Living Wills
On the importance of preparing in advance for the end.
(Expected reading time: 5-7 minutes.)
520. Living Wills
. . . If we want to live our lives as a community on Kairos Time (503 - to be published), respecting the entire Life Cycle (26) in our Faithfulness (502), we need to make space for the natural ending of things. This is every bit as true for organizations and collective activities as it is for individual beings.
The assumption of permanence is harmful to organizations.
All human beings carry the awareness that we will die. We might fear the prospect, and we might avoid thinking about it most of the time, but the essential fact remains: To be alive in the world is to have a beginning and an end.
Equally, as Robin Mohr observes, “The life cycle does not just affect individuals. Institutions of all sizes also come into existence, serve a purpose, and sometimes come to the end of their faithful service.”
In recent generations, as healthcare has become much more complex, the practice of creating a living will has become more common for individual people. These documents contain “advance directives” for how someone would like their caregivers to make decisions on their behalf, in the event that the person becomes incapacitated or unable to decide for themselves. A person’s living will might include a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, meaning that they do not want lifesaving measures performed if they appear to be actively dying.
Many of us now recognize that creating a living will is a gesture of kindness toward one’s own loved ones. People struggle, with good reason, to make choices about the end of a family member’s life. Even when the loved one has lived a good and long life, and the quality of their life has been declining, it can be very hard to let them go. A living will offers clarity about their wishes, from the vantage point of a moment when the person had time and space to consider these questions for themselves. In fact, a popular (and free) living will template for individuals is available from an organization called Five Wishes.
When it comes to organizations, though, the picture is very different.
Most Western businesses, nonprofits, churches, and schools lack any sort of framework or structure for concluding their work. The one exception is large American banks, which are required to file so-called “resolution plans” at regular intervals with the Federal Reserve regulatory body. These plans provide a road map for taking care of account holders if the bank should fail. The Federal Reserve even calls these plans “living wills” in its materials. This unique requirement exists because of the systemic importance of large banks to the overall economy.
Outside of the big banks, the prevailing assumption is that an incorporated entity of any kind, once created, will continue to exist forever. This assumption does not track with reality; roughly two-thirds of all businesses in the US close within 10 years of inception. But just as many individual people fail to plan ahead for the end of their own lives, most organizations fail to discuss their own ending in any consistent and coherent manner.
A lack of planning or discussion about the end of the road will stifle the work of the organization in subtle ways. The instinct for self-preservation at all costs can cause boards and leaders to focus on securing more money for its own sake, at the expense of staying true to the organization’s mission. Making room, in a healthy way, for discussions of potential endings can also bring freshness and creativity to the work of the organization: Does it make sense to keep doing what we are doing? How would we know when it’s time to stop? When will it be time to honor the work we have already done by laying it down?
When the end approaches, it is vitally important to give everyone involved time to make sense and meaning out of what is happening. Dr. Atul Gawande explores this idea at length in his wonderful book, Being Mortal:
Technological society has forgotten what scholars call the “dying role” and its importance to people as life approaches its end. People want to share memories, pass on wisdoms and keepsakes, settle relationships, establish their legacies, make peace with God, and ensure that those who are left behind will be okay. They want to end their stories on their own terms. This role is, observers argue, among life’s most important, for both the dying and those left behind. And if it is, the way we deny people this role, out of obtuseness and neglect, is cause for everlasting shame.
Preparing for death is an essential part of life. Living wills, for both people and organizations, give us the grace of a sense of agency, when events may feel completely beyond our control.
Therefore:
Let individuals, organizations, and communities reflect at regular intervals on how and when to conclude their work, in order to keep that work fresh and alive. Encourage the practice of creating living wills, with a particular focus on how to give the community an opportunity to celebrate the work as it concludes. Pay special attention to the practical and emotional needs of the caretakers who will be responsible for this work.
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Every organization, active or not, can be part of Sacred Sites (24) in the community, which can create meaningful Grave Sites (70), such as historical markers, for organizations as well as people. Ensure that provisions are made for the care and support of Alumni (530 - to be published) after the organization has ended its active work. . .
Next time in Build Notes: The importance of lending libraries to a thriving community.
I’ve started a new community radio show, Postcards from Jubilee Station (Spotify) (Apple), which uses these patterns to create a story-based meditation practice. My intention is to help us envision what is waiting for us on the other side of this present moment. In recent episodes, we’ve gone to a welcome breakfast, and joined the Concert Club for a show in the City. Hope to see you over there.
Yours in impermanence, Michael