One of my team stopped me in the hallway several days ago. There was a crisis. (Isn't there always?) We ran through the options, and as we talked we began to get to the root of the problem. We found that with a little problem solving not only could we resolve the current crisis, we could solve the problem that caused it, thereby preventing a future reoccurrence. At the end of the conversation, I shared this thought: Let’s avoid panic solving and instead let's focus on problem solving. For whatever reason, those words seemed to resonate and left my associate feeling better about how to approach the next apparent crisis.
I just had a wonderful week presenting at, and attending, the Community Action Partnership annual conference in San Francisco. During the conference I had the opportunity to connect with many folks I have gotten to know over the years, as well as meet some new people. In all cases, I was impressed with the optimism, leadership, and desire of the organizations to seek creative ways to continue serving their communities. Frankly, I came to the conference expecting more panic and a crisis atmosphere. Instead, I heard community action has a mission, is smart, and will figure this out. Community Action's future may not look the same as its past. It will, however, continue to serve and develop.
One organization, I think, summed it up best: Community action is an investment conduit to help people in the community. We need to keep convincing our communities that investing in community action will pay back in a stronger, more productive community. Community action will find ways to support the programs our communities need, and we will demonstrate the positive results an investment provides. This will lead to even stronger communities.
No panic solving here. There is a whole lot of problem solving. Maybe, in the midst of all the fiscal uncertainty with community action, there is a hint of moving past the crisis. Maybe there is some strategic thinking going on about the future and possibilities for successful results. Organizations that do this will not only survive, they will thrive (and their communities will too).
Have you started problem solving? Please share in the comments what you are doing.