I've been watching with great interest as the Vancouver school board prepares its budget for next year. For the first time, the VSB asked an outside accounting firm to review the books and identify any potential savings. Savings were found, hopefully turning a deficit into a surplus for the year.
What disturbed me, however, was a comment made on a talk radio show. Speaking of a plan to buy books more efficiently, the host said, "Why wasn't that being done already?"
It seems very easy to agree with that statement. There were some obvious savings that can now be realized, and that's great. But the broader implication of the comment itself has a very negative effect.
Think of a time you've seen a product or heard of an idea and said to yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?" It's usually something that now seems so simple, but you hadn't thought of it before. You probably didn't give it another thought.
Yet when we ask others to find a different way and they do, we throw the old, "Why weren't you doing that already?" line back at them.
Think of yourself being on the receiving end of that comment.
Where is the incentive or motivation to look for new ideas if that is the response in return? Why would anyone want to subject themselves to such criticism for trying to be more effective or create something new?
We need to encourage and reward these ideas, not stifle them, no matter how obvious they may seem later on.
There are lots of examples of this type of thinking. Take the recent announcement of eliminating the penny - why didn't we do that before? Well, guess what, we didn't. Get over it. Let's do it now and save $11 million. If I'm a little nostalgic for the penny, I'm sure I have dozens of them lost in couches and underneath car seats to ease me into the new reality. In the meantime, let's use that extra $11 million for something more important.
I don't fault people for not seeing the obvious. It can be very difficult to see new things when daily pressures are standing in the way.
Further, given the reaction that can come with suggesting something different sometimes creates a swift response. There are many cases where challenging the status quo elicits a public flogging. In most cases, true innovation usually comes from outside an organization, not because outsiders are smarter, but because insiders have to get along with the other insiders.
So as our local municipal and school board staff work through the current budgeting process, any savings they can find will be poured back into our community or our schools. I'm sure they have looked in every corner to find savings. With any luck, they may find a new way to save a few of our tax dollars.
Before we respond with, "Why wasn't that being done already?," please stop and say, "Well done thank you" instead.
I'll be first in line to pat them on the back. I really should have done that before...
