Power is the ability to do good things for others.

-Brooke Astor

Every single member of the organization has power. It is the role of the leadership to channel and focus that power collectively so the organization can achieve their mission which means good things for others. As such there is perception that the leadership has a greater power than others.

Uncle Ben was right… with this perception of great power comes even greater responsibility. It is a responsibility to the beneficiaries of the organization’s work to ensure that the work is completed. It is a responsibility to the members of the organization to provide guidance and leadership in a constructive manner so that the work can be completed efficiently and correctly. It is a responsibility to act transparently ensuring the fair and equitable treatment of all.

To help with that leaders often rely on policies. I’ve already written about where I stand on policies, and if you haven’t read it then I invite you to do so.

Where I Stand

The perception of power is ultimately formed through the actions, or inactions, of those in leadership roles. This perception is important because it affects the organization in many areas including inter-agency relations, recruitment, operations, and an organization’s ability to fulfill their actual mission.

The authoritarian leader is more likely to lead through edict, micro-management, policy, and discipline for violating those policies. They will often have preconceived notions and fail to listen to either the beneficiaries or the members of the organization. They will keep a small circle of confidants and will often reward them for their work while ignoring the same or greater work done by those outside of their circle. Its important to understand that this leadership style is something they learned from leaders before them and they don’t see the problems associated with it, especially the complications it can cause in volunteer organizations.

Needless to say, I am not a fan of the authoritarian leadership style. I am a believer that good leadership begins with effective communication. The first step of effective communication is the ability to listen and then act upon that information to guide and lead to the achievement of the mission. I prefer to receive the constructive feedback from all, to recognize the efforts (no matter how big or how small) of all who help achieve the mission, and provide constructive guidance to those willing to accept it so they too can be part of the team’s success.

I don’t view leadership as something that gives power. I view leadership as a responsibility to empower, because the truth about actual power is it resides squarely with the members.

For democratic organizations members are often asked to choose who they want to fill a leadership role, and as such are able to cast their vote on what type of leader they think will be able to help them achieve the mission of the organization. This is an important choice since a poor decision by the group may lead to the failure of the mission or even the failure of the organization’s ability to exist and therefore unable to do good things for others. The voice of the membership in their vote is power.

Members who may be in the minority still have power. If they believe strongly in the mission of the organization they can choose to continue being a member and work to achieve that goal. A good leader will understand that a key element of teamwork is the ability to compromise. Failing to do so will cause dysfunction in the organization, causing members to feel unvalued, and they may just decide to go elsewhere. Keeping that in mind, who has the true “power”? As I said previously, every single member has power and it is important to recognize that.

Where Do You Stand?

Do you still think your leadership has “power”? If you were in a leadership position, how would you use your “power”?

pol·i·cy

[pol-uh-see] noun, plural pol·i·cies.

1. a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, facility, etc.: We have a new company policy.
2. a course of action adopted and pursued by a government, ruler, political party, etc.: our nation’s foreign policy.
3. action or procedure conforming to or considered with reference to prudence or expediency: It was good policy to consent.
4. sagacity; shrewdness: Showing great policy, he pitted his enemies against one another.

Definition of “policy” via Dictionary.com

Policies by definition should promote expediency, prudence, and efficiency. They themselves should be clearly defined for those expected to comply with them to understand both the actual policy, the reason for the policy, and the procedure expected to be adhered to.

Often times when someone makes a poor decision (or worse, makes no decision) the knee jerk reaction is to create a policy around this error in judgement. Enough knee jerks creates a “Policy Manual” that becomes both cumbersome and inefficient. This nullifies the actual purpose of having the policy in the first place, and puts an undue burden on those expected to comply with it.

Injustice often occurs when someone fails to comply with a policy because there is expected to be repercussions, usually in the form of a “Disciplinary Action“. More often than not the discipline itself is NOT a policy, and the handing out of the discipline is done in an arbitrary and capricious manner depending on who is responsible for administering the discipline. This is why there should be a Policy of Discipline that clearly lays out what will happen when a policy is not adhered to. See how quickly we can find reasons to create policies?

The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.

-Niccolo Machiavelli

Even for those organizations that are progressive enough to have laid out a Policy of Discipline, one of the most overlooked aspects of polcy violations is whether or not a policy is correct. We make the assumption that because a policy was violated the person doing so is automatically in the wrong, but do we question the validity of the policy in the face of changing times? Does the policy still promote efficiency and expediency or has it become something that makes the task to be performed harder to do so.

Where I Stand

I feel policies need to have a level of fluidity, especially in volunteer organizations. While some may revolve around the necessity of compliance with laws and statutes, there are many others that don’t. Those often create more complications for members expected to adhere to them by setting an expectation but failing to provide a solution. I think every policy should provide a procedure as a guide and a tool for efficient resolution, not necessarily as a mandate.

I also feel that the Charter or Bylaws of a volunteer organization should be where the process of discipline is outlined. Because Charters and Bylaws by their nature are supposed to set the mission and tone of an organization, it should also set the expectations in regards to policies and fully explain the repercussions from failing to adhere to them. Most career organizations use their Human Resource department to provide these types of guidelines, but often volunteer organizations don’t have this benefit. As a practitioner of “step discipline”, I find it unfair to the members when there is not a discipline process foundation set forth. The lack of this foundation is why accusations and perceptions of favoritism exist in any organization.

I’m a believer that if the expectations are clearly defined, people will do their best to live up to them. If the repercussions are clearly defined, and not left up to “interpretation”, then when that discipline is administered it will be accepted and hopefully serve as a reminder of the expectations already established.

In conclusion and summation I can offer that I am in favor of expectations and discipline being clearly defined and universally adhered to, with policies providing guidance and potential solutions or “best practices” to the presented issue.

Where Do You Stand?

So where do you stand when it comes to policies? Should they be treated as a sacred text or should they be amiable to the needs of the organization’s members? What about organizational charters and bylaws? They are different than policies, so how do you view them when used in conjunction?

The memorial is… interesting. There are three figures portrayed in the sculpture: a boy scout with a walking stick, a female holding a torch, and a naked man holding leaves. The female and naked male are supposed to represent “American Manhood and Womanhood” and supposedly they are passing their ideals down to the scout.

Right.

I can understand how this would have been a great sculpture in the 1960s, but for modern day it seems extremely out of place considering the challenges and issues scouting has faced over the last three decades. Between the allegations of abuse by adults, the barring of homosexuals from scouting, and the dissolution of the nuclear family in recent times, scouting has gone through the ringer and this memorial really doesn’t help the case.

While I’m no longer involved in scouting, it does sadden me that the organization is no longer as highly valued as it once was. Undoubtedly I would not be who I am today without those experiences and I honestly think there are a lot of people, both youth and adult, that are missing out on some great experiences.

Needless to say, I wasn’t impressed by the memorial, but at least I can say I saw it.

First off, while I understand that this is not the original canonical Avenger line up, I’m okay with that. I can understand why that wasn’t necessarily feasible considering that Marvel had licensed characters out to other studios prior to their acquisition by Disney. So I’m fine with the lineup.

I enjoyed how similar the storyline was to the original Avengers. Loki being the main adversary, tricking the Hulk into wanton destruction, the battle between heroes, and finally the team pulling together to fend off the invading forces of the Chitauri (The Ultimates version of the Skrulls) from another dimension. I also enjoyed the dialogue that continued the development of the characters from Tony Stark‘s (Robert Downey Jr.) witty flowing snipes to Steve Roger‘s (Chris Evans) straight laced sensibilities. I thought the performance by Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner was spot on for someone who’s a bit paranoid after spending a few years running.

Overall, I thought it was a good movie. It kept true to the important parts with the minor exception of the Skrull shift changing ability and progressed the story further for whatever sequels are in the works for individual franchises. While I have high hopes for Avengers 2, I’m not sure how well they’ll be able to keep all the players the same which with this type of franchise is essential.

I’ve been a fan of the Beastie Boys since seeing them in 1988 at Nassau Coliseum on Run DMC‘s Run’s House Tour. I can honestly say that without their influence I would not be the person I am today. Besides breaking the racial barrier for rap music and providing a soundtrack for much of my youth, they proved that if you are passionate enough about something you can make a difference… even when the odds may seem impossible.

While early on Yauch embodied the bands modus operandi of drinking, girls, and beligerance… in his later years he focused that into becoming a strong voice for those who were being shouted over by others. He was instrumental in the creation of the Free Tibet concerts and organized a fundraiser after 9/11 for charities helping those least likely to get assistance elsewhere… like the families of undocumented wait staff working at Windows of the World.

The Beastie Boys touched many of us in a variety of ways. My fondest memories of my youth include being gathered around a campfire deep in the woods of New Jersey entertained by tales of missing golden arms, roasted marshmallows, fire walking (with boots on of course), and performing Paul Revere acapella. Those were more than good times… they were ill times.

Thank you MCA for having helped, albeit unknowingly, forge me into the person I am today.

Good journey Adam “MCA” Yauch… good journey…

Yes, I said quintuple. That first episode should have been flushed down the toilet and eaten by the gigantic alligator living in the sewers of New York City.

Which is why I observe today with the rest of the geekful as Star Wars Day!

May the Fourth be with you…

I have to give the father a lot of credit. Time lapse video takes a lot of time and patience before you get to the final product. To do this once a week for twelve years is 624 video snippets.

Kudos to him, his patience, and his perseverance.

Anyone who has gone to a similar styled restaurant knows that the cooking of your dinner is about the entertainment value as much as it is in the actual meal. The chef had a pretty typical routine starting off with some fancy knife work, setting the grill on fire, creating a smoking and then erupting onion volcano, and of course enlisting the help of a peeing fire extinguisher to bring everything under control. I do have to give him credit for the grill fire because it was one of the grander versions I’ve seen and I could feel the heat from it even though I was in the far corner.

As for the actual cooking, well the chef in my opinion did okay. The true art of hibachi isn’t in the twirling knives and the cheap culinary humor. Sure all of that is appreciated, and those chefs who expand on the traditional routine seem to be the exceptional as opposed to the rule. The true skill (beyond culinary basics and fire safety) is entirely in the timing of it all.

While I fully expected the fried rice way before my protein, once my chicken hit the plate it seemed like an irregularly long wait for the steak to be served up. Maybe it’s because I prefer my beef medium well, but I think even those who were medium rare waited a bit longer than you would normally expect. Nevertheless, it was all cooked well and was really quite tasty so there’s no complaints on either the quality or taste of the food.

Of course, what you may have already guessed is that the food is just one small portion of the entire reason for attending. The biggest reason is this group of people who, in one way or another, I share commonality with.

And as if all that isn’t enough, well, then there is always the experience of the saketini…

The Saketini

As part of the transport, the Enterprise was flown around the city on the back of a NASA 747. It became an event not just for spaceheads and NASA fans, but for the entire city with the most widely used hashtag being #SpotTheShuttle on Twitter.

While I did get to see the shuttle fly south through New York Harbor towards the Verrazano Bridge, after it had already been up through Manhattan, a bugscreen over a barred window prevented me from getting any sort of good photo. So I had to settle for a photo of myself with the television and live the glory vicariously through the photos of others.

I also had the opportunity two years ago to see the Enterprise at the Smithsonian Institute. I’m looking forward to being able to see it this summer at the Intrepid. My great claim to fame, at least as far as Enterprise is concerned, will be seeing it in two different states.

So not being one to let a good meme die, here are 10 More Basic Things About Me (in no specific order):

1. I’m a connoisseur of greasy spoon diner food
2. I like taking photos
3. I’m a fan of Zynga‘s Cityville
4. I own a Kindle Fire
5. The last physical book I read was En Route: A Paramedic’s Stories of Life, Death, and Everything in Between back in 2009
6. I just finished my tenth book since getting my Kindle Fire last year
7. I’m horrible at managing my e-mail inbox… it just always seems to get the best of me
8. I think the Mayans were onto something
9. I RLY ENJOY CLASIC LULZ KATS
10. I don’t own an iPad… yet

Thus concludes this edition of #10MoreBasicThingsAboutMe.