Category: Conflict Resolution 2015 Q&A Group 1

Nikisha Sanders 2015 Q&A: Conflict Resolution, Group 1

Jenny McDevitt

When Elections was ordered to remove Nikisha Sanders from the 2015 Election ballot, the committee was told to erase all information about her candidacy from the website. However, Elections firmly feels that there is no situation in which candidates, whether former or current, should be silenced or erased from Election information. As in all circumstances, Elections’ policy is to only edit and/or post candidate-written information with candidate permission. Therefore, with Sanders’ permission, we have posted the Q&A responses she completed prior to her removal.

Please describe your approach to conflict resolution. Read More

Dan Lamson 2015 Q&A: Conflict Resolution, Group 1

Jenny McDevitt

Note: Dan has withdrawn from the race, but he completed his answers before withdrawing, so they will be posted to the site.

Please describe your approach to conflict resolution.

This is a good question! As a huge Star Wars fan, I would say that I try to approach conflict as a Jedi. I am in my heart a peacemaker, I like to reach consensus with conflicted parties. Sometimes it is not possible though, and you need a lightsaber.

What do you feel the Board’s role should be in staff and volunteer performance issues and/or disputes, if any? What guides your opinion on this topic?

I think most performance issues and disputes should be solved on the committee level with outside help if needed. The board is not the place to go for this. If I was on a committee and someone was being nasty to me, I wouldn’t want to have a board member swing in and fix it, I’d ask my chair to do something about it. As a chair, if a board member swooped in and got involved in a conflict on my committee, I don’t think I would appreciate it.

There is a long and detailed dispute resolution process for this, and I think it works well for the OTW. If it escalates or is between a board member and someone else, then board may want to consider taking a more proactive role.

Throughout the years, the Board as a whole has had a reputation for personal conflicts with some OTW chairs, staffers and volunteers, as well as among themselves. Have you ever witnessed this during your years in the OTW? What do you think might fix this?

I think a lot of it has to do with people who turn things personal, something I will strive to avoid. Issues can be discussed calmly and rationally, and in a professional manner. While some members of board have been more bombastic than others, I would not be that kind of board member. I have seen a few examples of this behavior in my time here, and I hope that when I am on board it does not happen.

I am a relatively calm person, I will not react to something in anger or frustration. I may feel anger and frustration, but I will vent that privately and not take it out on the person or issue causing it. Basically, my philosophy is that we can all disagree without being disagreeable. I have lived that thus far in my RL and org lives, and plan to do so going forward regardless of the outcome of the election.

As to situations with board members, I will answer that in the next question.

In a hypothetical situation where you believed your fellow directors were behaving with hostility towards an OTW staffer’s request due to a personal grudge, how would you react? / How would you address a fellow Director who has been disrespectful or abusive to someone else in the organization? What if they refused to acknowledge or take responsibility for their behavior?

The first thing I would do is try to sort it out, maybe send a friendly email or chat explaining my concerns with them. I would also encourage them to work out the issues they may have with said person, and to perhaps apologize if it was appropriate. (Assuming it is not happening live or in a chat meeting.) Hopefully reason and logic can help diffuse the situation. If it were a ‘live’ situation I would try to defuse the situation (assuming I was chairing or it was the person chairing being the jerk.) After the meeting, (assuming they did stop with the behavior) I would go back to the first step with the letter or conversation.

If the behavior is repeated, the rest of board would need to discuss it, but board does have the power to remove a member now. So there is stick to use, if the carrot of encouraging better behaviour does not work. It may not be a popular decision, but if someone is being continually abusive or hostile without remorse or change they have no place on the board.

Matty Bowers 2015 Q&A: Conflict Resolution, Group 1

Jenny McDevitt

Please describe your approach to conflict resolution.

It depends on the situation. A conflict between two volunteers needs to be handled differently than a conflict between committees. In general, I find it’s best to immediately sit down with all the people involved and see if we can reach a solution. Ignoring the problem only makes the situation worse.

I believe communication is critical. Both parties need to explain their point of view and be willing to listen to the other. It’s also important to define what the problem is; often there are underlying issues that one party may not even be aware of. As a mediator, I’d ask what the goal is, then help figure out how we can get there. People do need to set aside their personal feelings and be ready to compromise – there won’t always be a win-win solution.

What do you feel the Board’s role should be in staff and volunteer performance issues and/or disputes, if any? What guides your opinion on this topic?

I think the majority of the OTW’s personnel issues should be handled at the committee level. There is little reason for Board to step in; they have neither the training nor the time to deal with these sorts of issues.

I do believe Board should step in if a committee has essentially dissolved or is otherwise not fulfilling their documented responsibilities. Too often OTW chairs have had to sit by and watch other committees struggle and eventually fall apart. Attempts to help can, and have, been labeled as interference, which limits what committees can do on their own. Should Board be made aware that a committee is falling apart, they should contact the chair(s) and offer them the support needed.

Throughout the years, the Board as a whole has had a reputation for personal conflicts with some OTW chairs, staffers and volunteers, as well as among themselves. Have you ever witnessed this during your years in the OTW? What do you think might fix this?

Yes, multiple times. There is no one solution, though, that will solve the problem; ultimately people need to learn how to set aside their feelings and act professionally regardless of how they feel personally. Board members in particular need to lead by example; they should always treat both volunteers and each other with respect.

In a hypothetical situation where you believed your fellow directors were behaving with hostility towards an OTW staffer’s request due to a personal grudge, how would you react? / How would you address a fellow Director who has been disrespectful or abusive to someone else in the organization? What if they refused to acknowledge or take responsibility for their behavior?

I would instantly call them on it. It is unacceptable for a Board member to act on any grudges or personal feelings. As a Board member one is held to higher standards; we should be setting an example for the rest of the organization.

Any Board member who allows grudges to impact their OTW decisions needs to be confronted immediately. If a solution can not be found, or if the Board member continues to allow their personal feelings to influence their decisions, they should be asked to either step down from Board or recuse themselves from any future matters involving the committee or individual.

Andrea Horbinski 2015 Q&A: Conflict Resolution, Group 1

Jenny McDevitt

Please describe your approach to conflict resolution.

No answer provided.

What do you feel the Board’s role should be in staff and volunteer performance issues and/or disputes, if any? What guides your opinion on this topic?

No answer provided.

Throughout the years, the Board as a whole has had a reputation for personal conflicts with some OTW chairs, staffers and volunteers, as well as among themselves. Have you ever witnessed this during your years in the OTW? What do you think might fix this?

No answer provided.

In a hypothetical situation where you believed your fellow directors were behaving with hostility towards an OTW staffer’s request due to a personal grudge, how would you react? / How would you address a fellow Director who has been disrespectful or abusive to someone else in the organization? What if they refused to acknowledge or take responsibility for their behavior?

No answer provided.