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I’ve been blessed (and cursed) to be a contributing member of many diverse organizations, committees, sub-committees, groups, and businesses. These organizations, as I’ll collectively call them, all seem to have one thing in common. (even though they range from profit-to-nonprofit, religious-to-secular, political-to-ideological, and organized-to-chaotic)
That one thing that binds organizations together is also the one thing that causes most people to reject them, to leave them, to criticize them, and dare I say, to hate them.
That One thing is not any particular action, belief, or idea. Nor is it any person, governance, ideology, or attitude.
It is a resulting loss of focus.
It is a straying from the organization’s original course, path, and purpose.
It’s the Organizational Blur……..
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No group or entity is exempt from the requirements of authentic and purpose-driven forward motion. Unfortunately, we rarely live up to it.
We get stuck focusing on the “shadow missions” (those short-term goals or tasks which are meant to help guide us to our ultimate and intended ends.)
We shift our eyes off of our intended purpose of being, simply for the sake of taking one step forward.
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Any time an organization loses focus of its vision and its goals, and begins to forget its mission and reason for existing, we start to see a decline in efficiency, productivity, and cooperation among its members and supporters.
-increasing complexities
-operational plateauing and non-productive traditions
-selfishness and greed
-power struggles and pride
-favoritism and cliques
All of these things can contribute to the demise of an organization when these things replace your purpose.
Tyrannical bureaucracy steps in when the people become apathetic to these factors and the group loses focus of the organization’s purpose for existence.
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Fight that apathy…
Re-Focus…
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Consider This:
As an Organization:
What is our primary goal or purpose?
Is what we are doing leading this organization to that goal or purpose?
How can the life of the organization change, shift, and refocus so that it’s life is purpose-driven, productive, meaningful, and fulfilling?
*Furthermore:
Consider This:
As a Person:
What is your primary goal or purpose?
Is what you are doing leading you to that goal or purpose?
How can your life change, shift, and refocus so that your life is purpose-driven, productive, meaningful, and fulfilling?
Being part of a group means spending part of your life, your being with that group. No group is perfect! No human is perfect! Where is the space for stumbling? It is human nature to get self and selfess goals, (pride), in the way. We all need to practice giving our best. It doesn't come easy and we tend to give up. Being the best you can be, which is what your responsible for, not someone else's best, means it doesn't always go your way. The real question is how can I understand the one who is appears to be trying to derail or take the group off course. How can "I" listen, really hear what the other person is saying? It is when we are really heard that we can discover our way back on the path. I think it is easy to be critical of others. It takes much courage to take high road and submit to the group, even if off course some time, and allow them find thier way through the experience. What makes us think we will be perfect and stay on course all the time?
ReplyDeleteAs a group we can move forward when there is no condemnation but rather honest reflection laced with patience. The worst enemy on a team is a "Know it all". I am not saying that one who speaks his mind openly is wrong. By all means, speak your mind openly but after you have thought about what you are saying, asking yourself the question, is this helpful to our organization or is it hurtful? When one wants to prove themselves right and another wrong, that is always hurtful.
To me the real question is am I helping this group stay on focus or am I helping to derail?
It is the same in the family. Am I helping with my "knowledge" or am I hurting the others. Am I building up or am I tearing down?
It is the groups responsibility to regularly reflect on the goal of the group. Always it will be a battle to stay focused on the real goal!!!!! Just think about how you chose to spend your day. Hum...
Thanks Haz..... good input.
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