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Harwood Mini-Tool: The 3 A's of Public Life
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
(The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation)
When it comes to our politics and
public life, people are in retreat because our
leaders – both national and now, even local
– are failing to reflect the reality of our
lives in their words and actions.
Make
no mistake: reversing this retreat is a
daunting challenge, but it can be done. It
begins by all of us paying careful attention to
a set of critical touchstones we call “The 3
A’s of Public Life: Authority,
Accountability, and Authenticity.”
The 3 A’s are a vital tool for anyone
involved in helping to create better
communities and a more vibrant public life.
These words, unfortunately, have been distorted
over the years, but we think it is critical to
reclaim them for what they really mean and pay
mind to them as we go about the important
business of creating change.
Authority is found in people who hold a deep knowledge of the community – an understanding of people, their lives, where they live, their aspirations, and their concerns. They use this knowledge to inform their decisions and act as part of the community, as opposed to apart from it. This kind of genuine authority is far different the kind that comes simply from statute or title.
Authenticity is found in people who are able to reflect the reality of other’s lives in their words and actions. Authentic people listen to the community in an ongoing way. And, even though people may not always agree with your decisions, if you’re an authentic leader, members of the community generally believe you have their best interests at heart.
Accountability is measured by much more than annual reports, report cards, and surveys. It is slowly built over time by people who are willing to set realistic expectations for change and then make progress. People who exercise accountability pursue actions rooted in purpose and meaning for others in the community. They personally account for what they are learning and avoid “window dressing” or merely undertaking actions that sound appealing.
Here are two ways you can use the 3 A’s of Public Life:
1. Post this article in your office, or on a public bulletin board in your office.
2. Forward this e-newsletter to your work colleagues or friends. Ask them to watch the 3A's of Public Life videos, which are posted below.
For those who want to dig deeper, here are three additional ways you can use our work:
3. Read Rich Harwood’s articles on the 3 A’s, written for Philanthropy News Digest and found here as a single pdf, and then discuss with your colleagues what you can do on a daily basis to exercise genuine authority, accountability, and authenticity. Click here to download the article.
4. Have a candid discussion with your colleagues and others in your community about your organization. Does it have the kind of authority, accountability, and authenticity it needs to be a truly catalytic organization – the kind that not only achieves its mission, but builds community at the same time? If not, what can you do to change? We included a list of suggested questions for your discussion. Click here to view the list of questions.
5. The Harwood Institute has recently released new videos of Rich Harwood discussing these critical touchstones for anyone seeking to create change in public life. We have included links the videos below. We encourage you to watch the videos and then, have a discussion with your colleagues. Click here to view the list of suggested questions.
Links to the 3 A’s videos:
Authority:
Authenticity:
Acccountability: