Who Designs the Status Quo?

Greg Kletsel

Yesterday, I spent 20 minutes on the phone with a finance executive whom, if you’re familiar with that world, you’ve probably heard of. Before the call with this executive, our team held a separate call to prepare. We coordinated who would talk (not me), what the best ways to position responses were, tone, known potholes, and other things like that. If the call were a dance, this would be the choreography. 

One of the leaders of the call thought it was necessary to set our expectations. “I doubt we’ll get the full 30 minutes,” she said. “The scenario I’m picturing is that they’re on the jet, and we’re what’s stopping them from going wheels up. What you have to understand is that this is the type of person who has multiple homes, but doesn’t really live anywhere. They have their clothes shipped ahead of time to where they’re going. They have chiefs of staff for their personal life. This is some rock star shit. Okay?”

Okay. 

The call began exactly on time, and two staff members from the exec’s team were on the line. About 90 seconds in, the exec made their presence known. They were very nice and very cordial, but it was clear that they were itching to get to the substance. A few seconds of pleasantries were exchanged, and then the exec took over. Without a single um, pause, or noticeable hesitation they outlined their vision, set a handful of expectations for the next meeting, and then handed off the responsibility for working out the details to the staff: “Name 1 and Name 2, you’re on the call, so you’ve been listening and should know what to do. Okay? Thanks so much everybody!” Click. The exec was gone. 

Because of their access to resources— financial, cultural, societal, human, etc.— those who run institutions, and/or run themselves as institutions, can execute more of their vision more quickly; and as a result, will impact more people. Despite having the same 24 hours, our abilities to shape the world are not equivalent, and to believe otherwise is to believe in a myth. 

These determiners of the status quo are self-elected representatives of constituents of their choosing. Sometimes your values align with theirs, and you might feel positively toward them. If your values don’t align, you might like them less. Whatever your personal stance, though, know that they have big voices in setting the rules that we all play by. 

Frequently, it might feel as though the average person doesn’t have a say at the negotiating table. But we do. It’s through our elected representatives. We shape the debate by choosing who to send into those rooms, and by holding them accountable for the deals they agree to. 

This is one reason why voting matters, why we must take it seriously, and why we must make the best choice with the options that are available on Election Day. 

Los Angeles, CA, USA
January 2020