Category: OTW Culture and Communication 2015 Q&A Group 2

Matty Bowers 2015 Q&A: OTW Culture and Communication, Group 2

Elections Staff

What in your opinion are three key aspects in which the Board needs to improve with regards to its interactions with OTW volunteers? What would you personally do to improve them?

  • More transparency
  • Better financial oversight and management
  • Ensure all volunteers are treated respectfully

I’d like to see more and more Board work taking place in Open Board sessions, with clearer agendas and minutes presented for work that needs to be handled confidentially.

I would like us to do a thorough audit of our finances and ensure we have a workable budget set each year.

Our volunteers are amazing. They spend hours of their free time keeping our projects up, wrangling tags, answering user questions, updating volunteer records, writing new posts – the list goes on and on. Board should respect this work and our volunteers; we would not be here without them. We can do this by not only publicly and privately praising their work, but also by being respectful in how we treat individual committees and what we ask of them.

For the past several years, candidates who were later elected (or allowed due to uncontested election) have outlined several goals to improve the environment of the Board, the dynamic between the Board and staff, and other aspects of the OTW environment. But reports are that, despite this, things are not improving. Why do you think this is, and what steps will you take to stick to the goals you’ve outlined in this area if elected to the Board?

It’s difficult to make changes when one is in the minority. At this point the only way to make the structural changes needed is to get a majority vote on Board. If that happens, then we have a chance at making things happen. It’s still essential to have the ability to inspire motivation and cooperation from the rest of the organization — which is why it’s crucial to involve committees in the discussion and planning.

If not, there are smaller changes that can be undertaken. Basic documentation can be created and updated, emails can be answered promptly, agendas can be posted before meetings, and newsletter blurbs can be routinely drafted, just to name a few possible changes. I may not be able to make all the changes I’d like, but I promise to do as much as can be done.

There have been reports from past directors and from both current and past volunteers and staff that the Board spends more time on petty disputes with each other and on targeting staff and volunteers who question their decisions than actually caring about the welfare of the organization. Whether it is true or not, the perception is there and it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the organization or the Board. How might you work to change this perception (or reality) and begin rebuilding trust between the Board and relevant constituencies?

When everything is done in secret, people on the outside have no clue what is going on; this breeds mistrust and frustration. Increasing transparency can combat this; as more of the process happens in public, volunteers can learn how the Board works and understand why certain decisions are made.

I also believe Board has a responsibility to treat volunteers and committees respectfully. Creating unneeded busywork, interfering in committee work, or putting unnecessary obstacles in the way of major projects makes committees feel less trustful of Board. Committees are already under great pressure to perform, they don’t need Board making the situation worse.

I do think Board members need to be more accessible in general. Office hours (a set time where individual Board members were available in chat) were a great start, but not everyone participated and those that did had fairly erratic schedules. It might be helpful if all Board members participated and members rotated each week.

Dan Lamson 2015 Q&A: OTW Culture and Communication, Group 2

Elections Staff

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

What in your opinion are three key aspects in which the Board needs to improve with regards to its interactions with OTW volunteers? What would you personally do to improve them?

Communication – I think sometimes we all get too close to an issue and we think we are being clear, but because of all our knowledge, it comes out confusing. I know I am guilty of this, but I try to do better. I think board sometimes just needs to focus on how they communicate and make sure all the info needed is there, so committees can move forward with what they need.

Planning – This one is tough because board has, for a long time, been going from fire to fire and putting them out. I think board has been stabilizing as time goes on, and there is less of this now, but because of its nature as more of an executive committee than a traditional board, it still happens. This will be helped with the hiring of executive staff to do much of the day to day work, which is one of the next logical steps for the org.

Transparency – The board moves in mysterious ways. Sometimes it has to because of confidentiality or whatnot, but this ties in with communication. I feel that we need to demystify the inner workings of board, and will work to do so if elected.

For the past several years, candidates who were later elected (or allowed due to uncontested election) have outlined several goals to improve the environment of the Board, the dynamic between the Board and staff, and other aspects of the OTW environment. But reports are that, despite this, things are not improving. Why do you think this is, and what steps will you take to stick to the goals you’ve outlined in this area if elected to the Board?

I do think it has gotten better, over all. There are still times when I look at board and wonder what is going on, but I understand that their hands are often tied and they can’t speak of certain things and they know more then I do.

I think a lot of the disagreements come down to personalities. People clash and fight, often not over OTW ideals or issues, but because they don’t like each other, and have a history.

I can work with anyone and I will do so, even if we do not get along. I do not have a ‘nemesis’ in the org, or anyone who I can’t stand so much I refuse to work with them. I like most people I’ve met and worked with, and I probably don’t know many of folks out there well enough to dislike them.

I approach this process with an open mind and an open heart and I willing to work with anyone, and I think it will be a grand adventure to do so. As I’ve said in other questions, my philosophy is that we can disagree without being disagreeable and I’ve found that people living by this creed often can get a lot done. I hope to help bring that attitude to the board and to the org as a whole.

There have been reports from past directors and from both current and past volunteers and staff that the Board spends more time on petty disputes with each other and on targeting staff and volunteers who question their decisions than actually caring about the welfare of the organization. Whether it is true or not, the perception is there and it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the organization or the Board. How might you work to change this perception (or reality) and begin rebuilding trust between the Board and relevant constituencies?

I think the best way to move past this perception is to live the words you speak. I am willing to work with anyone who wants to help the org and be productive. I will be open and accepting of others and their ideas, especially those I disagree with. I will disagree without being disagreeable. I will not lie. I will break down the walls that separate us. I won’t betray trusts. If we’re all just excellent to each other, even when we disagree, the world and the OTW will be a much better place.

It will take time, but you need to live by the words you speak. Your focus determines your state of mind and I will focus on working hard and doing right by the OTW, its mission and volunteers. I will live by these words.

Atiya Hakeem 2015 Q&A: OTW Culture and Communication, Group 2

Elections Staff

What in your opinion are three key aspects in which the Board needs to improve with regards to its interactions with OTW volunteers? What would you personally do to improve them?

  1. Board should treat staffers and volunteers professionally and with respect at all times. There is no excuse for this not happening; I discuss measures for ensuring that it does in answer to the question below.
  2. Board decisions should be made transparently, and with input from staffers and volunteers. I would discuss major Board decisions in open meetings whenever possible, and in a case where a decision would impact specific committees, would be careful to communicate with those committees before coming to a decision. Board meeting minutes should contain a detailed account of Board proceedings and be posted in a timely fashion.
  3. Board should be knowledgeable about and responsive to the OTW’s committees. Recently, Board has demanded regular reports from committees, frequently giving no acknowledgement as to whether those reports have even been read or received. I would suggest that instead, Board members keep up with meeting minutes and speak to committee chairs. It’s also important that any inquiries or input from committees not be ignored. Adopting something like Translation’s “on call” system to ensure that someone is always responsible for responding is one potential solution. While I don’t believe Board should be in the business of micromanaging, understanding what the Org’s projects are doing seems fundamental to being able to provide the Org with effective leadership. If once again increasing the number of directors, and/or removing inactive directors, is necessary to ensure basic competence in this regard, I feel it should be done.

For the past several years, candidates who were later elected (or allowed due to uncontested election) have outlined several goals to improve the environment of the Board, the dynamic between the Board and staff, and other aspects of the OTW environment. But reports are that, despite this, things are not improving. Why do you think this is, and what steps will you take to stick to the goals you’ve outlined in this area if elected to the Board?

The current situation in which staffers and volunteers are accountable to Board, but not vice versa, creates an atmosphere in which directors can behave badly with no repercussions. Electing individuals who have not just goals, but a track record of successfully working with others in the Org, should help turn things around in the immediate sense. However, I also think it’s vitally important to have policies governing Board behavior and a procedure by which chairs and staffers can hold Board to those policies.

Recently Board introduced a bylaw change that allowed the directors to remove one of their number by a ⅔ vote, with or without cause. Unfortunately, I suspect that the “with or without cause” portion means that rather than improve interaction between Board members, this will further strain things by encouraging the formation of cliques and the removal of directors as a means of stifling dissent. If I am elected, I intend to propose changing the bylaws to require that directors only be removed with cause, with the valid causes spelled out and the determination made by a non-Board party such as Volunteers & Recruiting or a quorum of committee chairs.

There have been reports from past directors and from both current and past volunteers and staff that the Board spends more time on petty disputes with each other and on targeting staff and volunteers who question their decisions than actually caring about the welfare of the organization. Whether it is true or not, the perception is there and it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the organization or the Board. How might you work to change this perception (or reality) and begin rebuilding trust between the Board and relevant constituencies?

I have certainly personally witnessed some of the behavior described in the question. First, it’s important to prevent this kind of thing from happening, and I think the accountability measures I discuss in answer to the question above will help with that task.

I don’t believe that the perception can be fixed with lip service; the only solution is to go forward from here with professional behavior from directors in both public and private spaces. Increasing the amount of public, transparent interaction between directors and volunteers, and engaging productively with the OTW’s committees, will allow the relationship between Board and the rest of the Org to improve over time. Additionally, the fact that several of the candidates running in the current election have been directly involved in committee work with a variety of committees over the years means that we are known to many staffers and volunteers, who can still feel comfortable in approaching us, even in a new role.

Andrea Horbinski 2015 Q&A: OTW Culture and Communication, Group 2

Elections Staff

What in your opinion are three key aspects in which the Board needs to improve with regards to its interactions with OTW volunteers? What would you personally do to improve them?

It’s an unfortunate truth of the Board’s current structure and workload that communicating directly with OTW personnel in general, rather than committee chairs and other key personnel specifically, is something we do only rarely. We’re also volunteers, and there’s not necessarily much time left over after we’ve done what we need to do to undertake all the projects that would be ideal but aren’t absolutely urgent or necessary. Although we do make an effort to regularly post newsletter updates and usually post our minutes publicly, I know that many people believe we should talk more about what we’re doing. To the extent that it’s advisable and responsible given the constraints on us as the people legally responsible for the OTW’s welfare, it does seem that communicating with OTW personnel more regularly about the Board’s work is something that people want, and that could use improvement from our end. Hopefully as we implement the strategic plan and divest responsibility for day-to-day operations, either the Board or the person(s) responsible for operations will be able to communicate more regularly and directly with personnel farther down the OTW hierarchy. Finding a way to involve personnel in the operations of the OTW as a whole is also provided for in the strategic plan, and I’m looking forward to accomplishing that. We’ve also been discussing possible ways in which to foster personal interaction between individual directors and OTW personnel, potentially as part of directors’ travel to support the organization. We haven’t reached any conclusions about that yet, but all my experience indicates that this is a proven way to foster relationships and that it’s well worth making an explicit goal for improvement.

For the past several years, candidates who were later elected (or allowed due to uncontested election) have outlined several goals to improve the environment of the Board, the dynamic between the Board and staff, and other aspects of the OTW environment. But reports are that, despite this, things are not improving. Why do you think this is, and what steps will you take to stick to the goals you’ve outlined in this area if elected to the Board?

The arc of my time as a director has consisted of the Board reaching clarity about the nature of its role in the organization and what our responsibilities consist of as well as actually doing the work that we need to do to keep the OTW functioning and, indeed, growing: while we owe our continued success to the hard work of the hundreds of OTW personnel, past and present, to say nothing of our supporters, the Board has also consistently acted to support that success as needed and has done its best to support the OTW’s long-term sustainable growth, particularly through the Strategic Planning process. All of which is a long way of saying that from my perspective the relationship between the Board and staff has demonstrably improved over the past three years, and I look forward to it continuing to do so over the next three years as the current strategic plan is implemented. It’s clear that the improvements in these relationships thus far have been unevenly distributed, but I’m confident that as the Board works with all committees to accomplish their work under the strategic plan, that communication and these relationships will improve accordingly across the board.

There have been reports from past directors and from both current and past volunteers and staff that the Board spends more time on petty disputes with each other and on targeting staff and volunteers who question their decisions than actually caring about the welfare of the organization. Whether it is true or not, the perception is there and it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the organization or the Board. How might you work to change this perception (or reality) and begin rebuilding trust between the Board and relevant constituencies?

I’m happy to report that this is not an accurate statement about the 2015 Board of Directors: it has been my privilege to work with this group of people, and this year on the Board has been a real pleasure because of my fellow directors’ professionalism and unstinting commitment to the OTW. It’s unfortunate that what is essentially old news is still lingering and adversely impacting the image of the Board, but the current Board definitely recognizes that it’s much easier to create a bad impression than to fix it, and that it will probably take several years for the new norm to displace the old bad reports. It’s also an unfortunate truth of the situation that there’s not much more we can do to rebuild trust than to continue doing what we have been doing, which is to carry out our responsibilities to the OTW and its mission to the best of our abilities. That said, one of the things the current Board is looking forward to about the strategic plan, which is scheduled to begin implementation in January 2016, is the fact that undertaking the work it stipulates for Board should, by the end of the process, demystify our work both by documenting what we do in a clearer fashion and also preparing prospective candidates for service as a director in a way that will make the requirements and expectations of the role clearer for everyone. Additionally, the bylaws revision passed this year to provide for Board removal of directors will allow the Board to, in the worst-case scenario and if all else fails, preserve the new norms of professional behavior by removing a toxic individual who refuses to conform to them. The revision also makes directors subject to CCAP, which should have the same effect.

Aline Carrão 2015 Q&A: OTW Culture and Communication, Group 2

Elections Staff

What in your opinion are three key aspects in which the Board needs to improve with regards to its interactions with OTW volunteers? What would you personally do to improve them?

Our volunteer base is the OTW’s most valuable asset. We literally wouldn’t be here without their work. It’s of the utmost importance to keep this mind at all times while one is on board.
As board members, we should listen to what volunteers are saying or asking, and answer them with due consideration, without making assumptions or being dismissive. We owe volunteers direct, fact-based answers within a reasonable timeframe. We should respect the work that is done by everyone, even if it’s a small collaboration or one that is not critical to the organization at the moment. The OTW is the sum of all those working here, and we should treat all volunteers with the same amount of cordiality, attention, and goodwill we desire to receive. Professionalism and respect have to be the building blocks of any interaction.

I would keep this in mind at all times when talking to my fellow volunteers, without forgetting that we’re all on the same boat. I would remember that volunteers are not a monolith that should be expected to have the same cohesive opinion; they are each their own person, with sometimes conflicting thoughts, needs and wishes. I would reach out to volunteers at all levels and try to understand different perspectives when controversial subjects were being discussed, including perspectives I disagreed with entirely—especially those. The board is a very small group that can very easily become an echo chamber, and the OTW is huge and diverse. Board members should try to reach out as often as they can, and I would certainly do my best.

For the past several years, candidates who were later elected (or allowed due to uncontested election) have outlined several goals to improve the environment of the Board, the dynamic between the Board and staff, and other aspects of the OTW environment. But reports are that, despite this, things are not improving. Why do you think this is, and what steps will you take to stick to the goals you’ve outlined in this area if elected to the Board?

It’s important to remember that any change in an organization like the OTW will take time, and will inevitably require commitment from not only the new directors elected in this term but from everyone else who is currently in the board.
That said, people carry their own grudges, history and perceptions to their role on the board; that is a natural, human thing and it will keep happening. But, as long as we are aware of it, I believe we can counterbalance this by creating a professional environment and approaching new situations with a open mind. That is what I intend to do. Having a variety of opinions and perspectives in a governance body is a good thing, as long as we can keep a respectful and positive approach to everyone else’s positions; this can certainly help us make progress.

There have been reports from past directors and from both current and past volunteers and staff that the Board spends more time on petty disputes with each other and on targeting staff and volunteers who question their decisions than actually caring about the welfare of the organization. Whether it is true or not, the perception is there and it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the organization or the Board. How might you work to change this perception (or reality) and begin rebuilding trust between the Board and relevant constituencies?

This question makes a very valid point: even if this is an entirely wrong perception, it hurts the OTW and we should work on improving it regardless. In my opinion, the best way to do this is to build trust through open communication. Board needs to go out of its way to share information, discussion updates, decisions and plans through news posts and also internally, in various formats. This prevents rumors from spreading unnecessarily, gets everyone’s buy-in for the OTW’s ongoing bigger steps, and builds a partnership among everyone involved, showing there is work getting done, since everyone can follow it step by step. This would make each success matter to everyone who is following along, and help create a feeling of community and of shared goals.