Did that headline get your attention? Good. Why do I say that is good? Because everyone doesn’t share the same viewpoints, dogmas, or policy positions. Assuming that everyone agrees with you is a mistake, and within our nonprofit management profession, assuming everyone agrees that the sky is falling because there is a new administration in Washington, DC, is short-sighted and divisive.

We have not met (although I was at a few of the White House Christmas parties during your first term). Fun fact: we both have the same birthday – June 14, which is also Flag Day. 

The problem with civil discourse in the United States . . . wait, ONE problem? There are a lot of problems with civil discourse, like closed minds, assuming people are stupid (especially if they don’t agree with you), a lack of objective assessment of any situation or issue, and dueling fact sources. “My news feed is better than yours.” Oh please. It seems we forgot what we learned during the Enlightenment.

Humans have rules for a lot of reasons: to keep public order, to show people how to play a game, to install a governance system, and to keep a family living in something similar to harmony. These are a few of the reasons that come to my mind when considering rules and why we have them.

My name is Cecilia and I have a short-term disability. My disability is the result of an injury sustained in my daily life. The injury was painful and the impact on my activities of daily living (ADL) was immediate and far reaching. I spent 10 weeks on bedrest/no weight bearing on the left leg due to a tibial plateau fracture. My leg completely atrophied during this time and despite the fracture completely healing, I could not walk. I still have difficulty walking and need to use a mobility device to get around despite my improvement (I use a walker or a cane). 

...GIRL. That’s right. Think like a leader, not a girl. Did she just type that? Oh yes, she did. And this time I encourage angry postcards because I want to hear what you are thinking. 

Climate change is on everyone’s mind – at least if they are paying attention – because we are seeing a lot of things change very quickly. Storms are more intense. Temperatures are more extreme. The physical environment is being impacted. Some scientists report that it is changing faster than ever seen in recorded history.

While I always write about my own opinions and views of the world, I don’t often write about myself. I’m with me all the time so I don’t think there is much of interest to share; I already know this stuff. Some of it I’ve had to get past so I don’t think about it because I’m not that person any longer.

I was on a networking call one evening this week, and I ended up staying on to talk to a friend of mine who also happens to be a woman. One of the things we had discussed in our networking call was funny examples of negotiating deals or contracts. As I wrote about in last week’s article, “Women, Ask for What You Want,” negotiating is just that – ask for what you want.

As a young person with a political science degree and an interest in policy, I moved to the Washington, DC area with my husband (another poli sci graduate) to change the world. We all think we can change the world until we are about 32, then we realize it’s more than one person can handle. But the enthusiasm of youth drives us forward, and I found myself interviewing for my first job in DC. I was excited to be considered for an entry-level position at the US Chamber of Commerce.

Being from Missouri, I tend to be skeptical about movies, books, and television shows (to name a few cultural icons) that EVERYONE raves about endlessly. That list includes people too – when people go on and on about “how wonderful and awesome” So and So is, and how everyone “loves them” I know it should be questioned. Why? Because no one is universally loved, not even The Drake from the “Seinfeld” television series.

On October 5, 2023, I posted a message titled, “Muted Voices” about the difficulty women have in being heard about, well, pretty much anything. This is a phenomenon that is a global issue that affects all of us. I stated in “Muted Voices,” “There is a lot of frustration for women who work to be heard but instead are ignored, diminished, and dismissed.” It happens to all of us, no matter how strong, independent, or intelligent we are.

The author reads her weekly message from the Rogue Tulips Consulting newsletter "Rogue Speak."

This week's message: The Reason We Celebrate

I like to call this time of year the “Winter Holiday Season” because there are so many holidays, both religious and secular, this time of year. As I wind down before my holiday break, I have been pondering why humans celebrate anything and everything. What is the need to point out that something special happened, or is happening, or will happen? From births to weddings to seasonal activities to new jobs, we celebrate. And sometimes when things go wrong, we gather to commiserate.

The author reads her weekly message from the Rogue Tulips Consulting newsletter "Rogue Speak."

This week's message: The Social Contract

Years ago, I was at a conference that likely was sponsored by ASAE but to be honest, the fog of memory clouds my vision. I do remember that it was the early era of online connecting because we were talking about online bulletin boards. Yes, dear reader, there was a bygone era when we didn’t have online communities where we could participate in real time.

The author reads her weekly message from the Rogue Tulips Consulting newsletter "Rogue Speak."

This week's message: The Danger of Outdated Thinking – Part 2

In February 2022, I posted a message titled “The Danger of Outdated Thinking” about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In that post, I noted this:

The author reads her weekly message from the Rogue Tulips Consulting newsletter "Rogue Speak."

This week's message: Muted Voices

There is a lot of frustration for women who work to be heard but instead are ignored, diminished, and dismissed. There are times it feels like our volume isn’t on and we are perpetually on mute.