I can't move away from my TV.

I have a kidhood friend on his way to Japan.  He's a nuclear physicist at MIT.  I am compelled to watch the evolving tragedy on CNN.  I am compelled to learn everything I can about rod containment systems.  And I am compelled to watch, to look, to stare to see if I see Alan's plane flying across the TV screen.


Ridiculous.  This is my shock showing.  My personal nuclear 'meltdown.'  I wish it were me doing the heroics of flying into the irradiated, formerly beautiful seaport of our allies.  In my powerlessness, I instead sit and stare.  I am amazed at the stalwartness of the Japanese people.  Where is the emotional chaos?  The looting of what's left?  The neighbor-turning-against-neighbor of the Darwinian America?

Many have nothing, and have lost home, friends, and family.  Stunned living legacies of lives that were formerly great-- but have become even greater in my eye.

I turn a selfish eye inward and wonder how I would behave in these circumstances if I were one who survived.  I would never, could never, have such grace and dignity.  Such resilience.

And I am ashamed at the riots that would take place after the U-M/MSU football games.

Gas crisis for non-profits

This is the most regressive situation for people who are poor and for organizations marginally on the fringe.  Senior meals-on-wheels is rigidly grant-funded.  They can't sustain services at these high gas price levels.  Neither can the volunteers who commit themselves to driving cancer patients to chemotherapy every day.  Food deliveries to food banks will slow and become less frequent-- reducing choice and availability for low income people.  For those who do have cars, they will become more isolated as social traveling becomes restricted and more optional.  All of us will feel the effects of the increased price of consumables at the supermarket.

The "knee-jerk" reaction to raise prices because of Libya (despite the absence of evidence to indicate that the U.S. supply is realistically affected...) is causing knee-jerk organizational management strategis for thousand of non-profit administrators as they limit staff travel, limit services they provide... and ultimatly control and limit the lives of people who don't have many choices to begin with.

Egypt.

What an example of how community organizing has changed.  Social workers first forged the field, but with technology today, the ability to organize neighborhoods, communities... whole populations is accessible to anybody.  The uprising in Egypt was started by a single Tweet.  And then spread in an amazing way through various social networking tools.  Social workers are taught a very manual way of organizing.  Still.  As teachers of organizing, we need to know the most effective ways of getting our message powerfully and rapidly across.  No longer is it organizing blocks of people through canvassing and leafletting neighborhoods.  That may be the history, the tradition-- but it no longer moves the mass of people that we need it to.  This is a pretty radical curriculum change-- but all of us who teach organizing need to update our methods.  To not do this, is to do a great disservice and absolute INJUSTICE to the very social justice causes we hope to impact.  Blog, anybody?  You're now using one of the most effective communication tools available to the public.  I encourage you to keep your voice loud and proud.  If you have something to say, say it.  People will listen.

vmudgett: A little about me

vmudgett: A little about me: "My name is Vivien Mudgett. This class starts my last year in my MSN program. I am an RN and have a Bachelor's in Health Sciences and a Maste..."

You are a very welcome addition to this class... and your blog site is fabulous! So much for this 'second career' stuff. YOU GO, GIRL!

The human nature of bureacracy.

The difference between non-profits, public organizations, and NGO's is more than their collective administrative and managerial structure.

The difference is power.  Who has it, how they got it... and who doesn't have it.  "Power" in all these organizations is attributable to two factors: 1) human capacity, and 2) revenue stream.

Volunteers, who are uncompensable in nonprofit organizations have a tremendous amount of power.  Whether they're a Board member for a large, national nonprofit, or a grassroots, lower-level volunteer at a senior center-- people listen.  Salaried people.  Regulatory bodies.  Licensing agents.  The opinions of volunteers are sought out by all these entities for the volunteers' perspectives on organizational operations, marketing and messaging, and consumer services.

It seems that there is a disproportionately inverse relationship between organizational structure and function, as far as power goes.  The often casual nature of an organization's volunteer structure belies its relative strength of power.  Why is there such a linear staffing structure, defined by rules, regulations, policies, and procedures--when volunteers are often assembled into a non-descript pool of labeled people with few rules and fewer policies?  Yet they wield more power as a leadership entity than the most highly organized and paid staff?

This is only one reason why I'm such a big fan of Job Descriptions for all volunteers, complete with some measures of accountability and performance monitoring and management.  Volunteers-- even very powerful ones-- sometimes need to be 'fired.'  Unless we take their roles seriously, acknowledge the tremendous power they have (especially in community relations), and put measures of responsibility and accountability in place... it doesn't matter what 'type' of organization you have.  Powerful people will be left to run amok, and this is the last thing a responsible nonprofit leader needs or wants.

First Class reflection

I was seriously nervous about introducing the concept of Blogging as a course management/assignment paradigm!  Thanks to all of you for fighting through the nerves and getting used to communicating this way.  This is my second post... it only took me 20 minutes how to figure out how to do it... and I can tell already that I'm going to like this!  I built my profile, too.  I am filled with a great sense of satisfaction that I am figuring out how to operate in this environment.  I look forward to sharing my thoughts and perspectives on management with you.-- Barb

Welcome SWRK 6690 Students!

This is the vehicle we'll be using to share information... our thoughts... and respond to others' writings!