We held a quick workshop (look, I am a consultant by trade and it is what we do) on what to ditch and what to keep plus the rules of engagement. From now on
- reports will be emailed and only commented on where a decision is required or where something of particular note emerges.
- Meetings will be about decisions, appropriate discussion and information exchange where there is no better way of doing this.
The rules are that
- we keep to time (8pm - 10pm agreed) although there will be the opportunity to network for those arriving earlier.
- the Chair keeps debate moving as she keeps an eye on time.
- Refreshments should be good as many of us don't have time to eat before coming to the meeting.
- the amount of preparation required extends to participants reading the paperwork beforehand and an onus on me to get it out to them in plenty of time.
We also experimented with pre-drafted proposals in an effort to improve debate and avoid it where necessary. I was very pleased with the results as I did feel the quality of decision-making was better and I certainly didn't feel I was forcing anything through on the nod. It was a little touch and go beforehand as some people had viewed circulating argued proposals was a means to my railroading them through but my intention, and indeed the outcome, was the reverse.
All in all I felt we achieved something and I am pleased with that.
2 comments:
Having read the title of the latest blog with interest I had to read on...
I can't comment on the county executive meetings having never been to one myself. However I feel I need to comment on the blog itself.
When I first heard that you were introducing a blog I thought it was an excellent idea, both in terms of enabling all those girlguiding volunteers who have less contact with the county commissioner to gain an insight into the role, as well as performing a PR function for girlguiding itself.
What a shame that the method you seem to have chosen to promote your own achievements is to criticise (indirectly maybe) those of people who gone before you. I'm even more surprised, given the management experience you refer to in the blog, that you think this is an effective way of doing so.
Although the anologies may be clever, they seem to have been made with little regard to feelings of others. Yes there may be other girlguiding volunteres who share some of your thoughts and support the comments made through the blog. However this will surely be short lived before they start to wonder who or what is next in line for similar treatment on such a public, internationally accessible, forum. Concerns that I suspect are now very much felt by those who are very proud of everything achieved previously by the county - work that you as the previous assistant county commissioner were very much involved in.
There is no way that I would now give my time to volunteer for an organisation whose county commissioner seems to condone this way of working.
It's such a shame that a potentially fantastic marketing tool is being used in this way. Please do review the way in which you use the blog - there are so many things that could be achieved but I'm struggling to find a positive outcome from the way in which it is currently being used.
Thank you for making the changes to this blog. They were small but in my opinion made a really significant difference.
Thank you again.
Post a Comment