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Life, the Universe, and Everything*
Musings from Linda / LUE-42 Enterprises Issue #117, November 2020
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Are you tired of hearing people say they're tired? I am. Are you tired? I am. At the moment I'd prefer to watch November arrive from the sidelines but, like you, I'm in the middle of it all. The rules of the game have changed, but as long as we're still in the game, we'd better play.
October was a good month and I am grateful that it looks like I'll see it through to the end (touch wood). In that tenth month I got to enjoy some art (virtually), and I got to make some art (also virtually). I got to contribute to my community through volunteering and on-line auctions. I got to see a few real people and break bread with them. I got to help some friends, hopefully as much as they helped me. I got to laugh and listen and share some tasty beverages. I attended an online funeral (waaaaay long) and other online sessions that were fun and/or interesting.
On a rare outing, I saw "Australia's Great Wild North" in 3D at the Imax cinema. Perhaps too many 3D reptiles for my liking, but I loved being back in a real venue and, most importantly, I felt very safe. I also took a road trip to Calgary for a change of scenery and safely visited a few of my haunts.
I got to work, and almost got to work, with some awesome clients. When the first lockdown hit, some cancelled or deferred their plans (understandable!). Over time, most came back and some even brought new clients with them. Now, as we face the next lockdown and look at the last 7 months of financial history, some are cancelling plans again (also understandable). I hope we can work together in the future, because I love working with cool people who are trying to do cool things. Speaking of...it was great to see so many of your names at CSAE's virtual AGM! Thanks for what you do every day in your organizations/companies to make our society better.
November first is Zero Tasking Day, which means we all have permission to take it easier. I am all in on this hollday! Try to get outside, and if you can get yourself around a fire pit so much the better. By the way, Have I mentioned how much I miss Canadian football? Cooking shows and jigsaw puzzles are no substitute. And for those of you keeping score at home, my juggling has not improved past three successful throws, so my virtual circus career is on hiatus for now. Bummer, I know.
In capping off October, I want to share a song I heard on CKUA radio recently. I encourage you to pay for the music you enjoy, but here's a link to "Be More Kind" by Frank Turner.
"You only have 12 notes. Do what you want with them."
~Eddie Van Halen 1955-2020
/lmwe
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Question: Can we give the board a little credit, please?
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ANSWER: Of course. It's overdue. Thank you, boards!
During a recent sleepless night pondering boards that do weird stuff, I came across an article by Jan Masaoka. "10 Things Boards Do Right (Without Even Realizing It)" (Boardsource.com) was a timely reminder about some valuable things that boards bring to our organizations and to the executives (i.e., Executive Directors/CEOs) who run them.
I'll summarize and/or paraphrase the highlights without the excellent examples provided in the article, and encourage you to check out the whole thing.
1. Safety Net. "...when a nonprofit's staff leadership falls off the tightrope, nonprofit boards step up, govern, fix things, and hire a new executive."
2. Speed Limits Patrolled by Aircraft. When you see that sign, do you automatically slow down even if you don't see a plane? I sure do. Having a board around is kind of like that sign for an Executive Director. They end up being a bit more careful.
3. Putting Their Own Bank Accounts at Risk for Staff Wrong-Doing. Directors & Officers Liability Insurance doesn't cover all the bad things that an organization could face. Directors have been held personally liable for things that happened on their watch.
4. Baton Relay. "Boards take the organization back when the executive leaves, find a new executive, and then turn the organization over to that new leader."
5. SWAT Team In Waiting. "Executives seldom ask the board for help on urgent, crucial, big things. When we do, we usually get the help we need."
6. Satisfying a Funder's Demographic Requirement. You'd be surprised what a funder might ask for in terms of your board composition. Scratch that...you wouldn't be surprised at all! The point is, the board composition you choose can assist with securing funds and other resources.
7. Putting Their Personal Brands on the Line. "Board members give their names and reputations to help the organization and its cause." A special shout to those board members who allow their names to be attached to causes that take a stand that comes with negative personal consequences.
8. Keeping the Organization's Mind Open a Little Longer Than Might Seem Necessary. "From one angle, board inaction can look like dithering and unnecessary caution. But it may also be seen as appropriate scrutiny and oversight of staff plans." The extra time and second opinion (especially about money and staff capacity) is a valuable contribution.
9. Hand on the Eject Switch. A key job of the board is to fire or not fire the executive. "Sometimes when a board doesn't fire a flawed or mistaken executive it's because of denial or conflict avoidance. But other times it's an intentional decision to allow the executive to grow into the job."
10. Nonprofit Boards are Vehicles of Democratic Values. "The idea that indirect taxes (via tax exemptions) should be overseen by volunteer boards is an idea with democracy at its core." Winston Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the other ones." The author of this article and I agree that this is also true of nonprofit boards.
So all you boards and directors, thank you for being there and for doing these 10 things and so much more for our organizations. Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! /lmwe
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NOVEMBER 2020 OBSERVANCES AND OCCASIONS
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Shout Out to some people who made my life better in October:
MaryJane Alanko, Liz Allison-Jorde, David Cheoros, Dave Clarke, Brian Edwards, Elsie & Doug Elford, Mandy Foster & Dave Sutherland, Butch Fox, Liz Garratt, JT Hay, Bill Johnson, Kathryn Kubossek, Lynn MacAskill, Karen MacKenzie, Bev Mahood, Matt Mihilewicz, Andy Northrup, Lori Schmidt, Mike Stringer, Elana & Jason West, Jenny Wood Narine, Priya Narine, Jill Wood
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into a flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." -- Albert Schweitzer
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Wish I'd Said That
"Obstacles are nothing more than opportunities with a few jagged teeth." -- Jann Arden
"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it." -- William Durant
"Tolerance is giving to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself." -- Robert Green Ingersoll
"Adults are just outdated children." -- Dr. Seuss
"Wake up and smell the coffee." -- Ann Landers
And the hardest tongue twister in the world, according to an MIT research team
(Try it 10x, I can't do it once): "Pad kid poured curd pulled cod."
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In the article "Companies Need To Stop Pretending It's Business As Usual" (Marker.medium.com 09/25/20) by Tiffani Ashley Bell provides some great context and wisdom for us as we navigate these uncertain times while being pushed (or pushing) for a return to "normal." Although the data is U.S.-based, I think it applies to us as well. Here are a couple of quotes that spoke to me:
The drive to go back to business as usual is running roughshod over our collective loss, the grinding uncertainty, the grief.
This moment calls for more empathy, more grace. More empathy and grace for ourselves and for others, including our co-workers.
Take a breath and read the article. You're definitely not alone in what you might be feeling and experiencing.
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"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."
-- George Lorimer
Have a great November!
LUE-42 Enterprises #BeKind
* with fond acknowledge to Douglas Adams and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
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