Typically, we try discussing….then convincing…then yelling out of frustration. When these steps are exhausted, we march…we hold signs…we join a PAC. Yet many of us ask, “Where are you going?” The number of people standing up to get involved in politics now is higher than I’ve ever seen! It’s really exciting to see our nation moving.
Now we need to help our people define the metaphorical land of Oz and then find the yellow brick road to get there– the pathway to the new tomorrow. We need to help our people find the pathway that allows us to both connect and press forward…together.
But how to do we, as a nation, define a tomorrow on which Americans from both parties can agree? How do we determine what we want to achieve as a collective when we’re so incredibly divisive at the moment?
Step 1: We find, even the most minimal of points, upon which to agree. That’s where we start. Based on the research data, I think most of us might be surprised by how many things we can agree on. Stick to the basics at first:
We want a united nation, a free nation. We want economic stability, an education system that sets our people up for success as adults. We want a happy, healthy nation for both kids and adults. Generally speaking, we can agree on these points.
Step 2: Define each of these terms. What does a united nation look like? What does it mean to be free? Free from what? How do we define economic stability? And how do we help people be happy? Can we? Is it a responsibility of the government? These questions are the ones that become a bit harder to answer but when we define them 20 years from now, it’s a bit far in the distance and you might be surprised to know, that that makes it significantly easier for people to discuss!
Step 3: Define the pathway to achieve these goals. Once you diagnosis the problem and define the issues, the ability to clarify the yellow brick road to success is generally easily defined. This is the planning phase and it’s time to clarify who or which department will be the one to carry out the actions.
Step 4: Execute. Time to act, with a proactive, rather than reactive, plan in hand. The unified, centralized approach to problem solving leads to not only improved efficiency but also unbeatable effectiveness.
Now it’s time to Identify – Define – Plan – Execute for America!!!