Tips for 2012: Stick to the Facts, Be Nice, Work Well with Others
Tips for 2012: Stick to the Facts, Be Nice, Work Well with Others
by Wayne Weinberg, President of Leadership Seminole
December and January are the most wonderful times of the year -- December for the Christmas and holiday season and January because it provides us the time to press our individual “refresh” buttons and begin the new year with a renewed personal and professional outlook. Here are some quick thoughts for all of us as we welcome 2012.
A transformational moment will occur this year in Seminole County. A decision will be made that will affect the region and our county significantly and profoundly – the selection of the next superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools. This person will follow in the footsteps of Bill Vogel, who retires at the end of June. His performance has been consistently Hall of Fame caliber – tough shoes to fill for anyone. Couple that with the fact that his successor is likely to face a huge deficit, one in double-digit millions of dollars, that will affect our system for years to come and you can see why this decision is of enormous importance. I urge you to pay close attention to the process. A 26-member committee of education, government, business and community leaders will seek the new school leader, whom everyone hopes to have on board by the end of June. Pay attention to this process. Unlike some other appointments that grab media headlines for reasons more sensational than meaningful, this decision is vital to the continued forward motion of our county and our region.
Now, as our nation heads into what is shaping up to be a rancorous and brutally long election year, here are a few suggestions:
To our elected officials: Come on. You can do better. Borrowing from President Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg address, “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Serve for the people, not for the party.
To the political pundits and media -- you know, those of you who report on and judge the candidates via every media outlet imaginable, 24/7: In this era of real-time media, coverage is a blessing and a curse. It forces candidates to be at their very best all the time. That is not humanly possible, so make sure you “report” in context, please. While being at one’s best is an admirable goal and one our leaders should strive for, it simply is not possible for us to be at peak performance at our jobs, as parents or as friends all day every day. Imagine bloggers, Facebook posters, Twitterers and traditional media were all reporting on our day in real time. There would undoubtedly be an occasion or two, innocent as it may be, that we’d prefer to keep “in-house” and not broadcast to the world. And to you social media users, bloggers and even traditional media: please separate fiction from fact before you send or report.
To the candidates: Please campaign on the facts. Stay with the facts. Take the high road. Be a statesman or stateswoman, not a politician. And please stop already with the flip-flopping. It’s getting tiresome and it’s too predictable. Here’s a thought – take a position and stick to it. If you really believe in something, believe in it -- even if it means walking away from the likes of a Jack Abramoff lobbyist or, heaven forbid, walking across the aisle. If you all spent as much time actually getting something done as you do campaigning and engaging in partisan bickering, maybe this economy would start turning a bit faster.
While I am at it: Nice try Occupy folks. It is your right to protest. But you are lousy at it. Check out the ways and methods of the protestors of the ’60s. They had great messaging and were masters at attracting media and legislative attention. Study and learn from them. Maybe hire a couple of them as consultants.
For all of us: Return to civility. The disgraceful Jersey Shores, Bridezilla and similar behavior is not the norm. Neither is screaming or acting mean at public meetings and Little League games. And you road rage drivers too -- be nice.
I feel refreshed now. How about you?
