To Conceive a Vision

Before returning to Canada, I visited the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates located on the Persian Gulf. I had often overnighted in this city on my way to other destinations but this time my flight connections were several days apart, allowing me to explore life beyond the window of my hotel room.

I was amazed by the growth in Dubai. The master minds behind this city's architectural prowess, the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), and the growing tourism industry have worked in harmony to produce one of the world’s fastest growing cities. Emerging as a municipality that thinks like a nation and a monument that belongs to the world, the city of Dubai features more than 120 nationalities (1 in 4 being a national resident) and holds between 15% and 25% of the world’s cranes. Imagine achieving a vision with such diversification and prosperity.

In very little time I found myself secretly deliberating the power of a vision. I remembered a dear friend of mine from the US telling me repeatedly: “Conceive, believe and you will achieve.” To work, a good vision should be born from ideas that will facilitate belief and achievement – namely, a mixture of these principal ingredients:

• A tabula rasa that minces preconceived notions, groupthink, quid pro quos and conflicts to a pulp;
• A seductive courage where ideas are allowed to escape from comfort zones while barriers are reduced to dust;
• A level of engagement and commitment that bounds the unlikely, releases the detached and celebrates the heroes;
• A learning gateway that sparks dialogue, channels thought and opens the mind to new possibilities.

Photo 1: Wooden boat sitting at a pier in downtown Dubai, UAE, May 21, 2007.

A Simple Climb

Leaders responsible for the management of a civil service reform must bring about the ideal combination of makeup, order and pace of change to create a confidence level that will lead to desired results. Taking the time to build the stamina for change and reduce the amount of effort required to make the change is critical to a successful reform. I was again reminded of this while in Bali, Indonesia. Here is my story.

Early last Wednesday I climbed Mount Batur on the island of Bali, a volcano still smoldering at its peak, with pools of hot water and dangerous crevices. The trek uphill began at 3:00 am, synchronizing arrival time to the top with the onset of the day’s sunrise. A successful climb at a good steady pace takes a little more than an hour and a half. The climb requires a good grip on rocks and branches to move upward; a steady foothold on volcanic ashes and pebbles to prevent a backward drop and a watchful eye on the faint glimmer of light spewing from the small flashlight that guides the path.

Midway up the hill and to my astonishment, a shadow glided its way passed us. It was crowned by a tall woven basket, assisted by a long walking stick and followed by the clacking sound of flip flop sandals. I could feel my jaw drop on the volcanic floor of that mountain. Squinting across the darkness I recognized the figure of a woman. Here I was with the latest design in hiking boots and sportswear featuring waterproof breathable fabric with glow in the dark designs, carrying bottled springwater and panting like my dog in the middle of a thunderstorm, while with the simplest attire, this elegant Balinese woman had achieved a level of efficacy that left me motionless. I watched in complete admiration as the darkness melted her away.

When we arrived at the small cabin at the top of Mount Batur the Balinese woman had emptied her basket of cold drinks, eggs, bread and the like, had started a fire, made the coffee and was ready to greet her guests, as she did every day. I had sweat at my brow, a growling stomach, a face flushed from the strain and legs that were muttering unfamiliar crackles at the joints. Having reached a superbly tailored level of fitness she had teased her climb to a fine art; mastered the walking stick so as to relieve the pressure on her legs and balance her body weight; and developed an enchanting stride that connected with Mount Batur in a way that made it difficult to discern the lady from the mountain.

There are parallels between this experience and civil service reforms from which two important messages emerge:

1. Practice not only makes perfect but it also makes it easier.
2. Simplicity breeds great achievements.

Transforming years of standards, values, customs, routines and conventions into something new that produces high performing practices is a great challenge that governments undertake continuously. Consciously building capacity to reduce the amount of effort required to make the next change should be a built in requirement to any reform. Leaders should strive to simplify change and build stamina for future changes - at every opportunity.

Photo 1: View from Mnt Batur Volcano at sunrise 1,717 metres above sea level
Photo 2: Our Host: The Balinese Woman

A Tribute to Asians

The month of May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. It provides an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of Asian Canadians.

This entry is to acknowledge the cultural contributions of these people while sitting in front of my lap top in a quaint little restaurant overlooking the Badung Straight. Marveling at the shaded Penida Island anchoring the horizon I can see why the Balinese strongly believe in magic and the power of spirits. Their culture has grown from a mixture of long standing traditions, Hinduism, the Dutch who colonised the island and the development and modernization that has taken place since Indonesia’s independence in 1949.

Having been here only two days, I can hardly give the region the amount of descriptive admiration it deserves. Even so, I was fortunate enough to meet three young boys playing near a beach bordering the village of Candidasa, whose exuberance for the art of kite flying carried a glow that skated all the way to Canada – and captured quite well what words could never achieve.

Happy Asian Heritage Month!

Photo: Candidasa Beach, May 14, 2007

Mindful Resourcing

Resourcing is a fascinating concept.

Having enough of what is needed to do something is critical to achieving goals- whether it be a government goal or your own. All resources are consumable given sufficient time. Resource consumption could be charted as demonstrated here. To chart the y axis at 0 and the x axis at 0 = inactivity.

Some resources are renewable while others are not. It depends on the properties making up the resource and the way resources are managed by people and the environment. What is renewable may not necessarily resurface in the same form and what is none renewable is often the target of innovation – probably more out of necessity than economy.

The management of resources is critical to our ability to bring longevity and prosperity to this world. Here are a few suggestions on how we can contribute to this management:

CODE is a Canadian charitable organization that has been promoting education and literacy in the developing world for more than 40 years. It provides a handbook with both policy and practical information for donors and recipients of book donation projects. It is intended as an educational and training tool for those interested in such endeavour.

Ottawa Area Grandmother Group created from the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign is having Spring Garden Tour and Plant Sale Saturday May 12, 2007 between 1:00 and 4:00 at 25 Inuvik Cr., Kanata to raise funds for African grandmothers raising grandchildren who have lost their parents to AIDS.

Sole Responsibility is a non-profit organization formed by a group of runners in Ottawa who want to donate gently used running and walking shoes of all shapes and sizes overseas to refugees in Africa. From now until May 31, bring your running or walking shoes and a twoonie (for shipping costs) to the following drop off sites in Ottawa:
All Bridgehead Coffeehouses Bushtukah -203 Richmond Road
Mountain Equipment Co-op - 366 Richmond Road
CBC Building – 181 Queen Street
Motionware – Hazendean Mall