High Expectations

Months ago, after I had written a modestly pessimistic assessment of IPY progress toward its original goals (I and several others considered my evaluation accurate and realistic), the Joint Committee concluded that I had "too high expectations".  Their assessment of me comes to mind lately, as I consider the remaining tasks of IPY and as I consider future jobs.  

I consider all human endeavors and systems improvable - constantly and relentlessly.  We don't, individually or collectively, always pursue the improvements, of course, but they always, in my mind, beckon, occasionally as linear paths but more often as unexplored possibilities.  I may have picked up the language of this line of reasoning from Isaiah Berlin, but the fundamental motivation of personal improvability probably arises from my nature and nurture, the latter particularly from my mother.  In its best form that motivation should, I hope, translate into humility, empathy, generosity, and tolerance.  In my case it also results in high expectations, applied personally and inherent in my leadership of these grand projects.

I get positive feedback on the improvability theory from bicycling.  Despite modest talent and advancing age, I can see, as favorable weather, reduced travel, and long hours of daylight allow more and more kilometres of riding per week and per month, increased endurance and speed.  Not as much as I would like, of course - room for more improvement!  But Saturday I had a surprisingly good ride, even though I felt tired at the time.  Sunday I came back with not quite the result I hoped for, but with a very good ride nonetheless.   Today, after a day of rest, I went back to work on the improvements by riding in the local hills.  Four times up the steepest local hill I can find within an hour's ride, with a rest on the descent.  The image shows those four loops, elevation (55 metres minimum, 110 metres max) in green and heart rate (85 beats per minute low and 160 bpm high) in red.  Four times, working hard, at a high but not maximal effort, and each time repeatable - same recovery heart rate, same exertion heart rate, even as the speeds stayed the same and in fact got slightly faster.   Hard work but in control, pushing myself, feeling very good on the bike, confident that this workout will help me ride my measured courses at a reduced, or should I say improved, time next week or next month or certainly by the end of the summer.  

Often, working with a new partner provides unexpected improvement.  After recording the interview with Kirsten Murphy for the CKLB show 'Ends of the Earth', I thought I had not done a very good job on the science questions and that we spent too much time on my personal attitudes and behaviours.  Listening to the broadcast, I know that I did overstate - I said we had doubled carbon dioxide when I should have said that we would soon double CO2.  But in the way Kirsten edited and mixed the material, I think the point about science as an honest line of inquiry, free (largely) from political bias, came through surprisingly well and that she helped me, big scientist guy, sound like a rather human, partly funny and partly foolish, fellow.  She helped me present an improved view of science generally and an honest (generally a form of improvement!) impression of myself.  Thanks, Kirsten!

Improvements needed, how do I get them?  In the whole Oslo 2010 conference planning processes.  I have to work with Research Council of Norway to get some influence, perhaps even control, over OO.  I have very high expectations for that conference, expectations that follow directly from what we have achieved and the partnerships we have formed during IPY.  I can't watch those expectations, mine and others, fall and fail.  And as I think about next jobs, about application letters and interviews - how do I convey this sense of improvability not as criticism or arrogance but as optimistic and motivating and enabling?  To cynical, funding-starved groups of employees. 

I found both comfort and motivation in the 'Sleep Furiously' movie.  Even as the community declined, as the population aged and the culture changed, essential human qualities of friendship, compassion, curiosity and humor persisted; the substance and stimulus for improvement.   High expectations founded in the persistent (although unfortunately not pervasive) positive facets of individuals and communities.