Seek First To Understand!

Well, a great teaching moment popped up in the news! A stellar example of how a leader should or shouldn't act, so I thought I'd take today's blog and bring it to light.

I'm sure you've all seen the video where a worker from the USDA in Georgia was giving a speech to the NAACP. The woman was describing a place in time where she had encountered a white farmer who was in danger of losing his farm and was sent to her for help. She told the crowd that she didn't do everything in her power to help because of the color of his skin, there was an air of approval that arose from the crowd. This video began on the Internet as a means to point out to the NAACP the absurdity of their resolution to call out the Tea Party for racism within some of it's fringe elements. The point was it was just as rampant in the NAACP, so it was a case of the...pot calling the kettle black. We'll get back to this!

The speech giver was called three times the next day insisting she resign her post in the USDA, the last one demanding she pull to the side of the road and text her resignation. This may have been a prudent action had this been the end of this story, but wait there's more. Apparently there was more of this video to view than was released, it was the beginning of her story of redemption, and it ended with her being best of friends with the farmer. A little embarrassing for all involved.

So here's the point...As leaders it's our job to "seek first to understand", it's a mandatory part of conflict resolution. Had the USDA upper management had all of the information available, I'm guessing the outcome would have been different. We have to control our emotions completely whenever we're confronted with anything that twists our panties in a knot, and seek all the information, then understand it prior to action. That's a great way to keep egg off your face, and avoid embarrassing apologies and hurt feelings. Don't rush to judgement.

Now a couple of side bars. There are reports that the pressure to have this woman resign came from the White House. With that in mind, is anyone else concerned about how quickly and without total information this was reacted too? After all, it is the White House that has to make split second decisions about national defense, you know pick up the red phone and call for a nuclear attack, or respond to one as a threat. I know I'd feel a whole lot more comfortable if they understood all of the information before they reacted.

The other overlooked issue in this story is the point the video was trying to make. It wasn't the racial statements that were made that were being pointed out. It was the approval of the crowd when they were made. The story here is not the statement of one individual, but the reaction of many. Apparently the NAACP has some housekeeping of it's own to do. This speech might have been an attempt to highlight that, if so I applaud them for addressing this within the organization. If not, you might consider ceasing the stone tossing, considering the glass house you reside in......

God Bless!
Capt. Bill