April 27th, 2013 — 3:00pm
Poverty is a word that describes a condition, a set of circumstances, that people are in. Poverty exists in a system of factors including family relationships, government leaders, economic flows, personal mindsets, and individual choices. All of these are human, and the process of change in the systems affecting poverty is a process of human change. As such, I believe poverty alleviation and human development share a basis of fundamental ideas about human change.
Human change is possible at all ages.
Human change happens in a bumpy and unpredictable long-term process. It involves new awareness (thinking differently) and testing new choices (acting differently).
Human change happens through human interaction in groups and relationships.
It takes an holistic approach – single factor “silver bullets” tend to be overwhelmed by the inertia of the system.
Effectively influencing change in others depends on self-awareness, a humble desire to learn from others, and a great deal of listening to others. Attempts to force others to change through control or superiority are doomed to fail. Ample funding and correct ideas are not sufficient to bring about human change.
All of the above apply to poverty alleviation, because it is a process of human change.
Thanks to Andy Agaba, president of the poverty alleviation organization Hiinga for a great discussion contributing to this post.
April 8th, 2013 — 6:00am
Upon becoming aware of an extreme tendency on any personal attribute, some of us may feel compelled to change, to moderate ourselves to a more average position.
If you discover you are quite sensitive, you may desire to become tougher. If you discover you are insensitive, you may desire to become less tough.
If you discover you are a little ADD, you may desire to become more structured. If you discover you are a little OCD, you may desire to loosen up. The same can apply to drivenness vs relaxation, caution vs boldness, spontaneity vs stability, you name it.
Don’t beat yourself up about leaning one way or the other. Don’t strive to eliminate your extremes. Growth is not moving toward medium, normal, or average. It’s flexibility.
A football team with a tilt toward a strong running game doesn’t need to feel bad about running or start running less enthusiastically. They need to add the flexibility to pass well, then choose the play that fits the situation. They are best served when everything from the one-yard run to the hail mary pass is an available choice.
By comparison, having the flexibility to respond in an extremely sensitive way at some times, and an extremely tough way at other times makes a better leader than someone who can only do one or the other. The flexible leader beats both extremes and the middle.
You don’t need to abandon your extremes. You may want to expand your flexibility.
How? It’s a process of knowing and facing the fears you experience when you venture out of the part of the range that is most comfortable for you.
