Dean, SAIDI School of OD

More than two decades ago, Mr. Lucio Tan's 'fame' (made int the newspapers) presented him as a 'bad' guy. He was, according to media reports - take note: the media reports... 'a crony, a tax cheat, a union buster'... I was not alone to believe these daily feeds about this man. The entire Philippines (sinners and the saints; friends and foes, alike) feasted on stories and assumptions about this man and his vast wealth.

There was this incident.. when at a meeting of the Foundation for Upgrading the Standards of Education (FUSE), it was reported that among the schools given some audio-visual learning materials in Science and Algebra (reproduced by this foundation through the support of Mr. Tan), there is this one exclusive school head mistress that returned the materials. And the reason: the school does not want to be part of the generosity of Mr. Tan because of his 'fame'. Another incident brings back a similar memory... There was an ongoing discussion on possible donors for a church project. Suddenly, the elderly church leader blurted out... "What? This man to be tapped as a sponsor for this church? Isn't he a tax cheat?" But someone barked, "How did you know?". And the elderly leader quipped, "Well, from media publications."

Jacqueline Bascobert Kelm wrote... "Our choice about what to pay attention to is a relational decision... " There seems some truth in this statement. The school mistress and the elderly leader related with Mr. Tan, vicariously - through the news releases about him; through the filters of others. Both individuals absorbed those labels fed by media. It would appear that these two, seemingly, represented a population, larger than they could imagine, in Philippine society.

Taking this case in point, in the practice of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), one is reminded of Kelm's statement... "the more attention one gives something, the more it expands as part of one's experience." This is all about the Poetic Principle (one of the foundational principles of Appreciative Inquiry), well-described in this quote from Henry Miller:

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.

Aware that what media have represented is not everything about Mr. Tan, I took on the journey to compile stories i have personally heard about him. Additionally, I, too have stories to share about him.

More than a decade ago, my relationship with this man was very, very distant. I knew him through the filters of newspaper writers; and, from media exposes. I knew him through the maze of differing ways of 'seeing (in print, radio and TV media) is believing' and 'believing is seeing.' The choices i had on what to pay attention about him were influenced by people with me at work; and, by what i see and hear from the radio and television, and read from the newspapers. These 'voices' programmed in me habits of seeing; of noticing the same news about the man - over and over again. I was no different from the school mistress or the elderly church leader.

Something changed, though, in 1997. I found myself face-to-face conversations with Mr. Tan. And these conversations have continued to the present. As i look back and have increasingly aware over the years about our conversations, the three usual negative labels i typically heard about him have shifted, instead, to a stronger symphony of new claims and voices.

One gratifying moment i love to recall with family and friends is this:

One morning, in his sacred place - his library, he was showing to me old books... dog-eared, yellowed and brittle pages, and full of juvenile markings... like, "Do you want to know my name? Open to page 13"... 'Ooops. you missed it; page 12 instead'... These were a collection of textbooks of his generation (my generation had these, too!). 'Stone Winkle"... 'Panitikan'... Zaide's 'Philippine History'... and more. When he was still in school, he could not buy himself the books he needed. He was very poor. To survive the requirements of his classes, he borrowed from his classmates when they had finished preparing their homework. Now, he could very well afford to buy these; but they are out of print and use. Fortunately, some enterprising individuals (stationed in Claro Recto environs) would sell anything - among these, old textbooks. Mr. Tan proudly shows the textbooks he was able to buy from Claro Recto's ambulant, sidewalk vendors.

When he showed me these books, i sensed his nostalgia; but no bitter note at all in his voice for those years of deprivation of the basic material for learning. Instead, he remembered fondly his classmates who readily shared their books with him. His story about these books, patiently searched and set up in his library (despite the pitiable condition of the books), silently pointed to me a most important lesson about life: the courage to face reality. Here is a man who, despite the limitations of his resources, did not allow himself to be held back and controlled by the circumstances of his destiny. This story showed me a man - different from what the Inquirer or Philippine Star newspapers have painted. In this encounter, i saw one who is a learner, simple and fortified beautifully by his past. The story led me to some 'best features' in and of Mr. Tan. 'I did (do) not seek; i found (find)'... a quote from Pablo Picasso. The quote delivers an apt reminder to an AI-practitioner. One's lifeforce comes with one's humanity; what AI does is to help this person choose to re-claim this source of power to achieve desired results.

In thebook, TAIPAN - Stories About Lucio C. Tan, many other similar stories continue to differentiate this man from the popular image he has among the Filipinos. He chose to be driven by positive factors, like, simplicity, hard work, a perpetual learner, humility and filial devotion.

Mr. P.O. Domingo, a trusted friend and financial adviser, talks about Mr. Tan's ways of writing down his appointments on a folded yellow paper (a far cry to your Starbucks planner or Blackberry!) Mr. P.O. noted, too, Mr. Tan's favorite fare - congee, spinach, noodles, boneless daing na bangus. And oh yes - Goldilocks mamon and puto (rice cake).

 

Her sister-in-law, Chit Khoo amusingly recounted in her story the steamed cake which Mr. Tan loved for merienda and called it 'mamong pampayaman'.

 

Philip Sing witnessed how Mr. Tan enjoys a happy meal - not with Mc Donald's hamburger - but with siomai, lomi and siopao of Binondo.

 

In another vein, storyteller Former Chief Justice Andres Nervasa has sensed all these years they have related with each other Mr. Tan's never-ending search for knowledge. Fr. James Reuter, S.J. recounts Mr. Tan's interest in learning about the Christianity and the Catholic faith. The great Mr. Pagsi, of Ateneo fame, observes a twst though. That during learning sessions he had with Mr. Tan and Mr. Pagsi he was suppossedly the teacher, he fondly recalls that he didn't know anymore who was the teacher and who was the student. Yes, the Doctors of Education assembled during FUSE assemblies learn from Mr. Tan geography, aviation, science, history, agriculture - and more. Gen. Mison rues that one unforgettable afternoon when he learned from Mr. Tan how to raise bees. I can go on and on... and share with you stories that unfold the Man, the Person of Mr. Lucio C. Tan.

 

When you hear Mrs. Carmen Tan recall the helicopter ride Mr. Tan gave his father's remains in an urn, when you hear Robin Sy talk about Mr. Tan bending down to tie the shoelace of Mrs. Sy, when you haer Washington Sycip extol how Mr. Tan keeps his word, how Tina Enriquez saw Mr. Tan lovingly peeled and cut with his teeth a piece of sugar cane for his mother... and many more, and more stories like these: then, oneis truly invited to look at the Man, at the Person of Mr. Lucio C. Tan deeply.

Where is Appreciative Inquiry in all these stories i have thus cited about the man? Definitely, Mr. Tan would not know. And perhaps, AI would not spark an iota of interest in him. Rather, my slow exposure to these stories led me to questions that increased my awareness and understanding of AI. Is this what David Cooperrider cited that... in every living system, there is a positive force taht enables one to be and to do and thus reach the heights of his yearnings - for self, for others, in life? Is this what David meant... a mystery that happens and taht no one allows to happen so that one can unleash one's potential and achieve positive results? Did Mr. Tan's 'facing reality' make him... explore choices from the infinite possibilities of his time; and thus, moved and brought him to a higher level. Nay, a very, very high level from where he was, as he would share... from being 'poor as a rat'.

Yes, AI is a world of unconditional choice. 'I choose' - This is the first baby step toward opening the way for one to conquer the impossible. No matter how daunting and seemingly crippling one's limitations and nothingness, still, one chooses how he will experience life. AI requires making a choice. Leading and living life appreciatively makes one define one's self all the time vis-a-vis what is possible, what is desirable, what is possible. The key is how one looks at the world rather than the way the world is.

History would point us to many heroes and heroines of their times who dreamt, dared, explored and shifted to new possibilities. They led others to take the route beyond their comfort zones. Great men, like Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Jose Rizal, Mother Teresa - to name  a few, lived their lives in new ways of being and doing. Their times showed us how... 'ideas of what is possible has been altered forever' (to borrow Jim Lord's words). In the words if Oliver Wendell Holmes... 'One's mind, once stretched by new ideas, never regains its original dimensions.'

My AI-affair the past several years has given me that voice taht i clearly hear in my everyday work. Bring forth the best! And AI offers a platform how one can do so - with one's self and others.

As an educator and OD (Organization Development) person, i find myself engaged more and more in allowing others to pull themselves into their future inspired by a built-in desire to be and to do, to contribute in a distinctive way to the good of the whole. When my son, Joseph (who was the reason i got introduced to AI) falters in his life journey, AI helps me to focus on things going well and right for him. When mentees come for academic help 'swimming' with big ideas and un-focused, the AI protocol on peak moments helps me re-direct their thoughts to search the higher ground. (The peak moments are elicited by questions of recall on those times when one was at his best, when one flowed with his most positive strenghts). When state of affairs is riddled with violations of trust and care for the citizens, AI offers me miracle questions to ponder upon. These questions help me create programs in my world of work to bring others to desire to re-shape current conditions in ways that are preferred and desired (The miracle questions invite responses that allow one to image the future he wishes to have). In all these situations, there are choices to take: reprimand my son for his failures, put the mentees on the spot for being so fuzzy in their thoughts or shout the street ugly words against the leaders. Or whatever. But, as AI has rubbed on me, i take the choice taht allows me to be different from who i was then. As i take a higher ground, i show faith in the future. I chooseto carve the world that counts for something, a world that would matter to my family and friends.