Screaming and Stamping
Karl has posted a summary of proposed governance changes to the YHA Blog. The package of changes to the size and practices of the Board of Trustees will be put to an Extraordinary General Meeting at the end of February. In order to be put into practice, they’ll have to win the approval of a variety of stakeholders, but not even Karl’s 100% happy with them:
Not everybody will get everything they want – me included. That is life I suppose. A few years ago I might have screamed and stamped my feet if I did not get my way, but this time it is different in that this is what YHA needs and not what I personally want. I am going to try and be less me, me, me.
Well, I’m glad Karl is on top of his anger management technique, but that’s not the whole story.
Until recently, Karl was a member of the Governance Implementation Group, a sub-committee of the Board charged with formulating the new structure. Clearly, he’s been well-placed to get his point of view across, although its apparently not always gone his way. To be fair, the Governance Review has involved a lot of consultation at Regional Council level and even, initially, with the wider membership.
It’s a lot easier to accept decisions not going your way if you feel your opinion has been listened to, even if ultimately it hasn’t been heeded. You did your best, said your piece, and take your losses on the chin.
The reason why members sometimes “scream and stamp their feet” at YHA is that they feel excluded from the policy-making process. Important decisions are made behind closed doors, by management or by the Board. Members aren’t consulted beforehand, and often aren’t even told about it afterwards (the removal of limited means discounts being a classic example).
Of course, it’s not possible (or desirable) to consult everybody on every day-to-day decision, but YHA could do a much better job of communicating the choices that it’s made and the reasons for its decisions. If YHA could better engage with its membership, it might begin to look upon them as a useful resource rather than (as it sometimes seems) a whining inconvenience.
Screaming and stamping is a natural reaction if you feel you’re being ignored.
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There is a little ‘spin’ taking place in this article plus a bit of a mixed message, but I will let it go – it is a good job I know you Chris! That anger management is clearly working!
I am glad you are keeping the upcoming EGM in the headlines.
I hope you and everyone feel confortable enough to contact me if you want to express a view (on anything YHA) and I promise you I will listen. I frequently get emails and telephone calls.
I inform my decision making through conversation, education and moral instinct. Having a debate ensures a sensible, fair and effective decision.
The huge benefit of the YHA governance structure is the effective role of democracy. As I said in my recent blog, this does mean that at times I and everybody else have to compromise in order to move forward. I don’t always expect to get my own way you know!
After many years of hard work, I have reached a point where I can help influence YHA policy making. If ‘you’ want a piece of that cake I encourage you to put yourself forward – but be prepared for the ride of your life!
Finally, I want to stress very clearly here that I will be voting in FAVOUR of the motions at the EGM.
Best wishes, Karl.
Well, I’ll hold my hand up to reading in to your “screaming and stamping” line rather more than you probably intended by it, Karl, but I thought it was a theme worth exploring.
I’m a bit concerned that you appear to be saying that people can only expect to “help influence YHA policy making” by getting onto the Board. I’d like to see the Association open to influence from anybody with good ideas, even if they haven’t put “years of hard work” in first.
I get the impression that staff and trustees are sometimes irritated by the criticism they get from members – myself included – who don’t know the full facts. That’s understandable, but the answer is simple: tell us the facts! Then we can all bring our conversation, education and moral instinct to bear.
Your blog is excellent as far as it goes (though it seems to have a problem displaying comments), and the forum is making a promising start, but the Association still has a long way to go when it comes to communicating with its members.