Understanding Transformation

Global extreme poverty has declined precipitously and will soon be statistically negligible (under 5% according to the World Bank - that's not a consolation for that 5% but the nature of the problem changes according to people sitting in conference rooms in tall buildings).

When I say this, people often object as if this can’t be true or isn’t a good thing.

And, of course, there are the ‘nothing’s-good-enough’ crowd that sanctimoniously adds: Well for the >5% they’re still facing a horrible life!

But why aren’t we all happy? Ecstatic even?!

Isn’t this the end-game - the solution we’ve all been asking for, planning to accomplish, raising revenue to solve?!

It is striking that we don’t seem to have any idea what a solution actually looks like when it works - especially nonprofits and ngos!

We did it! We’ve almost reached out promised solution!! This is what success looks like!!! It worked!!!!

But without this celebration from ALL promising to solve a problem, asking for other people’s money to do it, and delivering on that promise, we’re sending a clear message - We don't understand progress and transformation.

So if I were you, I’d be celebrating - throwing parties for stakeholders and generous givers and volunteers and customers who accomplished something amazing - something ‘they’ said couldn’t be done!

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