pretty much know what is fun and interesting. I realized a long time ago that new challenges are a requirement for me.  Is there such a thing as career ADD?

Last week, (that would be #49) was different  mostly because I was working from home.  Sure, I've "worked from home" before.  (Often on those days that we used to reserve for being home sick.)  These days it is pretty easy to be very effective from home.  But this was the first time that my whole week, and hopefully about 50% of the year, was spent working virtually.

I couldn't have picked a better week if I tried.  Yes, we all expect cold weather in this part of town in the winter but it was a particularly frigid week even by our standards.   There is absolutely nothing wrong with a commute that involves walking in my slippers from the kitchen to the upstairs home office.  It was great.  I'm pretty sure our 10 year old golden retriever was as big a fan of it as I was, not that it was a significant change to his routine.  He doesn't often have someone to settle in near during the day, but I'm pretty sure his 6 hour nap is a standing item on his daily calendar.

This will take some getting used to (but it sure won't be hard to adjust!).  I discovered I need the discipline of getting the same morning start.  I can't see myself working in my pj's.   But overall, the technology makes it pretty seamless   Yeah, I missed the casual interactions, but skype (again, that is a pj free zone), office communicator, and webex meetings are pretty easy to use no matter where your office chair resides.   As people get to know me in the agency, I'm sure my physical location at the moment will be a non-issue.

Oh, and having the whole week home after 2 weeks on the road was simply awesome.  I always thought that in general I had a great appreciation for the comforts of home, not the least of which is the company of my dear wife.  But substitute 2 weeks living from a suitcase, even in a pretty nice hotel room, and it's easy to notice all those little things in life.    So as a public service announcement, whether you are home every night or a frequent traveler, make sure you take a moment to tell those people in your life that you notice that they make the difference between having a house and having a 'home' .   Hmmm, maybe I better call my favorite florist for a home delivery....

Fifty

I've drifted into a 'countdown' theme for my updates.  It is interesting (to me) that when I count down the time remaining for some long anticipated event, like my sons coming home for holiday break, time nearly stands still.  That date just never gets here soon enough.   So why is it that time accelerates when we are counting down the time we have left to accomplish our goals?  Eight actual days spent on my leave and I'm already feeling late!   I may have to change my theme because there isn't enough time to do all I need to accomplish but the weeks are racing by.  I suppose it does keep me focused on accomplishing goals each week.

At the Agency, the frenetic pace continues.  I was able to meet a lot more people, re-connect with some from the December workshops, and train a new group on  the problem-solving techniques we'll be using this year.  Training sounds like I've done all the teaching and they've done all the learning.  Not so much.  The truth is I keep discovering how the skills I learned in one context translate and apply to this new organization and their needs.  We're on this journey together, each bringing different value and perspective. I can already tell that I've grown from their experiences.  I hope the same is true for them.  

The  most memorable part of the week was actually a meeting at my 'regular' job.  I attended an orientation session with my peers that are the other recipients of our company's social service leave program grants.  Five of us in all, from across the company and across the country.  That bring the total to a very fortunate 504 people over the last 42 years to collect our regular paychecks while 100% focused on a volunteer mission.  Time and money. Pretty amazing commitment to giving back for Corporate America.  

Listening to the presentations about what everyone will be doing was interesting.  All noble causes.  Each doing their part to help others. Everyone passionate about what they were doing.  For example, we'll be applying our talents and energy helping our wounded veterans, those struggling to get food, or  people with no access to traditional healthcare.  Topics we read about every day that might seem to big or too remote for us to even begin to help with.  But every person spoke with compassion and emotion about the gift we've been given to be able to help those in our communities, and around the world.  Yes, we were told just how special we were to volunteer for such work.  That is always nice to hear, for sure.  But the sentiment from around the table was much more about how humbled we feel to have this opportunity.

So on those notes of excitement and emotional highs, we left our corporate board room to venture off into our personal projects.  Driving home, I thought more and more about the work to get done, how to focus my time, and what a great responsibility I had to live up to the expectations of 503 people that have taken on similar challenges.  Terrific.  Just when I thought the bar couldn't get higher!  OK, time to get down to the serious work!

Fifty one

Wow. 

Three little letters to pretty much sum up week 1.

Is this organization wildly different from the many others I’ve seen.  Not really.  There are new TLA’s to learn (Three Letter Acronyms), but that wasn’t unexpected.  I can mostly translate this non-profit world into something my decidedly ‘for profit’ brain can understand.   But largely, the struggles are similar, the patterns are familiar, and the people friendly, welcoming, and eager to learn.  Then again, the devil is always in the details and there’s no way I am even close to understanding those yet.

Oh, and the average age dropped by like 20 years.  The answer I give most often  when asked, "how long have you been working" has the basic form of “longer than you’ve been alive”.  But the 'age' thing  is made only more amazing by what these (dare I say it?) youngsters have seen and  done.  They've made real differences in people's lives. Globally. Repeatedly.  Yeah, that and they are wicked smart, too.

But the differences  are a mix of amazing and terrifying.  On the amazing side, I have never felt more welcomed.  Everyone seems to know why I’m here and who I am.  I don’t know what they've heard, but they are very excited to have me join them.  Perhaps I’ll improve my admittedly horrible skills at putting faces and names together. (so far, nothing suggests I will).  The terrifying side of this enthusiasm is the sky high expectations it comes with.  Well, I always liked a challenge, and I have lots of friends, and plenty of scars, to draw on.  Experience hopefully counts for something! Bring it on!

And how about “passionate” to describe just how everyone is about the mission of the organization?  It doesn't matter their individual role. Of course there are lots of opinions on how to accomplish their goals.  But Everyone is clear what the end goals are. That clarity drives them in a wonderfully energetic way.  If not always to the same solutions.  Still I have never in my long (longer than most have been alive) career experienced an all hands business meeting where people were overwhelmed by emotion over the stories of the impact of the agency on the people they serve.  It was humbling.

I do have to get used to a later starting time (not that most reasonable people start as early as I do).  But that doesn’t slow them down and I need the extra time to keep up! I don’t think anyone here knows how to go about their work in any way other than all in and hyperspeed.  Five days have felt like five weeks.  My head is spinning with all the possibilities.  I just wonder how to get it all done.  Where to start.  How to make a difference.  A year has never looked shorter.

And then the little things:

• A group lunch to welcome me and help us get to know each other.  It reminded me of the culture I grew up with. 
• Taking the high speed commuter train rather than the usual (and generally unpleasant commuter flights).  A teensy bit longer, but way more comfortable and half the price.  Add in that I was connected and working comfortably the whole trip and it was better on every level.   I’m pretty sure a family trip by train is in our future.
• An “all hands” meeting that really was intended for and attended by everyone in the agency.  And for the first 30 minutes, everyone new, self included, was introduced and welcomed.
• Did I mention everyone is excited to get started on our continuous improvement journey?  Cool.

It has been an amazing first week.  Only 51 more to go.

Wow.