Thanks to everyone who have reached out to me after the introduction to The Civics Project. The encouragement is appreciated and the intense visceral passion pleasantly surprising. People consider Niagara Falls to be far more than just another city, and that the potential to build something truly special here is real. Thank you.
It’s not all wine and roses however. I’m cherry picking the positives. Far more people feel Niagara Falls is cursed, doomed to failure. “Better when the mob ran it” was about the most charitable and printable comment. Ouch. How do we address that feeling? Especially when it may have a shred of truth behind it.
Building something real starts with knowing what we want, what we expect out of life in general and our environment in specific. Not to get too mushy, but if you can picture it you can have it as psychologist’s say. We generally get what we expect out of life. It’s the same with our possessions, and a city is a possession.
The complicated part of this is that unless EVERYONE see’s the same goal you cannot make progress towards that goal. It’s nice when people buy into an idea, it’s a challenge when they are opposed, but it’s absolute failure when they’re left out or feel indifferent. We can’t afford to leave anyone out. We need to somehow learn everyone’s expections before we set the course for something different. That’s what the next few months are all about. Using the energy the mayoral election will generate, we can feed off that to question and define our expectations.
It’s proven time and time again in sayings like “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. Successful people study other successful people. The study of success is important. But first, ourselves. Who are we? What are we?
One important tool of self-analysis is called a 360-review. It’s a very accurate and unbiased reflection of exactly who you are. But it’s generally conducted on people, by people. I’m not expert on this but I’ve never seen one conducted on a city or inanimate object. Still, it’s what we need.
There’s only one problem with a 360-review – it hurts like hell to read the results. It’s not uncomfortable, it hurts.
In a personal 360 review a cross section of your peers, supervisors and subordinates are asked questions about you. The results are a window into how you treat those above you, among you and below you. As much as the Bible instructs you to be fair to everyone, you usually aren’t. You’re a suck up to some, and a real bastard to others. I’m telling you, if the 360-review is about you personally, it can be horrible to read. It’s like having a talking mirror with a sarcastic attitude. It’s not at all unusual for people to cry when reading what people really think about them – because of course this is an anonymous and completely honest review process. And how we view ourselves is much different than how the world views us.
Thinking about that concept, it would be invaluable to have this done on an object like the city of Niagara Falls. To know exactly what we expect of the city, what others really think about the city, and what others think the city could become. It’ll be difficult to pull off, but most worthwhile things are.
We will need the opinions of peers (city residents), supervisors (the people who invest money into the city) and subordinates (let’s call them anyone who visits the city from the outside) to weigh in. If we only talk to each other, then it’s not a thorough review. If we only talk to people with money, we risk mistrusting their motives. And if we do not talk to visitors to the city we are missing the most important people of all.
These reviews take time. I’m suggesting that over the course of the next few months – during the campaign season for local office – we conduct this review. The public’s sensitivity will be heightened by the thought of change in leadership, fresh voices etc. Let’s use this time to begin the discussion of civics-in-action, what we want this city to be. If you want to participate in this review or have thoughts on possible questions you’d like to see included send me an email at tom@thecivicsproject.org, or reach someone at the newspaper who will get me your contact information. Just as importantly, if you think there’s someone who should participate in this review, send me that name also. Should we ask Warren Buffet for example, or Bill Gates, what they expect out of Niagara Falls? What about the movie director Michael Moore, who spent time here making the movie Canadian Bacon. What is his impression of how he saw Niagara Falls in 1995 compared to what it is today? Send me your honest idea’s and we’ll make every effort to reach people.
Last week I said we have experts ready to help. You are one of those experts and it’s time to help.
This is also the end of setting the table for this project. Next week and most weeks hereafter I’m going to report on conversations with people who have a foot in the past and a stake in the future of this city. The next few months are dedicated to expectations. Discerning what it is people expect this city to be – if not exactly what it is. Thanks to the people who’ve already given me their time, and in advance to those who’ve agreed to meet for tea or take a walk. Because all of use are smarter than any of us.
THE CIVICS TAKAWAY
What we can and will make of any city, be it Niagara Falls or elsewhere, depends on all of us. We’re all part of the process, you me, us, as a community, as a people. While I’m giving thanks to those who’ve helped and will continue to be of assistance to these articles be thankful of others in your community who tirelessly, selflessly, give to their community each and every day.