individual credit where it's due--or not

[Albert W. Boss]

Re: Doug Tooley's kind words with regard to a post I made elsewhere on the
subject, "Homeless in Seattle": 

Not that I'm one to turn down a compliment--I'm not--but Doug might be
giving me so much undue credit here that it'll drive a wedge between me
and mere mortals.  Doug correctly identifies the fact that there's room
for improvement in our operations and communications within SCN, but I
personally think a lot of the problems come from our near-constant
emphasis on individuals rather than processes and structures.

So, I have to turn down this compliment.  The quality didn't come from me
because I'm Al Boss.  The added value that Doug so kindly attributes to me
comes from the act of posting a story that touched some of us and didn't
make anyone feel attacked.  It's the act that's important, not the actor.  

We all add value to SCN, on a regular basis.  I think until now, we've
relied on the sheer force of our personalities to carry the bulk of our
contributions to the effort.  That worked well, because of the high
quality of people working on SCN.  However, I'm getting worn out; our baby
has grown too big for one person, or even a group of individuals, to
carry.  I for one look forward to the day when there's more focus on what
I did and how I did it, and less focus on who did it.  Then, perhaps, I
can rest.

Doug, you made my day with your kind words; as an individual with a
reasonable amount of vanity I thank you very much.  As a member of the SCN
collective, though, I don't want to be split from the rest of the group.
We all care passionately about what we're doing, we all contribute to the
greater good of the organization, and we all have room to improve.  I
think you've pointed out vital thing; your message underlines the
importance of the process and content over that of the individual.  

Thank you most of all for reinforcing how much better we can become by
following those simple steps.

Since most folks on this list didn't see the original post, which I
forwarded from my colleague Ed Schwartz in Philadelphia, I include it
below.

Best to all,

Al Boss

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