Bad monkey! No banana!For a so called 'accountability project' I haven't seen much word of any projects, let alone accountability' in 15+ days...and I blame all of you!
So without further ado, I want to formally introduce ad idea I've been working on for a bit; a sub-architecture within the accountability project to make it work better. An idea that will empower all of our future ideas/projects and give them a better fighting chance of survival.
Amongst our contributors (and I can think of at least a few more that should be immediately added) we've got a lot of skills and a lot of intelligence. I think it's high time that we start utilizing the power of collaboration to support our friends and to support ourselves.
It's one thing to write (and a good thing) to write about accountability, but true accountability comes through action, responsibility, and framework. Accountability is destined to require structure to utilize it's power to the fullest.
What I propose is a scheduled, regular meeting of said contributors to the accountability project. A specific time and place to present our ideas, our hurdles, our motivations - and get feedback on it. Once a week, or once every two weeks, we will get together working in an environment free from distraction and we take our ideas and projects seriously.
We all have ideas, some of which may already have evolved into projects. Any evolving idea or project, however, needs momentum to work. Every snowman starts as a snowball and no matter how perfect of flawed that snowball is, it can be shaped into something bigger and better. I'm pretty sure all of us here aren't particularly interested in making a collection of miniature snowmen or boxes of nicely started snowballs. If you ever hope to make big snowmen, you're going to have to work your ass of and keep pushing the snowball. It would sure help though if you were working on a downhill slope. And that's, metaphorically speaking, what I think such a meeting can do.It would easy to approach this concept with a casual glance. It would be fun, and it would work - once or twice. But that's not good enough. That's why it needs to be a regular occurance, and there needs to a fixed structure to how we present and critique our fellow ideas and projects.
There should be formal attire - like a business meeting. Because we're in the business of assuring that our goals are successfully met. Formality indicates maturity and responsibility - it sets the frame of mind. I take my life's pursuits very seriously as well as all of yours.
busi·ness [biz-nis]
nɪs| 3. | a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern. |
Imagine a place where you have to describe what you're working on, what you're having trouble with, and where you're going...to your closest peers. That's self-accountability. Now imagine you can get constructive (and maybe not so constructive) feedback on what you're doing. A fresh pair of eyes and ears to lead you in the right direction and make sure you're still headed downhill.
With some of leaving, some of us already left, and surely more to leave in due time, the time is more than ripe to put something into place that will function wherever we may end up. We are the age of technology. No need to let a few thousand miles get in the way of getting stuff done.
I've got plenty more specifics in mind, but I'd like to hear from allz' yall.
6 comments:
I was about to congratulate Andy for using pictures, then I saw the tagline. Nevermind. :)
I liked your idea a couple weeks ago when you mentioned it and I still like it now. More specific critiques and comments I don't have for you yet until the idea is fleshed out.. but.. yes! I have a feeling that we can all be co-conspirators for each other in our various plans.
Yes. I suggest we also leave our egos and intoxicants at home.
A structure that constructively guides the discussion that will also encourage riffing on ideas that crop up during sessions. I think it would be a good idea to have a standard way of recording these ideas that facilitates coming back to them later.
Perhaps guided by a finely crafted and well honed directive. A mission statement, if you will. Nike has "Just Do It," BMW "The Ultimate Driving Machine." Mission statements and slogans in one.
Perhaps, "First we discuss, THEN we drink beer." A good start for sure, but its missing something...
And coffee. Need lots of coffee.
I agree that we need a mechanism (or several) to push things forward for all participants, and scheduled meetings might help. I'm also with Stephen in that it is hard to encourage and push forward ideas until they are at least loosely formed. Still, what better way to sort through them than to sit down and throw them about! I think it pays, too, to make this meeting something separate from our usual merry-making, lest the merry get in the way of the making... An inaugural meeting? This weekend, perhaps?
I think the idea of setting aside a time and dedicated place for such idea building is imperative to maintaining focus and minimizing distraction...This weekend sounds like a good time to kick things off to me. The first meeting would be a good place to sort out and brainstorm how to structure it and what we all want to get out of it...and as for nick's comment...a simple digital sound recorder would be most beneficial - I could probably borrow my parents until I can find something of my own...then the audio clips can be posted for reference here (with password protection)
This weekend works for me.
And yes, I agree, a voice recorder sounds like a good record keeping device.. we may all keep notes of different sorts but I doubt anyone wants to be secretary.
I wish I could have been there guys. I could really use your support, your wit and dry humor. =) I'll start posting here as well, so that you feel involved in my life, and I feel involved in yours. Maybe I could teleconference? =)
Post a Comment