It's just about RAISING our community's standards... raising our personal standards... raising the standards of our paid service providers... looking to achieve standards that demonstrate a touch of world class.
But it is so easy to lose the plot. Here are some examples.
Take a look at this humorous video extract by Permission Marketing guru: Seth Godin - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4101280286098310645&hl=en - where I'm almost sure that he could have been discussing our Lonehill community signs.
The gist of his presentation is how people in positions of responsibility/accountability actually show embarrassing clues as to how they clearly don't care by the things they leave 'broken' for all to see.
Say's Seth (to paraphrase): 'Why design a sign to say... NOTHING..!'Really what our blank community signs say is that something is 'broken' in Lonehill... someone in 'charge' of communication just doesn't care that R7 200 was recently spent on refurbishing these signs - for what?
What if the signs at least contained a positive message from the LRA and interactive contact for emergencies - something to show the LRA really cares for the moment.To get the silliness of the message being sent to our community, go to one of Seth's pet project sites - www.thisisbroken.com
Take for instance, the smell of raw sewage permeating through Lonehill this past week, as it spills down the main bridle path spruit into the dam, giving the impression that Lonehill STINKS.
When something is left 'broken' the perception is far more powerful than the reality.
Surely, after 4 or 5 such spills this year alone, that can only have had a lasting impact on our dam pollution levels, SOMEONE can now be traced and held responsible for compensation to be made to the Lonehill environment fund? If the ACSA airport fuel spillage can have consequences for polluting dams in Boksburg/Benoni, why not this?
How many people also see the fire hydrant lying at 45 degree angle at the Franschoek bend... and the red cones on over-sized manhole covers and over holes in the ground. Why not just do things right or repair them ASAP, instead of showing people how much they don't care by highlighting the 'broken' commitments with red cones for days and weeks at a time?
And a Security Guard, Manager or Service Provider walking or driving past litter on the ground, or past a young tree bent over having broken from it's stake, to me, shows someone who doesn't care... who leaves our community 'broken'.
Which brings me to the main point of this week's message. Whilst I understand that current leadership are feverishly unwinding positions from the past, the question I ask is: What do we intend to do in Lonehill that makes us 'World Class'... or that at least shows that we are working towards a touch of world class?
Here we are, after six years, having spent over a R100 Million in mass-consumer security spend... and what do we have to show for it that puts us in the 'world class' bracket?
Oh yes, in the first few years of this initiative we were at the leading edge of community security initiatives... but not today... almost every community is doing the same.... and many are doing it better.
Take a look at what Sandhurst estate agents are doing to beautify their community traffic circles and roadsides.
Why not us. Someone started in Pineslopes. Why so long for this to take root in Lonehill's circles and open spaces? Because something's 'broken'? Because no one really cares enough? What a great missed opportunity for estate agents, garden nurseries and this community to do something world-class.
So what makes us unique? What makes us special?
In the early days our innovative efforts had a massive impact on Lonehill property prices, proving what a Wharton University study has just underscored: Economic Value of Community-Based Investments - '..community-based investments provide significant economic benefits to neighborhoods as well as citywide gains. The study reveals that property values can increase 25 percent when integrated projects have been completed.'
It's easy to see what happens when a community's leadership and management sits on its backside and 'fiddles while Rome burns' - something breaks! Or as Seth says: 'It's BROKEN'.
The hard lessons of life applies to community initiatives - if it is not growing it is dying!
It's my opinion that 'scarcity thinking' is not a model for growth... 'ABUNDANCE thinking' is.
So here's what I'm asking of our NEW leadership... what is it that we do that is WORLD CLASS?
And if nothing, what will we do to take our community into the WORLD CLASS league? And, if not an objective, why not?
What is it that LRA does WELL.... with a TOUCH OF CLASS?
What is that our service providers are truly proud of providing to our community... as being truly UNIQUE?
Focus on the answers to these questions and we'll all live in, happily CONTRIBUTE to, and attract corporate investors to, and build a community that we can truly be proud of.
Why? Because we have an economic incentive in our lifestyle, peace-of-mind and property investment values to see it happening.
Seasons greetings to all.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
