Cry The Beloved Community

Why should we be concerned about our Lonehill Community Security Initiative..?

Perhaps this plaintive cry below, with accompanying pictures, from a Pretoria household - just 30 or so kilometres from us - under attack this week, explains why. The date- and time-stamped pictures seem to verify that it is not a myth and a very real incident report.

Don't let the communication be demoralising... take it as a motivation for us all to develop the BEST quality anti-crime initiative we can... it's OUR community... not the criminals!

Subject: Pta, Newlands gisteraand 24-01-07:

I would like to share with you a terrible experience I had on the 24th of January 2007, which ended well under the circumstances.

I live in (address supplied), Newlands in the Pretoria Eastern suburbs. Just another Wednesday night, and busy rounding up some work on my computer, when I see that my brother in law returns home after visiting his girlfriend.


After my brother in law has parked I notice some guys sneaking in just before the gate closes. I try and refocus, the picture I have just witnessed, thinking it cannot be.


When I realise the criminal act that is in progress, I recollect my thoughts and actions, I run towards my alarm console and activate the panic button.


Not to bothered by the sirens of the alarm, these criminals still struggle away with the gate and basically rip the entire gate off of it's rail.


Now all 4 of the criminals are on the premises. The first 2 that snuck in is busy holding my brother in law at gun point, taking his car keys, cellphone and wallet, and questioning him about the presence of more people on the premises (Just your typical armed robbery scenario according to Brooklyn Police officers). Luckily my brother in laws response is "No". At this time my 3 kids are sleeping not aware of any danger just happening outside of their bedroom windows.


My Neighbour next door starts to shout out towards my side, mocking the alarm, not aware that a crime is in progress.


At this stage I had contacted one of my police friends, who immediately called in assistance.


My brother in law starts to shout out in a frantic panic, and this is when the criminals decide to head out. My neigbour realises what is happening and shouts out towards the criminals. They fired 2 shots in his direction in the breakaway run. One of the bullets traveled up to the second story window, where my neighbours son was standing watching the incident.


My neighbour across the road fired a warning shot which probably helped convince the criminals they are not welcome. The criminals got into the car seen in the very first picture behind my brother in laws car, and drove off.

In the very first picture, you can see the typical normality of just arriving at home, and wanting to continue with your every day evening events, not realising that a car that has just passed you are filled with hardened criminals, that is out to prey on the normal citizens of society. When the alarm was triggered they still continued with their act of crime, not too bothered by any possible consequences. (Probably because jail life in SA, is better than making your own living)

I thank God that he directed my eyes towards the camera's at that very moment seeing the incident happen, it could have gone very south for me and my whole family.

I raise a salute towards the SA Police of Brooklyn and ADT which arrived on the scene within 5 minutes from the initial call."Well done!!!"

I am thankful for following my own premonition's a few weeks earlier to invest in a CCTV system, fixing my electric fence and alarm system, that had been out of action for a few weeks then. (Isn't this just sad how we are forced to live in the greatest country in the world?)

Now we just need to hope and pray that our country will start moving to action and implementing stricter rules and penalties to help protect the citizens that are making a difference.

In the last few months our media has been so filled with similar incidents and crimes, just many of them weren't as fortunate as we were. It is sad that our country wants to be a world class player in major events, but it doesn't even have the capacity to provide protection to its citizens. What about power, transport and a dozen other basic necessities.

What is the government going to do? is the question. People I urge all of you who are currently a part of this nation to apply pressure in all ways and means within your powers to ensure your voice be heard regarding this unacceptable lifestyle we have to be satisfied with, in the most beautiful country in the world.

S S (Full name supplied)

What is the government going to do? Perhaps a better point to make is what YOU would do if YOU were in Government - and then rally for that support and action.

In Lonehill, we have proven that increased VISIBILITY and proactive-security initiatives can make a BIG difference - and that would be my suggestion to Government - take the Police to the people in the communities - put more visible police on the beat (in vehicles) in defined areas.

Perhaps community security initiatives (using Security companies) should be funded/subsidised by Government in much the same way as the Taxi industry is funded (R50,000 per vehicle) as part of Govt's national transport 'solution'.

In the meantime, what we can do is to work TOGETHER to INCREASE anti-crime VIGILANCE and VISIBILITY initiatives in our community to deter this societal-blight from taking our families out. The pictures above show the critical importance of taking such initiatives seriously.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

Building Community-BUSINESS Partnerships

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. - Benjamin Franklin

If our community initiative is to grow it will mean that something DIFFERENT will have be done in a BIG way from previous years.

Here are some hints as to the way can go - perhaps we need a dedicated strategy to forge community-business relationships.

Here are some interesting resource links:

1. Building Business-Community Partnerships - http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/management/view_help_sheet.do?articleid=547

2. Community Business Partnerships - Are You Ready? A Checklist of Points for Implementing a Successful Community - Business Partnership = http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/business/view_help_sheet.jsp?articleId=820

3. Help Sheets - Before You Get Started in a Partnership - http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/business/view_article.jsp?articleId=1155

4. Community Leadership Centre - http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/leadership/leadership_article.jsp?articleId=488

5. Auditing your community assets - http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/management/view_help_sheet.do?articleid=9

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

Move Over For The INNOVATION Generation

Was at the University of Pretoria (Tukkies) Orientation Day for Students and Parents on Sat. 20th Jan. (yup, as older daughter finishes at UCT, youngest enters into Tukkies - it doesn't stop) where I was captivated by the Vice-Chancellor's address.

In essence, Prof. Pistorius underscored how Tukkies had 'rid itself' of the old-fashioned, autocratic, conservative-style of 'management by decree' to instil a 'value-based participatory democracy' to 'produce respected world-leaders of the INNOVATION Generation'.

I just smiled as I thought of how his speech echoed the simple messages promoted in this blog to our local Lonehill leadership - i.e. open transparency, value-based leadership and innovation.

But first, let's doff a cap in recognition of the continuing signs of open transparency beginning to return to our initiative... the emails discussed below are an inkling of what this commentator has been looking for.

The latest LRA emails - Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 9:40 AM Subject: INCIDENT UPDATE & Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 5:59 PM - Subject: IMPORTANT SECURITY ANNOUNCEMENT - begins to get us all back into understanding that we live in a REAL community with REAL issues.

What the five incidents in the past week allow us to do is:

1. To ensure that our wives and daughters are aware that bag-snatchers are a reality in our shopping centres and to ensure that you continuously - WATCH YOUR BACK - in your rear view mirror as you return home. If there is someone you don't know on your tail drive to the nearest patrolling guard.

2. For the LRA sales team to approach the non-subscriber households broken into to find out why they are not part of the security initiative important market research)... and to also approach each non-subscriber household with this story to promote the benefits of the community working together by being part of the initiative.

3. To demonstrate to all that, whether in complex or in free-standing home, criminal elements are constantly in our midst and we have to continually hone our security game to beat them

4. To question why security companies and/or personnel still cannot proactively prevent such incidents at shops and homes despite the numbers around. Seems to me that there must be poor training into awareness of what constitutes suspicious characters profile looks and actions... especially considering the numbers of security personnel in our area at any one shift (I estimate between 80 to 100).

5. And if 4. above is considered an unfair observation, let us see the good news about where and how our proactive security IS working.

I firmly believe that any community that is spending close to or over a R1 Million in security spend is missing a big trick by not demanding FAR MORE liability cover for specific non-performance from such security company directors when crime incidents occur in their territories. When such company directors begin to feel the pain of crime in THEIR pockets they will put their minds to training and strategically utilising their workforce to do the job we really pay them to do.

Another big trick that we are missing, I believe, is the inspired thinking and input of 'Good To Great' INNOVATION Generation input.

Where ARE the big ideas? Where is The BHAG - the BIG Hairy Audacious Goal for our community. Where are the FRESH dynamic minds and inspired thinkers? Where are the Church leaders, street & complex leaders, business leaders, Crawford college students and other young minds (whether 80 years 'young') being encouraged to give of their input?

It is not for their not being around - I know where some of them are in our community! Why are they not already invited on board?

If any of our local leadership are standing in the way of this needed progress, move over to the portfolios you CAN handle well, and invite/bring in the fresh innovators to allow this community initiative to grow. There should be plenty of room for everybody in an open and inclusive community environment.

And, if YOU are indeed the innovative leader we seek in this community - show us by stimulating some BHAG action and results!

Here's a great link to stimulate Good To Great thinking, leadership and application: http://www.jimcollins.com/

This site has EVERYTHING Lonehill leadership needs to contruct a great future strategy... e.g.: 'If you need help to find your core values and core purpose, it may be time to consider a “Mars Group.” - Download the “Mars Group ” PDF - http://www.jimcollins.com/pdf/Mars_Group.pdf

The site also contains Jim Collins' latest writing: Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking Is Not the Answer - http://www.jimcollins.com/lib/articles/socialsectors.html . Collins discusses what can be the '..fundamental difference between the business and social sectors. The third circle of the Hedgehog Concept shifts from being an economic engine to a resource engine. The critical question is not “How much money do we make?” but “How can we develop a sustainable resource engine to deliver superior performance relative to our mission?”

Personally, I think it is a healthy combination of the two that has to be considered in the Lonehill community initiative - money and/or resource - whatever terminology attracts the passionate drivers. But that's the point of conversation... to openly highlight, discuss and select ideas for implementation. All the ideas in the world are useless if not actioned!

I'm hoping to see MASSIVE progress in this vein on our OPEN community discussion evening on Tuesday 6th February.

As Jim Collins says: 'Good is the enemy of great!'. I ask, so how much worse is mediocrity? How do our leaders and stakeholders rate our Lonehill community project... mediocre... good... great?

This communication covers some of the questions and insights that I'd like to see discussed and answered on 6th February.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

OPEN Inclusive vs. CLOSED Exclusive

It's nice to see the encouraging comment in the latest LRA email: 'There have been no reported criminal incidents in Lonehill for the past two weeks. The last incident was on the 30th December, where the premises had no alarm and was not an LRA subscriber.'

Hopefully this means that something DIFFERENT is being applied by our new leadership team to carry this trend forward.

It is also encouraging to see some OPEN reporting of actual crime trends for us to begin once again to analyse the local crime situation for ourselves as mature stakeholders. I'd certainly like to see a weekly feedback of such crime incidents or lack-of-crime-announcements attached to our weekly emails or posted to our community website.

Which gets me thinking as to how the core of our local leadership policy, since the beginning of the Lonehill Community Security Initiative in 2000, had clearly swung from being an 'OPEN & Inclusive' model in its initial 3-year launch phase... to a 180° polar opposite 'CLOSED & Exclusive' model, which in my opinion squandered opportunities that normally present themselves in the most important growth phase timing window open to most serious projects of this nature.

I view the former model as an ABUNDANCE model, and the latter as a SCARCITY model.

My postulate for discussion in this post is that the 'OPEN Inclusive' model of community leadership is by far the healthier alternative to the 'CLOSED Exclusive' model - which to me is a cancer to any community initiative.

See how Pitkin County build OPEN & Inclusive values into their Community Relations Guiding Principles and Policies.

Here's what I learnt very quickly when initiating the original Lonehill Security Action Group back in 2000... when you bring together an up-market community grouping of independent, self-made, high-ego, assertively opinionated individuals, you are guaranteed to be confronted by very different opinions on almost every subject of discussion.

What takes place is much like the initial few days of hierarchical positioning by the marooned challengers on the reality TV series - SURVIVOR. Some individuals make instant first impression decisions about people they like or dislike, and most set about quickly forming alliance groups to further their own individual aims - whatever their vested interests (and make no mistake, EVERYONE has a vested interest whether social or commercial) - for being part of the overall group.

I firmly believe that the initial 3-year launch phase 'OPEN Inclusive' model we followed allowed for personal likes and dislikes of others to be mostly suppressed in favour of allowing interested contributors to openly attend any meeting they wanted and to make meaningful contributions as they saw fit.

I am also of the opinion that the introduction of paid administrators in Year 4 coincided with and/or led to an unfolding 180° polar opposite shift to the 'CLOSED Exclusive' model of leadership which in my opinion led to the first 2006 AGM meeting debacle. The error here may well have been the apparent belief by some that the community really doesn't care for what the few do with their resources. 'Nuff said, if that was the belief, hopefully it was stopped dead in its tracks.

In seeking to understand the difference between the two models I offer this possibility of what people may say/think at the extremes of each model.

The 'OPEN Inclusive' extremist may say openly: 'Hey, I don't like you and/or your opinions, but I acknowledge what you're good at, so select your role and I'll wish you the best of success in greatly improving the lot of our community and give you all the information you need to be successful - now get on with it and deliver.'

The 'CLOSED Exclusive' extremist may or most likely, may well not say (but instead, act out on this mind-set): 'Hey, I don't like you and/or your opinions and I'm going to make it as difficult as possible for you to have any part to play in this community. I'll leave if you do. It's you or me! There is no room for the two of us.'

Such 'CLOSED Exclusive' individuals are easy to spot, they are generally 'control'-oriented and sprout about the importance of hierarchical 'order' and 'closed meetings' that they can control, like to have 'yes'-people telling them what they want to hear and generally do everything to cover up or justify the incompetence of their underlings to maintain their 'superior' status, and pointedly react in disgust and alarm at the mere mention of controversial individuals names who dare to question or cross them.

Clearly, in a community of independent, self-assertive people - of the qualities I have described a few paragraphs above - the 'CLOSED Executive' model is DOOMED to failure. The only people who don't see this are such thinkers themselves.

Why broach this subject? Simple. I have this little feeling that remnants of the 'CLOSED Exclusive' model protagonists are still seated within our current LRA leadership structure whose thinking it is to preclude members of this community from open access to any and all information or to preclude individuals from participating in taking the project on to new heights. I maintain that this thinking is cancerous to our community initiative ideals and I challenge such thinkers to find a way to INCLUDE every willing participant who wants to play a part in growing this initiative - or to at least hold up their hands and say why the 'CLOSED Exclusive' model is their preferred option and why they exclude clearly capable people from actively participating.

Of course, I am happy to have this inclination of mine proved wrong - it will be refreshing if it is.

I'm looking forward to this new leadership's first OPEN public feedback meeting on Tuesday 6th February at 19:00 - venue: The Lonehill Village Church.

To end, I notice that posters that are nailed into poles and trees at a height of two metres or higher remain for longer than 3 weeks (Franschoek & Boulevard) and that the grass in the parks and bridle paths are reaching embarrassing heights. Surely these instances just takes some instant ACTION (with a two metre ladder) within 24 hours & a little forward PLANNING (we have a rainy season every year where the grass grows at twice the normal cutting rate)..?

I don't get paid for these observations, but we do pay over a MILLION RAND per annum for service providers to make these observations and take instant action. After a good couple of years on the job you would think that they could do these little things with their eyes closed, wouldn't you? Until they do, like it or not, they will always open themselves to criticism for incompetence.

There is an old strategy maxim that maintains that experience is not gained by making the same mistakes year after year. Our service providers are in danger of showing just how inexperienced they may well be at delivering on a quality community project. It's clear, I am not an INCOMPETENT service provider's friend! On the other hand, show me what a great job YOU do and I'll praise you to the hilt.

I am a believer that to be accepted as a paid service provider in Lonehill should be a privilege responded to by the delivery of EXCELLENT service levels above the norm, diminishing the need for volunteers being required to monitor them (this is not to take away from those volunteers who WANT to and ENJOY providing community observations - such action is highly commendable and implies a positive desire for upliftment of standards in our community). Otherwise find service providers who will respond to the privilege accorded to them by our community.

For those who are doing their absolute best to make a difference in our Lonehill community I say a BIG THANK YOU... for those that know that they are an embarrassment to themselves and holding back our initiative, have the grace to move aside into your own channel (hey, I'm of the OPEN Inclusive model remember) and open up the information available to allow others to participate in making a difference where they believe they can.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

Want To Enrich The World? Start In YOUR Community

Writes ANTHONY WILSON: Trevor, I think the following quote, spoken by President Woodrow Wilson in the early twentieth century on the subject of the spirit of achievement, may be appropriate in the context of community collaboration:

You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.

Anthony.

ANTHONY WILSON
+27 83.592.61.33

Thanks Anthony, your quote captures the essence of my opinion of the leadership and service provider CHALLENGE in Lonehill, and that is to lead and motivate the entire community by example to '..live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement... to enrich the world'.

I see that Saturday morning meetings with the LRA directors at Mugg & Bean in Lonehill resume again this weekend... this is a great opportunity for individual stakeholders to share their honest opinions and input with our community decision-makers.

And it seems that our 'first' public feedback meeting of this current LRA board's tenure will take place in February. I'm looking forward to that - reminds me of a 'First 100 Days In Office' review. I'm hoping to see an honest, OPEN appraisal of where we've come from, where we are, and where we're going as a community.

As Anthony opened with a quote, I'm going to close with a quote which points to where I believe the greatest CURRENT challenge lies for our community to achieve great ambitions:

“The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” - Thomas Kempis

For me, the legacy that every LRA Board leadership team should leave is a MORE SOLID foundation to enable the next board to take the community to NEW heights.

Nothing can be more soul-destroying and damaging to a project than for others to have to pick up its crumbling pieces each year. Nothing is learnt by doing the same things and repeating the same mistakes year after year.

And Community FOUNDATIONS, in my opinion, are built upon CORE VALUES. I wonder if anyone can recall the founding values of the Lonehill Community Initiative. I'm guessing that they'd been forgotten over the past couple of years. To me, a community without foundation values is as ineffective as a compass without a magnetic needle.

Check out this link for a neat article on how to Build a Strategic Framework: Mission Statement, Vision, Values...

To see how a community embraces the importance of establishing a foundation of core values go to www.whitebear.k12.mn.us/schools/corevalues.html

I look forward to the LRA annual AGM handover to a new leadership team that goes something like this: 'That's what the last year's team handed on to us as their legacy, this is what we ADDED to the project in the year that it was under our watch and we're proud to hand this legacy over to the new leadership team to improve upon.'

Having said that, great architects & engineers will tell that lessons CAN be learnt from projects that don't rise to any heights or even collapse in the process... and that is to analyse what processes, systems, people, materials were involved that led to the collapse - and to remove the weak links so as not to repeat the mistakes. Sometimes one just has to adjust the mix to get a different result.

Just don't believe THAT to be easy, because the egos of those involved in the past will resist and fight the change in every way possible (even subconciously) - it's just human nature. Quality leadership, to me, recognises the reasons for that resistance and ensures that it does not stop progress towards the ideals extracted from Anthony's quote: '..live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement... to enrich the world'.

Looking forward to February's public feedback meeting.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

Communities Are CONVERSATIONS

Here's wishing you all a prosperous 2007 that makes you HAPPY.

My wish for our Lonehill community in 2007 is that our NEW LRA leadership recognises that the world of community and associated technologies - aka social networking - has changed markedly over the past 6 years since launching our community initiative. What was done in the past may very well not work in the future.

The change is akin to moving from the ox-wagon agricultural society of the early 1800's to Stevenson's 'Rocket' steam engine (1829) that ushered in new Industrial Revolution innovations of the time.

And that's my wish for us in 2007... innovative leadership & ideas in Lonehill.

We need leadership to recognise that communities are about conversations, collaborations, connections, communications. That communities must be OPEN... not 'closed'. That all comments and contributions (no matter how mature or immature) are to be welcomed for the input and insight that can be gathered from them. That there are no such things as community conversations that are 'negative' or 'anti' or 'slanging matches' unless leadership gets too sensitive or precious about themselves and cannot handle the criticism that comes with the position.

Here's some examples of how other 'communities' prepare for the above:

1. Building Blocks To Community Inclusion - a deliciously simple insight into stimulating community conversations. PDF
2. Vancouver Foundation: Community Conversations - Honest, open assessment feedback of internal/external challenges. PDF
3. Strengthening Community Collaborations - Simple layout of frameworks and processes for stimulating collaboration
4. ‘Conversation, Community, Connection, and Collaboration: Practical, New Technologies for User-Centered Services' - technical
5. The Attributes Of Community - Great piece on what makes a community buzz (see also ten tools for network building)
6. A Community Conversation - A professional assessment example format for stimulating feedback. PDF
7. The Cluetrain Manifesto - Markets Are Conversations - Elvis said it best: "We can't go on together with suspicious minds."

Here's what I'd like to see happening ASAP in Lonehill (preferably before end January - seem to recall that this is an LRA intention)... an intensive collaborative meeting of all interested and specifically-invited stakeholders to contribute their input into what will make Lonehill GREAT.

I'd like to see Malcolm Pike and his team from Crawford College there (with pupil representatives perhaps Grades 10's and 11's who can form a junior LRA council to add their inputs and innovations); local Church leaders and their teams; all complex and street leaders; business leaders (especially representing major business interests in and around our community); fire station and police/metro leaders, et al.

To my mind, we MUST have a community of some of the most talented individuals in society to have made it in life and business in and around Lonehill... why not tap into this source of immense innovation and ideas?

More than anything, wouldn't it be great to wrap up such a meeting with a social game of 20-over cricket - the community vs. the pupils and teachers of Crawford - to begin an annual tradition in Lonehill..? I can see braais burning and salads being eaten on the bank as the community wolf-whistles and cat-calls the heroes and fluffs of the day. If I can still see the ball I'd love to play - perhaps there can be a handicap advantage for over-50's... ;-)

Above picture found on link to Village Green Cricket.

May your 2007 be everything you want it to be.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 705-2790
Lonehill Resident