Saturday, October 16, 2010

FAMILY IS THE CORE VALUE

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~Desmond Tutu

"The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family." ~Thomas Jefferson


Family is the unparalleled arbiter of whether or not your life is in balance. Simply, are you able to drop your child off at school after breakfast, and rejoin your family again at the dinner table? Do you laugh together across generations, dancing in the living room, celebrating each and every day as if it were a named holiday?

Too often today families and family members live the mythology that an unscheduled hour is a wasted hour. Children are enrolled in as many activities as afterschool and weekends will allow. Parents and grandparents coordinate hand-offs and pick-ups with air traffic controller precision, while often not actually having the opportunity to observe the very events in which their young people are participating. Enjoyment and social interaction become secondary to the resume'-stoking quality of the activity.

Our adult family members are no less indoctrinated into this cult of overscheduling. Work is brought home from the office in brimming shoulderbags; work emails are sent and responded to throughout the evenings and weekends. Dinner is a microwave buffet affair, resembling a strolling dinner, where rarely two members of the family will actually sit at a table engaged in quality conversation. Late at night when exhausted children are safely off to bed, mothers and fathers launch themselves into Farmville and all other manner of online fantasy worlds, while beds and genuine marital intimacy both tragically grow cold.

There will be no sized flat screen HD/3D television large enough to recapture our children's youth; there will be no cascade of urgent weekend smartphone messages that will rekindle our spouse's laughter amidst handholding during an evening's neighborhood walk.

Re-engage. Truly listen. Unplug from the 24/7 technology.

Just because someone else may not have the courage to genuinely participate in the fabric of their own family's life does NOT imply that you must sacrifice your family.
  • The co-worker who cannot leave the office before dinnertime is not a leader, but is very simply a person who is afraid to leave the office because his/her world outside the office is devoid of laughter and intimacy.
  • The co-worker who cannot restrain themselves from emailing, texting, or calling about "urgent" work projects on weekends is merely a sad, weak caricature who has forgotten the warm touch of a spouse's hand or the laughter of a child.
  • Empty marriages and estranged children do not need to be your legacy though they may be the rotten fruit beneath a co-worker's tree.
Live. Love. Laugh. Leave a Legacy. Begin today.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Will you become the balanced leader whose success is measured by the enduring warmth shared within your family home...or will you resign yourself to the mythology of the 24/7 unbalanced life only to "die" alone long before your earthly body last gasps?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

PATHWAY TO VICTORY

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."  --Proverbs 3:5-6

"Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values." --Ayn Rand

For me, my Faith in God eases my path daily. Inevitably each of us will face challenges en route to achieving our aims, but I have always believed that we are strengthened to overcome those challenges when we have named and embraced our Core Values. As we approach the November election, living our Values and our Faith in all of our daily actions remains imperative.

The courage to live our core values must eminate consistently from within, lest we habitually subsume our core values to society's expectations. The elected officials and corporate executives I admire most consistently live values-driven lives. Their power springs forth from genuine Faith and Knowledge, discerning right from wrong even when the simpler, more popular path might provide immediate gratification.

Leaders--of families, of businesses, of schools, of elected bodies--adhere to their values and remain aware of the guideposts provided by God in all matters. Parents provide discipline even when giving in to a child's demands might appear easier. Executives strategically plan for the future even when satisfying the public's appetite for glowing quarterly financial results might garner more favorable press.

True happiness lies not in today's perceived victory but in every day's genuine victory. Be not afraid to rely upon your Faith, to prayerfully go to your God for guidance, to act upon your core values, for at the end of the evening you will be able to lay your head upon the pillow for deep and peaceful rest. Your victory must also be God's victory for His people.

TODAY'S QUESTION: As YOU approach the November election, have YOU gone to the Lord in prayer regarding your strategy, your objectives, and your concerns?

Sunday, October 3, 2010

VALUES-DRIVEN LIFE

"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live." ~Oscar Wilde


"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." ~William Shakespeare

Doris and I worked through several productive sessions as we plumbed her history to identify and dismantle the notions of "must", "have to", and "everyone does" that typify the externally-imposed value systems of those we modeled as we grew and matured.
 
Every one of us, whether we consciously identify and manage it or not, has a list of values that drive us toward certain behaviors and situations. Likewise, each of us has a list of values that drive us away from certain behaviors and situations. Doris also came to realize that while we each have a list of aspirational values that drive us toward our fully lived Life, habit and perceived necessity often work to override our aspirational values. We find ourselves climbing the ladder only to learn it was leaning against the wrong tree.
 
While love, integrity, commitment, family, achievement, and balance appeared on her list as she worked to identify the Life she intended to fully live, Doris also conceded that external expectations as well as her internal desire to please others had led her to live out the values of deference, control, independence, intensity, obedience, and significance. Let me be very clear: every individual can choose to live a full Life by the values most appropriate to him/her. It is not for I or any other individual to tell YOU what values YOU should choose to guide YOU how you should order them to achieve the fully lived Life. But, be absolutely certain that you are the architect of your own values system, and not that you are the laborer driven by someone else's values system.
 
I coach individuals and groups of varying sizes. Over time I have repeatedly encountered two commonly-observed causes of living out of congruence with one's own identified values list: (a) real or perceived financial obligations that no longer apply; and (b) fear of disapproval by persons perceived to have authority over us. Please note that both of those causes refer to perceptions that individuals may hold. Perception will lose its power over you once you bring it into the bright light cast by your own self-chosen values list.
 
I've long shared the guiding principle with my clients, "If you fail to consciously choose, then you succumb to the choices of others..." We will each be driven by values, so let us commit to living our own highest values, not those we believe someone or "society" expects us to have.
 
TODAY'S QUESTION: Have YOU committed to fully live your Life by your highest values...or are YOU continuing to live the life that YOU perceive and believe that others expect YOU to live?
 
Write the top 10 values that are habitually driving your daily routine.
Pause.
Then write the top 10 values that you are committed to adopting to fully live the Life of your own making.
We will then build from there together.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

LIFE AFTER WORKAHOLISM

“There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.”  -Logan Pearsall Smith (1865 – 1946) British essayist and critic

“For workaholics, all the eggs of self-esteem are in the basket of work.” 
- Judith M. Bardwick (b. 1933) U.S. management consultant

During a recent conversation over coffee, a seasoned private-sector senior executive (I'll refer to her as "Doris") shared with me an all-too-common observation.
DORIS: "Cris, I've been at this game a while, working my way up, putting in the hours, and now I'm nearly at the top..."
CRIS: "...I hear hesitation in your voice."
DORIS: "Now don't get me wrong--I've done all right. Nice house. Two great kids in college, last one she'll be graduating high school next spring..."
CRIS: "...But?"
DORIS: "But I'm still putting in those long hours. I swore after my eldest son, Greg, graduated high school that I'd attend more of my middle child, William's games...but there were always deadlines, projects, fires to put out. Now, even when I make it to Sarah's gymnastics competitions, I'm fielding phone calls, texts, responding to status update emails. And she knows I'm not really paying attention. Oh, I want to."
CRIS: "Doris, you could put the smartphone away while you're at the competition."
DORIS: "No, you don't understand--our Division President, Mary, sends email requests throughout the evening, sometimes until 10, 11 o'clock.  And throughout the weekend. I'm expected to respond--and if I don't respond quickly enough, she'll call to ensure I've received her email!"
CRIS: "The technology hasn't made us more efficient as the 'experts' predicted decades ago...
DORIS: "...it's only made us more accessible around the clock."
CRIS: "I don't believe you contacted me to wallow in regret about the unchangeable past."
DORIS: "No, of course not. As I told you in my email, I have to restore some balance to my life before I burn out--and more importantly, before my children marry, have their own children--my grandchildren--and move on without my having strengthened the bonds of our family."
CRIS: "Doris, it's clear to me that you've defined a higher purpose for your future. I know that you've navigated many challenging projects throughout your career. Are you committed to conquering the challenges you will face as you detach from a culture driven by the addiction of workaholism?"
DORIS: "I must. I don't want to lose more than I've already lost..."
CRIS: "Very well then, let us begin."

TODAY'S QUESTION: What do you stand to lose if you do not disentangle yourself from the bonds of your own or another person's workaholism?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

NAKED LEADERSHIP

"The great and invigorating influences in American life have been the unorthodox: the people who challenge an existing institution or way of life, or say and do things that make people think." -William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice


"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels -- men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, we may never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. President


Frequently I will be asked by new colleagues and acquaintances how I have managed to forge such a diverse (and seemingly contradictory) array of political, social and commercial alliances. Those of you that know me well have, of course, become accustomed to my genuine affection for and natural curiosity about people, causes and enterprises that seek to truly elevate and improve the human condition. I shun the false stereotype that Leaders are beholding to a unitary constituency.
 
Throughout the history of the United States, Americans of different faiths, education, careers, and social strata have converged and diverged at intervals to support and/or oppose wars, trends, atrocities, injustices, and commerce. While the discourse may at times become loud and abrasive, with few exceptions our Nation has moved forward, improved for the market place of ideas. Political theatre and Cable News Entertainment notwithstanding, our Commercial Enterprises, and our Cities, States and Nation are led and legislated by men and women committed to the ideals and practical applications of Freedom, Faith, Family, Fairness and Prosperity.
 
Hence, while I have not always been on the winning side when the final votes were tallied, I have always considered myself the victor in the arena of ethics, free markets, and human progress.
 
I stand behind you just out of camera range during your Victory Speech; I stand firmly beside you during your Concession Speech; but I always stand with you in your convictions when the Monday-morning media quarterbacking begins, poised to defend your sincerity and genuine affection for the citizens, the families, the communities, and the business leaders that you have so selflessly represented.
 
So when a new acquaintance doubtfully or sarcastically questions my ability to speak to his/her employees, volunteers, members, or constituency --given my array of clients-- I simply smile and walk into the meeting space with the well-researched conviction that I'm backing another winner. This is America, my Friend, and anyone who is willing to genuinely Invest, Innovate and Lead is a winner in my book.

I look forward to meeting you.
 
God Bless!
Cris

Thursday, July 29, 2010

A LITTLE TOO CONVENIENT

"I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody." ~Benjamin Franklin

“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander” ~Abraham Lincoln


As we make our way through this warm, fun-filled summer of 2010, enjoying backyard barbeques, week-long family vacations, and cheering our local professional baseball team, another longstanding American sport is underway: Vicious Political Slander.

While I can cite no candidate for public office who has ever declared himself/herself to be a sinless saint, I have generally found the men and women who undertake this great political journey to campaign for elected office to be individuals of noble character who truly revere the United States, its Constitution and the respective state constitutions. My observations have encompassed the large majority of members of both major political parties and independents, lest we devolve into myopic slander of our own.

When we strip away the caricatures of the few infamous politicians whose stunts make for mainstream media fodder, we find family-oriented men and women from all walks of life who have consulted their spouses (and often their children) to discuss the personal/family sacrifices necessary to undertake a campaign on behalf of their citizens. Achieving electoral victory often means added responsibility at reduced income amidst a 24/7/365 glare of anyone with access to a camera, video recorder, and a computer. 

So, while vicious political slander has been the favored "hail mary pass" of cowardly, vacuous single-issue opponents since the dawn of time, I have been particularly startled by the personal nature of the baseless attacks against two fine gubernatorial candidates this summer. Nikki Haley (http://www.nikkihaley.com/) of South Carolina and Mike Cox (http://mikecox2010.com/) of Michigan have both been subjected to publicly-disseminated prurient slander certainly launched by unscrupulous consultants funded by their flailing (and failing) opponents.

These two fine Christians have spouses and children--Nikki's husband, Michael, a dedicated father and patriotic Army National Guard Officer; Mike's wife, Laura, a loving mother and selfless public official working on behalf of Wayne County residents--innocent spouses and children who have been crudely disregarded by paid political hacks attempting to score points for an opposition Titanic campaign. 

Nikki (helping from a young age in a proud family-owned business) and Mike (a Marine Corp veteran of ) have brought bold, transformative ideas to their respective constituents. Both candidates have involved diverse groups of residents, and will work on behalf of ALL regardless of political party. Yet, within a week of critical elections, slush-funded and well-publicized slander emerged. A LITTLE TOO CONVENIENT if you ask anyone. Informed citizens will not be distracted by this insulting use of slimy, dime-arcade innuendo, but will instead recognize the opponent's cowardice that contrived and funded it. It happened during their candidacies...fortunately to no avail...but it could happen to YOUR CANDIDACY at that cricitial moment. PREPARE!

TODAY'S QUESTION: Have you consulted with your family and with your campaign team to plan in advance to assess, address, and dismiss your desperate opponent(s)' potential, and almost certain, use of vicious political slander against YOU?

Saturday, July 3, 2010

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."  -Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."  JAMES 1:25, New King James Version


As we enjoy and participate in the active celebration of our great Nation's 234th birthday, I find it instructive to return to the Document itself and the scriptural precursor, The Bible, to remind ourselves that The United States of America was born and remains a blessed nation. Our Founders, beginning with the 17th century settlers who sought refuge from British religious persecution and leading to the brave men and women who courageously signed and defended The Declaration of Independence against 18th century British tyranny, derived their Faith and Grace directly from the Creator, God Almighty.

I find it equally instructive that "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are "among" our "unalienable rights"...we are not simply limited to those ennumerated rights. God has provided his People throughout history with much opportunity for freedom, and when exercised faithfully, fairly, and fruitfully, our Nation has grown and prospered, enjoying the fruits of our combined labors. George Washington avoided political party affiliation, recognizing the tendency for partisanship to undermine the productive collaboration necessary to forge enabling legislation vital to the efficient functioning of a national government. Thomas Jefferson trusted the power of the individual citizen to direct the Nation's affairs by electing his/her representatives to travel to the seat of government, draft sensible legislation, and cast well-informed votes.

Both men, Washington and Jefferson, together with many others recognized--and continue to recognize--that our unalienable rights must be defended, respected, and exercised.
  • Sometimes defended upon the battlefield, domestic or internationally, and for that WE MUST PRAY FOR AND THANK OUR BRAVE AND SELFLESS ACTIVE AND VETERAN SERVICE MEMBERS.
  • Sometimes defended in the courtrooms, legislatures, and executive offices of our cities & towns, states, and federal government, and for that we must pray for continued fidelity for our elected leaders and appointed officials.
  • Respecting and exercising our unalienable rights remains incumbent upon each of us as citizens. We each have an obligation to lead this nation, one citizen at a time, daily. When we cease to respect and exercise our rights, those rights will erode and eventually be eliminated or forgotten.
You and I, and our Families, our Neighbors, and our Congregations...we are today's Defenders of the God-given Rights and Responsibilities ennumerated and implied in The Declaration of Independence and United States (and State) Constitution. Go forth this Independence Day and proudly proclaim the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness for which so many, including you, have labored so hard for and died for. Amen.

TODAY'S QUESTION: When evaluating prospective candidates for 2010 elections, have YOU measured their commitment to preserving, defending and respecting YOUR God-given, unalienable rights?

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

THE 3 C'S OF AMERICAN ECONOMIC RESURGENCE

"The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice - their choice."   --Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success."   -- Denis Waitley


I had the pleasure to engage in a discussion centered around faith, family and leadership with one Mr. Hughes recently. Mr. Hughes was recounting various significant events in his life, which had led him courageously to escape the restraints of segregation and to proudly serve our nation militarily before becoming a public school educator/administrator. He imparted to me the importance to every leader of embracing "the three C's: Choices, Challenges and Consequences."
 
Our Great Nation is currently gripped by the lingering effects of economic deterioration, which has led to an erosion of employment, family financial security, and confidence in government and corporate leadership.  Whether we like it or not, our Nation's economic viability relies upon the efficient interdependent workings of (1) a sound, ethical, well-financed free market economy; and (2) the local, state and national governments that regulate interstate commerce, fair competition, consumer protection and safety.
 
The free market economy depends upon the efficient flow of plentiful intellectual, human and financial capital. Excessive government regulation, taxation, and marketplace interference merely decrease the incentives for responsible entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to invest and develop (or possibly delay) new products and services.  Burdensome, unresponsive and unilateral governmental regulatory choices may create insurmountable challenges to businesses, whereupon the direct consequences may include middle- and working class job losses, and interstate/international facility relocations.
 
Clearly, government has a limited and necessary role to play in economic affairs as provided for my the Constitution's Articles. Interstate highways and waterways that facilitate the motorized conveyance of goods must be built and maintained.  Border inspection of imported foreign produce, children's toys, and vehicles must be undertaken to protect American lives.  Illegal acts, excessive pollution, and unsafe workplaces must be addressed.  But, if America is to remain the dominant world economic power whose intellectual property, manufacturing productivity, and service excellence exceed all international competitors, then elected officials and agency appointees must choose to partner with business leaders to face those challenges together, lest we mortgage our future to those self-serving nations currently acquiring our Treasury Bills.
 
In the November elections, and in the various state and federal primaries leading up to those November elections, We The People are going to register our votes in a referendum upon the imbalance between lobbyist-loving incumbents and the resurgence of freedom-loving, free market leaders who challenge those entrenched politicians. Neither Party's cronies will be spared as Independent voters makes choices grounded in fact, not swayed by mere opinion or slick 30-second advertisements. Independent voters will be focused upon unfulfilled candidate promises, upon the return of economic prosperity for the American family, upon the values underscored by faith in God. And the consequences for those foolish, fattened incumbents who choose poorly will be a one-way ticket back to the hometown...
 
TODAY'S QUESTION: What definitive economic plan have you --whether incumbent or challenger--developed and published to restore the appropriate balance between free market job creation and government regulation and taxation? [Remember: If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.]

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

CONSISTENCY, NOT HYPOCRISY

"Honest discussions - even and perhaps especially on topics about which we disagree - can help us resist hypocrisy and arrogance. They can also help us live up to the basic ideals, such as liberty and justice for all, on which our country was founded."   -David E. Price

"The world is full of fools and faint hearts; and yet everyone has courage enough to bear the misfortunes, and wisdom enough to manage the affairs, of his neighbor."  -Benjamin Franklin


I can hardly be labeled "Liberal" in my steadfast defense of the clearly Constitutional Right to Life, the First Amendment Right to Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly, the Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms, Tenth Amendment States' Rights, etc.  But, as Dr. Seuss writes in Oh, the Places You'll Go!, "[w]ith your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street."
 
The base of any political party may generally accept with little question the perspective placed upon any event in a particular era. But the Independent Voter--that individual who will cast that marginal majority vote that catapults one candidate over another in a particular local, state, or federal election--will not soon forget the shifting opinions from one year to the next, from one administration to the next, from one decade to the next.
 
Is it right in one era to caricature and curse one American President, and to condemn those who do likewise to an American President of the opposite party in another era? Why don't we all rise above it regardless of the President's party and move on to SUBSTANTIVE bi-partisan conservative Constitutional SOLUTIONS.


When one group engages in mass demonstration and speeches condemning government abuse and decrying the usurpation of power (immigration reform; healthcare; deficits & taxation), this self-proclaimed mob is called patriotic, a Tea Party; when another group engages in mass demonstration and speeches condemning government inaction (immigration reform; healthcare; deficits & taxation) and decrying their lack of opportunity, this second group is labeled unpatriotic, unAmerican. 
 
When the federal government, through legislation or enabling regulation, sets standards, protocols and reporting requirements for private sector entities (i.e. oil companies), that federal government action is labeled as interfering with the free markets or overstepping states' rights to regulate the business climate of its own state. When the federal government complies with regulations that direct the private entity (i.e. oil companies) to pay for and remedy its own fatal environmental disaster, that same federal government is accused of not doing enough to engage itself directly in the private entity's affairs.
 
Can that same state government Chief Executive who publicly rejected federal stimulus dollars destined for infrastructure improvement projects and working class financial stability justify now requesting that federal dollars and manpower be directed to correct a private corporation's infrastructure failure that imperils Gulf Coast working class financial stability?
 
In this 24/7/365 media circus that our elected officials operate in, one can understand the political pressure that they are under to communicate decisions that appear to effectively address the concerns of the moment, the crisis, or the era. But, I caution incumbents of both parties that this is a year where Independent Voter memories are long, discernment is deep, and inconsistency is fatal career-wise.
 

TODAY'S QUESTION: Will a thorough review of your public record (votes, statements, positions, alliances, contributors, appearances) reveal solution-oriented consistency...or will it betray self-interested hypocrisy to the inquisitive Independent Voter.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

LEADERSHIP TRUMPS LONGEVITY

"In the history of mankind many republics have risen, have flourished for a lesser or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens lost the power of governing themselves and thereby of governing their state; and in no way has this loss of power been so often and so clearly shown as in the tendency to turn the government into a government primarily for the benefit of one class, a ruling class, instead of a government for the benefit of the people as a whole."  -Theodore Roosevelt

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”  -Frederick Douglass


Nothing cries out for Change and Leadership like the defeat of incumbents. Lame ducks all: Utah Senator Bob Bennett, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and West Virginia Congressman Alan Mollohan. Their bipartisan outbound migration will be joined by many more local, state, and national figures between now and January 2011.

As I've noted to my clients for some time, the collective electoral will of the Independent American voter prizes Principles over party affiliation, favors Faith and Family Values over favoritism, and loves Life for All more than lazy government-sanctioned preferences. The Constitution is a non-partisan living document drafted and ratified by a diverse body of farmers, business leaders, and lawyers --statesman all-- who early recognized the tendency for one ruling class to displace less powerful interests of the common citizen. The Constitution remains safeguarded by their descendants --you and I--- today and every day.

Our nation and its citizens have always fared best when elected officials embraced the will of those who elected them and honored the sacred entrustment placed upon them to carry out the limited role of government in town/city halls, state houses, and the nation's capital. This is NOT a Political Party's nation, but it IS the People's nation! The individual who blindly calls all of one Party saints and all of the opposing Party sinners lazily casts aside the insight to discern the individual Leader's strengths and weaknesses. History is replete with principled, Faithful, family-committed, prolife leaders of all Party affiliations, so we must not devolve into petty soundbite statements purporting to label all one way and all the other way.

2010 has already begun to demonstrate that Americans love America and its Freedom, love their God, love their Families and Life, love their Neighbors, and value Economic Opportunity MORE than they are willing to defer to the failed leadership of the past. The forced migration of incumbency has begun.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Does your candidacy demonstrate Leadership experience supported by a foundation of Faith, Family, Life, Liberty, and Economic Opportunity that the Independent Voter will reward with that sacred trust of electoral victory?

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

FIRST STRIKE: ANTICIPATE, ADVANCE AND ACT

"To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will."  -Ronald Reagan

"What you always do before you make a decision is consult. The best public policy is made when you are listening to people who are going to be impacted. Then, once policy is determined, you call on them to help you sell it."  -Elizabeth Dole

I'm not a big fan of the filibuster, regardless of which polictical party is employing it. The filibuster is the adult equivalent of the sore loser taking his baseball and bat and going home because he wasn't allowed to bat cleanup. One Party cannot rail against the use of the filibuster by its opposing Party, and then within a few years trot it out every time bipartisan negotiations fail to produce the perfect compromise. Independent voters recognize hypocrisy.

I said it before and I'll say it again: The current legislative and administrative policy agenda isn't a hidden secret. The bills traveling through Committee and the regulations being put forth by the Administration were broadcast long before the present, hearkening back to campaign promises and candidate platforms well before November 2008. 

Some of those themes resonated well enough with voters, including critical Independent voters, that incumbents fell and power shifted. Within some of these ideas there has been much common ground, even if final votes have not always reflected the bipartisan undercurrent incorporated via amendments.

I believe that a Party loses its way when it fails to (1) anticipate the pending agenda; (2) develop and advance well-researched and superior policy initiatives; and (3) act to publicize, negotiate, and incorporate those competing and superior policy initiatives into final legislation.  A Party, especially one holding the minority legislative caucus, cannot only occasionally anticipate and participate in the nation's legislative agenda. 

As legislation begins to bubble up in Committee, the Minority Party must marshal its resources and send forth its throng of legislative aides to poll real Americans, research rational alternatives, and draft comprehensive competitive legislative solutions--and then publish them and broadcast them to the widest possible audience so that Independent voters can weigh legitimate alternative policy initiatives that may extend beyond the mainstream media soundbites.

Informed voters, Independent voters, and disaffected citizens don't like whiners, wimps or stall tactics.  Put away the crutch of the filibuster and bring forth well-researched, well-written, well-publicized policy alternatives well in advance of final Congressional action and Reconciliation Procedures.  Anticipate--don't equivocate!

TODAY'S QUESTION: As a candidate in the ever-important 2010 election cycle, what are YOU doing to ensure that you're ahead of YOUR opponent's policy agenda?

Saturday, February 27, 2010

GREAT COMMUNICATOR...OR YESTERDAY'S GOAT?

"Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people."      -Jim Rohn



The short track skating events in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics provided physical proof of the importance of anticipating a future opportunity before the start of the race. The difference between the gold medal and wiping out along the boards was often the critical timing and quality of the planned inside/outside pass of the unwary opponent.

Building upon our previous installment, we will begin addressing how you may best capitalize upon (4) Issues of anticipated future importance for which you have not previously developed a well-defined position. While we will address the other three topics of issues formation in coming installments, I believe we must first look to communicating the policy item(s) that will provide fuel for your long-term electoral victory and solidify your legacy. Put aside partisan rancor for a moment, and simply recognize prior patterns of success, because YOUR winning message MUST attract and embrace more than just your base to achieve 51% in November. If all YOU can address is YOUR base, join yesterday's goats.

Long before the November 1980 Presidential Election, Ronald Reagan had accurately identified several issues that would eventually boil over in the minds of Americans. Reagan did not hesitate to develop responses and solutions to those issues [among them (a) the malaise of international communism; (b) the hunger for patriotism; (c) the burden of excessive taxation; and (d) the breakdown of the family]. Not only did Ronald Reagan approach these--and other--topics with genuine optimism, compassion and practical solutions, but he faced an opponent ill-prepared to even enter the dialogue, as evidenced in the sharp contrast of televised debates and other public appearances. President Carter yielded the lead of incumbency for a lack of anticipating, preparing for, and developing superior solutions to the issues that would define the 1980s.

Again in 1994 we observed Speaker Newt Gingrich and his colleagues execute upon their accurate assessment, planning, and solutions to speed past the old, tired Congressional pack. As no group is immune to their own stagnation, 2006 & 2008 ushered in yet another era when future concerns [social, economic, demographic, international] were addressed with fresh faces and fresh solutions. This is not a partisan comment. Regardless of which party or philosophy you favor, you cannot escape the statistics noted in our prior installment that made the 111th Congressional majority look like a negative of the 104th Congressional majority.

Party is not the prime determinent. Each of these victorious years required bipartisan appeal to secure ballot box majorities. The pendelum always swings...YOU can be viewed as the People's Leader with a legacy to follow--or Yesterday's News devoid of new ideas and forgotten forever.

TODAY'S QUESTION: What are YOU as a candidate (whether incumbent or challenger) doing TODAY to identify, develop, communicate and execute the solutions to the issues/problems/concerns that will plague YOUR electorate beyond November into the years to come?

Sunday, February 21, 2010

VICTORY 2010: REVOLUTION, CONTRACT, CHANGE OR...

"Reforming public education, cutting property taxes, fixing adult and child protective services and funding our budget can all occur when Democrats and Republicans engage in consensus and cooperation - not cynicism and combat. "
               - Texas Governor Rick Perry

"To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects."
                - Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

As the two quotes above illustrate, even conservative leaders can have difficulty reaching consensus...on the merits of reaching consensus. More broadly, no single political party or grass roots movement has perfected nor obtained a monopoly on building consensus. Yet, electoral and legislative results of the past three decades underscore the importance of building and maintaining consensus throughout the political process, from ballot box to legislative chamber.

I am not attempting to dictate that one American political party is or has been superior to the other. Once we cut through the chest-beating rhetoric of cable news soundbites, town hall meetings, and grass roots rallies, we are left with the reality that the same American public ushered in the Reagan Revolution, the Contract with America, and Change We Can Believe In.

Mathematically, the 104th Congress (1994) elected 55 (R) and 45 (D) Senators; 228 (R) and 206 (D) Representatives. The 111th Congress (2008) elected 40 (R) and 58 (D) Senators; 178 (R) and 256 (D) Represenatives. Fourteen years did not see the entire demography of the nation shift politically, but instead followed a pendelum of social and fiscal policy. Just as midwestern union autoworkers rallied around Ronald Reagan when the economy necessitated strong fiscal leadership, families facing lost jobs and health care crises rallied about Barack Obama. People vote nationally and statewide for the economic, educational, and social policies that they view as most relevant to their own households. 1980, 1994, and 2008 demonstrated that one party more than the other delivered a message that resonated with greater than 50% of voters--plain and simple.

In future installments, we will be addressing how we may increase your share of your electorate by carefully examining and executing upon: (1) Issues upon which you hold very strong, well-defined, and possibly long-term positions; (2) Issues upon which your opponents hold very strong, well-defined, and possibly long-term positions; (3) Issues of current importance for which you have not previously developed a well-defined position; and (4) Issues of anticipated future importance for which you have not previously developed a well-defined position.

TODAY'S QUESTION: How will your campaign ensure that your message engenders the victorious spirit of 1980, 1994 and 2008?

Saturday, January 30, 2010

REDISCOVERY OF COMMON SENSE

"But I never thought it was my style or the words I used...It was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation - from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution. Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery...of our values and our common sense..."
- Ronald Reagan: Farewell Address, Oval Office, January 11, 1989

Values and common sense are not partisan themes, but instead represent intergenerational principles that nearly all Americans hold as self-evident. Recent elections have produced victories that transcended party affiliation and polling. New Jersey's Chris Christie, Virginia's Bob McDonnell, and Massachusett's Scott Brown succeeded in communicating American values and common sense in a manner easily understood and rewarded by their respective electorates. Florida's Marco Rubio and Michigan's Mike Cox are likewise engaging in constructive, solution-oriented campaigns in 2010.

Each of these leaders has well understood that burdensome issues met with well-reasoned solutions may be communicated without partisan rancor so that a greater percentage of family men and women can intelligently discern and decide whom to elect as a leader.

As leaders and advisors of leaders, we must spend less time doling out red meat speeches to our loyal perennial base, and devote more of our time listening to, researching, and developing comprehensive solutions to challenges facing Independents and those outside of our traditional party tent. If we fail to constructively address a broader range of concerns than those that have served as solid sound bites, then we will find the 2010 election cycle underwhelming.

Not every issue must be met with "us-versus-them" rhetoric. As leaders we must be willing to identify issues that are currently garnering support for our opponents and develop competitive, cost-effective and realistic solutions that provide real choices to attract Independent voters whose loyalties are to values and common sense...not to elephants and donkeys. Or you cleave to base-pleasing positions largely ignored by Independents and lose the increasingly Independent electorate to an opponent willing to provide those solutions.

Principles of values and common sense must always undergird our policies, but the needs of our electorate and of our nation at large must always guide the comprehensive solutions that spring forth from our policies.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Will you be leading a diverse electorate to victory and real family-focused solutions in that "shining city upon a hill", or will you be simply preaching to the choir in sound bites?

Thursday, January 14, 2010

PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTER

"If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen."  - Ronald Reagan


"I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life."  -Ronald Reagan



One cannot deny that Ronald Reagan exemplified consistent adherence to conservative principles, among them free enterprise, states' rights, and democracy. President Reagan's consistent opposition to the insidious influences of socialism & communism domestically and abroad served to protect and project the nation's strength at home and infiltrated even the Iron Curtain.

Reagan also knew how to accomplish his objectives (strengthening our military) or to rein in and recast other's objectives (the 1983 Social Security Act with then-House Speaker Tip O'Neal) without compromising core principles, attacking an opponent's character, or being perceived by others as a man of narrow extremism. Those who didn't agree with his policy objectives could often still share a laugh or a frosty beverage with the congenial "Great Communicator."

Our 40th President knew that regardless of the policy and principled differences that he and others might have shared, his perpetual optimism and belief in the strength and character of America, Americans and American Free Enterprise would not allow him to devolve into petty partisan bickering. If he disagreed with someone, he said so openly and often with a smile.

Ronald Reagan could also acknowledge that Americans had more in common than what might separate them. Other than lunatic extremists and malcontents, a large majority of Americans love God, love their families, love freedom, embrace economic enterprise and are willing to join together and fight (and die, if necessary) to protect all four pillars.  While standing up for his principles with character, Reagan focused his attention upon building a stronger America and world that would draw diverse people together instead of focusing upon meaningless differences that would drive neighbors apart.

Look around you...if you're a candidate, are you willing to faithfully represent and serve ALL the citizens of your district upon being elected --including those citizens who openly opposed you? Now THAT demonstrates your character.  If you are a supporter of a candidate or a ballot measure, are you willing to engage in peaceful and respectful two-way (listening & speaking) dialogue with opponents of your candidate or ballot measure? THAT demonstrates your character.

Don't compromise your principles, but also don't forget how to be a neighbor, an American. Yelling, besmirching character, negatively stereotyping, and mischaracterizing positions with broad slogans may fan the flames of the already faithful, but will do NOTHING to win the hearts and minds (and votes) of the ever critical Independent voters. 50.1% looks a whole lot different than 49.9% the morning after Election Day.

TODAY'S QUESTION:  In the hours that follow the closing of the polls, will you be receiving or will you be making the concessionary and congratulatory phone call? [Your connection with Independents will determine the outcome.]