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A
CYCLE OF EVALUATION
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 Most
of us
have stories that help us make our way as we move through life, confront
and deal with situations, live day-to-day. Some of the cornerstone stories
for organizations come from times when foundations are being built, when
everything is new and nobody knows what to expect. In essence, situations
and our reactions to them become stories that help encourage us and support
us later on when new challenges arise. Our nation and the world have lately
been in times that seem newly perilous. Of course, there are always dangers
and problems, but for a long time, events seemed to be moving forward smoothly,
our challenges were familiar and manageable. Prosperity appeared to be increasingly
available or at least on the horizon for more and more people. We had become
somewhat convinced that we were safe, that all was well – and would
remain so. But then, of course, September 11, 2001 came along. Now, as I
write this, the news is full of the rush to buy duct tape and plastic; fear
has replaced complacency and budgets are being cut as a result of the economic
downturn.
When I got home, I read Nehemiah and also sought help from a Bible handbook. Here’s what I learned. Nehemiah was the cup-bearer for the Emperor of Rome who was appointed the Civilian Governor of Jerusalem. At the time, the people in Jerusalem had been trying to build, or rebuild, the temple and a protecting wall around it. They had been trying to do this for hundreds of years. Every time they’d make some progress – and it might take forty or fifty years to accomplish such a task, even in the best of times – their enemies would come and pick a fight with them. So, they’d all put down their tools and get their weapons and off they’d go to their war. And they might be at war for fifteen or even twenty years, and then they’d come back and the wall would be torn down and they’d start working on it again. And then again before they’d finish it, a war would come along, and off they’d go. Well, this had gone on for hundreds of years. And one of Nehemiah’s major goals was completing that wall. So, he said that what we’re going to do is we’re going to go out there and we’re going to focus on building a wall. We’re going to take all our construction tools, and we’re also going to take our swords and shields. We’re going to lay our weapons down, and we’re going to build a wall. If the enemies come and attack us, we’re going to put our tools down, and we’re going to pick up our weapons and we’re going to fight them off. Then we’re going to put our weapons down and go back to work on the wall. The wall was completed in 50 years, a remarkable accomplishment for those times. Now, even though the story mentions war, that’s not what it is about. The message it has for us is about staying focused on our work and our goals. Every organization needs a plan, and our system has always had one, but the important issue is that you stay focused and you work your plan. And that’s my message to you. It is my belief that in the face of uncertainty, a weak economy, a troubled world, reducing budgets, you tighten your belt, stand up straight, and focus on the day-to-day work that you know supports your plan. When the tough times are over, when the troubled waters turn smooth, you find you have survived and the plan is advanced – the structure is higher and stronger and noticeably improved, in spite of the difficulties you have experienced. With Nehemiah’s approach in mind, in this issue we consider an important feature of how we improve the system and verify our accomplishments. The Carl Vinson Institute of Government – an organization whose service to Georgia spanned most of the last century and is even stronger in this one – has worked with us to design a cycle of evaluation that is the cornerstone of our continuous-improvement achievements. I hope you will take the time to review what they do for us, and to see just where your particular efforts fit into our results. Thank you
for all you do to help us keep our focus and to help your college and
our system continue to deliver important results for Georgia. |
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 Why Manufacturing Matters: Our spring issue features important information on manufacturing in Georgia and how our system supports this vital sector. Previous
Issues:
From
the Commissioner Published
quarterly by the Kenneth
H. Breeden, Editor: |
I’d
like to share, again, with you a story that I have repeated, sometimes
in its full version, but more often in a short form over the years since
we first became a system. I consider this one we could put in a time
capsule with copies of our important documents and historical artifacts.
This story describes in narrative form the principle that most closely
expresses the underlying theme of the beginnings, development, and success
of our agency. It is a story, I think, that holds truths that may help
sustain all of us in the difficult times we face in our world today. At
the very least, it may help us keep our focus. I was put onto this story
by Larry Comer, a brilliant businessman who was one of our original State
Board chairmen and someone whose wisdom and integrity have been extremely
important to the leadership of this system. Over fifteen years ago, during
some conflicts that arose when our agency was newly formed, Larry said
to me,“ There are some really good management lessons in the Bible.
I’m going to recommend to you that you go home and read Nehemiah.”