The Economics of Experience

As my 58th birthday came and went a few weeks ago, the thought of a new career became more exciting than ever. My former career, as a television news executive and producer, formally ended 11 years ago. I chose to leave because the problems afflicting television stations and networks were clear to me back then. I even wrote about it and got the piece published in the San Diego Union Tribune (If you’re a UT subscriber you can find the Op Ed piece in the archive; it’s from May 23, 2000. You can also access the UT archive for a fee, if you don’t subscribe). Since then I’ve worked in related fields as a consultant helping clients achieve success by using new media effectively, along with older technologies including TV, newspapers, and radio. Since the economy slowed, toward the end of 2007, finding new clients has become increasingly difficult. And my recent efforts to get back into TV news have been met with a consistently polite lack of acceptance, from potential employers.

During the last year, I’ve noticed more of my contemporaries out of work. Most would rather be working. In a few cases their chosen fields have passed them by; things are done differently now. But in the overwhelming majority of situations it is something else that has all these 50 and 60 somethings looking for jobs. There is a lack of appreciation for experience and a fundamental failure to recognize why older workers add value.

The most dramatic example of experience over youthful inexperience would be the outcomes of two recent midair emergencies on commercial flights. A 57 year old, Capt. Chesley Sullenberger landed a crippled US Air jet in the Hudson River with no loss of life. Less than a month later, a Continental Express Commuter flight crashed in Buffalo, New York, killing everybody onboard. As we now know, the Buffalo crash was partially the result of pilot inexperience, while the so called “Miracle on the Hudson” happened, in large measure, because the man flying the plane had more than 30 years experience.

Even if our jobs don’t involve the safety of others, the benefits of experience add value to most enterprises. Obviously, certain careers require youth. But most of my friends, who would rather be working, lost their jobs, after years of experience, because they earned good salaries. What the leaders doing the cutting failed to realize is that, in most cases, losing experienced workers weakens their organizations.

Television news is the field I know best. It is not a coincidence that the falling ratings over the last decade are the result of a less watchable product, caused in part by the lack of experience younger workers bring to the task of producing and presenting newscasts. Yes, there are many other reasons TV news is not the powerful force it used to be. The most obvious is competition from the internet and other newer technologies that provide news. But that is precisely the point. Instead of embracing the new technologies, the entrenched leadership of old media clung stubbornly to what they knew best.

Now here’s the tricky part, this has little to do with the age of workers. Two experienced media vets whom I know and respect—both in their 60s—were among the earliest adopters of new technology. Another person I know, an out-of-work woman in her 50s, also understands the new technologies as well as the Gen X, Gen Y, and Millenial crowd. What these three individuals add to their tech know-how is the experience of living in the world and understanding the history of their professions and crafts.

Clearly we need a mix; generational diversity is as important as having an ethnic and gender balance that reflects those an organization serves. Those of us who have been around for a while also understand that learning new skills is part of professional and personal growth. Most of my out of work friends would happily learn new things to stay in the forefront of their professions. In many cases, experience offers a constructive humility that makes the older worker easier to train.

As an older student, studying for a master’s degree with younger classmates, I’ve learned that the way my Boomer colleagues and I are viewed is often at odds with our own self image. This is a good reminder that service and humility go a long way toward achieving success even when it comes to those far less experienced than us. The demeanor and attitude of Capt. Sullenberger amply displayed these characteristics as news of his accomplishments spread. There is a lesson here for all of us, whatever our age.

So my quest for exploring new careers is motivated as much by desire as necessity. The good news is that for this so-called “older worker” new is exciting. I’m not ready to retire. As I continue to operate my media consulting business fresh opportunities and chances to learn add excitement and challenge. Experience is a great teacher, too. In these difficult times, having a few gray hairs might not be such a bad thing for all kinds of organizations.

Aquarius Revisited and Worth the Trip

If you are in New York, anytime soon, go see “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical”. The current revival of the 1967 show, feels, at first, like a cultural artifact, almost campy for those of us who remember, and like an enjoyable musical history lesson for those born later. But that’s the first act. It’s full of songs many of us will recognize, performed by an attractive cast and a band that is placed prominently on stage and knows how to rock. While most of the cast was born after “Hair” was conceived and performed originally, several members of the band are old enough to remember the 60s. The new cast recording is now available on iTunes.

With Lyrics by James Rado & Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, what makes “Hair” so good more than 40 years after it opened on Broadway, the first time? Mainly, it’s how the music, staging, and story capture the political and social climate of the time, while entertaining us with outstanding staging, performances, and music. In the second act we find the dramatic center and emotional heart of this enduring work. The transition from “Three-Five-Zero-Zero” to “What a Piece of Work is Man,” is powerful, affecting, stagecraft. The reference to the number 3,500 comes from an Allen Ginsberg poem and refers to deaths in Vietnam. “What a Piece of Work is Man” is a song that takes lyrics from Shakespeare, and extols, in this case with sarcastic disappointment, the potential of humanity.

When I saw “Hair,” on Broadway in 1969, the subject matter was current and controversial. The performance I saw featured Barry Maguire who had a recent hit single at the time, “Eve of Destruction.” This was one year after Nixon was elected president, and also a year after Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated. The cultural counterpoints between Nixon in the White House and Hippies, along with many other Americans, protesting an increasingly unpopular war, gave “Hair” a prominent place in re-enforcing the need for change. The fact that several of its songs, including Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In, and the title track, all became hits on their own, added to the power and prominence of this counter-culture phenomenon. The first act ends with the actors taking off their clothes; this also added to the buzz around “Hair” when it opened in the sixties. And yes, the clothes still come off in the current production.

What is most striking to somebody like me, a fan of the show and music for 40 years, is that the audiences coming to watch today are as young and enthusiastic as I was in 1969. Rather than a bunch of people in their 50s and 60s, it’s younger audiences who seem to be making “Hair” a hit once again. And, if you’ve ever dreamed of dancing on Broadway, this is your chance. The final curtain calls include opportunities for the audience to join the cast and dance to the music.

“Hair” is one more reason to watch the Tony Awards, next Sunday (June 7th) on CBS. It’s usually the best of the awards shows, featuring performances from nominated shows. This year should be especially good, with “Hair”, “West Side Story”, and “Billy Elliot,” along with other nominated productions, supplying performances and music for the broadcast.

Ramblings about Weather, Sonia from The Bronx, and News

Cloudy Days

The morning skies are a bit darker these days as “May Gray” turns to “June Gloom” here in the lower left corner of the country. The Southern California sunshine that most of the world associates with San Diego stays hidden this time of year, along the coast, mostly in the morning. This weather offers little chance of rain or the arid winds that lead to the fires of fall. The ocean is still too cold for swimming, at least for most mortals, without a wet suit. Late spring’s darker skies mean summer’s warmer waters will be here soon, and the afternoons, even now, offer the possibility of sunny beaches and beautiful sunsets.

The seasonal changes, which are often overlooked in Southern California as too subtle to matter, remind us that we live in many worlds simultaneously. The world of nature is influenced by our actions but not controlled by what we do. Instead, we are much more likely to be controlled by hours of sunlight, water temperature, and what we need to wear in order to be comfortable. At the same time, social, political, and economic realities influence, also, in ways profound and simple. As California struggles, along with much of the country, to navigate its way through a terrible economic crisis, the macro view of a bankrupt economy the size of California’s, means personal suffering will increase as unemployment remains high, and services have to be cut. On a more personal level, the bad economy means finding new business or a job will be more difficult for some time.

A Most Worthy Justice

During the election campaign last year, I attended Camp Obama, a weekend training session for “community organizers” who would go on to lead grass-roots efforts to elect the president. One of the first things you are asked to do at Camp Obama is tell your personal story, or your “story of self.” The Obama leadership team, wisely, places great value in who you are, where you came from, and how you got to where you are today. As we’ve seen this week, with the selection of Judge Sonia Sontomayor as the president’s first choice to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, a compelling personal narrative carries much weight.

We hope Republican Senators have gotten the message that opposing somebody of Sotomayor’s judicial, and intellectual quality is a fruitless effort that will hurt the GOP more than it will hurt her nomination. Still, we can expect some challenging revelations and allegations between now and the time Judge Sotomayor is confirmed as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. Wouldn’t it be refreshing, though, if the Senate Republicans simply put the nomination on a fast track expressing their reservations but acknowledging the waste of time and taxpayer money that will be the result of serious attempts to derail her ride to the high court. This does not mean the Senate should abdicate its role in conducting a diligent and thorough process. It means the tone and approach should be businesslike and expeditious rather than contentious and petty. We shall see.

News and Communication

The continuing decline of the news media, as we knew them, should start to cause conscientious citizens--who value information and analyses they can trust--to wonder where the thinking person can turn for reliable news. We have a way to go before we lose our way completely, and there is still time to correct some of the wrong turns. But the momentum is headed in the wrong direction. With all the cutbacks at local newspapers and television stations, the news consumer is left with fewer choices, or at least different choices. In this space, we have mentioned several nascent efforts to supply so called hyper local coverage to communities whose newspapers have been downsized or eliminated. This is a good trend if the journalism they produce is worthy. Good reporting and writing require experience and talent.

As a life long advocate for freedom of expression I’m pleased to see web based technologies allowing individuals and organizations to communicate directly to people they want to reach. The theory is that the more voices expressing themselves in the marketplace of ideas, the better informed we become as citizens. As long as we understand where the information comes from and whose interests are being presented we gain from this sort of information. But when it pretends to be journalism, intrinsically fair and evenhanded, we have a problem. As media literate news consumers, it’s our responsibility to know the difference and let others know when free speech is commercial or partisan in nature. Journalism must maintain its independence in order to be valuable, whether it comes in the morning paper, the TV set, the radio, or the screen you’re reading now.

Connecting Through Failures and Glitches

During our recent trip to Europe my four year old Apple laptop started to experience "kernel panics." When this happens a gray screen pops up telling you--in four languages--to restart the computer. After a while I was able to get it to work long enough to read email and get through a few other essential tasks.

So, as soon as we got home, I made an appointment to visit the "Genius Bar," at the local Apple Store in San Diego's Fashion Valley Mall, to find out if it could be fixed. The young woman "genius" told me that for 280 dollars they would send my aged iBook out for repair and either fix it or not charge me. If they repaired it the warranty would only be for 90 days. She speculated that I had a bad Airport card or, much worse, a flawed logic board. She said that for another 50 dollars they would back up all my data. I decided the first thing I would do is back up the data myself and talk to a few folks who know more about these things than I do. After considering my options I decided to buy a new laptop and try to work with the old computer for as long as possible. It works reasonably well if the Airport function is turned off. (For those not familiar with Apple lingo, "Airport" is the WiFi component on Macs).

Back at the Apple Store the sales folks told me my best option for getting the new computer configured just the way I wanted was to buy it online and have it shipped to my home. I wanted a few upgrades to the higher end MacBook, which is not as expensive as the MacBook Pro. I ordered the new laptop a few days ago and have been following its progress to San Diego with the online tracking tool. This morning I found out the newly configured computer was shipped last night from Shanghai, China. This was a bit of a surprise for me but really should not have been. For some reason I was expecting the new machine to be coming from Cupertino, California, where Apple is headquartered; alas, I should have known better. In the global economy, adding a chip in China makes more sense than modifying memory in Silicon Valley.

For thsoe of us who depend on our laptops and other gadgets to keep us connected, having a failure far from home at first makes the panic in kernel panic seem highly appropriate. What quickly becomes clear is that if we don't have access to email or the ability to connect electronically for a few days, even a few weeks, we adjust, maybe even relax about it. After all, in Copenhagen and Paris finding a computer is no more difficult than finding a Carlsberg Beer or a finely made croissant. As long as we are in first world cities, connections are everywhere. But we do gain something, however small it is. By not having our own reliable laptop or Blackberry right at our side, we can look at things a little differently if we choose to do so. Those of us old enough to remember life before cell phones and personal computers recall that we got along just fine without them. Failures in technology force us to focus on where we actually are, physically and psychically, to be aware of the current moment. We ought to do this anyway, create pauses to be mindful of the present.

As I look forward to the arrival of my new computer, I do so with great anticipation. If you like technology and gadgets, getting a new computer is an exciting time, not quite as big a deal as a new car, but similar. As I reflect on kernel panics and other glitches I will try to remember that voluntarily disconnecting can lead to connections far more important and powerful than the additional RAM they just added to my new MacBook, in Shanghai.

We Have Not Disappeared

Hello, again, everybody. Travel and a temperamental laptop have slowed down our postings, but we are heading home to San Diego this evening and will share a few photos, now, until we get our blog's pace back to its usual tempo.

Enjoy.

These are not paparazzi stalking Angelina and Brad... it's Mona they are after, the Louvre's biggest star.






May Day found us in the middle of a very large "manifestation" designed to let President Sarkozy know that a wide range of groups were upset with current policies... for us it was a beautiful spring day in the French capital, manifest with a political protest of no specific concern, but high interest.


Typical tourists gazing at the sites of Paris.And now it's home to California!

Springtime in Denmark

The long trip from California to Copenhagen put us on the ground in Denmark at the beginning of the workday, last Friday. As we found our way from the airport to the hotel, only to learn—as expected—our rooms were not ready, we set out to enjoy a beautiful day in the Danish capital.

Old Europe, at least the “first world” part, thrives in the contrasts between high tech success and long-ago history, evident by buildings and art that span centuries alongside modern design and the latest gadgets.

Copenhagen is a cosmopolitan city with a unique style and pace. This time of year it’s light until about 9 in the evening. Danes enjoy good food and great beer. So, it’s easy to get into the atmosphere as long as you pay attention to your budget, as this is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

After two days in Copenhagen, we rented a van and drove our group of seven to Jutland, the green Danish countryside, the part of this old nation that is actually attached to the European Continent. Here, the pace is slower. Old friends welcome us and we get a sense of the national character away from the big city. Danish hospitality, good beer, and delicious food leave our hearts and taste buds happy.

A Time of Hope

I began writing the following blog on board CO 122 to Copenhagen,
on April 24, 2009. Between jet lag and computer problems, I am finally able to post it.

Children of Abraham,
Lay down your fears,
Swallow your tears,
And look to your heart.
by Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow is a popular artist—an A-list international rock star—currently doing some of the best work of her career. The words from “Out of Our Heads”, on the Detours album, express the hope of centuries. Strife in the Middle East represents an abiding threat to life as we know it. Religion often takes the rap for creating and perpetuating problems involving the region; most serious among those threats is the potential for a cataclysmic nuclear confrontation.

Last week at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI), in San Diego, California, I had the privilege of moderating a discussion about Abraham with four religious leaders. They explained how the father of monotheism is integral to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and still relevant as a model for the 21st Century. The panel included Monsignor Dennis Mikulanis--Catholic priest, pastor, and inter-religious affairs representative, the Rev. Dr. Jim Standiford--a Methodist minister, who serves as pastor of San Diego's First United Methodist Church, Rabbi Michael Berk—senior rabbi of CBI, part of the Reform movement, and Imam Taha Hassane—spiritual leader of the San Diego Islamic Center. These dialogs are part of CBI's adult education program and have been ongoing for ten years.

This program is open to the public and draws an audience from all the faiths represented on the panel. Each year I am impressed by how the differences among religions are discussed with respect. That is to say, we don’t ignore differences, but there is always an atmosphere of collegiality and good will. One challenge for these clergymen, who are all teachers and congregational leaders, is to explain their own faiths to those in the audience who know little about religions other than their own. The panelists explore differences and distinctions that define their faiths as they freely explain their own beliefs. Ultimately, similarities and common ground also emerge.

Perhaps it is California, iconic emblem of the “new” world, on the edge of the Pacific that allows these related but diverse traditions to join together in harmony. In this environment, different approaches to eternity mingle, in hopeful fashion, living possibilities of salaam, shalom, peace to men and women of good will.

As the warrior turned peacemaker, Yitzchak Rabin, remarked, before a zealot from his own “tribe” murdered him, loving our enemies can be a difficult, sometimes unrealistic goal; but living in peace, Rabin emphasized, must become our top priority.

I began this blog less than 24 hours after the dialog, on my way to Denmark and France for a family gathering. As we begin our descent into old Europe, we gain new perspectives on the state of our world. The era of Obama would seem to offer fresh opportunities for reconciliation and to build momentum toward a more peaceful planet.

We have had too much strife and emphasis on differences, “either-or” thinking, during the last eight years. The point is not about trying to make everything and everybody the same. It is respect and tolerance that will sustain us, not a Utopian fantasy world. But this will not necessarily flow from presidents and potentates, moguls or monarchs, it must grow from where we live, whether on the edge of the new world or in the heart of old.

Ahead of the Times

Today's NY Times has an interesting piece on the future of news. It addresses some of the same issues IrvsEyeView tackeled last month in a blog on a related topic. Now that it is in the Times, more media will be reporting on the trend; that's the way it works.

Creating meaning from information will drive successful hyperlocal news websites as they begin to fill in the gaps where newspapers and TV stations fail. Pure information portals already exist, in the form of Google and similar search engines. So journalistic values, such as quality coverage and breaking stories that would otherwise not be known, allow these newer websites to offer content that matters, the kind of stories that will drive eyeballs to the screens. The economic models present different obstacles but could be easily conquered if leaders of these new enterprises remain aware of the fundamental paradox that is the key to success. That's the subject of the blog mentioned above. Essentially, it means focusing on a smaller scale in order to grow.

It is good to know that the big media are paying attention; no doubt, this is part of a trend.

Bargain Basement Convergence or Real New Media

Crazy times. The debt laden Tribune Company is combining its two Hartford television stations with the newspaper it owns, The Courant, and making the TV stations' general manager publisher of the paper in addition to running the stations. Tribune management touts it as the future of media. It may be the way of the future but it will become a roadmap to disaster unless the company pays close attention to the details and the journalists who create the content.

As we watch General Motors attempt to reorganize, with great pressure from the government, you might enjoy David Brooks' take on it. TV stations risk fates similar to the automakers, because of short sighted business models that focused on cutting not building. Fear was a big motivator along with an aversion to risk. I fear that anyone who thinks you can just combine web, newspaper, and TV assets, doesn't understand the unique nature of each medium. I believe they are correct in combining certain resources but a poorly conceived joint operation will weaken them all and diminish the reasons users, readers, and viewers choose a particular website, paper, or station. They have to overlap and converge but cannot just become different platforms for identical or barely indistinguishable content. With all deference to the great McLuhan, they have to understand that each medium is its own message. The point is that they are doing what they are forced to do. There is no high concept or added value for viewers in what I read from the Tribune news release.

The successful convergence model will take advantage of pooled resources but must be built on the talent and creativity of journalists who understand the different media they serve. One size journalist doesn't fit all. The common qualities of newspaper writing and text articles for the web overlap to the greatest extent. But how you populate a website is a task much different from producing a newscast. The basic facts of news stories may be constant across platforms, but how you make that content meaningful on television requires a different set of skills and approach for the web, or radio for that matter.

The leaders of converged journalistic enterprises need to be symphony conductors, synthesizers who recognize that the gifted video editor may not be the best writer. And the on-camera communicator who addresses television viewers, may not be as effective on the small screens of smart phones and smaller devices that require more intimacy and less formality. These nuances will make the difference between meaningful content that matters and simply filling time, space, bandwidth.

As we become inundated with content and information, the journalist's most important role will be to sort through it all and make sense. In the old days news professionals saw themselves as "gatekeepers". The gate is wide open now, with blogs and applications like Facebook and Twitter. Today's journalist must be a sense maker who understands the different tools available to reach the public and how to use a particular set of tools well. The basic skills and traits that made a news man or woman good at a particular craft will serve them well in the future. But the money folks will have to understand that in order continue making money and creating value, investing in talent will pay the biggest dividends. When cutting costs becomes necessary it is even more critical to invest wisely in content that stands out and offers messages consistent with the particular medium on which it appears.

As Tribune consolidates in Hartford, how the merged media handle the "sense making" will be critical to the success of each entity. All generalists with few specialists will not give the audience a reason to read, watch or surf Tribune's newly combined operations. To get a piece of the Long Tail that fuels new media success stories, unique content well suited and particular to presently underrepresented areas must be nurtured and developed. Then this new approach can offer content and media that is creative rather than destructive, and actually will grow revenue; more important, it will serve its audience by helping make sense of our challenging moment.

Bailouts and Bonuses

The spectacle continues, failed executives reaping not what they have sown, but the benefits of bailouts and stimulus in form of bonuses from our taxes. President Obama tells Sec. Treas. Tim Geithner to get it back and the congressional financial services committee chair, the usually frank Barney, expresses outrage and threatens action. It’s a bit rich—the pun obviously intended—to expect anybody, just looking for a job, to be anything but outraged.

Maureen Dowd invokes the words of her father who cautioned against barricading a door with a boiled carrot. We’ve had a bit too many soggy vegetables and not enough real roughage in the Washington diet of late. AIG replaces the bankers and automobile geniuses as poster child of the week in the ongoing tales of “don’t these guys get it?” After a dressing down from the commander in chief, AIG chairman Liddy now says the AIG bonus babies are going to give half back; bravo! As one teacher I know once said, while explaining the cliché that truth is stranger than fiction, “you can’t make this stuff up”.

So send in the clowns. The only place to go these days for a dose of sanity is your favorite comedian. Whether it’s Stewart or Leno, O’Brien or Letterman, Maher or Colbert, they seem to be the only sane ones around. And they make us laugh. So when President Obama sits down with Jay Leno this week, maybe we can get past the cooked carrots and find out if there is something a bit more solid on the menu when it comes to calling out the malefactors who are raiding the treasury. Maybe some of those millions might find their way to job seekers and businesses that really need it.

Information vs. Wisdom & A Fundamental Paradox

Wisdom continues to be in short supply these days, even as we are overwhelmed with information. The task of sorting through the information at our fingertips, in order to find meaning, serves a useful purpose. For many years this was the job of journalists. As we've seen, lately, with the demise of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Denver's Rocky Mountain News, we'll have fewer traditional journalists helping us find meaning out of all the information available. TV news rooms have also shrunk. In several markets stations are pooling resources to save money, which means that fewer folks are out there gathering the news. As newspapers fail and TV stations--at least some in several markets--get out of the news business, social media in the form of websites like Facebook and Twitter offer more streams of information, but little more in the way of wisdom or meaning. The formula for a future with more wisdom and meaning in our lives has to include the best of journalism using the tools of the 21st Century, including social media and the evolving technologies of tomorrow. Where corporate newspapers and television stations have failed, entrepreneurs must emerge to fill the gap.

Understanding a fundamental paradox may help to navigate the economic obstacles blocking the best in journalism from finding its way with new technologies. Simply stated, contract and simplify to grow and thrive. To understand complexity we need simplicity. The hierarchies of traditional newspaper journalism were created to service large organizations requiring printing presses and distribution networks. Likewise, TV newsrooms needed big cameras, transmitters, and teams of people with different skills to produce all the material that fills a newscast.

For the individual journalists with entrepreneurial know how, the future is filled with opportunities. But the scale of organizations must be manageable and focused. Being the biggest can get in the way of being the best. Clearly, there will be large media organizations that continue to thrive and offer timely and meaningful content. The networks, a few national papers and magazines serve the public in important ways. But the days of five or more stations doing TV news in every market of reasonable size will certainly change. And as we're seeing with large daily newspapers starting to crumble, that era is over, too.

So back to the fundamental paradox and who will pay for the nimble entrepreneurs creating all this meaningful content? A few models of success come to mind. The West Seattle Blog was started by TV journalist Tracy Record and her husband Patrick Sand. Frustrated by the lack of good hyper local coverage of their neighborhood, the blog evolved into a business that makes money from advertising. Another local success story is The Voice of San Diego. It follows a non-advertising model, relying on donations from members, similar to how PBS and NPR stations raise revenue. And right now there are a number of new entries getting ready to launch including the San Diego News Network, and a web only version of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

To remain vital, these new media enterprises will have to continue evolving. As we've observed over the course of many years, technological innovation precedes the way content providers adapt. Sometimes it happens very fast. In the case of TV and newspapers it has been a slow, and now painful, evolution over the course of more than a decade. The advantage newer media entries share is their smaller scale allows them to change quickly. After all, it's much easier to steer a sports car than an 18 wheeler; of course, both require skill.

50 Years On Broadway, Just Down The Street

Just a block and a half apart, in the heart of New York’s theater district, two outstanding shows span 50 years and much more than time. They are In the Heights, reigning Tony winner for best musical,and a new revival of West Side Story. Named for the Manhattan neighborhoods in which they are set, Washington Heights and the West Side (Hell’s Kitchen?), they present particular views of Latino life in a city of dreams.

In the Heights offers optimism tempered with street smarts delivered with upbeat music set to literate lyrics in the form of resonant rap. It all works. The neighborhood is in the middle of a heat wave. The lights go out; they are powerless. But the real power is not the electrical current. It is in the lives of the neighborhood, a community built on caring for each other as they struggle and strive for something better, only to realize that in this little barrio they have all the important comforts of home.

West Side Story’s saga is more familiar, the Romeo and Juliet inspired forbidden love between a Puerto Rican girl and an Anglo boy. Maria and Tony fall for each other but prejudice and hate turn their attraction into tragedy.

One of the innovations of the current revival is that actors use Spanish for scenes where it would naturally be spoken, unlike previous versions where English was substituted. Translations will be available for the audience members who need it. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music and lyrics for In the Heights—and starred in the original production—is helping out with the new West Side Story to make the English and Spanish flow seamlessly, as it does during In the Heights.

Each show, in its own way, captures the spirit of its time. For the Jets and Sharks of West Side Story, tragedy is the only means for change, the mistrust and hatred run so deeply. But 50 years later, life in Washington Heights is hard but filled with hopefulness. The barrio’s smart girl is off to Stanford, and neighborhood businesses struggle but survive; and there’s always the Lotto. All you need is paciencia y fe (patience and faith).

The music and lyrics for both shows sparkle. The styles are quite different but appropriate for the times in which they are set and the tales they tell. Bernstein and Sondheim have a worthy successor in Miranda who started writing In the Heights while a student at Wesleyan University.

During these trying times we need a lift. The movie industry thrives while much of the economy continues to crumble. I’m fortunate that I visit New York often and get to the theater regularly. Few shows I’ve seen in the last ten years rise as high as In the Heights. It is a rousing diversion during this troubled chapter in history. That its creator is helping with West Side Story’s revival, just down the street, serves as a fitting footnote to a fifty year journey of just a few blocks.

Big or Bloated?

Today's organizations push to be bigger, wider (global), and highly profitable (not just profitable). The pressures to become "too big to fail" drive failure itself. Add greed to the equation and you have the 2008 economic crisis that we are now struggling to reverse. Good is not good enough, was the mantra of many companies in the early 21st Century; good to great (the name of a best seller about business) was the rallying cry. We have lost perspective. The challenges for the organizations of the future include balancing the drive to grow with the understanding that service and leadership sometimes mean contracting in order to do a few things really well as opposed to being everything to everyone.

It is interesting to note that the banks that got in trouble during the last few years were among the biggest. Many smaller banks fared well. So, the challenge for large organizations is to maintain a sense of the personal touch. Giant corporations would be better served to look at themselves as groups of smaller companies made up of real people. Some say they do this but how does that idea compare to looking at the stock price?

While working for one of the biggest companies in the world--General Electric--it was instructive to witness how the corporate culture took hold after our station was purchased by GE. Even though we were encouraged to be a resource for our own community, we also learned that we had to do things the GE way. NBC has slowly, but steadily, declined during the decades since it was purchased by GE; some of that is a consequence of other factors, but GE/NBC is big enough to be a driver of the trend. If large corporations--or other organizations for that matter--are going to thrive, they need to have character, diversity, and consistent quality. Bigness alone may actually hurt.

As we've learned in the last few months, too big to fail sounds rather foolish.

It's always seemed a bit too facile to blame all our ills on greed, but greed plays a big role. Ultimately, capitalism, socialism, all the isms offer only partial solutions. The communication scholar, Neil Postman, offered a view I share. The idea that capitalists tend to be creative and innovative must be tempered with restraint, not on their creativity or innovation, but on their tendency to inflict damage along the way. Since we know that self restraint tends to be minimal or absent in the face of certain temptations, the larger society, through government, public opinion, and the forces of the marketplace have to set limits. While my most conservative friends like to argue that the marketplace is the most potent force for regulation (self regulation), ideas based on Adam Smith and expanded upon by the University of Chicago economists who follow Milton Friedman, we are learning that the marketplace has limits.

Now we have to regulate the market place to make it work again. President Obama reminds us that while action is painful, inaction is worse, in terms of fixing the economy. So, as is the case with much of life, the real solutions come from many places. The biggest, grandest enterprises have their place, but if we don't have small boutique centers of excellence it all becomes a boring shopping mall, with all the same stores, whether you're in Tokyo or Texas.

Seasons of Fear

Thirteen years after its opening on Broadway, the musical Rent continues to provoke controversy. Now the issue is whether it is appropriate for it to be produced as real life high school musicals. A slightly toned down version of the show is being offered to schools. Across the country, drama departments are taking advantage of the offer, but a few principals and parent groups don't want their kids doing a show about AIDS, gay relationships, and difficult problems that might make some audiences uncomfortable.

Rent was the seventh longest running show in Broadway history, a Pulitzer Prize winner for drama, and a Tony winner as best musical. The opportunity for students attending high school in 2009 to experience a play that captures a time not very long ago would seem to be an ideal learning experience. This story of recent cultural history and the evolution of the AIDS pandemic should be studied by high school students. Rent's own website says it may not be appropriate for children under 13, but very few high school kids are that young.

Good art is often controversial. Arts education--including high school drama productions--should include explorations of controversy. During my many years of covering news I was often struck by the fear and ignorance of those who wanted to ban books or limit access to material that some might find offensive. Many times the outrage was based on a lack of understanding or simply not wanting to deal with topics that made them uneasy. Certainly, there are limits. But those limits should apply to libelous falsehoods, flagrant and malicious disregard of the truth, and deliberate provocations of hatred. Rent is none of these.

Ultimately, communities make choices. Rent is a play that should not be banned from high school drama departments. For some students it may be life changing. My own daughter wrote a college application essay about seeing Rent and learning about life outside her own experience; it touched her deeply. She has since gone on to work on Broadway, as a theatrical publicist. How many other young people might be inspired by such a highly acclaimed contemporary musical?

The Buck Stops Where?

The defensive--tone-deaf--manner in which Wall Street and Washington respond to revelations of their own wrongdoing speaks volumes about what is wrong and why it is so difficult to fix. When Tom Daschle’s problems became a news story, all his friends, and even some Capitol Hill rivals, seemed ready to confirm him. That “ordinary Americans” were outraged finally turned the tide. President Obama eventually got it. To his credit, he took responsibility and responded to the voices outside the halls of Washington power, and beyond the boardrooms of the island Manhattan. When bankers enriched by bailouts made themselves bonus babies despite their bottom lines bottoming out, they claimed that they, the best and the brightest, are different and deserve everything they get.

So the president goes to Elkhart, Indiana and then Fort Myers, Florida, grounds zero for the unemployment and foreclosure crises. He should continue to get out of Washington as often as possible. And he ought to use the bully pulpit to suggest a few field trips for the executives who favor costly commodes and gilded garbage cans. Most of the Wall Street royalty and the Washington ruling class can travel incognito; they are not recognizable outside of their own kingdoms. They should be required to take these trips in order to understand the pain and suffering they have wrought or failed to mitigate.

President Obama took responsibility for the Daschle debacle. “I screwed up”, he said. Until leaders acknowledge their own mistakes, fixing problems remains somebody else’s job. Haven’t we had enough of that?

The latest “we didn’t do anything wrong” response comes from bailout recipient Wells Fargo, forced to cancel an expensive employee recognition get away after news of the trip to Las Vegas became public. The bank’s response was to take out ads in the NY Times, and Washington Post, defending the practice, and blaming the media for creating problems. This, of course, created even more outrage. Until the most powerful start to take responsibility and stop pointing fingers the recovery will continue to stagger. The “buck” has to stop somewhere, but these so-called leaders seem to think it is always someplace else.

UPDATE--Daschle Steps Down

When I wrote the blog immediately below this one, last night, and posted it this morning, I did not expect Daschle to be out so soon. Whatever his problems, his quick action to remove himself as a distraction deserves praise. Now it's time to move ahead. President Obama needs the public's confidence in his picks. This will help.

Truth Has Consequences

President Obama’s promises to do things differently and change the toxic culture of Washington won him much support and grass roots enthusiasm during the campaign. When news of Tom Daschle’s problems broke, on Friday afternoon, on Super Bowl weekend, it looked like all the forces of power and influence on the Democrats’ side of the aisle were falling in line to support their former colleague. The President, himself, pledged he would stand behind his friend.

Despite excellent reporting from The Washington Post, The New York Times, and ABC News, many missed the heart of the story. Rather than focusing on Daschle’s tax problems, the potential for conflicts of interest is equally disturbing.

As somebody who worked hard—on the local level--to help elect Barack Obama, I was particularly concerned about how the Washington establishment seemed to be getting in line to support one of its own despite many good reasons to step away. Now the Times, in Tuesday’s edition, has come out with a lead editorial asking Daschle to step down. He should do so immediately.

After a distinguished career of public service Daschle was defeated for reelection in 2004 and went for the big bucks. He made more than five million dollars during the three years after he left the Senate. Hundreds of thousands of dollars came from health related industries, including insurance companies. Daschle did nothing wrong—other than having to fix his six figure tax problem—but he made a choice. He went for the money, something I suspect many, if not most of us, would do, if we had the opportunity. But for the millions he was paid, he gave up the chance to jump right back in and set policy for the same industries that enriched him. Actions should have consequences, particularly if the boss is serious about what he says regarding the ways of Washington. True, there can be exceptions. But they should be used only for truly special cases. This is not one of those situations.

Health care is one of the most important public policy challenges facing the new president. Fixing the broken system will require clear vision. One of the major forces in the health care debate is the insurance industry. To really reform health care this important player may have to lose money, influence, and power. The person in charge should not be beholden to—or even appear to be influenced by—insurance companies. On this main point, Mr. Daschle ought to withdraw his name from consideration and spare the president and the country unnecessary strife during these challenging times.

Health Care and the DMV

With all respect to the good people who work at departments of motor vehicles (DMV) around the country, the DMV, for many, is synonymous with inefficiency and a surly approach to customer service. As a teenager, I remember going to the DMV office in Jamaica, Queens, and waiting on long lines, only to be treated poorly, with little respect for my time or needs. The stereotype seemed to have a legitimate foundation. I’m happy to report that my more recent dealings with DMVs, both in California, and also last year back in Queens, have been much improved and quite efficient.

At lunch the other day, a good friend and somebody for whom I have great respect, mentioned that he believed nationalized health care along the lines of “single payer” would make going to the doctor a lot like dealing with the DMV. His comment was a response to my mention of the way insurance companies deal with health claims, and the high cost of health care administration that goes to insurance companies. The labyrinthine system seems designed to frustrate both patients and health care providers, at great cost to all concerned. Eliminating the red tape and unnecessary paper work associated with insurance claims ought to be high on the list of health care reforms that the Obama Administration tackles.

The added problems with the frustrating manner in which insurance companies deny benefits, refuse coverage, and make patients re-submit claims, that should have been paid in the first place, drives doctors into early retirement and inflicts emotional pain on patients. It often takes lawsuits or government intervention to put a stop to these abuses. This, is a waste of time, money, and inflicts a cost on families when they are most vulnerable.

So back at lunch with my friend, the other day, I had a moment of clarity when he compared the specter of nationalized health coverage to dealing with the DMV. My response was simple. The insurance companies have become the DMV.

Smile at the Small Stuff

At the preeminent moment, when Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts uttered the familiar words of the oath of office, President Barack H.Obama had the presence of mind to pause and allow the Chief Justice to correct the mistake he just made. When he failed to get it right the second time, the new president just repeated the Chief Justice's error and went on with the ceremony. NPR had the best line about this simple but glaring gaffe: How many Harvard Law Review editors does it take to screw up the oath of office? The answer is two. Both President Obama and Justice Roberts served as editors of the law review.

The otherwise near perfect spectacle of the peaceful transfer of power, in the presence of Washington's largest crowd ever, sends the sort of message we need. That there was a glaring but ultimately meaningless ceremonial error is refreshing. We will gladly accept--even acknowledge and celebrate--the fact that even these two high achievers, the heads of two out of three co-equal branches of government, can make mistakes. As for the third branch, I'm sure Congress will screw something up, too; its members seem to be pretty good at it!

My hope and prayer is that the mistakes of the future--and there will be mistakes--stay on a small scale. And because they may be more meaningful than a misplaced adverb, we, the people, need to keep our focus on demanding the best and raising our voices when it looks like the sort of large scale errors of the last eight years are about to be made. Our vigilance will serve our leaders well and is consistent with the kind of government President Obama says he wants to lead.

Allowing Miracles to Happen

US Air Flight 1549’s emergency landing in the cold waters of the Hudson River, followed by a remarkable rescue effort, sustain and affirm the notion that happy endings are the product of competence and hard work. The plane’s captain, 57 year old Chesley Sullenberger III, made quick decisions and handled his aircraft with the skill acquired flying planes for more than three decades. The first responders on the water worked swiftly and calmly to rescue the passengers and crew.

To see an airliner flying low near the George Washington Bridge, as it headed for its landing spot on the river, surely must have frightened those who saw the plane descend. Gov. David Paterson called the landing the “miracle on the Hudson”.

Miracles happen when we don’t get in their way. So many factors could have caused this plane’s short flight to end with injuries and death rather than 155 souls surviving. Under the command of Capt. Sullenberger, and the leaders and first responders on the water, the outcome was remarkable. Competence, experience, training, and hard work, allow good outcomes—or miracles, if you prefer—to prevail. All the prayers on board probably didn’t hurt, either.

As we begin a new era in American leadership let this unusual incident with a very happy ending remind us that there is no substitute for competence, no tolerance for poor or inadequate training, and hard work must be rewarded. If we honor these simple values, we allow miracles to happen.