10 Steps to Success

In yesterday's post, we exposed the hypocrisy of the claims of continuous improvement by the Canadian Supply Management System for chicken.  We suggested that known lies or incompetency were the root causes.

While the cause may now be exposed, that doesn't create a solution.  That is the subject of today's post.

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

There are 10 recommended steps to implementing a chicken solution for Canadians, as follows:

1. Despair   The first step to making a change is to build the pain and frustration to the breaking point, beyond which people are both unwilling and unable to continue.  We're not there yet, but the Canadian Supply Management System for Chicken has been doing an excellent job of pissing people off, so that moment of despair will soon be here.
   
   On this step, Small Flock Poultry Farmers and the Supply Management System are in total agreement, and working together.  This humble Blog is helping accelerate the completion of this step.  When we finally get there, we will be adequately prepared for Step 2.
    
2. Aware   That's the purpose of this Blog, to help build awareness.  We're a little ahead of our time, but it takes a while to write all the necessary articles, build an audience, and convince people there is a better way. 
   
   

   "During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." – George Orwell

   
   As bad as the current system is, people will not jump from their pain, and into a vacuum.  We must have a viable alternative.  That is what awareness is all about, building that alternative.  Secondly, it helps to have awareness (or at least some doubt) in the minds of a few individuals within the Supply Management System.  Previously, they have been convinced they were doing "God's Work".  Being aware of the damage they have been causing helps our cause.
3. Care   To get the changes we need, people have to care about the pain, frustration, and lost opportunities created by the current Supply Management System. Arrogance and indifference are typical, so we'll assume it exists in everybody within the Supply Management System until proven otherwise.
   
   

   “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has....Never depend upon institutions or government to solve any problem. All social movements are founded by, guided by, motivated and seen through by the passion of individuals.” Margaret Mead

   
   
   We need individuals who are committed to the cause.  We need individuals who are willing to disclose their sorrow.  We need to build empathy in the people who can propose, and those who can approve the proposals.  We ourselves need to care, rather than accepting our current lot in life.
4. Perseverance   This isn't going to be easy.  It won't happen over night.  It will take dedication to the cause.  We need to support each other through these difficult times.  We must be willing to take up the slack when our neighbour's strength and resolve reach their limits.  We must appreciate the efforts of all, no matter how big or small; it all helps.  We must never give up.
   
   Some quotes from Sir Winston Churchill (Great Britan's Prime Minister during World War II):
   
   • Never, never, never give up.
   • If you're going through hell, keep going.
   • As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us.
5. Goal   We have to have a clear goal, something that is motivational.  One of the most impressive goals in my lifetime was the Moon Landing Goal.  It meets all the requirements of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timely).
   

   "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."   President J.F. Kennedy, State of the Union Address to U.S. Congress, May 25, 1961.

   Our struggle is just as big, just as important, and just as overwhelming.  We therefore need a Goal that is just as good as what President Kennedy gave for the Moon Landing project.  I therefore propose:
   

   Before the end of 2015, Canada's Supply Management system will be transformed so as to: encourage exports; operate in a fair, stable, and sustainable manner; and supply Canadians with the best produce at the lowest retail cost.

6. Hard Work   This won't be easy.  We have no money to pay people.  We will do it as self-motivated volunteers, or it won't happen.  Frustration is to be expected.  Whenever we try something new, we will feel frustration and unease.  We must be prepared for these feelings, and support each other through them.
7. Skills   We will need to be self-reliant.  Fortunately many of us have some prior experience in life.  We have friends and families who have resources and talents that we can benefit from.  We will have to invent some things as we go along, for the solution or the skill doesn't yet exist within our grasp.
8. Teamwork   Few people choose to join a losing team.  Many will join a team that respects and honors its team members, even if they face difficult challenges ahead.
   
   One finger, when used alone, is easily hurt or overcome.  When we use all five fingers together as a hand, our hand isn't 5 times stronger than an individual finger, it's more than 30 times stronger.  That's the synergy of teamwork.  We need to find like-minded people, then choose to work co-cooperatively with those who are trustworthy.
9. Education   We need to educate ourselves, as well as all those around us.  This is a complicated issue, touching most people.  It's probably too complex for any one person to fully understand all the issues, players, and skills.  Through teamwork and education we can fully understand the opposing forces, then our alternatives, and define a path to our new future that will work.  We need to seek out the solutions that have worked before for others, then adapt them to fit our struggle.  We must understand both the how, and the why.
10. Leadership  We need a Leader, and we need to provide leadership for most others.  Great Leaders don't do great things, they inspire others to do great things.  In that way, they multiply their effectiveness dozens to thousands of times.
    
    

    "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus."    Martin Luther King

    
    

    "The transformation required will not take place in the absence of leaders. It will not be spontaneous."
    The New Economics, Dr. W. Edwards Deming (1900 - 1993)