As struggles build, many will want to rewrite the narrative--they'll want to skew the narrative in the direction of what serves them best. This is easy to do when a situation is complex, the facts are not clearly identified, and too much time gets in the way.
I worry about this with regard to the Capitol insurrection. It was a horrible, violent, deadly, racist, hateful event, but the more time that passes, the more opportunity there is for the wrongdoers to rewrite the narrative in their favor. That's why I support a full, legal investigation of all that happened and a detailed report to lay out the facts for all to know today and into the future.
When problems are small, we may feel that we don't have to catalogue the events since the issue is small and we believe there will be quick resolve, but when we don't keep track of the efforts we employ and problems ensue there is the potential that our efforts will be mischaracterized. That's why journaling, record keeping, and regular share is so important.
As an educator, the team and I sent out regular newsletters to update the entire learning team including administrators, parents, students, colleagues, and others interested in the workings of our school team. In those newsletters we told about what happened, what was happening now, and what was planned for the future. While not everyone read those updates, the people who cared deeply about what was going on did read the updates and often responded with questions, ideas, critique, and support. There was no guessing about what we were doing and why we were doing that. Also, because we shared about future events, there was time to replan and revise if someone reading the plans found error or fault. In a sense, our regular communication strengthened the team, weeded out the potential errors, and made the program stronger.
it is important to be clear about the past, present, and future aspects of the narrative you are writing and supporting. Lack of clarity invites problems and misunderstandings while clarity lays a path for better teamwork and efforts going forward.
Today as I think about the direction of many projects and events in my life, I'll give some attention to the narratives past, present, and future related to those events. I'll try to clear up any misunderstandings and help to lay a positive path ahead. Onward.