Children's Champion: Objectives

"You are a product of your environment.

So choose the environment that will best

develop you toward your objective.

Analyze your life in terms of its environment.

Are the things around you helping you toward success

- or are they holding you back?"

--W. Clement Stone

The wisdom of W. Clement Stone is worthy of consideration in the development of objectives regardless if it is for the individual, or collective group. As the fourth foundational part of putting together an effective life plan, or organizational strategic plan, determining and applying appropriate objectives is rudimentary to ensuring the likelihood of successful outcomes. In the words of John McDonald, "A set definite objective must be established if we are to accomplish anything in a big way." There is no drought of research regarding human propensity to fail to plan, living what Thoreau termed "lives of quiet desperation;" a road-less area with no map available.

George Halas suggests, "Many people flounder about in life because they do not have a purpose, an objective toward which to work." Unfortunately, this malaise begins early in life. Those of us who work with young children notice acedia establishing a firm foothold in even the very young. A sense of purpose, anticipation, and hopefulness gives way to apathy, torpor, and overall hopelessness. We adults must be willing to take bold steps to rudely interrupt this downward spiral of the young human spirit, help children to take a new compass reading and chart a new pathway to the future, one built upon worthwhile objectives. Just as one's goals should be such that they require the person to reach and extend themselves, so too should the goals' underlying objectives have the same effect. In the words of Abbott L. Lowell, "You will seek not a near but a distant objective, and you will not be satisfied with what you may have done." Only when we adjust our compass setting to the "true north" of the human destiny will we be able to rise above mediocrity and the poverty of will, and find our true purpose in life; what gives our life meaning.

We must instill within ourselves, and our children, the courage, curiosity, and strength to reach out, to seek new adventures and unexplore the unknown, to be willing to risk failure rather than settle for the "scraps of life." George Wald puts this perspective into action, noting, "I tell my students to try early in life to find an unattainable objective." If we hope to improve our world, to realize a better future for ourselves and our children, then risk we must! As the character Jack Beauregard in the movie "My Name is Nobody" says, "If the risk is little, the reward is little." More than a line in a movie, this is a maxim that one would imagine Emmanuel Kant might give the nod of approval to as being universal in its applicability to the human drama.

The formal institutions of learning in the United States, and other countries of the world, undoubtedly have a monumental task placed upon their backs and shoulders by the society being served. Often the obligation of preparing a new generation for their place in the world as adults is analogous to a straight jacket, a hair shirt, or a yoke with a heavy ball and chain at either end. Decisions are usually challenging, and frequently challenged. That is why it is imperative that clear and defendable plans of operation must be developed, implemented, and honored by all stakeholders impacted by a particular school, or school system. One of the first steps in the process is to have the courage to look honestly at what currently exists. In what might appear at first somewhat a play on words, Michael Bloomberg states, "Well, we have to provide the world's best schools. We certainly don't have them, but that's our objective." Arthur Helps believes, "In a balanced organization, working towards a common objective, there is success." Between Bloomberg and Helps we have an alliance between verb and noun, "objective" as an action and a destination. The alchemy of these two creates the foundational building blocks to effective organizational planning, in this case schools.

The irony of establishing objectives comes about in our being "objective" in their development. News reporter Peter Jennings observed, "I'm a little concerned about this notion everybody wants us to be objective." Kyra Sedgwick contends that the process of being objective and creating operational objectives is complicated when more than one person in involved in the process. She says, "But when you're in something together, it's very hard to be objective and you're very subjective." If the process is not challenged enough by the involvement of multiple players, how much more challenged is the process when it is at an organizational level. Breyten Breytenbach shares his thoughts about the complexities of organizations that enter into the process of finding a common "objective." He relates, "In reality the workings of your governing system are opaque and covert, while hiding in the chattering spotlight of an ostensible transparency, even though the ultimate objective is clear." Even though Breytenbach's observations may be applied to any organization, it is believed to be very applicable to the governing structures of school systems, which are frequently governed by individuals with great intentions, but poor understanding of the vagarities inherent to the functioning of schools as organizations, and usually ill-equipped to steer the organization through the labyrinth of decision-making challenges.

Especially at the organizational level, one realizes that communication, in all its forms, and with all its nuances, is vital to successful planning and operation. Perhaps that is why every organization might make its initial step, improving communication. Mike Davidson, speaking from a personal perspective, offers, "I don't start with a design objective, I start with a communication objective. I feel my project is successful if it communicates what it is supposed to communicate." In support of Davidson's view, Andre Gide adds, "A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective." The fewer detours one takes in reaching the stated objective, the greater the likelihood that the intended outcome of the objective will be realized. In a similar fashion, if we are to honor the planning process, once the objective has been attempted, successful or not, stagnation or regression must not be permitted. George C. Marshall advises, "When a thing is done, it's done. Don't look back. Look forward to your next objective."

Objectives are structures we create to support our efforts to accomplish a determined goal, which are structures developed to support our mission, which is a structure designed to support our efforts to fulfill our vision, or purpose. A building contractor recently related a process that Japanese builders have developed whereby the roof is built first at ground level, and then raised by a series of jacks and lifts to the height it will be once the foundation and walls are built to support the roof. In a similar fashion we develop a mental picture (blueprints and architect's perspectives) of our vision (the house), determine how we will proceed (roof first) to accomplish our mission (building the house), and then put into place those supports (objectives for the foundation, goals for the walls) that will allow our vision to become reality. This process, as is the whole strategic and life planning process, is somewhat counter-intuitive to the rational, linear, mind that tells us that the best way to build a house, or achieving a vision, is to put the foundation into place first, then the walls, and then the roof. Yet we know that the vision, the idea, the mental image, must come first before action is taken, otherwise the action becomes pointless. Also, much like the Japanese builders, by constructing the part of the project that is most subject to accident and failure at ground level, not only is risk reduced, but perspective is developed, providing the builders a clearer picture of exactly what it is that they are working toward supporting, and how all the parts fit together to complete the desired outcome. Seems like a fitting analogy for our current topic. Hopefully, you will agree.