When angry, pause

How much more harmful are the consequences of anger and grief than the circumstances that aroused them in us!

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.18.8

A child spills milk and a parent barks a nasty comment that will resonate for years.

An employee generously offers constructive feedback to a boss, who then chooses to retaliate.

A citizen is suspected of using counterfeit money to buy cigarettes and is killed by the arresting officer.

What we need is to exercise our ability to pause. Here is how Dov Seidman puts it: “One of the simplest and most powerful tools we have as individuals is the ability to pause. Think about it. When you press pause on a machine, it stops. When we pause as humans, we begin. Pausing creates a space where one can see clearly, differentiate amongst the competing stimuli of daily life, and make determinations about how to best move forward.”

And the best way forward is not to create harm but to create a better world (tikkun olam). Today and every day, let’s recognize what ignites anger in us, let us pause, and let us begin to repair the world.

The beauty of ugly answers

According to the US Census Bureau, Blacks account for 13.4% of the population in my country, 12.0% in my state, and 36.9% in my state capital.

In my home town, it’s 0.8%.

How did I get to live here? Why did I not know these figures until now? Why has this never been a topic of discussion with my relatives, friends and colleagues?

Because I’m White, privileged, and part of a society plagued with institutional racism. I am just starting to understand this now, at age 51. I am ashamed, embarrassed, and feeling guilty. I am also determined to learn how to see what has been invisible to me, to listen to the unheard voices, and to do what I can to right wrongs.

In this we can all be leaders. We can all educate ourselves. We can all ask the difficult questions and truly listen to the ugly answers. For only these ugly answers can illuminate the path forward.

Fight the injustice, not the protest

Colin Kaepernick heard, saw and felt an injustice.

He chose to protest peacefully. His protest led to a debate within his team, within the NFL and eventually around the world. It also led to the loss of his job.

On Friday the NFL admitted that they were wrong by not encouraging peaceful protests by their players. Some say that it is too little and too late. I disagree. It might be too late for Kaepernick but it is not for the hundreds of current Black players, the thousands to come, and the millions of Black fans. When the President of the United States still, to this day, believes that what Kaepernick (and other players) did was wrong, we need all the voices we can gather in opposition.

To be clear, I am not arguing in favor of kneeling during the national anthem. I am arguing in favor of peaceful protest against racism. And if kneeling during the national anthem is the necessary protest, then I’m in favor of that.

It is heartbreaking to see so many people less offended by the brutal killing of a Black man than they are by a Black man gently kneeling.

If one is shocked by kneeling in protest of police brutality, one has a choice: work to end police brutality or decry kneeling.

Isn’t the choice clear?

Had we all made the right choice in 2016 when Kaepernick first took a knee, perhaps George Floyd would be alive today.

Let us learn about racism. Let us learn about white privilege. Let us take action. Let us stop the killings.

Ten Cent Beer Night

Yesterday marked the 46th anniversary of Ten Cent Beer Night.

On that night, in an effort to draw more spectators to the game, the Cleveland Indians deeply discounted the beer sold at the stadium from 65 cents to 10 cents. Fans were limited to 6 beers per purchase but with no limit on number of purchases.

Not surprisingly, the crowd quickly became intoxicated and unruly. During the 9th inning, a riot erupted and forced the Indians to forfeit the game.

No matter how well crafted your incentive program is, it will never give you only the results you were seeking. There will also be unintended or undesirable consequences.

Your role as a leader is to see beyond the obvious.

We are all responsible

I have a saved search in Google for “chief culture officer”, which I visit daily.

In the last few days, the top results are not about a new CCO being appointed at some random company. The top results are about chiefs of police making statements about the police culture – what it is and what it should be.

I’ve seen a few articles asking if police brutality against Black men is a systemic problem or the result of bad apples. When something happens over and over again, it’s not because of bad apples. It’s a systemic problem.

The question is: of what system?

The system of a specific police district? The entire US police force? Or perhaps it is the entire US population. After all, that’s where police officers come from.

Let’s compare Buffalo, NY and Orlando, FL. Between 2013 and 2016, both had about 250,000 residents. About half of the residents were people of color. Buffalo’s violent crime rate was 33% higher than Orlando’s. However, Buffalo’s police did not kill anyone during those years, while Orlando’s force killed 13 people.

This image is from the website “Mapping Police Violence”. Click on the image to be directed in a separate tab.

Racism is systemic. It is in every society. It finds its way into every organization. But some organizations are better at fighting it than others. It often boils down to leadership and their expectations. The police officer who killed George Floyd by calmly kneeling on his neck for 9 minutes while being recorded on video looked confident that he was going to get away with it.

What we need is a united front at every systemic level. We need police chiefs everywhere to stand up. We need the National Association of Police Organizations to speak up. We need our President to promote unity and abandon divisiveness.

We each need to renounce and denounce racism.

Our kids are watching and learning.

Don’t get on that scale

Several companies (like this one) are being sued for selling COVID-19 “at-home” tests or “virucides” that can’t deliver on their promises (or aren’t delivered at all). This type of behavior happens with every crisis. And every time, our conscience is shocked by those willing to prey on the scared and vulnerable.

Somehow, our conscience is not as troubled when someone similarly takes from the rich and powerful. Even less so when the goal is to give to the poor and helpless.

If we continue down that scale, we get to most of us. We work for reputable companies, making good products and charging fair prices. And then, one day at quarter-end, we risk missing our numbers (and our bonus), so we decide to ship the lot without inspecting all the parts as required. Perhaps nothing will happen. Perhaps no one will know.

But you will know. And it will gnaw at your conscience for a very long time. Long enough that you’ll wish you didn’t find yourself anywhere on that sliding scale.

Acting on empathy

Empathy without action risks reinforcing the status quo

Jacqueline Novogratz, in Manifesto for a Moral Revolution

Our employees have struggles, hopes and dreams. So do our customers, suppliers and the communities where we do business.

If we put profit at the center of what we do, there is little room for human connections. It’s only when we bring people at the center that we truly thrive.

Today, let empathy guide you to a specific action – and take it.

Triple bottom line

People, planet and profit, otherwise known as the triple bottom line.

Think of the leadership messages in your company before the pandemic. What percentages were devoted to people, planet and profit?

And now?

In most companies, there’s been a significant shift. And not just in percentages but also in sincerity.

Here’s to hoping that when the pandemic fades, our caring for others doesn’t.

Time to spice things up

We are out of oregano at my house. So are the local grocery stores. This has forced us to try new spices and discover new flavors. A lack of oregano has literally added spice to our life.

My company doesn’t allow any in-person meetings right now. This has forced us to try video calls and discover its benefits. Because of Teams and WebEx and Zoom, teams will work better going forward.

And so it goes for everything else, including our E&C programs. The types of training and communications and audits that we long thought unworthy – are they really?

We won’t get another disruption like this any time soon. It’s our chance to look at everything with new eyes.