Nuts and Bolts

Comment

Comment by Jessica Cohodes on February 24, 2011 at 4:55pm

Who would like to actually take some work from the agenda and go foward with ease and positivity?  Can we focus only on the agenda for next month right now?

Comment by Chris Terbrueggen on February 24, 2011 at 2:40pm

Sarah,   You still have not answered my question. When is the public vote taking place?  I am more than willing to support giving more time to make this voting process work. I am not interested in rushing the process or giving Jess and Takis more work then they can handle right now. I just want to be clear.  I will not support a last minute announcement on a public vote. I do not consider that in the best interest of the entire organization. Chris

Comment by Sarah Moore on February 24, 2011 at 1:38pm

Chris,  I am not the one to do the poll, Jess and TK are working on getting the poll ready, however I know they both have full time jobs, I am sure you understand.  These are exactly the details that we want to share with more people at the nuts and bolts meetings that we don't get to because we have been so stuck working on process.  I am so glad you are also want to get to the work of running things.  Please remember that many members have asked for patience from you repeatedly.  At the last conflict mediation with you we all agreed that if emotions got involved at all we would not talk about them on line as feels and meanings are hard to read.  I think your comment has crossed that line. 

Comment by Chris Terbrueggen on February 24, 2011 at 11:55am

Greetings Nuts and Bolts members, I like to know what is delaying the announcement of the  group decisions that we all labored to make at the last meeting. Are we planning to vote on the mission and vision at the next Hub meeting?  Ask for help, If you need assistance developing a ballot.  We should really be giving all members at least a two weeks notice on a public vote. I really do not want to put any more effort towards the next meeting if I see no  timely effort to implement or explain what the group has already made decisions on. It really looks like Nuts and Bolts needs some major training on having productive meetings.  Chris

Comment by Chris Terbrueggen on January 14, 2011 at 6:03pm

Michael and Sarah, I think it will be easier to create a policy sub group after we have clearly defined and come to a consensus on Nuts and Bolts mission and purpose. Looking at existing Transition Frameworks, is Nuts and Bolts an administrative support group for TM?  Usually,  an administrative support group is an advisory group to the Steering Group or core group. Chris

Comment by Sarah Moore on January 13, 2011 at 11:23am

the working Agenda template is

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YaJTMfsM0uq3y7GpJj345QGER3a799i...

Comment by Sarah Moore on January 13, 2011 at 11:12am

 Beth, Jess and Christie are working on posting the Jan Hub meeting today. 

 Michael, thanks I did try, so I really appreciate the positive response. yes I think moving forward on both fronts makes sense and making a policy sub group makes sense, It could even be one that we all rotate through so each month one person from the month before is on but the other 2 or 3 people might not have just been on.  That way we all are invested and knowledgeable about our policies but no one gets stuck with all the dry stuff. 

Comment by Beth Lukomski on January 13, 2011 at 10:36am

The Hub meeting was mentioned last night, and I haven't been able to find date / time.  Could someone post the details please?

Comment by Michael W. Pettit on January 13, 2011 at 9:43am

Sarah,

Yes, great meeting last night and I think you did a great job as usual, keeping the flow together and making sure all relevant points were addressed.

I think you have a good point here. We need to organise the way that TM operates, but it is easier to do that when we know WHAT ongoing processes need more organisation. 

Maybe the best approach, as you suggest is to get the logistical process going in these nuts and bolts meetings, and form a subcommittee within the nuts and bolts group which observes that process and makes recommendations about rules, guidelines and policies that will make those operations easier and more efficient going forward.  That way, when it comes time to decide on what our rules and policies should be, we will have practical examples of why they are necessary or what purpose they would serve. 

Of course, that means having to form consensus or bring the group to a vote about each individual action in the mean time, until a clear operational structure can be formed, but in a way that makes a lot more sense than trying to figure it all out ahead of time, while at the same time nothing is getting done.

Just want to be clear also, I hope we all understand that having clear rules, policies and guidelines for actions by workgroups, conflict resolution, financial decisions, communication and outreach, etc. does not eliminate the need to vote or come to consensus on things, rather it makes it more clear what process (voting, executive decision, consensus) needs to be followed for each type of action or decision.  This helps in the long run to get more things done and take less time deliberating over them.

Can we include in our next Nuts and Bolts meeting agenda, forming a consensus about creating a Policies and Guidelines subcommittee, within the Nuts and Bolts group, so that we can be working on both of these things (getting things done, and being more clear about how we do things) at the same time?  If yes, then we could simply add to the standing Nuts and Bolts agenda, the item of calling for consensus on any new general policies or guidelines proposed by that subcommittee. 

(I feel the need to add here that while this may seem to complicate things, I have the objective in mind of making these meetings progressively shorter and more effective going forward.)

Comment by Sarah Moore on January 13, 2011 at 6:51am

Nice meeting last night, I hope people feel I did ok at facilitating, I know I was a bit rushy at the end!   sorry!  I hope people really join this group,  My mind is full of thoughts!

#1 Reasons we NEED to get reports from sub groups at the n& b meetings; there needs to be a space to talk about the logistics of running TM.    TM has members, new members, meetings, money in a bank account, a website, an email group, out reach requests, member ideas, group/member requests, conflicts, opportunities.... all these things need to be attended to.  The SC is trying not to do everything, I don't think hub meetings are the right place, maybe I am wrong, maybe this should be what the hub is about..... Because our sub committees are still too small and include most of the same people they are too stressed to meet separately.  we need to give them spaces when we are all together.  Once they are stronger then they can truly break off again but will still need to report back. here is a SMALL list of things that need to be decided;

$$$, how we spend it, raise it.  Does anyone think Natalie or I should just decide to order more books or not?  do we have time to keep this responsibility indefinitely? do we keep that in the SC?  do we ask the whole hub? the simple question is do we wait, who will as chealsea green when the next book might be out, if they have a deal on old one.....if we let nuts and bolts address this which needs to be done then the matter can be addressed taken care of and we can go on to the next matter on the agenda. 

PR, outreach...  worth investing in.  I say over and over I found TM from a flier Chrsitie left at the outpost and it changed my life.  :)           

Micheal your announcement about the meeting you set up on Friday fits in perfectly with the kind of thing a report should include; i have this meeting set up it is an opportunity for TM does anyone want to join.  

tech/communication/ web issues...How are we using Ning?  do we want to upgrade? do we want to find something new?  do we want to just keep going as we are with it... a sub committee should come with recommendations but a larger group that is using the communication applications should decide. 

We have table/ presentation opportunities right now, who is tracking which ones and what needs attention.

Hub meetings; leaders, guests, themes... etc etc etc.......

So in Short and to be clear right away, unless we decide that we will make the hub meeting would include reports about the workings of TM,   I would Block any motion to not include at least short reports on some of these issues at the Nuts and bolts meetings as that Was WHY I suggested to the SC committee we create these meetings,    I say block because I FEEL VERY strongly about this.  if we get so caught up in red tape that we need a third meeting/group to help us run TM then I would feel ready to leave TM.  I need a group that is not just about rules but is DOING something.  The nuts and bolts can prioritize a sub group to address our rules/regulations/detailed policies and then agree to them not visa virsa.  I don't think it is worth spending 5 months laying down a foundation for a group that is other wise at a stand still and I think email is too time consuming for some of these issues that can be resolved/shared quickly and easily in person.

As i had seen it The Hub meeting should mainly have reports form working groups; ie water, food etc.  The nuts and bolts should mainlyhave reports from working sub committees; outreach, PR, financial, Tech etc.