We’ve all heard the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” How do you best help someone who is struggling? If third-world natives are living in poverty, should we send them money? Or could we teach them how to plant crops or provide a goat that will nourish their family and allow them to sell the excess milk? If an unmarried woman has a child, should we reward her for having additional children in the way of living quarters and medical care, or is there perhaps a better method for teaching responsibility? If a person is out of work, is it more helpful to once again extend benefits, or to teach more effective ways of finding or creating productive work?
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Burning Bridges
I’m appalled at the frequency I hear someone with otherwise common sense start to bad-mouth another person. These days it’s often critical of a previous boss, a co-worker, the President, a spouse or someone whose success is greater than their own.
Why is it that negatives spew out so easily when they are directed at another living, breathing person? I believe there is a process of destruction that destroys the speaker – certainly more than affecting the target.
And in today’s technology and communication world it’s pretty risky. How many times have we seen a stray comment, a nasty email, a quick cell phone call or a FaceBook note end up haunting the sender of that message? Would you really want that person to hear the message straight from your mouth?
What would you name this Eagle?
Yep, name this Eagle and win a prize package. A few weeks ago I realized that the massive cedar tree closest to my barn office was not turning green and was clearly “dead.” My landscape advisor confirmed that while we have no idea what happened, it was definitely never going to turn green and thrive again. I was blown away at the loss of this stately feature here on our property.
But how often does the “death” of one thing give birth to another? Have you ever had a dream die only to discover that in redirecting your thinking and efforts you released something even better? I have walked with people through the death of many jobs and businesses where together we have uncovered new opportunities that would have never been seen if the old position would have continued.
For-profit or non-profit?
On December 3, 2009, the Philadelphia City Council voted unanimously to pass a bill that creates a new sustainable business tax credit of US$4,000 for B Corporations—certified socially responsible companies (1). The decision could be a sign of what’s to come: new legislation that provides incentives for businesses to operate in a socially beneficial manner.
There are so many variations of us who are doing “ministry,” ethical capitalism, green, organic, fair-trade, eco-capitalism, humanitarian, social entrepreneurship or just serving customers well. I’m not sure how much benefit or restriction the legal structures provide – or inhibit.
We’re seeing some new categories emerging around the world. In the UK, the “Community Interest Company” (CIC) enables an organizer to run a business for the benefit of the community rather than for the benefit of the owners of the company. In the US, the latest innovation is the low-profit, limited liability company or L3C, which simplifies compliance with IRS rules for yet another hybrid structure.
Finding Your Pot of Gold
Gold was discovered in California in the spring of 1848. By May of 1848 reports were flying that “there was more gold than all the people in California could take out in fifty years.” 28-year-old Samuel Brannan opened a small supply store at John Sutter’s Fort, right in the heart of the gold rush. Brannan purchased a little vial of gold and traveled the hundred miles back to San Francisco. As he stepped off the train, he swung his hat, waved the bottle and shouted, “Gold! Gold! Gold! By the middle of June, three quarters of the male population had left town for the gold mines near Sutter’s Fort.
Brannan never looked for gold, but selling shovels, picks and supplies to the wide-eyed miners made him California’s first millionaire. His store was selling as much as $5000 a day (about $140,000 in 2010 dollars) in goods to the miners.
