Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Antalan: Inside power By Roger P. Antalan Dateline IGaCoS
"INSIDE Power" is the literal translation of the Filipino term "Lakas Loob." It means personal courage, the ability to take the challenge or to dare against the odds. We will use the term to discuss the staying power or survival rate of organizations such as the civic groups, cooperatives, and the various non-government organizations (NGOs).
NGO's come and go. Interest and membership of Rotary Clubs are dwindling, and many cooperatives no longer exist. No staying power, no mechanism for sustainability.
There is a saying in golf which goes like this: "It is not in the drive but in the arrive." Or more succinctly: "Hit for the show, putt for the dough." The pot of gold is at the end of the rainbow. And as the famous line says: "Start with a bang and end with a bang, not with a whimper."
Happily there are survivors in this amazing race to serve the community. They have overcome the pains and frustrations. It looks like these successful organizations have "Inside Power," are internally strong, "good to the last drop," "pangmatagalan."
It appears that the survivors possess two great qualities of a great organization. Management experts call these twin-towers of the organization. In brief but dynamic words: "Hitech" and "Hightouch." Magaling sa trabaho at magaling satao.
This means quality membership. All organizations have the power within themselves to meet the challenges of quality membership. A great artist once got a big slab of stone. With great care, patience and skill, he was able to create a masterpiece. People admired the work of art. When people started to praise the artist, admiring his talent, he just simply answered: "The beautiful sculpture was all the time inside the stone. I just took out and chipped away all the unnecessary parts." An internally strong and beautiful organization is already inside the group. It is just a matter of chipping away the unnecessary parts of apathy, mediocrity, inaction, and disunity. But the members must believe that they are strong and have all the capacity and strength to come with a work of art.
Service organizations need a higher motivation and inspiration to render quality service to the community they wish to serve. These are the challenging words of Rabbi Hillel: "If you are not for yourself, who will be? But, if you are for yourself only, what are you?" While believing in one's capability, there must also be love for the people served. Without love, we are nothing.
The Bible expresses this concept very beautifully (in Corinthians 13:1-3): "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, l am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and knowledge... but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing," A society without love is a conglomerate of people who work, live, and shop together but never become a caring community. The challenge of service organizations is nothing less than to be an organization that cares.
In conclusion, "inside power" can only be long lasting and effective if it comes out as a good deed towards fellowmen. Here's Oscar Hammerstein in The Sound of Music.
A bell is no bell till you ring it.
A song is no song till you sing it.
And love in your heart
Wasn't put there to stay _
Love isn't love till you give it away.
