NOT THINKING BIG ENOUGH; NEED FOR SUPERORDINATE GOAL

“Nothing is more difficult than to introduce a new order. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.” Noccolo Machiavelli

“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” Thomas Jefferson

CDR John Sammons has created a new strategic plan draft, including many strategic goals, which will be presented to the presidents for discussion and potential approval. There is reason for concern that this plan will be given only cursory examination and approved without much deliberate thought and debate. And that could be a serious mistake.

Frankly, the goals just might be the wrong ones. They might not be big enough, not bold enough. They just might not do anything more for the Council that the statement of purposes as presented in the current bylaws. This is a time for real vision.

Years ago President Kennedy set a goal to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade. The country had been caught up with its problems, some very significant, and Kennedy decided it would take something truly extraordinary to bring the country out of its difficulties.

Much about CAL-MOAA has been and is controversial, including reasons for existence, its purposes, and more specifically the return it provides the affiliated chapters. It is a time of difficulty. The Council’s future is uncertain.

There are those who suggest that if big audacious goals are set, the organization will be positioned to experience serendipity, that is make discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of. Are the goals outlined in the strategic plan draft too mundane, with potential to trap the organization and its people in a status quo situation?

Perhaps it would be smart to reject all the strategic plan draft goals and adopt a single superordinate goal, something to the equivalent of going to the moon, and continue the guidance of the bylaws listed Council purposes.

To be sure, we need at least one great big goal that will engage people, something we can truly get excited about, pursue something that will indeed make a difference. Perhaps it’s time for bold risks.

It’s not clear at this point what such a goal might be. This is a time for creativity. Wouldn’t it be something if a chapter president or other person would arrive in Sacramento with a carefully thought out goal which would get members everywhere excited about the potential to make a difference?

Once such a goal is identified, we should go for it with vigor. Chapter presidents and EXCOM members who stay true to what they know and what matters to them will often see things turn out better than they imagined.

Serendipity comes to those who do their homework and have the courage to do reality checks to determine whether or not they are still on course to achieve what actually matters about their goals.

As we approach Sacramento and the Council of Presidents annual meeting, and more specifically the discussions about the strategic plan and goals, we need to exercise real care. We need to put ourselves in a position where we will experience serendipity. By living our values as outlined in the bylaws and paying attention, we will be able to turn a steady stream of inevitable, unpredictable, and challenging events, in life and the Council, into good fortune.

Don’t make the mistake of approving the strategic plan goals before the matter gets a full and complete hearing.

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