Author: The Optimistic Cynic

Disability

What’s hiding the bright future!

The Optimistic Cynic

I have just flipped through the presentations made to the NZ Disability Support Network annual conference last month.

Conferences talk about great things and that saddens me.

I’m sad not because I don’t want to see great support, transformational change and awesome outcomes. Quite the opposite.

I’m sad because the current environment can’t supply sufficient (and capable) staff to meet even basic support needs. Adequate housing is becoming unaffordable. We’re still not putting any effort into reducing the appalling health outcomes for people with an intellectual disability. True inclusion is still so far away in many parts of society (how often do we talk about disability in conversations about diversity?).

I want to believe in a bright future, a future where a person drives the support they need and sees a world that genuinely accepts them for who they are.

I want a world where it doesn’t take over four years to get staff to help prepare frozen meals so people can have a good dinner on nights when their support doesn’t show up!

So what’s hiding a bright future? Current reality!

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Business, For Purpose

One word to change the world

The Optimistic Cynic

Vision statements have been in and out of vogue for as long as I can remember. I think most people recognize the value they can potentially bring but also know that so many are just empty ‘feel good’ words.

Sometimes though, you come across a vision statement that is simply profound – like this one from B Lab.

B Lab’s vision is that one day all companies will compete to be the best for the world

B Lab have basically changed one word and turned common thinking into a powerful statement.

No longer should we be the best in the world, we should be the best for the world. That’s so clever!check-157822_960_720

 

Business, For Purpose, Sustainability, The Zone

Seth Godin

The Optimistic Cynic

Seth Godin isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I think this blog from him is worth sharing:

A seat at the table

Short-term profits are a lousy way to build a sustainable community.

There’s always a shortcut, a rule to be bent, a way to make some more money now at the expense of the people around us.

The counterbalance to selfish Ayn-Randian greed is cultural belonging.

“No,” the community says, “we’re not proud of what you did, and you’re not welcome here.”

People like us do things like this.

It’s the community’s role to establish what “things like this” are. If you want to hang out with people like us, that’s the price you have to pay. To avoid the short-term and to invest in us instead.

The community might be wrong. The path of the person making change happen is often lonely, because change is frightening. But too often, the act of taking a shortcut or finding a short-term profit is confused with the actual long-term hard work of making things better.

Fortunately, the community often knows better.

Seth Godin 26/4/19

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