<img src="http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/willow/camel-info0.gif" alt="" width="288" height="252" align="right" />

You've probably had the  experience where through the diverse objectives and perspectives of the people on your team, what you set out to create and what you got where not exactly the same.   As concessions are made to reach a point of consensus, a completely different animal begins to takes shape.

It has been said that <strong>"a camel is horse designed by a committee."</strong>

Interestingly, having researched this much quoted maxim, there is no true consensus on  WHO actually said it first. 

As leaders, be it in our home, in our business, or  in our community, we are often in a position requiring a <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/PROMISE">promise</a> or commitment.  In many cases, to keep that promise or commitment will require the help of others, and often to get that help, you face a <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/COMPROMISE">compromise</a>.

When you look at the definition of the words as indicated in the links above, I found something interesting. They both come from the same Latin root - <em>promissus</em> which means<em> to send forth and compromissus</em> which means <em>to send forth mutually  or together.</em>

Over the last two years, watching national and world events, I have seen many examples of this, but no better examples than what we have all watched unfold in Washington D.C.

Throughout 2008, we heard a lot of promises from candidates ranging from local offices up to the highest office in the land.  But, then that is to be expected.  We as a people have come to elect people based on what they say they will do as opposed to what they have done or what they can actually do.  Seem confusing? Here is an example...

On January 11, 2009, <a href="http://projects.nytimes.com/44th_president/issue-tracker.html#tax-reform">the New York Times published a list of Candidate Obama's Campaign Promises.</a>  They made a truly impressive list.  Yet for the most part, the list was a list of objectives that acting alone, no U.S. President could keep.  (To be fair, if you go back to the 'promises' made by the other side, the list was equally impressive and if acting alone, equally unsupported.)   For the reality is, in the United States, we have <a href="http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cnb.html">a system of checks and balances</a> between the Executive Branch, Congress, and The Judiciary.  The Legislative branch makes the law. The Executive branch executes the law. The Judicial branch interprets the law. Each branch has an effect on the other and for any campaign promise to be kept, all three must be in agreement.<img style="margin:5px;" src="http://ladyfi.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/compromise.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="348" align="right" />

<strong>To reach that agreement</strong>, there often must be concessions and compromises before we can move forward together.  It can be challenging to get TWO people to agree on a contentious issue.  Imagine how much harder it becomes when you are looking at creating consensus among one President, 100 Senators, 435 Congressional Representatives, and ultimately if needed 9 Supreme Court Justices.  Add to that truly monumental challenges like access to affordable healthcare, a less than popular war, a financial collapse, a national deficit so large that the numbers can not be conceived by the average person, and some of our largest states on the verge of financial insolvency. 

<strong>Looking at it from that perspective, does it come as a surprise that concessions and trade offs are being made to get ANYTHING accomplished?  </strong>

Over lunch with a friend last week, we were discussing what it takes to get things done.  Not just in Washington, but in our businesses and in our communities.  Often, no matter what you do, no one is completely happy with the final result.  In life, just as in Washington, there are trade offs and compromises that must often be made to that we can move forward.  In one way or another, progress comes at a price.

<strong>The true challenge</strong>, as individuals and leaders, is to have a clear understanding, BEFORE you make a promise, of what will be needed to gain consensus and to get all the support you need to make it happen.  Otherwise, instead of ending up with a sleek and agile Horse, you just may end up spending your days with a Camel!

Thanks for stopping by...Stay Tuned.

Joan Koerber-Walker
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