De-Escalation vs. Nonviolent Resistance
Not many people know this, but I took a “break” from homelessness in 2013. I started an organization that assisted churches who were using nonviolent resistance against dictatorships. I worked primarily in Zimbabwe. The first time I went there I was arrested within an hour of arriving. That sucked. The last time I was there […]
My son asked me to explain my moral code.
My son is 25 years old. He and I had a father-son dinner a few weeks ago at a small Italian restaurant. In between the calamari and the chicken parmesan he asked me to explain my moral code. As a parent, there are a few moments that matter more than others. This felt like one […]
How do you keep up staff morale during tough times?
This Thursday we are doing a free webinar on staff morale. It was a panel discussion with three seasoned leaders of organizations. The webinar is free to everyone. Information is at the bottom of the email. We made a one-page handout of the best takeaways. My favorite is at the bottom: “Immediate answers are NOT […]
My wife thought I would hit her.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I went for a walk while on vacation. We had one of those special conversations where you learn something new from someone you’ve known for a quarter century. My wife told me that the first time I got angry with her, she thought I would hit her. We […]
Blame the Clothes
As a college student, I did laundry as infrequently as I could get away with. Disclaimer: I generally wore clean clothes, but that meant I frequently was down to an empty closet before I headed to the laundromat. I only remember it being a problem once. It was an unseasonably warm spring my sophomore year. […]
“If you don’t do something about Joe, we will!”
Mike didn’t look happy as he worked his way through the crowded shelter dining room heading towards me. Mike had been homeless for several years. I knew him well. I knew the conversation we were about to have wasn’t going to be pleasant. “If you don’t do something about Joe, we will,” Mike hissed at […]
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.
For this weekly newsletter, I usually write whatever it is that I need to read. This week, what I need to read was already written by someone else. So, I’ll just share that… “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are […]
The problem with de-escalation…
De-escalation has one MAJOR problem. The problem is NOT that it doesn’t work. The research is clear that de-escalation works: No, the problem with de-escalation isn’t its effectiveness. The problem is that someone has to go first. In conflict, someone has to go first… and lower their volume. Someone has to go first… and genuinely […]
A few years ago, I gave up cynicism for Lent.
A few years ago, I gave up “cynicism,” “inaction,” “powerlessness” and “apathy” for Lent. I was tired of feeling helpless in the face of what was happening to our country. I needed to do something more than just complain on social media. For 40 days I called a legislator’s office every day. I gave my […]
“Please turn in police officers who behave badly.”
Howdy! Our next webinar is about how to handle police misconduct. There’s a twist, though… To avoid getting bogged down in an unhelpful culture war debate, I interviewed a Sheriff to find out what law enforcement recommends. In the interview, Sheriff Ron Hain of Kane County, Illinois offers a lot of nuance, but his basic […]
