Spring Break
What is Our End of the Deal?
Jonathan Kelly (OD), Associate Editor
Issue date: 1/16/07 Section: Viewpoints
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Each New Year brings a great chance for us to think about clean slates and new beginnings, but I am not convinced that we place our expectations properly to assume that all of our hopes for change should be placed here. This semester, we will be taking a look at some of the issues, challenges, and opportunities that are in need of some of the fresh perspective that individuals traditionally reserve for New Year's Day in the column entitled: Our end of the deal. I was inspired to use this title after considering Bill Cosby's pound cake speech where he said that some individuals in society "are not holding up their end" of the deal. The speech while thought provoking on a number of levels, most notably made me consider how any of us comes to think about our end of the deal, and what impact that has on outcomes in business, life, and otherwise.
Today I want to share with you some of my thoughts about "my end of the deal."
Perspective is helpful because it allows us to see whether we held up our end of the deal and it provides some sort of personal accountability in our lives. When I think about any number of deals that I have worked on in the past I am reminded that much of my time was spent focusing on whether or not other parties would in fact hold up their end of the deal, seldom did I apply the same rigor to considering my own responsibility beyond the work I put into coming to a decision about whether or not to deploy capital, be it the firm's money, my time, my talent, or even my money.
One example that brings this home for most of us is the decision about whether or not to give money to panhandlers. On any number of occasions I have felt moved to give money to someone panhandling in the square, only to see them week after week in the same place. Somehow seeing them again and again reminds me that I did not have a meaningful impact beyond helping that individual believe that he/she has a sustainable business model for panhandling at a given location. Notwithstanding the economic and moral arguments about giving money to charities versus enabling behaviors like panhandling, there is something striking about the accountability of seeing your best aims fall short of your target, as is in this example.
Today I want to share with you some of my thoughts about "my end of the deal."
Perspective is helpful because it allows us to see whether we held up our end of the deal and it provides some sort of personal accountability in our lives. When I think about any number of deals that I have worked on in the past I am reminded that much of my time was spent focusing on whether or not other parties would in fact hold up their end of the deal, seldom did I apply the same rigor to considering my own responsibility beyond the work I put into coming to a decision about whether or not to deploy capital, be it the firm's money, my time, my talent, or even my money.
One example that brings this home for most of us is the decision about whether or not to give money to panhandlers. On any number of occasions I have felt moved to give money to someone panhandling in the square, only to see them week after week in the same place. Somehow seeing them again and again reminds me that I did not have a meaningful impact beyond helping that individual believe that he/she has a sustainable business model for panhandling at a given location. Notwithstanding the economic and moral arguments about giving money to charities versus enabling behaviors like panhandling, there is something striking about the accountability of seeing your best aims fall short of your target, as is in this example.
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