[Foundation-l] Re: board elections

Sun May 1 19:28:44 UTC 2005

Sj a écrit:
 > On 4/26/05, Erik Moeller <erik_moeller at gmx.de> 
wrote:

 >>If Sj is not going to stand, I think he would make an excellent
 >>organizer for this. Getting longer platform statements translated could
 >>remain within an individual candidate's responsibility.
 >
 >
 > Thank you, Erik, you are kind to suggest me.  I am sure that most of
 > this list would like to see the upcoming elections showcase the
 > projects' many languages and projects.  Perhaps the organization can
 > be distributed more broadly than a single person.  I would like to see
 > coordinators on each project engaged to help out; see my separate
 > email about election translations.

Good point Erik.

I may answer on this.

Why is not Sj one of the organisers ?

Well, first, and that might be the best reason of all : because he did 
not candidate when I asked :-)

But even if he had asked, I think I would not have put him in.

Why so ?

Well... a team must not be build uniquely based on what one think a 
person will be good at doing.

A team is more than that.

Each person individually must be good at something useful.
Each person individually must feel motivated to do precisely what he is 
good at doing.
At least one person of the team must be able to take care of an 
absolutely required task (while keeping that number low).

However, on top
Each person must be in a cooperative mood and ready to work with 
happiness with each of the other team members
As much as possible, the work done should be more than the addition of 
each individual member work.

All this requires to know people as much as possible. And to my belief, 
this is true not only for the election organisation, but for most of the 
board activities.

At least when one considers it a team work, not a one man show :-)

So, in this case...

I think we needed to keep a core of organisers to run the elections, and 
a core must be small to be workable. I thought of 3 to 4 people. We 
finally have 4 people and this is a good number. Britty was asked to 
help though she did not volunteer, because of her skills on managing 
translations and her easiness to communicate (plus, she is a woman :-)).

This absolutely does not mean no one else should help. Quite the 
opposite. We need help from people to translate statements. We need help 
to inform everyone. We need some people to ask us questions (including 
the unconfortable ones). And we need people to comment on organisation 
itself.

Second, I know Sj will participate in his way even if he is not in the 
list of organisers. I know he will ask questions. To ask these 
questions, it is actually best that he is not in the team. Sj is great 
(imho) but I do not think organising the elections would be his best 
work. He holds a different inner truth. Which has more to do with 
creativity, energy, cheerfulness.

Third because Sj is already busy with other things, such as the Quarto. 
Hopefully, the issue number 3 will be out before the elections and Sj is 
  extremely important here. Aphaia will already not be so much 
available, removing another pillar would not have been wise.

I think the way Sj can help best is by making people understand more 
what board activities are. Most of what Angela and I did all year long 
is totally unknown by most editors. Quarto helps to clarify this a 
little bit, for editors as well as for current board candidates. Angela 
and I made the board be a certain thing, which only few people could see 
(those involved in meta issues). Maybe the next board will do its job in 
a totally different way.

Fourth reason for not having Sj in the organisation committee is because 
I love very very very much both Sj and Danny, but know they both have 
not so easy relationships together. I think elections will be a tensed 
time for some of us, and I have no desire to do anything that might 
cause more troubles. I do not think making them team there would be wise 
:-)

Just knowing people, right ? :-)

Hope not to disturb anyone here. Do not want to.

Ant