[Sugar-devel] [wiki bug] Roadmap Sugar Labs - Ambiguity detected on how to make Decisions

[James Cameron]

On Mon, May 08, 2017 at 11:14:45PM -0500, Laura Vargas wrote:
> 
> 2017-05-08 15:20 GMT-05:00 James Cameron <[1]quozl at laptop.org>:
> 
>     On Mon, May 08, 2017 at 06:28:00AM -0500, Laura Vargas wrote:
>     > 2017-05-07 21:59 GMT-05:00 James Cameron <[1][2]quozl at laptop.org>:
>     > > Please instead build trust.
>     >
>     > Interesting point of view. Still, please elaborate in this
>     > suggestion. How to achieve this?
> 
>     As there is only one board member asking this question, I'm inclined
>     to be brief. 
> 
> Making "decision making process" understandable and friendly should
> be relevant not only to current board members but also to everyone
> in the community.
>  
> 
>     ;-)  I don't feel I will be heard. 
> 
> Your opinion is very relevant for our community.

No doubt about relevance, but conflicting opinion may reinforce errant
behaviour rather than improve a situation.  The rebound effect.

I have seen no other interest than what you have expressed.

>     I ask board members to be more intentional.  To decide on their
>     own individual behalf to resolve conflicts and build consensus.  To
>     communicate more frequently, either privately between individuals,
>     privately within the board, or publically.  To track and measure how
>     their communication is received. 
> 
> This suggestion is really interesting.
> 
>  
> 
>     To identify conflict and reveal it.
>     To try different communication media to resolve conflict.
> 
>     It isn't easy.
>    
>     > It's sounds like the chair has the largest role on making procedures
>     > work...
> 
>     That's up to the board.
> 
>     It may be helpful for the board to select a meeting chairperson.
> 
>     "But we already have Walter!" is an anticipated response; but it isn't
>     obvious from the outside reading of logs or Wiki that everyone thinks
>     this, or knows what a chair does.
> 
> Maybe, we can start rotating the chair so that every board member can have the
> opportunity to have the experience and learn.
> 
>  
> 
>     > Thanks for your feedback.
> 
>     I'm a board member of several organisations.
>      
> 
>     A few months ago I attended a corporate governance training,
>     facilitated by a trainer from the Australian Institute of Company
>     Directors.  I've still got the notes, but they are licensed in a way
>     that prevents my republishing them verbatim.  There are similar
>     organisations in other countries.  It's not cheap, costs to me were of
>     the order of $US 500 in fees, travel, and lost time.  I feel it has
>     been worth it.
> 
> During the meeting we also discussed the possibility to reduce from 7 to 5 the
> number of seats. Not sure if this is the best way to facilitate the decision
> making process but it could help.

On one board, we increased members from 7 to 9 to facilitate the
decision making process; we felt a diversity of opinion would make for
more disagreement and conflict resolution, and so we would achieve
results closer to consensus of the wider non-board membership.

> Regards and thank you for sharing your experience :D

-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.netrek.org/