Paul Soglin: Waxing America

The Bloomberg Challenge

It is not every day that a city has an opportunity to vie for a $5 million prize as it works to improve the lives of its citizens, but that is what New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has recently announced. 

Mayor Bloomberg has unveiled his Mayor's Challenge. Through his foundation, he is searching for innovative local solutions to national problems. He developed the Challenge to celebrate creative problem-solving through innovation that's happening in cities from coast to coast. The top five "greatest potential" ideas from cities across America will win funding from Mayor Bloomberg's foundation. One project will be awarded $5 million. Four others will win $1 million each.  I am predicting that Madison will win the challenge!

I ask you to log on, learn more, and share your ideas.

http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/challenge/timeline.cfm

There are hundreds of cities involved in the Challenge and not surprisingly, in a recent conference call, very little information was shared on specifics of proposals.  No one wants to tip his or her hand!  We do know there are some directives from the Bloomberg foundation, including that the ideas should address serious social or economic problems, improve customer service, enhance accountability, and/or create efficiencies in government.  Also, Mayor Bloomberg asks that the proposals can be duplicated, so if we have a great idea for Madison, the citizens of Nashville or Seattle can implement the project or plan.

In these very tight fiscal times, the additional funding would be a great way to assist the City as we face a number of challenges. I am asking you to share your ideas. No one is more innovative than the citizens of Madison and I am confident we will see many outstanding proposals. I look forward to hearing from you!

I am excited about this contest and although there is a tight turnaround schedule, August 9^th for the submissions, I am confident we will get some great ideas.  I look forward to keeping you abreast of our progress!

 

On Compromise

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to address attendees at a Downtown Madison Inc. breakfast meeting.  The issue of illegal signs and advertising was discussed. One member of the audience asked if I was willing to compromise.

I responded by saying, “I’m not interested in compromise. What I am interested in is coming to reasonable conclusions as to what will work when we value- when we look at all of these values…”

The media message that came from this was that I would not compromise. When the headlines focused on the first sentence of my statement, readers felt that I was intransigent in my position, unwilling to change or listen to others.

Compromising is not problem solving. Refusing to compromise is not refusing to consider alternative solutions.

Others have said it more eloquently than I could.

Stephen Covey, the author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People who recently passed said, “Compromise is the result of not properly perceiving the possible synergy of the situation.”

Brad Feld, Managing Director of Foundry Group said it best:

Compromise is a negotiation strategy, not a problem solving strategy.

• Compromise doesn’t care whether or not you actually solve the root cause problem.
• Compromise is two polarized positions converging based on each giving something up rather than problem solving.

 “The downside to compromising is that it can be an easy way out and reduces new creative options.  If you constantly split the difference or ‘straddle the fence,’ game playing can result and the outcome could be less than ideal.” Fisher, Ury and Patton, Getting to Yes, 1991

And, by the way, the discussions on signs and advertising continue.