“Evil prevails when good men fail to act.”

By Judge David Langham

There are great failings in our world. Some are the result of malfeasance, that is, people doing bad things. Some are misfeasance, people failing to do things in an appropriate manner. And, some failings are the simple result of all of us being way too busy, too involved, and thus spread too thin, distracted, and frankly exhausted. Edmund Burke, a champion of conservative thought, said that “evil prevails when good men fail to act.” Undoubtedly, there is not one among us that is doing all we can, every day, to make this world a better place (O.K., perhaps Captain America, Wonder Woman, etc., but you get the picture). 

In September, the Comp Laude® will convene in Huntington Beach, California. Through its iterations in Burbank, San Diego, and now Huntington Beach, the Laude strives to act, to do good, and to recognize the multitude of workers’ compensation community members that inspire us, better us, and build a better system. Some are notable for some grand gesture or achievement;others are quiet heroes whose pattern of consistent little contributions, attitudes, and efforts improve our world.

I write today about Comp Laude® because, while September feels so far away, the Comp Laude® is actually right around the corner. Accordingly, two important deadlines are imminent. Nominations for Comp Laude® recognition and the call for content will each close March 31, 2019. The WorkCompCentral crew is building the educational program that will accompany the awards Gala. They are seeking your input and suggestions for the material and the best speakers.

What should a nominee have, be, do, to qualify? One of the core beauties of the Comp Laude® is that there is no specific checklist. Your nominee should be somehow “changing the narrative of workers’ compensation.” It is up to you to describe how you perceive they are doing so. For one of my nominees this year the “tell us why” portion of the nomination will essentially be “because she/he is kind, respectful of dissent, introspective about the comp community, and strives for open dialogue focused on our all being better.” No “tall buildings,” no “faster than a speeding bullet.” I am not nominating Superman or Wonder Woman; I am nominating someone that makes a difference. 

In that regard, let me remind of a critical point. You CANNOT decide who wins. That comes from a panel of judges with various perspectives, comparing people’s achievements and efforts, working in the confines of a collegial group dynamic. BUT, no one controls who is nominated for an award except you. What better way to let someone know you recognize and appreciate their spirit, commitment, and effort than to nominate them for consideration. If she or he wins, that is great. If not, what an honor to have been nominated!

I have responded to the open call for content. I suggested seminar elements on three topics that I perceive as persistently vexing for our community: “Dealing with culture and change – every entity has the culture of the past,”  “Self-actualization - finding rewards in what we do, not what we earn,” and “Dealing with difficult people.” I see us each facing these three pernicious challenges. We are challenged to remain upbeat and effective in the face of circumstances, within organizations and structures. We face changes brought upon us by various outside sources. And, along the way we are confronted by people who embody ignorance and apathy. What is difference between those two? Well, I don’t know and I don’t care. That reaction is too common, and frustrates everyone trying to improve the world.

As much as I think these three topics are perfect for Comp Laude® 2019, I recognize that you may disagree. You are entitled to your own opinion. As Daniel Moynihan purportedly said “you are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” So, you are bound by the fact that Comp Laude® is committed to, focused upon, and striving for improvement in this community we call workers’ compensation. And, you are entitled to your own opinion as to what content would best fulfill that. You may simply sit at your computer and deride my three ideas or you may express your own opinion. Submit your ideas for programming before the March 31, 2019 deadline. Submit your idea for a topic, content, and specific speakers here.

The Comp Laude® was the brain child of David DePaolo. He conceived this as an opportunity for our community to “change the narrative.” All elements of society will have challenges. Every person, profession, community, and organization will make missteps, suffer failure, and occasionally be embarrassed. Our human nature leads us to focus on those periodic “bad” anecdotes rather than recognizing we are surrounded daily by a plethora of “good.” 

To illustrate, we lament the one driver that breaks down and causes a rush hour log-jam costing us precious time. But, do we celebrate the much larger volume of good drivers that do not cause a delay? Do we appreciate, recognize, and celebrate the great people that stop to help that one driver? David reminded us persistently that there is good, we need only open our eyes to see it; we need only think a moment to remember who deserves recognition for her/his own contribution. 

As I think of David’s dream and aspirations, and of the futility of striving to save the world, I am reminded of the Starfish Story. To paraphrase, a youngster walking a beach littered with stranded starfish is seen periodically throwing one after another back in the sea. A purportedly wiser and more experienced pedestrian explains that those starfish in need cannot all be saved by just one person. Throwing yet another back the sea, the youngster replies essentially “I saved that one.” Naïve perhaps, too young to carry the burdens and scars too many of us have. See, we are all products of the paths we have trod and the battles we have waged. But, in her/his own way that youngster chooses to make some difference rather than languish in an attitude of placid indifference. 

We all periodically become jaded, guarded, and cynical. We may lose our drive to do our best, to improve our community, to support our peers. But at least once a year, we have the opportunity in Comp Laude® to regenerate, renew, and reinvigorate. WE can drive a conversation about improving our community of workers’ compensation with exceptional educational topics focused on reminding us who we are and gaining tools to deliver our potential. We can drive a conversation about recognizing our peers for their outstanding commitment, focus, and effort. We can recognize the many doing their best, and momentarily redirect our attention from the very few that daunt us, unsettle us, and too often exhaust us. 

In that vein, I am thankful for the WorkCompCentral leadership that has sustained this Comp Laude® effort in David’s stead and in his memory. I am also thankful for the cross-section of American workers’ compensation that makes up the Comp Laude® Advisory Board. I appreciate their commitment, vision, and contributions to a noble community purpose. In fairness, I often disagree with someone on the Board, but our discourse and discussion brings value through collegiality despite our differences. Again, it is not about perfection but about contribution and progress.

Maybe none of us can say “I created this entire educational agenda.” Certainly not one of us can say “I nominated all those wonderful winners.” But in the spirit of that young child on the beach, why not take 5 minutes right now to be able to say “I suggested/nominated that one.” You see, David strove to remind us that we do not need to make monumental contributions to make a difference; we merely need to keep making contributions. We need not always individually be the best as we are a community, each striving daily to be our best. Together we can change the world. You just have to decide you have to take 5 minutes to pitch in and do so. 

Make nominations here; submit content suggestions here.