Trina Hoefling Untethered

Does Polling Engage us Interactively or Influence Us Unduly or Simply take up too much air?

Or something in between? I’m getting my ducks in a row to do some real world research in organizations, and polling and surveys will be part of that research. It reminds me, though, that I ask people their opinions because I truly not only want – but need – to know in order to do good information gathering. I am also genuinely seeking to learn about them as people and members of the organization, and opportunities to make things better for them while also accomplishing whatever project I’m doing research for.

Interactive. Engagement.Trust building, Relationship building, Alliance building – Expanding Emotional Bandwidth. Oh, yeah – and good information, data and sometimes, wisdom.

Polls and surveys are one tool in my arsenal, but not really enough to sort out what else is really going on inside the organization and the organization’s members and stakeholders. I go in and help the company figure itself out and get better at being who it is more successfully and  responsibly. I can’t do that if I don’t know the people or know what is going on. Polls and surveys are one part of doing that faster and with more safety in reducing bias and letting every voice have a say.

In the media, though, polling is more limited. It is about the only engagement tool that reaches out and pulls information from the American public during this election season. What is its role? Media’s growing requirement is to

• entertain us,
• educate us (not sure where that directive came from, but it is there especially on morning news shows),
• engage us,
• edify our knowledge of current events
• elevate important news so we know to pay attention.

That’s quick off my cuff…. Anyone agree or have another point of view? And what role does polling play, and to what end? [Hint: I'm actually more interested in the "to what end" part. lol]

I don’t know about you, but I find myself working a part-time job being an informed citizen faced with some pretty important decisions. That means I watch a lot of newscasts and C-Span, listen to talk radio all across the radio dial, and wear out my mouse while stressing my neck. And all the while, I think. I listen and re-listen, intentionally taking different positions and points of view so that I can “listen” past my own filters. I want to choose well. Past cynicism and party and fear and hope. I want to choose well based on the unvarnished state of our nation and world from the most pervasive and egoless place I can to make the best choice for all concerned. I really do think and believe and hopefully at least sometimes ACT that way.

I’ve spent the last couple weeks traveling through the Midwest, connecting with old friends from school, church members, old friends of my parents, my nephews Nick and Tanner, academicians and colleagues at the Collaboration & Innovation 2008 conference, and I’ve gotten to know some of my fellow contributing writers to The Handbook of High Performance Virtual Teams. I’m teaching and talking with students – undergrad, grad, and post-doctoral students. I’m learning from, presenting and dialoguing with thought leaders in collaboration, innovation, and virtual teaming. I’m having a great time – feeding my intellectual, emotional, curious, expansive critical thinking, homesick and happy to be hanging in a green and wet place sides of all of me.

And I’m worrying and gnashing my teeth and wringing my hands as I devour many forms of “the news.”

I’m actually flipping channels and regularly catching parts of the networks’ evening news! Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I have been more of a Charlie Rose and C-Span news watcher.

My point? I have another part-time job, and not just because I’m a worrier. I take my duty as a citizen seriously, and have been watching this perfect storm form for a long, long time. Not trying to position myself as particularly smart. On the contrary, people much smarter than me are working on the economic system within which I live and operate. What I am, though, is cynical when greed and WIIFM override the other part of the mind reminding us that we are all impacted by our actions, and that consequences matter.

And I could easily go down that blame and I-told-you-so track. Or the worry track – I have a lot of practice with that. Or the anger track – now that’s a whole fun roller coaster ride, but not today. Or the Secret Law of Attraction track – and I can and do ride that rail, too.

Today I simply want to go down the Movie plot line track.

In talking across the miles of road and time, we talk about current events and say something like:

“This is frickin’ unbelievable.”

Like it were just another day.

And, I guess, it is.

But I hope to all that is holy that America registers, watches past our unique combination of filters that absolutely guarantee that no matter how careful, no matter how busy, no matter how smart we are… we cannot be responsible if we don’t at least look, watch, and listen with as much conscious awareness of our biases and prejudices and habits as we can.

I know I want the next batch of my days to be wonderful not only in my travels across miles and time, not only in my rich life of friendships and family and clients and colleagues, but also in the American / Global dream of freedom and justice for all, and a dramatic and exciting return of our thought and ethical leadership across the planet.

Waxing patriotic. If you are a US Citizen, please listen and talk and scan news sources you haven’t before. Please vote past personality or party. Please listen for the tone of leadership – an ability to connect off the teleprompter and from informed consideration. Please listen for message and go to the candidates’ web sites and read the plans. Dust off your critical thinking skills, and absorb, digest, eliminate a lot, and form your own belief. And if you do at least some of it, then please vote.

I like movies with happy endings. Let’s write one!