Where Is The Light?

 

My friend of over 25 years is starting hospice care. She's been dealing with cancer for the past couple of years, and it's metastasized. I was able to visit her at the beginning of November, and we watched Anna and the Apocalypse (in addition to a whole bunch of other movies). And this song...

She told me the filmmaker behind it was battling cancer too, and basically had no fucks left to give. This song is a mood. 

And a rather fitting one, I think. Not just because of my friend's situation. I think back to where we were a year ago, and I do think things are better now. Trump lost the election, he's no longer president, and we're not dealing with his madness on top of everything else.

And yet...

And yet, just as many people said, Trump was more a symptom of the problem than the problem itself. We're still struggling, far more than I had hoped or wanted, to make the changes we need.

I find myself thinking about various projects I've worked on. Like the one in Iraq, where we were trying to improve our biometric collection processes. When a later class discussed change management (and how you needed support from people at the top) it resonated... because I have seen how hard it is to do anything when you don't have the support you need.

I've seen the reverse as well. At my current company there seems a decent amount of upper level support for change, but the people themselves seem to be resisting it. You can see it in how people just sort of stop joining meetings, or get busy with other things and say they can't participate any more.

Some days I wonder what it would be like, to be part of a success story. Changes with the support they need, both at the top and bottom. You'll never have everyone on board, of course. Change management is probably one of the hardest things any organization can do, and any change will benefit some and harm others. But... having wise leadership pushing the right changes, doing so in a way that persuades people to get on board with it, leading to an organization that's doing things right.

It sounds almost magical, actually. 

I try not to be too cynical and negative, but I think a certain amount of skepticism is realistic. Because far too often the changes are only cosmetic. (Like all the jokes in the military about how someone renamed a project or organization, just to get a bullet point for their evaluation report. Or the way the receiving department changed the layout on their floor, twice at least, both times supposedly part of process improvement. Lean six sigma stuff. Except if it was so efficient the first time, why did it need changed a second time?)

Not that those things are wrong, or bad. I've read about them, and other industry buzz words (like SRE for tech now). But implementing them effectively often requires a deeper level of change that I just don't think most organizations are truly willing to do. Which means people do something cosmetic that they can put on an evaluation, without actually changing much of anything. (Again, change management is hard, so that's not meant as an insult.)

 I suppose that's part of why I'm so interested in systems, and organizational structures. Most people are average. It's kind of the definition of 'average' actually, and a good system will ensure that the important things get done. Any officer or soldier in their proper position can do the paperwork needed to make sure we have the supplies and equipment we need. Battalions have staffs that ensure proper training is done. And most of it doesn't require true excellence (though of course everyone wants it, and tries to develop it).

Nations are also organizations, and the rise and fall of nations is an ongoing fascination of mine. Why do some start to stagnate and fall? Why do some blossom and grow? Is the cycle truly inevitable? How do you stop or change it? 

I read a fascinating history on the Mongols, I can't remember which book... but one of their subsequent empires seemed to be declining, until a really impressive leader took charge and helped restore it for another hundred years or so. 

I like to think I have a good sense of what's needed, but... well.

Doesn't everybody? Isn't that part of the problem? All the companies Jim Collins wrote about in How the Mighty Fall wanted to succeed after all. And the ones who made the decisions leading to decline didn't think that was what they were doing. 

The only real way to know is to see what happens afterwards, at which point it's generally too late to change anything.

The point of that is that regardless of whether I know what I'm talking about or not, it doesn't really matter if the people who have the ability to change things disagree. 

And that's the crux of the matter, isn't it? I think we're headed in a rather terrible direction, but the forces pushing us that way seem far too powerful. I'll still do what I can, most especially by voting, but sometimes I get the sinking feeling that it just isn't going to be enough. 

Climate change is one example of the problem. It's December already, and although I appreciate not being cold... this weather is ridiculous for this time of year. But good luck doing anything about it. 

Just like there is apparently nothing we can do about school shootings.

Or growing wealth inequality.

Or the way most Americans support decriminalization, if not outright legalization, of marijuana.

Or the disastrous coronavirus response.

The forces resisting change seem far too powerful, and the end result is utterly crappy. For everyone.

I'm not saying it's hopeless, necessarily. It's just that the consequences of failing seem worse than ever. There's a very narrow path to a happy ending. (I thought about going into more detail about why these things are so terrible, or what a 'happy ending' entails... but honestly if you don't already understand why these things are a problem it would take a LOT of typing to lay out the arguments. I think I'll keep this post short and sweet instead.)

We've got a lot of work to do.