Nice March! So?
“The word is about, there’s something evolving,
Whatever may come, the world keeps revolving…
They say the next big thing is here,
That the revolution’s near,
But to me it seems quite clear
That it’s all just a little bit of history repeating.”
“History Repeating”
by Miss Shirley Bassey & the Propeller Heads
Album: DecksandDrumsandRockandRoll
1997
Watching reports of the Women’s March on Washington, I experienced an eerie moment of Déjà vu. The pictures seemed so familiar. Then, it clicked. This was just a little bit of History —repeating.
In 1970, they called that historic march “the Women’s Strike.” It was an uproarious time. People were taking to the streets to register upsets about race, war, women, drugs, police, the economy. Everyone had issues. The Temptations described it correctly in their hit, “Ball of Confusion!”
So, given the obvious levels of national concern, why, in fifty years, haven’t we witnessed more significant changes? We’re still at war, women are still hoping for equal pay, black people are still facing discrimination and feeling unsafe. Well, because even though Expressing Your Upset is an accomplishment, it’s only the beginning. The thing is, big public changes don’t happen just because people speak out.
Change begins with the big public gesture. But there has to be a Leadership Team that understands that meaningful outcomes at a national (or global) level are the result not of a single march or even many marches, but of a sustained commitment to point out specifically what’s wrong, what needs to change, how, facilitated by whom and by when. (Then you begin repeating yourself, until the ice melts and the change sets in.) That kind of message never is, and cannot be transmitted exclusively through a public event. There are a million deserving problems! Only the ones that get pointed out, and followed up with an unremitting commitment, will actually be even partially resolved.
It’s all about Next Steps! What is the desired result of a presentation, a major speech, or… yes, a March? What do you want the public and elected officials to do, after the march is over? What are the next steps toward the desired end-result of major social or political change? We have a tool for that. It’s a thinking process called “Ready, Set, Go!®” Really! It works in a meeting. It works in a classroom. It also works for making a March on the Mall the beginning of something that brings about real change. Start by establishing the Next Step.
Nice march! So… Now… What?
Applications
1. For You
Maybe you’re really concerned about the lack of adequate treatment for a medical condition in your community. So, organize a fund raiser. Then make sure the people who get the money are actually honest and doing something real. Then go back and put the organization in place, with the ongoing awareness campaign. More to it than a single Bake Off.
2. For the Family
When the kids run for Class President, there’s a learning curve. A couple of signs are OK, but it’s lots of signs, lots of handshakes, lots of hand bills, unending negotiation and connection building. Each of those meetings and connections benefit from their own basic “Ready, Set, Go!” analysis of the desired outcome, the particular listener’s perspective, and the memorable and simple message which might be remembered and acted upon.
3. For the Office
Want the company to line up behind you and take up a new strategy? You already have the tools. But the amount of intention, desire and sweat required to get everybody aware of your plan and able to pass it on — that’s the deciding factor. If you generate the heat, maintain the focus and carry on past the finish line, you may have what it takes to lead. It takes “One Story! Many Voices!®” Show us!
Nice March you guys! Really!
So! Now… What?
Dessert:
“History Repeating“
The Propeller Heads with Ms. Shirley Bassey
DecksandDrumsandRockandRoll
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