I agree with what Pine said -- it's worthwhile to consider keeping a record of these conversations, at minimum for staff reference, even if making them all public is not desirable.
Further to that point, I have found in many instances, involving a skilled professional facilitator or mediator, who has no stake in the outcome, can be an incredibly helpful in getting the maximum benefit from difficult discussions. I hope that the WMF has considered hiring such a person for Jimmy's visit, and to address any number of other aspects of the present challenges. -Pete [[User:Peteforsyth]] On Fri, Feb 26, 2016 at 3:58 PM, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > If I may make an even bolder proposal: these chats with Brion and Jimmy can > be, with the consent of everyone involved in each particular meeting, > video-recorded. Asking for the videos to be posted in public might be a > step that's too uncomfortable for some people (although I think that the > transparency would be refreshing and in the long run I would like WMF to > exercise this degree of transparency), but I at least hope that the videos > could be widely accessible inside of WMF. I think that the videos would be > instructive for the interim executive director, Human Resources, and other > Board members to see, and might be helpful in discussing lessons learned > and opportunities for organizational development. > > Pine > > On Fri, Feb 26, 2016 at 3:29 PM, Oliver Keyes <ironho...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On Fri, Feb 26, 2016 at 3:00 PM, Jimmy Wales <jimmywa...@ymail.com> > wrote: > > > > > > I can't speak for Lila, nor should I try. But I know that for people > > > new to our world, it's really quite confusing. You hear a lot of > voices > > > and if you've been around for long enough, you get to know which ones > > > are important and which ones are going to complain no matter what, with > > > little substance. If you listen to those who are going to complain no > > > matter what, you can end up fearful and burned by communication. If > you > > > don't listen to those who are only going to complain when it matters, > > > you'll miss important things. Knowing the difference is... well... > > > ambiguous even in the best of times. > > > > > > So to go back to your question - what can be gained from my visit to > San > > > Francisco... it's only for a few days, but it will be followed by more > > > visits in the coming months. And part of what I want to do is get a > > > better understanding of the specific concerns that serious people have, > > > so that I can be more helpful to whoever ends up being the interim ED, > > > and whoever ends up being our next permanent ED. > > > > > > Jimmy, > > > > A word of advice on language (from me, of all people. Yes, I know; > > stopped clocks and all that). > > > > A substantial number of staff at the Foundation have spent the last > > few months in utter, miserable hell. Not in an abstract way, not > > watching it from the sidelines (I've spent kind of a lot of time > > wishing I was a volunteer in the last 6 months :/) but on a 9 to 5 > > basis, going into a space that has been deeply unpleasant, for the > > sake of the mission. Part of this unpleasantness - a small part of the > > problem, but a uniquely insidious and damaging part - was a refusal to > > give more than lip-service to the concerns of some employees. Indeed, > > some employees were actively warned, or prohibited from speaking, due > > to how they chose to raise concerns;[0][1] And in the end, increasing > > transparency revealed that the concerns of "disruptive" employees or > > "chronic complainers" were eminently justified. > > > > When I hear language about "ignoring those who are going to complain > > no matter what" and, in an email premised on visiting and spending > > time with staff, a distinction between the pool of people you'll be > > talking to and the "serious people", with an implication that only the > > concerns of the "serious people" will be taken, well, seriously, that > > worries me. It feels a lot like what we're coming out of. It feels > > like it will be a hindrance to progressing beyond this awful > > situation. > > > > I appreciate this is almost certainly not what you were trying to > > communicate - indeed , I fully expect you'll come back confirming that > > it wasn't. But it's best to be aware of the language you chose to use, > > within the context of what staff have been going through since 2015. I > > of all people know that how you choose to contextualise a situation > > with your words has profound implications for how people approach you > > and the treatment you receive. It's best to avoid unintentional > > ambiguities or implications. When you use language that implies some > > people or their concerns are worth ignoring, it's going to resonate > > very strongly with the dividing tactics recently found at the > > Foundation: where some people found their worries and issues - which > > were totally legitimate - dismissed. > > > > (As an aside from all of that, I entirely support Asaf's point about > > group meetings, with note-taking. I think it's good to have a record > > we can check what Everyone Knows against. Avoids FUD,[2] and at this > > critical time, increases transparency.) > > > > [0] > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:LilaTretikov_%28WMF%29&diff=prev&oldid=15301332 > > [1] No, I was not one of them) > > [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>