When did we get it right?

I heard the best response to a question I hear every month.

On the first Monday of every month I do a radio show with Michele Price on Breakthrough Radio she always asks the guests one important question.

It is not a question about politics, but quite often the guest speaker invokes a political figure … usually from the past.

However, this time … I was pleasantly surprised.

Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

~ John F. Kennedy

The gist of the question is:

If you could time travel  …

Who would you want to meet?

–and-

What would you ask them?

The best response I've ever heard

On the show today the speaker, Heather McGowan, said she would like to go to 2100 and meet with the future president in the United States and ask just one question:

When did we get it right?

I smiled because I immediately got it and really liked this response. It resonated with me on several levels. Not just because of the tumultuous political campaign that is going on right now. The question transcends the pending election. No matter who wins there will invariably be a long tail effect for months and perhaps years to come. Which drives to the root of the question. 

The effort invested in 'getting it right' should be commensurate with the importance of the decision.
~ Daniel Kahneman

She continued and explained what she meant.

What she wanted to know was just that:

When did the American people finally realize they needed to start listening to each other and really taking the time to understand all sides of an argument.

Instead of being all about political affiliations and ideologies … and ultimately getting nothing done. Which has been the case for the last 20 or more years.

She had this fantastic inspiration and response to Michele’s question. 

She wants to know …  

When did we get it right?

• When did the people of the United States realize that this partisan politics stuff just doesn't fly?
• When did the people of United States realize this?
• When did they enforce their thoughts on to the people that we elect?

When did we get it right?

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What do you think?

When do you think we will get it right?

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Jeff is business advisor, mentor and community engagement expert. He has spent most of his career in the Enterprise Content Management industry. He brings over 20 years of Channel Sales, Partner Marketing and Alliance expertise to audiences around the world in speaking engagements and via his writing. He has worked for Microsoft, Kodak, and K2.

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