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Post date: Aug 25, 2015 2:44:19 PM
From: Elizabeth Lachowicz [mailto:e.lachowicz@verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 12:44 AM
To: bgwilson53@gmail.com; jcr@knowledgestreet.com; Mike@mikeagranoff.com; bluesq55@gmail.com
Subject: Re: VCAC (AKA Venue Chair Autonomy Comm - ick...)
Hi Barrett, Chris, Jay & Mike,
Sorry I won't be there but I do have some thoughts for your consideration. I wish I had answers but it isn't that simple. We currently have different chairs & board members with varying levels of experiences and "success." I've always trusted we are all doing the best we can in our roles. Having a "rogue" board member(s) has caused damage but is also presenting an opportunity to take a look at ourselves & how we function (as challenging as that may be).
Most Boards are made up of several individuals so that they bring different perspectives, skills, etc. Our board is like that but not necessarily deliberately planned, more like a response to "Who can we get to volunteer this year?" How many of us have come to serve with little knowledge of exactly what will be asked of us? Some of us have been taken by the hand & shown how it works to some degree, but then left to make it up as you go. As officers, trustees & chairs, it may not be clear what is expected. We may need to spell it out. (Yes, I know we tried getting everybody to write their job descriptions in the past. We can talk more about that.) Without clear expectations, it's probably not possible but have we ever objectively assessed our effectiveness and the effectiveness of the committee chairs in fulfilling our responsibilities? I realize this is rather bold, especially since we are all volunteers, but maybe we need to take a good look at ourselves & each other. Yikes! Could you imagine a "performance review" of sorts... perhaps I would have been impeached. Or better yet, someone with strengths I didn't have would come forward to help me out....
The thing is, each one of us has strengths, weaknesses, things we enjoy doing, things we can do but don't like to do, things we won't do, etc. I think it would be beneficial to identify what skills, characteristics, attitudes, etc. each of us have because they are different. This would have to be from both the individual's perspective as well as the Board's because, for example my interest & love of music does not make me an effective booker. I think recognizing that none of us have 100% of the strengths needed to do any job perfectly will enable us to willingly fill in the gaps with someone who would compliment the other. Assessing our strengths can be done if all are willing. I think awareness of our individual strengths & styles will prevent some of the complaining when others don't meet our expectations and possibly have us working together more effectively and dare I say, happily.
We follow Parlimentary procedure, but maybe we need some stated guidelines or working agreements to fill in the possible assumptions Roberts Rules of Order imply, for example:
Respect other's ideas - you do not have to agree with them, you can inquire but not disparage, within or outside of the Board.
Avoid making alliances with others on & off the Board to achieve your personal agenda.
Make the Folk Project's best interest more important than your own interests.
Refrain from micromanaging - particularly if the VC is achieving the desired results.
Know that the entire Folk Project organization's reputation is impacted by what we say and do, particularly about or toward each other.
Decide what is most important (our mission) and do it.
VC can use their own style, methods, etc. as long as they ethically achieve the desired outcomes, and don't tax the overall organization in some way.
Embrace change to substantially improve quality, create buy-in, take reasonable risk.
Measure what really matters. We have fiduciary accountability but we are also responsible for creating not just an event, but an engaging experience.
Again, I wish I could be there to discuss this issue, my input via email is not conducive to the exploratory dialogue I would hope to have with you. Thank you for your attention to my input and your willingness to work on this important matter.
Hugs anyway, See you at Uke 3
Elizabeth Rose Lachowicz
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