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A Solution in Search of a Problem

During my freshman year in college, I took an entry-level sociology class. I candidly do not remember much from the class. After all, I was young and inexperienced. I still had a lot to learn about how social issues impact large groups of people.

Nonetheless, I learned a principle that has stuck with me for more than 40 years. Midway through the semester, the professor explained a concept that has forever changed how I view organizations.

When an organization is formed to address a cause, the continued existence of the organization becomes more important than the cause.

To emphasize his point, the professor referenced the March of Dimes, a group that was founded in 1938 to combat polio. The group was highly efficient in raising money to fight the dreaded disease. By the late 1950s, polio had been eradicated, thanks to the life-saving vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and funding from the March of Dimes.

My professor explained that the March of Dimes was a wonderful organization that had accomplished great things. The group came into existence to fight a horrible disease. And it succeeded in eliminating the disease.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

But as a result of its success, the March of Dimes had a full-blown institution in place with no battle to fight. Rather than disband, the group changed its focus (today we would say it “rebranded” itself) from fighting polio to fighting birth defects because, as my professor cynically explained, “No one can ever eliminate all birth defects.” By changing its focus from fighting polio to fight birth defects, the March of Dimes became immortal.

My professor did not tell the story to condemn the March of Dimes. Rather, he referenced it to show the sociological phenomenon of institutional self-preservation.

I’ve thought about that principle repeatedly over the years. Every day, passionate people start new organizations to address serious social needs. Businesses, political organizations, and community groups all come to life around a common vision championed by true believers who are fervent in their desire to fight for their noble cause.

Over time, however, organizations that once operated on a shoestring can find themselves flush with cash. They hire professional staff to battle for their cause. The group accomplishes some worthwhile goal, which emboldens the organization to continue pursuing its cause. Gradually the focus of the organization changes from fighting for the cause to ensuring the continued existence of the organization, along with the attendant power, prestige, and paychecks that accompany the fight.

Consider the organizations that you belong to. Do they still meet the stated objectives that caused you to join? Or has the purpose of the group morphed into something other than what initially drew you into the group? If you and the organization no longer have compatible expectations, it may be time to leave the group. And if the organization has fulfilled its stated purpose, it may be time to disband the group.

Human nature recoils at shutting down a vibrant organization simply because it no longer fills the need it was created to address. Instead, once an organization is set into motion, it will grow and expand its reach as it morphs its mission to justify its continued existence.

Rather than seeking to fulfill an urgent need, the organization becomes a solution in search of a problem.

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Double Chocolate Blueberry Scones

Those of you who know me know that I like to make scones. They are great for a quick breakfast or snack. And the basic recipe is versatile and easy to vary. I can use whatever we already have on stock at home.

I previously shared the recipe for Bacon Cheese Scones. This recipe starts with the same basic ingredients, but adds some chocolate-y and fruity goodness. And everyone loves chocolate.

This version incorporates both cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a rich double chocolate flavor.

Experiment with different ingredients to find your favorite combination. Substitute peppermint pieces and extract for the chocolate chips and vanilla. Try different dried fruits. (I especially like dried cherries.) Add some toasted pecans or walnuts. Replace the cocoa powder and vanilla with sliced almonds, craisins, and almond extract. Be adventurous. Your taste buds will thank you.

Ingredients

Start with the ingredients for a basic sweet scone.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Your variety comes from the mix-ins. For the double chocolate scones, I use

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried blueberries

Directions

Preheat over to 450*.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa in a food processor. Pulse until mixed (1 or 2 times). Add the butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of a pea. Alternatively, you can cut in the butter using a fork or a pastry blender.

Add in the chocolate chips and blueberries. With the processor running on low, slowly add the whipping cream and vanilla until a dough forms. Do not over mix.

Turn out the dough on a clean surface. You may still have patches of dry ingredients in the dough (see photo below).

Gently knead the dough to incorporate any remaining dry ingredients. Pat the dough into a round disk about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

With a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out individual scones. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Gather any scraps of dough, pat out into a disk, and cut additional scones. You should have 12 to 14 scones.

Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes.

Alternate Directions

Special Request from my sister, Liz Marquez.

If you are really ambitious, you can use fresh blueberries (or other fruit) in lieu of dried fruit. The fresh fruit adds liquid to your mixture, so decrease the amount of whipping cream slightly by a tablespoon or so.

Follow the directions above until you are ready to add the chocolate chips and the blueberries. Transfer the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips. Then add the blueberries. Gently fold the whipping cream and the vanilla into the dry ingredients until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Pat the dough out into a disk, and follow the remaining directions from above.

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What vs. Why

Everyone wants to tell you what to do.

Vote for my candidate. Buy my product. Subscribe to my blog. There’s no shortage of advice on what you should do.

But knowing what to do is only part of the equation. Understanding why you should do it is the real question.

Agency — the ability to make choices — is life’s greatest freedom. But though we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. Choose well and you reap happy consequences. Choose unwisely and your decision will haunt you, perhaps forever.

If you want to influence other people, do not tell them what to do. Rather, help them understand why they should follow your advice.

In my role as a lawyer, my job is not limited to advising my clients about their legal options but also includes helping them recognize the long-term consequences of those options. They need to appreciate how the law interacts with their business so that they can make sound decisions going forward. And they are more likely to “buy in” to my trial strategy when they understand how that strategy will play out.

As a teacher, my job is to help students make sense of the law so that they can give sound legal advice to their future clients. Making sense of the law involves more than discussing the topic of the day. It includes explaining the rules of court, providing insight into how judges think, and applying ethical principles to real-life situations. Students who understand the law in its proper context become lawyers who confidently help clients navigate through turbulent legal waters.

And in my most important area of influence, my critical (and never-ending) job is to teach my children how to have happy and successful lives. I must not only teach them what they must do while they are living in my home, but also help them understand why they should choose to follow those principles when I no longer oversee their lives. My job is to teach them the “why” of life so they will want to make good choices for themselves.

You may be able to use your position of authority to compel someone to do what you want them to do, but compulsion is short-lived. If you want to truly influence another person, teach them why they should do what you want them to do. And then let them choose.

When they understand the why behind a decision, knowing what to do becomes a much easier choice.

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Tabasco Cheese Rolls

I love good bread, especially when it is slathered in butter, fresh out of the oven. Good bread turns a sandwich into something extraordinary, a meal into a feast.

My Grandmother Gibson gave us a Bosch bread mixer when we got married more than 30 years ago. It is perhaps our most beloved and well-used kitchen appliance. I hope it lasts long enough that we can pass it one to one of our children.

One of my favorite types of bread is a Tabasco cheese roll. The recipe initially contemplated baking a single loaf, but we learned years ago that it makes great rolls. It’s one of my Thanksgiving baking traditions.

The recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese, which pairs nicely with the acidic heat of Tabasco sauce. But if you don’t have sharp cheddar, you can substitute another strong cheese. For the rolls pictured here, I used a combination of cheddar with pecorino romano.

While the rolls are a great side to your meal, they are a tasty foundation for any sandwich.



Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 cups milk (heated)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup (or more) grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • Tabasco sauce to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Instructions

Combine 2 cups flour with the yeast and salt. Heat the milk to 120 to 130 degrees, and add to the dry ingredients. Add the butter and mix for about 2 minutes until the butter is incorporated into the batter. Add the Tabasco sauce.

Add the additional flour a little at a time until the dough no longer clings to sides of the mixer. Knead the dough in the mixer for about 1-2 minutes, until it is stretchy and elastic.

Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough has risen. turn the dough out on a clean, floured surface. Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut the dough into equal sized pieces. Roll the dough into round balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.

Cover the rolls with a towel. Let the rolls rise until they have nearly doubled in size, about 50 minutes. While the rolls are rising, heat your oven to 400*.

Bake the rolls for 10 minutes at 400*, then turn the oven down to 350* and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.

Give your family hot rolls. They will love you forever.