How Will I Challenge the Status Quo?
We can decide it doesn't always have to be like this.
I struggle with the messaging from one of the leaders of a national caregiving organization.
I typically grit my teeth when I read what he writes and then move on. I am frustrated because what he writes demonstrates his lack of insights about the caregiving experience.
He’s paid to represent the interests and needs of family caregivers. I believe his work falls short of doing that. Who holds him accountable? From what I can see, no one.
(My concerns about his work speak to a greater concern: National caregiving organizations hire leaders who have not studied the caregiving experience and do not have a personal caregiving experience. They hire those who research the experience. Researching and studying are two different disciplines. Studying includes the continuous practice of gaining insights by putting yourself into the experience through observing to understand more, asking to learn more, and facilitating meaningful conversations to deepen the knowledge. Researching, which exists within a short window of time, gives a glimpse into a tiny part of an experience by collecting a narrow set of data.)
This week, this particular leader posted on social media about a recent opinion piece he wrote for a health care magazine. He posted with the intent of taking celebratory laps. What he wrote, though, included incorrect messaging about the caregiving experience as well as dangerous suggestions that would make a family caregiver’s life of red tape even more difficult.
I gritted my teeth. Then I debated. What’s the risk for speaking out? Well, more people won’t like my outspokenness than already do. I decided that wasn’t really a risk. The greater risk is allowing that kind of messaging and those kind of ideas to remain unchallenged. This leader clearly only hears “You’re great!” and never hears what’s just wrong.
I posted a comment on his post, sharing my concerns. The next day, I posted about my frustration with the wrong kind of messaging.
Interestingly enough, because I ended up challenging my own status quo of staying silent I created the opportunity to engage in really interesting conversations which deepened my learning.
I worried that I would alienate too many people by speaking out. I ended up gaining insights to help me in my work. (I’m sure I also alienated people but they will find good company in that group that already exists.)
Let’s challenge our status quo this week. We can remind ourselves to do this by asking this question to begin our day: “How will I challenge the status quo?”
How will you challenge the status quo?