I just finished reading The Imperial Cruise that outlines the events and history around a critical time in our nation. Written by James Bradley who also wrote Flags of our Fathers, the book examines the role President Teddy Roosevelt had on shaping the events leading up to World War II in the Pacific. It paints a troubling picture of America during its rise to world power, but what is most revealing is the singular sense of “knowing” that drove the actions of President Roosevelt.

His singular vision for what was the right action, and only possible outcome, was based on knowing what he believed was true. Truth believed to the exclusion of seeking any advice or even sharing his plans. The result was the death of millions beginning with the Spanish/American war, through the conquest of the Philippines, and ultimately World War II. Like other leaders before and since, he acted with great certainty, without consideration there could be outcomes beyond his vision, or that the truth as known was not accurate or complete. What it did not allow him and others to see was that the world was not truly, as they saw it. 

This caused me to pause and think. What a powerful and dangerous thing it is when decisions are based on a belief that you know the truth and that your actions are right. It is not that leaders should make decisions and take action without courage and commitment. Without that, the likelihood of success is limited. What it does mean, is action taken should always include a healthy concern for what “may not, or cannot be known”.

This is the critical balance point for leaders. On one side is knowing what needs done and the action it requires. On the other side are the doubts for what is not known, and concern for what might or might not happen. Too much weight on one side results in action heedless of the risk or cost. Too much to the other side and we are frozen – unable to act.  The balance is found when you believe you have made the best decision based on what you know, and that following that decision you learn what you did not know, and the impact on your actions. 

We each have been guilty of being out of balance, and we each have dealt with this type of leadership. The question is what are we going to do about it? It is up to each of us to develop our leadership skills, to have the courage to address the action or inaction of others and ourselves. Leadership is a unique combination of certainty to take action and of doubt that keeps us inquisitive and willing to learn. Leadership takes confidence and self-awareness, and it takes effort to develop. It is something we are each capable of and desperately need in our society. 

Sertoma is proud to be working with the Tom Hill Institute to provide our members the tools and support to develop their confidence and self-awareness, to become better leaders. For those that have taken on the challenge, thank you. For those who would like to know more about how Sertoma helps develop leaders – just ask. 

 

Steven Murphy

Executive Director

This quote is on one of my favorite, well-worn t-shirts. It reminds me that when we do not take advantage of what we have, we might as well not have it at all. And once lost it is not only lost to ourselves but to anyone who could have benefited.

One of the great aspects of Sertoma is that we are people who make the most of a valued resource – our time. We use our time to benefit those around us and in doing so we benefit ourselves.

It might be said, those that give of their time have every advantage over those who do not. We live in a better world and a kinder society. We have more fulfilling and happier lives even though the world at large may not seem to change and the simple act of giving of our time changes the world around us.

A gift of our time to others gives our lives purpose and significance. This is not limited to being a volunteer. Giving of our time is, for most of us, part of how we live every day. We pause to allow others to enter a door before us, we stop to encourage a fellow worker and we walk back into the house on our way out even if just to say “have a good day” to the ones we love.

Every time we do take that moment for others we become the people our parents wanted us to be and a model for our children and grandchildren.

As we plan for the coming Sertoma year, I hope we each find ways to make the most of the time we have to give. How does each gift of time make a difference to you and to others? How did it create change and did it help generate more time through others? Did it help generate more needed resource and, did it help me or others grow as volunteers and leaders? A clear purpose not only creates significance for each action – but meaningful action creates the motivation to endure and achieve.

In the coming year we will ask Sertomans and others to consider how a small gift of time can make a difference for you and your community. It could be to help collect hearing aids, support a walk event, get training, share our story, or ask others to share an experience with you. And if you choose to give the gift of time be sure it creates the outcomes worthy of the value of the gift you give. Together we will change the world, one meaningful moment at a time.

Steven Murphy
Executive Director

What happens to each of us is defined by an often unrealized and unplanned set of circumstance. It is an exciting moment when we can actually see the pattern and realize the meaningful impact our action can create. What at one moment looked like a challenge or an obstacle, suddenly becomes the key to the puzzle. What looked like the absolute right direction becomes a learning moment as we adjust our course. Those moments arrive every day and are ours for the taking. We can train ourselves to see the world as opportunities to explore and not just as resources to acquire or manage.

We all know an individual who always seem to be a step ahead and doing better than most. These folks are not seers, or of unusual brilliance. It is just that they think differently and perceive the world differently than the rest of us. They are not born with this skill. It is something they developed through the support of great teachers, mentors, and family. It is something each and every one of us can learn. It requires some work but developing this mental discipline is easy if you have a clear purpose – to create significance through your life.

Your goals to achieve a purpose do not have to be world changing. Significance is about quality of life – not quantity. You might want to improve your health, finish an unfinished effort, learn to play a musical instrument or be better at your career. The truth is any of these events will change the world positive ways.

Small things matter, consider that only a 3mm error in the original Hubble telescope made it nearly unusable. It only took that small adjustment in its focus to become an instrument that changed not just the world, but the universe as we know it.

As I work to expand the limits of my own mental discipline experience those ah ha moments where the pattern seems clear. I can see that with a subtle change in thinking and minor adjustment in plans all the parts seem to fit tighter. Discussions that seem limited by suspicion and doubt suddenly are open to defining new and productive relationships.

I had one of those moments this past week. As I left that particular meeting, I had to wonder how many opportunities I have missed, simply because I did not have the ability to think beyond what I “knew and believed”.

We speak about growth in our organization – be it new members, new volunteers or new fundraising dollars. All of these are critical to expanding our real purpose – to be a significant force in our communities. Maybe it is time to step back and consider what is needed if we truly want greater significance in our service. Maybe it should start with growing our own abilities, to move beyond what we know or believe and to think about what we and this great organization can be

Steven Murphy
Executive Director

Monday was the first day for those starting the Tom Hill Institute Leadership lessons. These lessons are a gift from John O’Leary and his partners presented to those attending the 2013 Convention in St. Louis. I hope that many of those attending have made the commitment to themselves to take advantage of this opportunity. I have the privilege of being part of the first class of this program that began in January of this year. For me it is day one, week nineteen, and the lessons have gone from being of interest, to engaging, to a part of everyday.

That process has not made any of the challenges in my life go away. I still would rather snack than exercise, Sertoma still faces a need to grow revenues and participation, and we are still having winter in May. So the world has not changed, I have not changed; maybe I am changing, but change takes longer than a few weeks. What has changed is my perspective – a view of life where I determine how I think how I feel, and what I chose to do. Every morning I face the demands of life, as just part of my plan for the day.

Even if you win the lottery (and I am willing to find out if I am wrong), life will always put challenges in our way. Some large, some small, and like death and taxes – always with us. Our ability to find happiness, peace, and success (you define it as you like) we determine by how we think, feel, and act. Sounds great, and in some form or another we have probably all heard something similar. What I have come to understand is it is not how I think, or feel, or act – but it is an absolute combination of the three.

John O’Leary, for those who have not had the privilege of hearing him at convention speaks about the need to live a life of purpose. The greatest purpose I have discovered since my Day One is living every day, instead of just being alive. That awareness has opened up my life to be a better Father, Husband, and Executive – a more generous donor, and grateful volunteer. I don’t know where the first day of this journey will take us – but I hope that others decide take the journey, and I am sure if you do our paths will cross in celebration of Day One and all those that follow.

Steven Murphy
Executive Director

Prior to the 1980s our District Governors role was several fold. They were the chief fund raisers for our Foundation. They were the main communicators to our clubs. They were responsible for the “growth” of Sertoma via new club building. We didn’t give them any tools for this job, just incentives. A Distinguished Governor award was given if a new club was built in their district, and since it was actually one or two clubs in the district that “built” the new club, that club President, whether he or she actually did much in the process, got a “gold” coat for their efforts.

 We did not care what these new clubs did.  Did they want to help Sertoma’s speech and hearing efforts? No? Well, that was OK because all we really wanted were DUES PAYING members. After a while, it was thought the Governors would have greater success if they had a district level growth committee to help build more clubs, but the tools were still lacking and there was no plan of action. In the 1980s, we added the position of FDR to relieve some of the workload of the governor. Now the Governor did not have to raise money for our Foundation/Annual Fund and hopefully could devote more time to new club building. We later added a National New Club Building Committee comprised of a member from each region to help “grow” Sertoma via new clubs. Again, there were no tools, no national plan of action.

At this same time our membership numbers both individual and clubs were declining.  We weren’t alone in that as most other service organizations were facing the same problem, namely our culture was changing. A new generation was coming of age that still believed in philanthropy but felt they could raise money at a 2-4 hour event, feel good about it, and go home. They didn’t need to pay local, district, regional and national dues to raise money and feel good. We all know how that affected our clubs ability to attract new members.

As our first century was ending, Sertoma’s Board of Directors took a hard look at what constituted Growth. Was it just dues paying members? Was what we do as an organization just as important and if so, what exactly did we do as an organization?

So your board spent many hours determining who were are, what we stand for and what our mission was. Of course the IRS helped us with that by stating that if an organization wanted to extend its 501(c)(3) tax status to subordinate clubs, then it too must engage in philanthropic fund raising and donations.

So what did this do to our growth efforts? Well, we need to “Grow our Mission” and in so doing grow our membership. How? If we can go into communities that do not have a Sertoma presence and find a hand full of people who already share a desire to help those with hearing health issues and work with them to improve the education of the harmful effects of noise induced hearing loss (SAFEEars!) and quality of life (Looping) for the hearing impaired in their community and at the same time help them raise funds (CELEBRATE SOUND Don’t Walk in Silence) so they have the funds to do these projects, would that not grow our mission?  And it’s not a stretch to imagine that down the road these same people might want to form a club and become Sertomans in their own right?

So now we had a plan, “Marketing Mission for Growth”.  Who was going to carry out the plan? We have Club Liaisons to communicate with our clubs. We have the Fund Raising District Representatives to work with our existing clubs in furthering our Mission.  Why develop yet another group of volunteers to market our mission in new communities when historically that was and has been the job of our governors?

We asked them to do that in St. Louis. Many agreed. Some walked out. Some asked if they refused to do this would we ask them to resign. NO, we don’t want them to resign. We hope they will understand that we are just asking them to find some people who already work in the profession or who have hearing loss themselves, start a conversation with them, and see where that may lead.

Is that asking too much from a group of volunteers who supposedly want to see our organization grow? Your Sertoma Board doesn’t think so.  We all need to work together to grow our organization. Please help your district governor by sharing with them names and contacts that you think might be willing to help us grow our mission. If we all work together and share our efforts, we can make a stronger Sertoma that will last another 100 years.

Yours in Service

Tim Hazel, President Elect
Sertoma, Inc.

When was the last time you said hello to a stranger? When was the last time you had a conversation with a stranger? If not recently, then you may be able to answer to the question “Why is Sertoma not growing?” Most of us have heard that Sertoma is the best kept secret. Well, I don’t know any business that survived and grew because it was a secret. (If there is one, it is a really, really well kept secret.) So again, when was the last time you had a conversation with a stranger?

Recently I found myself at the “community table” at a restaurant in San Francisco – as I did not want to wait 30 minutes for a table. So I grabbed the only open seat between a couple of couples, one with a young daughter, and each at a different state of dining. I could have said a polite hello, and then appeared to not listen to their conversations. I could have said nothing like the other eight or 10 people at the table and pretended to be in my own space. But what would that have gained me but getting to eat my meal quicker in an awkward personal space.

So I said hello – I asked if what they ordered was good – I complimented the young girl on her hat – joked openly with the waiter about the challenge of serving the community table – until I evoked a response. Before I finished my meal and the little girl her dessert, I could tell you about each couple’s interests, careers, family history, and the daughter’s participation in Junior Achievement. We had a great chat about the paper doughnut project.

Some people left, new people arrived, but from the outside it probably sounded more like a family gathering than a table of strangers. I had no agenda, no expectations of asking them to join Sertoma, or learn about what I do. Well that is not quite true: what I wanted to remind myself of was that we are surrounded by people we do not know – and that if we want to expand our world, it begins by us being willing to open the door and step into their world – not expect them to come into ours.

By the time I left the table, I knew about many of their service or charitable activities. Sertoma’s future begins with these conversations. We are an organization of people, about people – and if we want to grow we need to all practice the art of introduction and conversation. If for no other reason that it is a skill we need to succeed – because, let’s be honest – everyone we already know – knows about Sertoma and has been asked to get involved. NO? Well then maybe the question is – when did you last have a conversation with a friend – about Sertoma?

Steven Murphy
Executive Director

This popular phrase from a cell phone marketing campaign took on new meaning for me in the past few weeks. I developed a bit of a cold a couple of days before needing to fly to a region meeting. I am, or at least should be, more aware than the average person of the risks that flying with head congestion bring. I have on occasion even cancelled trips due to this type of concern. But like a lot of people, I felt this trip was too important to not go, and I know how to manage the risk (or at least I thought so).

So an overdose of Afrin nose spray and I was off. I could breathe fine, but it was not enough of a dose to have cleared the ears, and as I landed, besides the discomfort and pain, I would estimate my hearing was working at about 20 percent. I could hear, but it was like wearing earplugs and a set of sound reducing earmuffs. Not to worry, I thought, a couple of big yawns and they would pop and open up, probably before I got to the hotel. But worry I did, because as the hours passed the hearing did not improve, and by morning it was not much better. It was the next day before it was somewhat normal – and I was facing another flight.

I took another round of Afrin, but with a lot less confidence before I headed out. Long story short, I got very lucky – it is now 10 days since that last flight, and I can still hear. However, my ears still have a buildup of pressure that is stressing on my hearing. In fact, just this morning as I drove to work one ear cracked and popped, and my hearing cleared a bit more. But I am lucky – as I could just have easily found myself living in silence or with significant damage. It happens to people flying with congestion every year – we have seen it happen to Sertoma members. And most of those are not aware of the risk, so they are even less prepared to protect their hearing.

If you are less than excited about our national hearing health mission – consider how you might feel if you could not “hear me now.” Hearing loss may not kill people – but it surely changes lives– and not in a positive–way for millions. We may not be able to prevent all hearing loss, but we can prevent so much more than we do now. We can help prevent so much isolation and sadness as people lose the connection to sounds that we take for granted, much like the air we breathe.

It may not be sexy, or glamorous, or life saving. But today – right now – we can change lives for the better, save people pain and loss in the future. We have the tools; all we need is the passion, and the energy to move forward. These may not be the easiest of times – but it is the time we have, and I don’t want to use anymore of that time asking or being asked “can you hear me now?”

Steven Murphy
Executive Director

In the past week, I had two separate conversations about the issue of change with two active and engaged members. They have similar backgrounds, with 10 plus years as members, and having served in leadership roles in the club, district level and beyond. The conversations however were strikingly different, and reflect the challenges we face as leaders of Sertoma, and of our clubs. In each case, the focus of the conversation dealt primarily with the issue of growth.

Both members are and rightfully so, concerned about the lack of growth in our membership. We all agree that since the early 1990’s Sertoma as a whole has been losing more members than it recruits, and disbanding more clubs than it Charters. It is also, they shared, a trend that cannot continue. It was at this point, where the conversations diverged down very different paths.

One member is concerned that “all the changes” in the past decade was driving people out of the clubs, and keeping new members from joining. The other member was frustrated that in light of all the need and opportunity to change – their club refused to do anything “different” and was faster than the national average going away. The club offers nothing to encourage others to join, and no real reason to stay.

I asked, each to help me understand their perspective about change. To be fair, we have made changes in Sertoma, – changes that have affected the Board, and the focus and operation of the headquarters. Yes, Sertoma made some changes to address issues with the IRS and our tax status. My concern is – what changes did Sertoma make (or not make) that changed a club’s activities, or experience to drive members out or keep them from joining?

It is too large a discussion for a blog, but a discussion I hope others will consider and continue with their own members and clubs. For example – what is the impact of making hearing health our mission? We know that is not the primary mission for some clubs, but as an organization, we need a shared mission. It is what allows us to build brand, awareness, and ultimately support and participation. It is not required of any club – but is there any advantage to being involved? Does this change offer opportunity, or is it restricting growth?

This is only one example, but in the end – the question that each of us needs to ask, “Is my club not growing because of what Sertoma has changed, or because of what my club has failed to change?” I don’t have an answer to that question –how each member and club responds to change in his or her community, or in Sertoma will influence that member’s perspective. In the end, that will determine if we become victims or the masters of change. Either way it will be what defines our destiny as an organization.

Steven Murphy
Executive Director

Failure is probably one of the more misunderstood and feared aspects of life. I doubt that any, or at least very few of us, recall that our parents and teachers made failing an important and valuable part of growing up. The reality is that there is only one real problem with failure – and that is if we do not learn from it. In fact, without failure, how do we even judge if we are successful?

Sadly, our built in concern for failure, and not even failure, just making mistakes is what keeps us from happiness and success. We play it safe. We limit our risks. We do what is expected and known. At some level not failing, not making a mistake, defines success – yet I believe we all feel success is something more.

Even when we do try, if we make mistakes, if things do not go as planned, how often do we retreat to where we started? Rather than view our effort as a step forward, we view it as a step back. But it is only a step back if we did not learn something – and it is only a real failure if we do not apply it toward our next effort to risk failure.

So the only problem I see with failure is not being willing to put it to good use. Be willing to take a risk. We don’t have to risk it all – but we have to be willing to risk something to gain something. Even if what we gain is knowledge from an effort that did not go quite as we expected. Others might call it a failure, but it is only a loss if we fail to act upon our new knowledge to try again.

In the end, the only real failure in life is not being willing to fail – to make a mistake. Within Sertoma, we know that many of us worry about an inability to grow in mission or membership. So before we truly fail, it is time to risk a bit of what we have always done, for something that might fail. From a brighter perspective, it could succeed – maybe more than we ever imagined. It might be hosting a new CELEBRATE SOUND Walk; it might be changing how the club meets or functions, for if we don’t risk failure– how will we ever find success beyond what we already have?

Steven Murphy
Executive Director

Eat? I am not so sure. It would seem with the amount of sugar so many of us consume – in all its wonderful confectioned and fermented forms—the world would be a much sweeter, kinder and gentler place. No, I don’t think we are what we eat – but maybe we are what we believe. However, what you believe is just a concept, unless you do something about it. It is like how you tell what is important to an organization: read the mission statement, but then check the budget – where the money goes tells you what is important.

So then, we are not what we eat, clearly. Are we what we believe? Maybe – but it seems to me that we are, in the end, what we do.

I think that if we look at our lives in whole, or even in its many parts, the real measurement of who we are is in our actions. It is easy to say you believe in this or that, but it is another to do something about it. It is like people who believe our government should do or not do something, but cannot even be bothered to vote – let alone do more than voice their beliefs. As we look toward the 2nd Century of Sertoma, it is a good time to take a real hard look at the issue of who we are.

To grow our mission we need to increase those who support and participate in our efforts. As we seek to engage new people, how will we answer the question, “as a Sertoman you are what you …?”

It begins with a belief – a belief that engaged citizens and volunteer service are the best way to face the issues in our communities. But that concept alone does not define a Sertoman. To be a Sertoman means a commitment to common purpose and shared action. And yet, even if people believe in volunteer service and have a commitment to shared purpose and action, there remains a key element that makes us Sertomans. And that is what we do.

If that is true, then it seems this is where we must begin our efforts to grow — not with a mere commitment, but with action. For it is action alone will determine the integrity of any commitment or belief. This is why our focus is on engagement with mission, not membership, as we develop a strategy for second century growth.

It will seem strange to many of us to approach new communities about doing a hearing health activity or CELEBRATE SOUND Walk without a commitment to join Sertoma. But if we truly are what we do – based on what we believe – asking for a commitment to action first can only ensure that a later commitment to join us is truly a commitment to be a Sertoman.

In the end, is that not how we would like to be known? Not for what we are – members—but for what we do.

Steven Murphy
Executive Director