Keith Downey always has something good to share – because he’s busy setting an example for everyone who cares about neighborhoods and community.

Keith’s advice regarding the activation of the City of Houston Superneighborhood organization is so important.

As people seek to interact with city government, using the available structures matters. When ideas and feedback come through these structures we are better able to act upon them and respond. Even if the response is “we can’t do that.”  I treasure every interaction with people who show up for their neighbors thoughtfully and responsibly.

In contrast there are those that grandstand and purport to “hold others accountable” without any accountability of their own.

If I’ve shared less here lately it’s because I am spending a great deal of time pulling resources and expectations into alignment.

There are lots planning and visioning processes to set up aspirations and expectations. Few to reconcile those aspirations to time and resources constraints. That’s the hard institutional work of grownups.

It is not new for me to be adamant about how we (in any institution) interact with communities. To do the feel good side of community engagement, to invite time-constrained people to show up and offer ideas and share their hopes for improved outcomes for their neighborhoods without any intention of working on these ideas or investing in them is abusive.

Lots of institutions love the engagement and planning work. Such fun. Without any accountability for delivery you can fill four walls with brightly colored giant Post Its – veritable Easter baskets of brightly colored hopes and dreams treats. No nutrition. Produce a shiny glossy plan, but without a budget, it’s just a dream. And eventually a source of bitterness and discouragement.

Integrity is about being faithful. Institutional faithfulness to community is all about honoring what people care about while knowing and telling the truth about what can and cannot be done by the institution.

This is a deeply necessary dialogue. And it’s fraught and messy and often contentious. But if genuine love of people and community sits at the center of the exchange, I believe good will come from it.

Wrote this for me and for all those who deeply love and work to nurture community.