In 1921, shortly after the beginning of the British Mandate in the land of Israel, the British Colonial Secretary, Winston Churchill, came for a visit. Tel Aviv was barely a bat mitzvah (depending on how you count...), and the mayor, Meir Dizengoff, was worried: when Churchill will drives along Rothschild Boulevard, what he will see is mostly sand and bare, white houses, gleaming in the sun. Although decorating a little with flowers and carpets might help, there will still be a great lack of vegetation, which symbolizes growth and bloom. How can we impress him, this Colonial Secretary, and convince him that there is an established, cultural and prosperous community here, one that deserves to be supported and turned into a national home for the Jewish people?
Dizengoff and the city council found a solution: Since there was not enough time to plant trees, they cut down cypress, pine and citrus trees from the groves farther from the small city, brought them to Rothschild Boulevard and literally stuck them in the sand. Churchill and his entourage will travel the main Boulevard and enjoy the beauty of the trees.
All the residents of the small city, including my grandmother and her parents, gathered on Rothschild Boulevard to welcome the guest. Police on horseback were a buffer between the crowd and the road. As Churchill's car approached, a student orchestra began playing. The crowd pushed forward to see the guest's face, the police pushed them back, and in the stress they leaned against the trees... that fell, exposing their severed trunks. My grandmother claimed she began singing "Tel Aviv trees are falling down" to the tune of "London Bridge is falling down." Churchill himself burst out laughing, turned to Dizengoff and siad, "Mr. Dizengoff, without roots it won't work." My grandmother liked to say that Dizengoff replied: "Mr. Churchill, don't worry – strong roots are exactly what we have in this piece of land – and they are what will allow us to grow and prosper."
This is true for organizations as well: the need for stable roots that hold the entire tree in place, making sure that water and nutrients flow continuously to every branch and leaf, that even when there is a strong wind or torrential rain, the tree will continue to withstand them. They are the solid foundation that enables the entire tree to enjoy light, produce food and reach the sky.
During my first month at Davidson, I met with each of the organizational units. Each unit had a name that in most cases consisted of the Hebrew initials of its main target audience – bear with me: "T"elem" was a unit designed to work with students; "Hat"mada" was a unit that worked with teachers; "Sho"ham" was for science-prone youth; "Yi"Tav" was a unit that dealt with those who wanted to study science via digital means. Each unit presented its goals and main points of work. All of them presented in a very interesting way, and it was clear that a lot of thought was invested in the presentations. But the most creative and special presentation was that of the most "trivial" unit, not to say common and relatively pale – the administration unit: the unit designed first and foremost to enable Davidson employees themselves to do their jobs. It was also the only unit not named by any initials. Their work is so basic and self-evident that no explanation is needed. Like roots.
Procurement, finance, maintenance, operations. Personnel, human resources. IT. All the professionals with whom there is no toilet paper in the toilet, no coffee in the kitchen, the computer is in danger of going silent, salaries might accidentally wander to another bank. This week I told someone that there is no such thing, dreams that are too big or too small. There are only people who are too small; Because when you have "great people" with you – dedicated, ethical and professional – almost anything can be achieved. And so, they make sure we have effective and inviting workspaces and well-being corners; that the kitchen has a variety of beverages, as well as olive oil and lemon (for all the nerds who seem to eat salad and then run to the nearby coffee shop to get their sugar and carbs...); that the holiday gifts offered will be joyful; that the safety and health of all of us, employees and participants alike, be the guiding principle in any activity; and so on.
Along the way, we had exciting moments like "cutting a ribbon" in a new seating area; Fun moments, like choosing a route for an organizational trip, including the most important part – the food served to fit different needs and tastes; worrying moments, such as following a participant who was injured or an fellow employee at need; And amusing moments, such as the moment when a large pile of procedures landed on my desk for approval, including the "procedure for writing procedures."
No less than that, there was also my clear statement, to them and to the entire organization, that I consider them as "the Keystone" – The one without which even the most beautiful, excellent, well-designed arch will not be stable and will collapse. Along all the wonderful stones in each part of the arch, it is the one that strengthens their ability to work together. It sounds so obvious that too often we forget to stop and thank them. Perhaps this is why architects often emphasize the keystone through a unique, beautiful and more prominent design than all the other arch stones, so that we do not forget for a moment its importance.
Alongside my sincere thanks to each and every one of Davidson's employees for our joined journey, this week I would like to put a spotlight of gratitude on the employees of our administration division. It's the division that doesn't need an acronym to understand and appreciate everything it does for all of us.
Commentaires