Getting stuff done with nothing

Aftermath

Name: Peter Renshaw

Location: Kinglake West.

Date: 2009MAR26

Description:

 

First time in the back paddock. The plants you see in the foreground are what is left of a 1acre paddock of exotic Camellias and Rhododendrons. They are bending in the direction of the fire path.

 

The text below is a talk I gave on how we (brother, sister, myself and mates) organised and executed plans to get immediate power & water at my Dads house. Authorities simply didn't react fast enough.

 

==================

 

Final draft for talk at Trampoline

 

update latest news

 

Now published at seldomlogical.com/gsd.html.

 

A quick intro to the fire is here www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157615800278371/. Be aware this is a draft & I'll be posting later a linked & more polished version at seldomlogical and my wp site. For the purposes of the talk on the day I subtitled the talk Kick-starting Volunteers to not only make the title shorter but to put the talk in a bigger context. The ideas here can be applied to situations like Black Saturday but could just as easily be applied to Volunteers, even Startups. They all face the same types of problems.

 

Hello, my name is Peter. My talk is called "Getting stuff

done with nothing". Before I begin I'll tell you something

about myself. My first computer was a ZX-80. I don't get

out much and I haven't been to a meeting for a long time.

I'm one of those Gen-X slackers, I went to school for 20

or so years and I've worked mostly in Startups and

software. So you could say I'm a bit of an expert on the

topic. Well at least one.

 

Getting stuff done with nothing

Why is it that some individuals adapt to change faster than

others? How is it that people with no authority, few

resources can make such a difference? The ideas I want to

explore has its roots in the slow decline of volunteering,

the unfolding financial crisis and the 7th February 2009.

A day we now know as Black Saturday.

 

How do you avoid sabotaging yourself trying to help?

How do you get stuff done, with nothing?

 

Black Saturday

 

It was 46 degrees that day. I'd thought about going to Dads

about 70 kilometers from where I live. But with a total

fire ban and hot conditions I chose the pool instead

staying close to home. It wasn't till I got home about six

o'clock that evening that I got a call from a distressed

sister saying Dad was fighting off fires at his property at

Kinglake West and his phone was going flat. Later I got

another call at around 8 o'clock to say the house had

survived but he was still fighting. [0]

 

I was 70 kilometers away, it was getting dark so I drove to

the nearest place I could see the range, snapped a few

shots and uploaded them to Flickr. My brother and sister

who lived closer shot up to Whittlesea trying to get into

the fire-zone to help. Foolish maybe, but it was to have

positive implications later. [1] I knew that if Dad

survived the first two hours with house intact - as long

as he kept his wits about him, he would survive. So I

started planing, writing and collecting any information

I could to see if I could help out further down the line.

 

 

49 days later

 

It's now forty nine days since the fire and work is

still going on. A casual comment by a CFA volunteer on my

Flickr account [2] suggesting that for the next major fire

a similar site might do exactly what I was doing -

collecting information and acting as a clearing house.

This was going to be initial idea for my talk. "How to

apply technology and apply it to solve the communications

and logistic problems" I encountered with the fires. Maybe

it could be applied to other relief efforts. What about

the recession? Could it help people who loose their jobs

to re-train? Get new skills?

 

But thinking about it more, it turned out to be the wrong

question to ask. I don't think technology is the problem.

[3] I think the real problem is much more fundamental. I

think it's people and how they tackle obstacles. I don't

want to get bogged down in theory. What I want concentrate

on something practical. How to apply some quick hacks that

anyone can master in times of need.

 

 

Personal qualities not technology

 

To get things done you have to overcome hurdles. Some

are personal and internal. Others are external and totally

out of your control. When I started thinking about what

personal qualities might be important, I was struck by the

fact you might need to experiment and apply various

combinations to achieve a result. So I have tried to narrow

the list, to what I think are the 10 qualities that make a

difference.

 

 

1) Controlling emotion

 

Emotions effect the way we make decisions. Emotions come in

many forms as we react to stress. Each person reacts

slightly differently. Limiting your emotional reaction, lets

you move forward to make decisions. It's a trait that only

you can control. Some sort of control is an advantage over

none. No control over you emotions can let fear control

you. Fear is by far the most damaging emotion I can think

of. Fear paralyses you into in-action. In-action is not

only counter productive but it's also the fastest way to

sabotage yourself. Fear is also contagious. If you are

fearful, it has a nasty habit of rubbing-off onto others.

I don't know the solution to avoiding or controlling fear

but I do know you should be aware it exists. You should try

to negate it's side effects. The better control you have

over fear, the more effective you can be. [4]

 

 

2) Listening

 

How well you listen greatly effects any outcome to try to

achieve. Not listening is one of the quickest ways to fail

when you encounter external hurdles. Not listening you miss

details. Details that could mean the difference between

knowing what is required or taking a risk and guessing. A

requirement achieved is a form of measurable success.

Guessing simply wastes time. If in doubt ask someone "on

the ground". They know things you don't. Listen now and

you save time and effort later.

 

 

3) Mindset

 

If you have a rigid mindset. If you cannot adapt quickly

enough. You risk not only failing to achieve the things you

set out to do. You will be susceptible to blunder. A

blunder is when the action you take, results in a worse

situation than when you start. Blunders have many causes.

But the most likely culprit is a fixed or rigid mindset.

Mindset is the combined effect of "how you react

emotionally to current events" and "the decisions you make

as a result". So ask yourself. "Are you undermining

yourself because you have a rigid mindset?"

 

 

4) Empathy & imagination

 

Can you walk in the shoes of another person? Can you

identify their problems and solve them? Empathy and

imagination are an effective antidote to blunders, rigid

mindsets and cognitive traps in thinking. [5] Don't just

try and blunder your way through a solution. First put

yourself into situation you are trying to improve and

use your mind to to project, how you might make the

current situation into a better or best situation. [6]

 

 

5) Communication not Info-mania

 

An info-maniac is someone who misuses information. If you

hold onto information, shun or avoid the source or nature

of information. You are self sabotaging yourself. You need

to collect enough of the right type of relevant

information. Don't worry about the having too much

information. You will be surprised what people might be

looking for or find. [7] Working as a team has its own

challenges. When communicating to more than one person

make sure they have the right mindset and ensure they are

communicating together to get the job done.

 

 

6) Thrift and resources

 

Up till now, the focus has primarily been on the how.

Little thought has been given to cost. If you have few

resources and need them quickly it is up to you to work out

how important they are. Weigh the costs of buying verses

loaning. Don't buy if you can help it. The time honoured

"Beg, borrow and ask" works, well some of the time. A simple

solution is to hack what you already have and see if it can

fit the purpose. A roll of fencing wire and duct tape may

work wonders but not miracles.

 

This is where you have to get creative. A good resource can

be friends or people you know. It may even be complete

strangers. In some cases you will have to pay cash. Before

you do check with people on the ground if they really need

this item. If you pay cash it might be better to accept a

higher price for a receipt instead of trying to negotiate

a discount. This avoids disputes. Pay a bit more to avoid

potential conflict. [8]

 

 

7) Speed

 

We are often told to do things "fast". But saying and

doing are two different things. Where do you start? Well

start at the basics. The basics of life are 'food', 'water'

and shelter. So for a given situation concentrate first on

the basics. Be able to say with certainty you have

reliability. Day in, day out. Every day. Speed is also

about getting real results without wasting unnecessary time

and resources. Any lack of the above qualities will hinder

your efforts. So I think the measure of speed is about

delivering the basics. Then using a combination of

listening, empathy and imagination you can move your way

forward.

 

But speed alone isn't good enough.

 

It's a constant. What you really want is acceleration.

What forces can you use to increase the accelerate the rate

you do things? Well the answer to this and a potential

road-block is probably a combination of and Info-mania.

Collect enough information on problem at hand and you get a

data glut and as long as the relevance of the information

is high someone can probably find the right information.

The trick is then to get the right people to take notice.

 

We got "feet on the ground" to Dad in less than 48 hours.

Delivering a delivering a generator and essentials. Yet I

was shocked that it took another 48 hours for support teams to

touch base in Flowerdale a mere 26 kilometers further

north. [9] This changed quickly when Pete William started

writing the "helpflowerdale" blog. Things sped up when the

information flow sped up. [10]

 

 

8) Search for simplicity

 

KISS or Keep it Simple Stupid. Easy to say, much harder to

do in practice. The advantage of simplicity is it helps

keeps you focused on what is achievable. Focusing on simple

outcomes is also cost and time effective. Complex things

consume resources. How do you find simple solutions in

real-life complexity?

 

I have no real answers. But I did get a few valuable

insights trying to work out how to solve the problem of

water. After the fires, I knew delivering the basics was

going to be a big problem. And the most important basic is

water. But how do you source, deliver and maintain a clean

water supply 70 kilometers away?

 

How did I simplify the problem? Well first I had the right

mindset. I knew in the middle of summer in remote areas

that damaged water tanks, no pumps and when the power is

down there will be no reliable water. I also knew speed was

of the essence. The simplicity hack I applied was knowing

that water being a basic was required quickly. I confirmed

by ringing up people on the ground that water storage was a

problem. Then spread the news around this is what was

required. It just so happened that other people where

already thinking along the same lines pre-warned because of

the information I spread, "empathised" and offered help.

The actual situation itself is complicated and I couldn't

tackle this problem myself but I got a call from a good

friend who is an expert in logistics and just happened to

have a water solution in the form of a Shutz. By chance I

also got access to various forms of transport.

 

Is this a case of good luck or searching for a simpler way?

I'm not sure. I do know that by knowing this was a priority

and using resources I secured the water containers and got

them delivered. [11], [12]

 

 

9) Follow through, re-evaluate

 

What you start you finish. Don't leave loose threads. Then

quickly re-evaluate. Do you really need to continue?

Communicate together. Is someone else doing this? Check

with someone on the ground again. Then continue. If you

promise to do something, do it. No one else is going to do

it. It is up to you.

 

Are you going to let your mates down?

 

 

10) Motivation, "the mongrel factor"

 

The final personal quality is how much of the "mongrel

factor" you have. No, it has nothing to do with "Blue

Heelers" (the TV show) [13] but the mongrel breed of dog.

How hard do you "snap" and "snarl" [14] to extract that

last 5 percent effort required to complete a task? The

difference between those who give up and those who succeed

can partially be explained to how hard they are willing to

push themselves. [15]

 

 

The future of Volunteers

I don't think technology alone can solve the types of

problems. You need intelligent application of technology.

Instead we should look at how we as individuals respond

using technology to amplify results. I also saw a complete

change in community attitudes to 'volunteering'. Before the

fire, volunteering was a dirty word. After the fire people

felt guilty not helping.

 

The fires may be over. But your chance to make a difference

begins now. Black Saturday might be the fractal training

run for the current recession. Lots of people, young people

especially are now going find themselves without the

opportunities to work and no path to improve themselves.

 

What are YOU! going to do? Are you! (point to individual)

going to let your mates down?

 

 

Reference

 

[0] Bootload, flickr, "You can read a summary and view

pictures of the fires first hours here",

[Accessed Thursday, 26th March, 2009]

flickr.com/photos/bootload/3260244634

 

[1] We (my brother, sister, her bloke, myself and a good

mate) undertook two distinct operations. Operation Genny:

objective to deliver power in the form of a generator.

Operation Shutz: objective to deliver clean water supply

tanks up to 3000 litres with 1 tank capable of being put on

a ute. We completed both. We had feet on the ground within

48 hours of the fire occurring for the generator. The water

supply following some 2 weeks later.

 

None of this would have been possible if emotional sister

and determined brother used speed to the fire zone within

couple of hours. The reward, a pass to move through the

police road blocks. Had it not been for this quick

thinking. Nothing we planned would have come to fruition.

 

[2] miniopterus, Flickr, "I should have said, good job

tracking the events. I imagine that next time we have fires,

we might see something similar to your Flickr diary.",

flickr.com/photos/bootload/3298613958

[Accessed Thursday, 26th March, 2009]

 

 

[3] To technologists who forge and yield hammers every

problem can appear to be a nail. In this case I don't think

a technology solution is applicable as tackling how people

deal with decision making. You need intelligent application

of technology. Instead we should look at how we as

individuals respond using technology to amplify results.

 

[4] Fear is there for a reason. Men may perceive women to

be inferior when it comes to emotion. But like the second

law of thermodynamics, all that built up emotion is going

to leak out some time in the future. So in the long run,

I think women have an edge over men dealing with emotion.

But in the short term it is men who edge women out with

self control. There is a downside here. Apply too much

control and you might emotionally overheat and become

brittle when you cool down leaving yourself open to

cracking. Hard objects become brittle and crack under

stress.

 

[6] google, "enter 'from: kinglake west to: Flowerdale

VIC, Australia' and view the maps tab. This reveals the

distance from Kinglake West."

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[5] Zachary Shore, "Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad

Decisions, Blunder Intro, P5."

www.zacharyshore.com/static/content/blunder_intro.pdf

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[6] CVS2BVS: Current View of Situation to Best View of

Situation is a quick hack to make you think of moving

forward. What is you current view? What is your best

view? How do you get there? You have to ask the question

before you can find a solution.

 

 

[7] ITConversations, Tech Nation, Zachary Shore, "Why

Smart People Make Bad Decisions: Professor, Naval

Postgraduate School"

itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail4007.html

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[8] Sourcing the Shutz (ruggised 1000 Lt, portable water

container) I negotiated a price by quoting a friends name

in cash. Then I get a phone call asking for more money. A

quick call back to my referring mate sorted this out. But

had I got a receipt I could have avoided this. In the end

it worked out. But the risk was there. You can read more

about sourcing the Shutz here:

www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157614178152108/

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[9] google, "To find the distance from Kinglake West to

Flowerdale enter 'from: Kinglake West to: Flowerdale VIC,

Australia' into google and click the maps tab.

 

 

[10] Pete Williams, blogspot, "Flowerdale - Survivor

Spirit", "A cry for help from the forgotten people of

Flowerdale"

"... The final straw for my sister in law came at 6.00am

today (12/02/09) when those left fought to save one of the

remaining houses that caught on fire overnight. They fought

with no water, no fire trucks and no support from the Army

that was in the area. They lost the fight. ..."

helpflowerdalenow.blogspot.com/2009/02/cry-for-help-from-...

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[11] bootload, flickr, "flickr set: 'Shutz IBC 1000L' where

I order and collect the Shutz water tank"

www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157614178152108/

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[12] bootload, "flickr set: 'Eltham to Kinglake West'

where we deliver the tanks"

www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157614178001242/

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[13] IMDb, "Blue Heelers, The Mongrel Factor"

www.imdb.com/title/tt0527723/

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[14] Australian Sports Commission, "Participating in Sport:

Predicting sports suitability", "... Coaches who observe

such testing sessions are assessing the ‘mongrel factor’

which athletes show a doggedness to continue when the test

becomes hard?"

www.ausport.gov.au/participating/got_talent/overview/pred...

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

 

[15] Simon Britton, "Mongrel Nation",

culturenow.com/site/item.cfm?item=24814

[Accessed Friday, 27th March, 2009]

 

To Andy, James, Kev, Mum and Trace. They know how to get

things done with nothing. Thanks Trace, Colin for reading

the article.

Done