It used to be viewed as good when one kept his/her "nose to the grindstone". Singular, fixed focus on a task until it was completed as planned was a good thing. This is the approach used in old school project management where meeting the triple constraint (schedule, budget, specs) was THE criterion for success.
But that is not the case anymore so I find myself saying the old baseball mantra instead: "Keep your eye on the ball". This is because the pace of work constantly varies (fastballs, change-ups) and projects are frequently throwing us curveballs (changes in state of the art, strategy alterations, new challenges from competitors, etc.).
And heaven knows we encounter our share of screwballs too.
So while we still need to make thorough plans, we also must be ready to react and adapt. If we prepare for contingencies properly and do keep our eyes on the ball maybe we'll hit one out of the park now and then.
...and don't even get me started about all that requires our attention before we step into the batter's box (game situation, positioning of fielders, signs from our coaches, etc., etc.)
If our noses are to the grindstone we'll miss everything else going on around us, and that's no longer viewed as ok.
ejt
NPManagement.org
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
This has been known for a long time but...
A lot of non-profits have people who are in high burnout positions. We've known for quite a while that people like social workers historically have suffered high rates of burnout. We've been aware that this is the case for work in which there is high pressure, little in the way of tangible rewards, and difficulty finding unambiguous successes.
What we have not heard a lot about is how having a sense of purpose and accomplishment help the organization's bottom line. An article at the Harvard Business Review Blog Network by Susan David adds to the old discussion about the importance of people seeing how their work fits into the big picture, and how the satisfaction of being appreciated for completing work bears far-reaching fruit. The article is entitled "Is Busyness Bad for Business?".
Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/8c4ybsh
ejt
NPManagement.org
What we have not heard a lot about is how having a sense of purpose and accomplishment help the organization's bottom line. An article at the Harvard Business Review Blog Network by Susan David adds to the old discussion about the importance of people seeing how their work fits into the big picture, and how the satisfaction of being appreciated for completing work bears far-reaching fruit. The article is entitled "Is Busyness Bad for Business?".
Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/8c4ybsh
ejt
NPManagement.org
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Considering Diversification?
Large for-profit conglomerates have used diversification as a means of flexing their capitalization muscle and hedging against risk for a long time. Over the past few years this has been seen in large to moderately sized nonprofits too, at least partially in response to seismic shifts in funding streams. Sometimes these stream shifts have been as earth shaking as those created in the New Madrid earthquake that made the Mississippi River flow backwards, and it became easy to find bargains available for acquisition. Other times it just seemed to be the best prospect for short term survival.
However, the risks of mergers and acquisitions can often outweigh the potential benefits, especially if they are being done in order to diversify. This is because diversification, while it does moderate risk by spreading & diluting it, also dilutes the potential for earnings even more. A brief but solid article about the issue can be found in a McKinsey Quarterly white paper here:
https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Corporate_Finance/M_A/Testing_the_limits_of_diversification_2924
NPManagement.org has an article in the pipeline that will expand on the implications of these factors in the not-for-profit arena, which will provide some examples. But for now, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Are we considering the merger/acquisition because we are the best people to run the new business?
Will we be able to integrate the businesses, or will they cause us to disintegrate?
Have we been creating synergy in our own business already? If not, what makes us think we’ll be able to do so in the new, combined business?
Although NPManagement.org is technically on its summer hiatus, stay tuned because the article on this topic should be delivered soon.
ejt
NPManagement.org
However, the risks of mergers and acquisitions can often outweigh the potential benefits, especially if they are being done in order to diversify. This is because diversification, while it does moderate risk by spreading & diluting it, also dilutes the potential for earnings even more. A brief but solid article about the issue can be found in a McKinsey Quarterly white paper here:
https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Corporate_Finance/M_A/Testing_the_limits_of_diversification_2924
NPManagement.org has an article in the pipeline that will expand on the implications of these factors in the not-for-profit arena, which will provide some examples. But for now, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Are we considering the merger/acquisition because we are the best people to run the new business?
Will we be able to integrate the businesses, or will they cause us to disintegrate?
Have we been creating synergy in our own business already? If not, what makes us think we’ll be able to do so in the new, combined business?
Although NPManagement.org is technically on its summer hiatus, stay tuned because the article on this topic should be delivered soon.
ejt
NPManagement.org
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
A good article about keeping employees engaged hit my inbox this morning. It was provided by Accenture and cites research showing (not surprisingly) that engaged workers tend to perform much better than their disengaged counterparts. The article makes the point that workers in nonprofits tend to stay with their organizations even if they are not well engaged with the nonprofit's leadership because they ARE engaged with the organization's stated mission.
So how, one might ask, do people who are engaged with the mission become disengaged from the entities' leadership? The article lists elements that are important in increasing engagement and the central theme is the creation of a culture of trust and respect. So if an organization's leaders belittle employees, treat them like things rather then human beings, or their actions do not routinely appear consistent with what is ostensibly the company's reason for existence, a chasm will form. The article is good reading and can be found here: http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-increasing-employee-engagement-nonprofit-sector-summary.aspx?c=glb_acnemalert_10000216&n=emc_0612
ejt
NPManagement.org
So how, one might ask, do people who are engaged with the mission become disengaged from the entities' leadership? The article lists elements that are important in increasing engagement and the central theme is the creation of a culture of trust and respect. So if an organization's leaders belittle employees, treat them like things rather then human beings, or their actions do not routinely appear consistent with what is ostensibly the company's reason for existence, a chasm will form. The article is good reading and can be found here: http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-increasing-employee-engagement-nonprofit-sector-summary.aspx?c=glb_acnemalert_10000216&n=emc_0612
ejt
NPManagement.org
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Ethics in Nonprofits
While in the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) web site the other day I decided to pump the term “nonprofit organizations” into its search box. One of the articles listed in the results was from 1998. Heck, I didn’t realize PMI was carrying articles about nonprofits way back then.
Specifically, the piece, entitled “The Ethics Audit for Nonprofit Organizations”, was written by Schaefer & Zaller and was in the April 1998 edition of PM Network – which is one of PMI’s publications. Here’s a quote:
“…if its actions and motives seem to send a different message than its core values would suggest, it begins to sink into ethical chaos and lose its credibility.”
The article focuses on conducting ethics audits so divergence from stated core values can be detected quickly enough to do something about it.
However, as in many types of situations, the thing we need to do is hardest when we need to do it the most. Or, stated another way, we tend to go back to old patterns under stress. This is true whether you’re trying to quit smoking, to change the way you handle anger, or any of a million other things.
This was an issue I helped people deal with daily early in my career when I was a group therapist. Folks who were trying to kick habits such as destructive thinking or behavior patterns were most likely to revert back to them when they were stressed. Let’s face it – when pressure is high we go with what we know.
The interesting thing is this is true of organizations too. They might try to improve themselves, but when the needle on the pressure gauge jumps they go back to the coziness of the familiar – whether it’s the right thing to do or not.
So if nonprofits had an issue with ethics in 1998 when the economy was a lot healthier than it has been since the crash of 2008, how likely are these organizations to be able to increase ethical behavior now? In fact, the things I’ve seen would appear to indicate they are thinking only of survival – at any cost. And yes, that means ethical behavior takes a back seat.
Here’s something to think about: If you need to short-change your nonprofit organization’s core values in order for it to continue, should that organization still exist?
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Introducing Lean. What could go wrong? Right?
An article went up on NPManagement.org today about implementing Lean, preventing employees' assumption it will cause layoffs, and doing this by getting rid of excess people before the roll-out of Lean approaches.
The problem? How do we know who is "excess" until we're far enough into Lean to understand what our value streams are? And how do we determine our value streams if we've laid off people who have the information we need in order to figure things out?
And what, pray tell, might internal corporate politics do to this whole process?
You can read about it here in the article "Lean Implementation + Politics = ?"
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
The problem? How do we know who is "excess" until we're far enough into Lean to understand what our value streams are? And how do we determine our value streams if we've laid off people who have the information we need in order to figure things out?
And what, pray tell, might internal corporate politics do to this whole process?
You can read about it here in the article "Lean Implementation + Politics = ?"
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
Monday, March 19, 2012
New article about planning on NPManagement.org
There is a new article on NPManagement.org located here. In this piece, we take a look at reasons sometimes given for not planning projects, and the reasons for having sound planning processes.
As more and more non-profits find project approaches being used outside of their IT departments (where they have probably been common for some time), managers are searching for information about when and how much to use Project Management tools and techniques. This article provides some general guidance on that topic.
Hope you find it useful,
ejt
NPManagement.org
As more and more non-profits find project approaches being used outside of their IT departments (where they have probably been common for some time), managers are searching for information about when and how much to use Project Management tools and techniques. This article provides some general guidance on that topic.
Hope you find it useful,
ejt
NPManagement.org
Friday, November 18, 2011
That's the problem with Project Management
Today an executive in a nonprofit again told me about "the problem with Project Management". This time "the problem" was defined as the requirement to meet stated goals within budget and on time.
Huh? Being required to bring things in within budget, on time, and up to spec is a problem?
Well, no. Further discussion of the project in question revealed the biggest problem was the requirement to meet totally unrealistic budgets and irrational schedules. That is not a problem with Project Management. In fact, the problem arose because Project Managers were largely left out of the development of the schedule and budgetary baselines. Even more importantly, basic Project Management approaches were ignored. Stakeholder assessments were not performed. Neither were risk assessments. And estimations from previous projects that were shown to be inaccurate during their previous implementations were applied almost verbatim to the project being discussed today. So when stakeholders engaged in sabotage of the project, risks came to fruition and there were no contingency plans, and the budget & schedule were shown to be unrealistic to the point of being irrelevant, people were surprised?!
Only well performed estimates can be utilized if one desires cost and schedule baselines that are anywhere near accurate. This is not a problem with Project Management. It is a problem for those who choose to mis-apply Project Management tools and techniques.
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
Huh? Being required to bring things in within budget, on time, and up to spec is a problem?
Well, no. Further discussion of the project in question revealed the biggest problem was the requirement to meet totally unrealistic budgets and irrational schedules. That is not a problem with Project Management. In fact, the problem arose because Project Managers were largely left out of the development of the schedule and budgetary baselines. Even more importantly, basic Project Management approaches were ignored. Stakeholder assessments were not performed. Neither were risk assessments. And estimations from previous projects that were shown to be inaccurate during their previous implementations were applied almost verbatim to the project being discussed today. So when stakeholders engaged in sabotage of the project, risks came to fruition and there were no contingency plans, and the budget & schedule were shown to be unrealistic to the point of being irrelevant, people were surprised?!
Only well performed estimates can be utilized if one desires cost and schedule baselines that are anywhere near accurate. This is not a problem with Project Management. It is a problem for those who choose to mis-apply Project Management tools and techniques.
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Cloud Computing: Yes or No, and if yes then How?
The cloud is an option that should not be ignored. Rather, it needs evaluation for its ability to meet our organizations' needs. For me, the primary sources of hesitance have both been about the internet: privacy protection and reliability of connection. I have since become inclined to use the cloud for processes and storage that are not mission critical, and am considering the possibility of using it more.
If you are interested in learning more about the cloud you might want to read an article here on NPManagement.org. This brief but informative article was written by Sumac.com, which provides cloud-based services but gives its usual balanced advice.
If you have decided to use the cloud but are not sure how or how much to do so, you might like an article by David Linthicum located here: http://t.co/fh14JUOv It addresses the three surefire ways to screw up an attempt to implement cloud computing.
ejt
NPManagement.org
If you are interested in learning more about the cloud you might want to read an article here on NPManagement.org. This brief but informative article was written by Sumac.com, which provides cloud-based services but gives its usual balanced advice.
If you have decided to use the cloud but are not sure how or how much to do so, you might like an article by David Linthicum located here: http://t.co/fh14JUOv It addresses the three surefire ways to screw up an attempt to implement cloud computing.
ejt
NPManagement.org
Monday, October 31, 2011
Project Management in Nonprofits
It seems the usual way for the Project Management discipline to enter nonprofits is through their IT departments. Most if not all IT departments that generate software or arrange hardware installations have some level of understanding of Project Management tools and techniques. So the good news is that there is an avenue for Project Management to enter nonprofit organizations.
Unfortunately, I have heard and observed that only bits and pieces of the discipline make it out of the IT department. There appear to be some misunderstandings. For instance, moving post-it notes around on a wall is not Agile (a popular approach to managing projects, especially in software development); and, as one of my professors said to his students in the first class of my first grad school course, "Knowing how to use Microsoft Project doesn't mean you know how to manage projects". Using Kanban and project management information systems are useful tools for a project manager. However, execs who are initially introduced to them usually miss the point.
The central idea is to obtain business value by getting the most out of what you have, and if you don't have enough - to recognize that and decide whether it's worth it to get more or just can the project. There are many layers of skills needed to do that but unfortunately it seems most nonprofit execs only get a superficial introduction to cute tools rather than a full explanation of how to use Project Management to focus organizational energy like a laser in order to further their organizations' strategies.
Guess it's about time I make an article about the use of Project Management in nonprofits a higher priority.
ejt
NPManagement.org
Unfortunately, I have heard and observed that only bits and pieces of the discipline make it out of the IT department. There appear to be some misunderstandings. For instance, moving post-it notes around on a wall is not Agile (a popular approach to managing projects, especially in software development); and, as one of my professors said to his students in the first class of my first grad school course, "Knowing how to use Microsoft Project doesn't mean you know how to manage projects". Using Kanban and project management information systems are useful tools for a project manager. However, execs who are initially introduced to them usually miss the point.
The central idea is to obtain business value by getting the most out of what you have, and if you don't have enough - to recognize that and decide whether it's worth it to get more or just can the project. There are many layers of skills needed to do that but unfortunately it seems most nonprofit execs only get a superficial introduction to cute tools rather than a full explanation of how to use Project Management to focus organizational energy like a laser in order to further their organizations' strategies.
Guess it's about time I make an article about the use of Project Management in nonprofits a higher priority.
ejt
NPManagement.org
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
NPManagement articles about teams are buzzing again
Articles about teams on the NPManagement.org site have surged again. This happens quite frequently. Sometimes they stray from the top for a month or two, but there is always a resurgence of interest.
Is this because many recognize the power of teamwork and they want to tweak and slightly improve what their teams deliver? I doubt it.
My guess is they are members of teams that are major sources of headaches and they're looking for something to make that dull throb in their foreheads lighten up a bit. I hope they find the info on the site helpful. If even a few people find something that helps them obtain the sense of mission, empowerment, and sheer energy that comes with great teamwork, the site is well worth all the effort that this team puts into it.
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
Is this because many recognize the power of teamwork and they want to tweak and slightly improve what their teams deliver? I doubt it.
My guess is they are members of teams that are major sources of headaches and they're looking for something to make that dull throb in their foreheads lighten up a bit. I hope they find the info on the site helpful. If even a few people find something that helps them obtain the sense of mission, empowerment, and sheer energy that comes with great teamwork, the site is well worth all the effort that this team puts into it.
ejt
www.npmanagement.org
Monday, October 17, 2011
New article at NPManagement.org about making management decisions
We will miss Steve Jobs. He drove the invention of things that I didn't know I wanted, and soon I needed them. But it wasn't his legendary force of will alone that led to success, it was also because Mr. Jobs put the "art" back in smart. His decisions were often risky and frequently brilliant. Mistakes? Of course. That comes with taking risks (and with being human), but the payoffs more than made up for any losses. A lot more.
This post isn't meant to be an homage to Steve Jobs and the NPManagement article isn't the secret to having his success. However, the article "The Art and Skill of Decision-Making: Are you making good managerial decisions? Are you sure?" addresses some major pitfalls in how we make decisions. These are not problems that arise due to a manager being substandard in some way. They arise because managers are human.
If you're human, you might want to take a peek.
ejt
NPManagement.org
This post isn't meant to be an homage to Steve Jobs and the NPManagement article isn't the secret to having his success. However, the article "The Art and Skill of Decision-Making: Are you making good managerial decisions? Are you sure?" addresses some major pitfalls in how we make decisions. These are not problems that arise due to a manager being substandard in some way. They arise because managers are human.
If you're human, you might want to take a peek.
ejt
NPManagement.org
Monday, August 8, 2011
Summer Hiatus
NPManagement.org is on hiatus until September. New articles will be added only intermittently until then. One article expected in September deals with decision making. From what I've seen so far, it's going to be interesting - and useful.
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
Monday, June 27, 2011
Do You Have a Strategy?
Have you developed a strategy for your organization? Or are you trapped in wishful thinking? Some state a strategy that is so much of a stretch, it sets their people up for failure. Others confuse goals with strategy. The concept of "Bad Strategy" has gained some traction, and an article that makes the distinction between effective strategy and "Bad Strategy" clear can be found at the McKinsey Quarterly site here.
As a social worker who is a project manager, ensuring solid linkage between my projects' objectives and the nonprofit organizations' strategies is a critical success factor. That is, a project that achieves objectives aligned with "Bad Strategy" will have poor results, even if the project is successfully executed.
If we all read and utilize the information in this article, "Bad Strategy" might become a lot harder to find.
ejt
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
As a social worker who is a project manager, ensuring solid linkage between my projects' objectives and the nonprofit organizations' strategies is a critical success factor. That is, a project that achieves objectives aligned with "Bad Strategy" will have poor results, even if the project is successfully executed.
If we all read and utilize the information in this article, "Bad Strategy" might become a lot harder to find.
ejt
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Social Networking: Helping or Hurting Organizations?
I am an advocate of utilizing social networking tools. I participate in LinkedIn discussions on how to do so, and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on that might help me do it better. I especially like the real-time exchange available through things like Facebook and Twitter for use in projects, where each person's actions/decisions often immediately affect everyone else's work.
However, it appears that not everyone takes the time to learn about how to use social networking tools before diving in. A recent study described by Chris Nerney of ITWorld (article found on PCWorld here) explains the lost productivity (measured as an overall 1.5% drop) experienced by organizations when employees are doing their FB thing during work hours. In other words, they're not just using social networking to get work done. They're virtually hanging out with their friends instead of doing what they're paid to do. While I view this largely as a supervision issue rather than something inherent in social networking (anything can distract people if we're not careful, not only social networking), I am genuinely concerned about something found in an IBM study mentioned in another article by Mr. Nerney. It turns out that many organizations are using social networking incorrectly, and they are suffering for it. As Mr. Nerney put it, they're "botching" it. The IBM study pointed out how they are doing so, and the issues ranged from incorrect assumptions to poor motives to improper execution.
According to that study, it turns out that people don't network with a company because they want to be its friend. They want something tangible from their involvement. And 60% of them say they need to believe a company is communicating honestly before they'll interact with that organization. So if we use social networks as just one more boring form of billboard, with a thinly veiled sales pitch as its main message, hang it up. Unless you are willing to give something that people want, don't bother with social networking. But if you are interested in real and real-time exchange with people, learning about your market, and potentially forming a constituency through open and honest dialog, then go ahead - set up that Facebook page and Twitter account.
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
However, it appears that not everyone takes the time to learn about how to use social networking tools before diving in. A recent study described by Chris Nerney of ITWorld (article found on PCWorld here) explains the lost productivity (measured as an overall 1.5% drop) experienced by organizations when employees are doing their FB thing during work hours. In other words, they're not just using social networking to get work done. They're virtually hanging out with their friends instead of doing what they're paid to do. While I view this largely as a supervision issue rather than something inherent in social networking (anything can distract people if we're not careful, not only social networking), I am genuinely concerned about something found in an IBM study mentioned in another article by Mr. Nerney. It turns out that many organizations are using social networking incorrectly, and they are suffering for it. As Mr. Nerney put it, they're "botching" it. The IBM study pointed out how they are doing so, and the issues ranged from incorrect assumptions to poor motives to improper execution.
According to that study, it turns out that people don't network with a company because they want to be its friend. They want something tangible from their involvement. And 60% of them say they need to believe a company is communicating honestly before they'll interact with that organization. So if we use social networks as just one more boring form of billboard, with a thinly veiled sales pitch as its main message, hang it up. Unless you are willing to give something that people want, don't bother with social networking. But if you are interested in real and real-time exchange with people, learning about your market, and potentially forming a constituency through open and honest dialog, then go ahead - set up that Facebook page and Twitter account.
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
Monday, May 9, 2011
Today's article: They Loved You Once, They Can Love You Again: How to Win Back Lapsed Donors
The article posted on Management in the Not for Profit Organization today was provided by Sumac.com. It provides good advice about restarting donations from those who have been supportive in the past, but who have let that support lapse. I plan to put the knowledge I gained from reading it to good use.
EJT
www.npmanagement.org
EJT
www.npmanagement.org
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Results of Our Survey
The report on the NPManagement.org survey conducted in late 2010/early 2011 is complete.
The report has been placed on the site here:
http://www.npmanagement.org/Article_List/Articles/Survey_Report_2010-Fall_Survey.htm
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
The report has been placed on the site here:
http://www.npmanagement.org/Article_List/Articles/Survey_Report_2010-Fall_Survey.htm
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Nice guys finish last?
Sometimes it appears the old saying "nice guys finish last" is true. The reasons for that mantra are easy to understand. Nice people seem to advocate for themselves less, and might not appear to have that aggressive edge that some employers look for when offering promotions. They can even be viewed as boring.
However, in these times of lessened civility in some settings (politics springs to mind) I've noticed a new appreciation for nice people. It seems that things like fairness, honesty, respect for others, and simple politeness are at a premium. What used to be boring is now a breath of fresh air.
It's nice to see.
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
However, in these times of lessened civility in some settings (politics springs to mind) I've noticed a new appreciation for nice people. It seems that things like fairness, honesty, respect for others, and simple politeness are at a premium. What used to be boring is now a breath of fresh air.
It's nice to see.
EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Leader or Manager?
Are you managing people or leading them?
If they are set out before you, and you need to push them where you want them to go, you're managing them.
But look behind you. If you're being followed, you're a leader.
www.npmanagement.org
If they are set out before you, and you need to push them where you want them to go, you're managing them.
But look behind you. If you're being followed, you're a leader.
www.npmanagement.org
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The U.S. Budget Debacle
There is comedic value in the current budget arguments. Leno, John Stewart, et al. are being fed more material than they know what to do with.
Unfortunately, there is much more tragedy than comedy. Lots of nonprofit organizations depend on government funds to deliver their services. When those services are decreased, the poor and the vulnerable will suffer most of all.
As a people, we have short memories.
Have we forgotten that every person in the know, including fiscal conservatives, said that a bailout was necessary to keep the U.S. economy from collapsing? Have we also forgotten that the president at the time of that initial bailout was a member of the Republican party and an espoused conservative?
Have we blocked the fact from our memories that virtually every responsible economist consulted said we needed the large stimulus efforts, and that some experts argued that the stimuli should have been greater?
So now, with the recovery in its infancy and still quite tenuous, bullies in Congress are talking about the U.S. government and shouting "Shut it down!". They forget that if it were not for that large, strong federal government, many of that wealthy thin slice of the U.S. populace they fight for might have joined the ever increasing percentage of the country that is the financial lower (not middle) class.
Perhaps they would have been happier if Hoovervilles made a comeback. Or maybe they have forgotten their U.S. History lessons regarding the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover, his arguments on small government, and how so many Republicans fought tooth and nail to stop FDR's federal intervention. As it has been said: "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it".
It is hilarious, and truly tragic.
Ed Thomas
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
www.npmanagement.org
Unfortunately, there is much more tragedy than comedy. Lots of nonprofit organizations depend on government funds to deliver their services. When those services are decreased, the poor and the vulnerable will suffer most of all.
As a people, we have short memories.
Have we forgotten that every person in the know, including fiscal conservatives, said that a bailout was necessary to keep the U.S. economy from collapsing? Have we also forgotten that the president at the time of that initial bailout was a member of the Republican party and an espoused conservative?
Have we blocked the fact from our memories that virtually every responsible economist consulted said we needed the large stimulus efforts, and that some experts argued that the stimuli should have been greater?
So now, with the recovery in its infancy and still quite tenuous, bullies in Congress are talking about the U.S. government and shouting "Shut it down!". They forget that if it were not for that large, strong federal government, many of that wealthy thin slice of the U.S. populace they fight for might have joined the ever increasing percentage of the country that is the financial lower (not middle) class.
Perhaps they would have been happier if Hoovervilles made a comeback. Or maybe they have forgotten their U.S. History lessons regarding the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover, his arguments on small government, and how so many Republicans fought tooth and nail to stop FDR's federal intervention. As it has been said: "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it".
It is hilarious, and truly tragic.
Ed Thomas
Management in the Not for Profit Organization
www.npmanagement.org
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