Welcome to Mekele!

How can I describe the perfect arrival to Mekele and to the Nicolas Robinson School? The warm, bright sun (mid-70’s), dry air, and the beautiful smiles of the children that greeted me, could not have been more welcoming. The school had grown incredibly since my last visit in 2005 – it has added a four story building to house an additional eight grade levels to the original kindergarten program and there are three large building projects underway to add a library, music facility, and a high school, all due to open before the 2012 school year.
While touring the site, students and teachers everywhere greeted me warmly with waves, smiles and hugs and groups of children were anxious to practice their English with me. The standards for performance are high here, and despite being relatively new, the school is one of the finest in Mekele. It is not surprising then for me to actually feel the amazing desire for learning that exists here.
However, the growth, cheerfulness, and desire to succeed contrasts sharply with a less visible reality – many of the children here are malnourished. Although food is not scarce, poverty prevents many families from being able to provide adequate food for their children. Laura’s World Fund helped begin a School Food Program earlier this year, providing a portion of nutritious food each day, but our donation only covers a third of the program’s costs. More on this later…

Arrived!

After 13.5 hours of flight across ocean and desert, I’ve reached Addis and am awaiting the domestic flight to Mekele. as this picture shows, most airports are basically the same.

The Journey Begins

I am at the gate waiting for the flight to Addis Ababa to board. Most of my fellow travelers are returning to their homes. I am wearing my Ethiopian prayer shawl for comfort and earrings given by my friend, Donna, when I first made this trip.

Into Africa

Ethiopia may be country with widespread poverty, but they are not a poor country.  They have a proud and rich history and a strong sense of community that embraces those in need.  Ethiopians are very hospitable and I look forward to the welcoming hugs that await me.

Why am I making this trip?  It’s a follow-up to my first visit to Mekele, Ethiopia, where I toured the Nicolas Robinson Kindergarten and dedicated the Laura Wolf Playground (background story).  Because of the generosity of people around the world, including many friends and neighbors in Merrimack through Laura’s World Fund, this year the Nicolas Robinson School will include a high school.  It has grown from 220 students to over 800 and boasts a computer lab, library, eating room and more.  It is one of the highest performing schools in Mekele despite serving the poorest of Mekele’s children.

This is not a typical vacation for me.  First off, I will be packing clothes that I no longer want or need so as I wear them, I can leave them behind.  Do you know how strange it is to wear clothes that you don’t want anymore?  Also, I will be checking 2 bags weighing 50 pounds each and I won’t be bringing any of that back either.  They are filled with 4 donated clarinets (thanks PSNH’s Donna Keeley!), sheet music, Lowell Mower’s Lego collection (3 shoeboxes full), jump ropes donated by Jenn at Merrimack Gold’s Gym and a double dutch set from Gale Taylor, children’s clothes from Ashley Dodge and Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Wolf, six soccer balls donated by Dick’s Sporting Goods, and 2 classroom sets of KleenSlates generously provided by Julia Rhodes, their inventor.  Any gap is filled with flashcards, magnets, color paddles, springs, pulleys and voltmeters for a burgeoning science program.

I will spend the week presenting hands-on science activities to the students, culminating in a celebration of the school expansion.  The second week I’ll be visiting the village of Bure in the Gojjam region to explore the possibility of establishing a school program there.

In case you think my visit is a mission for others; well, it’s as much a mission for me.  The happiness and fulfillment of helping others is priceless…worth much more than the value of anything material I could possibly bring.

Follow the Rules to Rule the Followers

Okay, “ruling the followers” may be a bit strong, but the point is there are rules to becoming a good leader:

1. Gain knowledge.  There’s no way around it; to be a good leader, you need to know stuff.  It doesn’t all have to be learned in school. Read newspapers, read books, ask questions to learn answers you don’t know.  Foster curiosity. Listen to people (a Marylander I recently met told me that they cannot have wine or other alcohol shipped to them – no wine clubs for them!). Ever notice those information signs or historical markers at parks or museums? Read those.

2. Establish credibility. There are two qualities that make up credibility: trust and empathy.  To be trusted, you need to do what you say you are going to do.  Don’t lie, don’t cheat. Be honest in words and deeds. To be empathetic, you need to care and show you care about the issues and the people impacted by the issues.

3. Think big. We are all on this planet for a finite amount of time; we are born, we live, we die.  But good leaders transcend time by living on in the changes they create and the people they impact. To do this, they have to engage in issues that are beyond their personal sphere of life and living – they concern themselves with ideas that will outlive them like climate change, curing disease, world peace, new schools, parks, art.

4. Don’t waste time. The smartest, most inspiring, most productive people that ever walked our planet still had only 24 hours in a day.  They became who they are because they didn’t waste time on useless activities. They read, they learned, they created…if they watched TV it was because they could learn something from it.

5. Take care of people. In the end, that is what a leader is all about anyway – educating, influencing, and inspiring others to become better humans. Treat others with respect, humility, and kindness. Be generous in sharing what you have with others, whether it be knowledge, money, time, advice, or a smile. Those acts, which to you may seem inconsequential, can tremendously impact another.

Five simple rules…did I miss any?

Preaching to the Choir

Last night I was at a community forum with other concerned parents to learn about the state of alcohol and substance abuse in our local high school.  The police chief made the remark, “You are involved already by being here. I’m preaching to the choir.”

It reminded me of many years ago when I was attending a hands-on science workshop with science educators and the renowned professor of chemistry, Bassam Shakhashiri, made the same remark.  He was urging the participants to make science fun for their students and he said, “I’m preaching to you, the choir, because I want you to sing!”

How true! It’s hard to bring about change if you begin with the laggards.  You must first get the “early adopters” to engage.  Their “singing” will resonate to others who will likely join the chorus, or at least, hum a few notes.

Fast Food Facebook

We’re rushed. Work, kids, and just keeping up leave little time to take time for things truly nourishing. Line up at the drive-up, call for take out, or answer the door “It’s Domino’s” replace buying and preparing the fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meat that comprise a nutritious meal.

The fast food culture is invading our relationships, too, and the junk food of choice is Facebook. Who takes the time and thought to write a personal note, pick up the phone, or stop for a visit when it takes just seconds to connect to hundreds of “friends” with a status update?

Despite my hundreds of Facebook friends, there were only a handful that came to mind when I was in need, proving the adage, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” The friendships I’ve been feeding with Facebook are so malnourished that they don’t have the strength to stand on their own. Time for a new diet – one fed with face time rather than Facebook time and one where communication relies on “hand width” rather than bandwidth. The junk food fast food Facebook diet is being replaced by more nourishing habits that I know will lead to greater relationship health.

There is still a place for Facebook, just like it’s okay to have the occasional Big Mac when the kitchen is too far away.  But a Facebook-fed relationship shouldn’t be a way of life if it’s not a way to love.

3 Lessons We Can Learn from Dogs

Humans can be so arrogant.  Don’t you think it’s worthwhile to stop and think about what we can learn from “man’s best friend?” Here’s what I’m talking about.

Meeting people – humans look each other up and down, judging the hair, clothes, accessories, and general grooming.   Real jerks get a first pass as long as they have every hair in place, straight white teeth, nice figure, and their clothes in top condition and style.  For dogs, appearance means nothing -it’s all in the smell.  I’m not suggesting that humans substitute the handshake with a butt sniff, but what if we based our first impression less on visual appearance and more on what is not visible to the eye?

Secondly, dogs are really good at letting you know how they feel.  When you do something that makes them happy, their tail can wag nearly 10 times per second (okay, I made this number up, but it sounds about right).  How many times do we let each other know when they’ve made us happy?  Would it make it so much easier for us if they knew?  Next time someone does something right, tell them about it and I can assure you they will want to do it again.

Finally, dogs are loyal.  No matter how badly they may be treated or ignored, they still want your love and give you theirs.  They give you their love whether you filled their dish with fresh water, whether you had a bad day at work, and even when you don’t feel like loving them back.  It’s love 24/7.

Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the world would love like dogs?

Ten Ways to Know You’re in PR

My friends in public relations and I had fun compiling this list.  Which ones did we miss?

You Know You’re in PR When:

• You can’t read a headline in the Wall Street Journal without wondering which PR firm was behind the story and how they pitched it.
• There aren’t answers, just key messages.
• You find yourself applying media relations training during an argument with your spouse.
• No matter what their profession, everyone thinks they’re a writer when you ask them to fact check your press release.
• You watch interviews over again with the sound off.
• A client demands an announcement the day before they approve it.
• Invitations for family parties read like press releases.
• You armchair quarterback the communications plan for every public scandal.
• No matter how much lead time you provide, nothing comes back until just before deadline.
• You have 1001 ways to say “no comment.”

Please add yours to the comments!

Is There a Place in PR for Six Sigma?

Public relations is in a twitter these days over the topic of measurement with an intense air of seriousness and purpose. A Google search of “PR measurement” brings up over 4.8 million results (with Katie Paine’s blog at the top).  The prevailing wisdom is that if it matters it should be measured. This is sensible and a no brainer, although the debate rages on over exactly what and how PR is measured to understand how it connects and contributes to overarching organizational goals.

However, when I hear the word, “measurement,” my knee jerk reaction* is to think of it systemically – as a constant discipline, integrated into every decision and action.  By being integral within the overall processes of public relations, measurement is poised to support controlled and predictable outcomes.

Isn’t this the promise of Six Sigma?  Its process of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control consumes measurement as if it were a fish with gills wide open.   Measurement becomes not only the lifeblood of performance, but it is the language of performance, too.

Perhaps this is why public relations is slow to become a data-driven, measurement-based function. Our language is about words and images, not numbers.  The same trepidation people have in learning a foreign language (speaking first-hand) cripples public relations professionals in embracing numbers.

So, is there a place in PR for Six Sigma?  If interpreted as, “is there a place in PR for a culture of systemic and disciplined measurement?” – the answer is emphatically, “yes.”   Measurement gives us the only language to express where we are and where we need to go.  The hard part is getting it immersed throughout the organization with commitment and dedication for it to reach the point of fluency.

*spoken as a former analytical chemist and trained Six Sigma champion