 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
"Reality Check Time..." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Reality Check Time..." |
|
In my years of membership and involvement in STARFLEET, one ugly beast continues to rear its head from time to time and cause trouble and grief: politics. Every time it happens, we hear the outcry that it should have no place in STARFLEET, that we are better than that. Folks, its time for a hard reality check: politics is going to be in this group, despite our best efforts. While we espouse 24th century ideas, we have to remember, sadly, that we are still 20th Century folks, with all the flaws that comes with it firmly attached. We can be upset, beat our chest self-righteously, and all of that, but it will do no good. What do we do? Actually, the answer is simple: instead of being a victim of politics, face the monster and make it work for betterment instead of destruction. The most common form of politics is the angry public message, usually with flames attached. The key to dealing with a situation like that is to not return anger for anger. That serves to only feed the other person’s temperament and make the situation much worse. The best response is to respond kindly and politely, and privately, asking to see if conversation can clear things up. A lot of the time the explosions we see in public are the results of private misunderstandings. When you speak up in public on anything, the key to using politics for the better is to stick with the issues. Personal attacks do nothing but cause hurt feelings, flaming anger, polarize opinions, and hurt your cause. In the real world, we see attack ads all the time, but the ones that are successful are the ones that attack issues, not the ones that attack people individually. One great mistake that I’ve seen in my years in STARFLEET is people working to sweep things under the rug instead of dealing with them. Unfortunately, that is the gravest mistake an organization, or any leader in an organization can make. This only causes problems to fester and growing much larger than they ever should. Darkness flees from light, and problems flee from public exposure. Instead of seeking to silence opposition, allow it to speak and be heard and then let the issues be dealt with. In a lot of cases, people involved only want a fair hearing which they feel that they are not getting any other way. We have all seen all too recently the results of allowing secrecy to run unchecked. STARFLEET is 25 years old and can survive whatever is thrown at it. Next time politics appears in public, try out the above. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the result.
|
AREA
52: All rights reserved. © COPYRIGHT 2006 This material may be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
only with permission granted from the AREA
52 Administrator. Thank you for your cooperation.
