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My Generosity Experiment
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Monthly Archives: September 2012
And suddenly it’s up to you
I distinctly remember the first time I had this feeling in a professional setting. I was three years out of college, three years into my stint in management consulting, working for a client who wanted us to do a bunch … Continue reading
An “intangible” dividend?
So here’s a curious narrative: in the early 1990s, 4,600 poor families in LA, New York, Chicago and Boston were moved from very poor neighborhoods (more than half the residents living in poverty) to wealthier (less than a third of … Continue reading
Quiet, and silence
Pay attention, the next time you hear someone speak, to the difference between quiet and silence. Quiet is the sound of people paying attention and listening actively. But there are still rustling papers, people still shift in their seats, adjust … Continue reading
FDR and persistent experimentation
Acumen’s CEO Jacqueline Novogratz shared this with our team last week. It’s from FDR’s 1932 Commencement Address at Oglethorpe University. Especially today, our task is to remake the world which we find before us. We have no other option. Amazing … Continue reading
Posted in leadership
Tagged Franklin Delano Roosevelt, leadership, Oglethorpe University
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Not-so-small talk
It amazes me how much time we waste in our effort not to waste any time. Five, even ten minutes to understand who a person is, where they are today, now, at this moment…there’s no way that you can skip … Continue reading
The risks of economizing generosity
Another surprising revelation from Sandel’s book was hearing how some prominent economists think about generosity and civic action. In Chapter 3 of What Money Can’t Buy, Sandel talks about Richart Titmuss’ The Gift Relationship, published in 1970, in which Titmuss … Continue reading
Posted in Generosity
Tagged altruism, Generosity, markets, Michael Sandel, Richard Titmuss, The Gift Relationships, What Money Can't Buy
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What Money Can’t Buy
Harvard Professor Michael Sandel’s recent book, What Money Can’t Buy, is a critical look at the commoditization (economification?) of everything in our society. We’ve gone from a world with first class and coach tickets (which, to Sandel, apparently was mostly … Continue reading
If only that job were…
…bigger here and smaller there, just a bit more senior, with more (less?) supervisory responsibility, had a bit more of this and a smidge less of that, and it paid a bit more…well then it would be the perfect job. … Continue reading
Two runs
I just got back from vacation, which, when I’m not running after our three little kids, affords some time to exercise regularly. I’m still running with my “barefoot” Vibram shoes (which I love, and which are the reason I’m back … Continue reading
