Proposed Table of Organization

[Andrew Amelang]

Hey team, Carter's been working on a couple of organizational changes, and I am submitting the attached document as our proposed revised Table of Organization. Per our policy, SLEC members can review this and accept as is or propose changes through the end of our next meeting, June 18, at which point we have a new TO.

It's not a huge lift, more a matter of moving some things around for better efficiency. The two strategic moves are (1) moving Operations Support functions out from under the XD and standing up a separate Operations Support Department, and (2) moving our Outreach functions out from under LAD and standing up a separate Outreach Department. We believe this change will facilitate more efficient and effective communications and management.

If you have any questions or concerns, let's get that conversation going here. We're eager to start recruiting for open positions!

Note: I'm adding an informal poll just so we can track who's where in this process. The poll will run for seven days; I can extend it if I need to, but hopefully I won't need to. You can change your vote as we progress: no to yes if your concern gets addressed, or yes to no if a change is made that you don't like. This is not a motion vote, just want y'all to go ahead and indicate whether you support this or not (and if not, why not). Many thanks!

 

[Nathan Polsky]

Do we already have people in mind to fill those new roles, or would we need to do some heavy recruiting?

 

[Andrew Amelang]

Heavy recruiting. We gotta lotta work to do....

 

[Jack Westbrook]

I am unable to open the org chart

 

[Andrew Amelang]

Don’t know what to tell you—it works for me. Anybody got any ideas?

 

[Candice Landry]

I am unable to open the org chart

I was able to download. Maybe try to reset...

 

[Andrew Amelang]

At this time there are 11 "I like it" votes cast and 0 "let's talk" votes. We're going to proceed in the direction of setting up the appropriate new positions on our website, and once we get that in place we'll start soliciting applications. If someone shows up over the next two weeks with questions or concerns, we'll certainly have that conversation; otherwise, this will get added to the policy manual after the meeting on the 18th.

 

[Andrew Amelang]

Now 13-0, fwiw.

 

[Dave Marino]

To be honest, I really just trust you business exec minded people with this stuff. I have never worked that closely with staff to give a credible opinion on it

 

[Andrew Amelang]

I admire and appreciate your self-awareness! So we're unanimous-in-effect, as Dave's essentially abstaining (which I did not have as an option on the poll) but supports the folks making decisions, and I'm laying out of the vote as Chair but support the changes as well.

Y'all please take a look at the open positions on our Staff and consider applying for one of the positions. There are some who see dual-service on SLEC and Staff as some kind of conflict, or a matter of 'spreading one's self too thin', as a general rule. Personally, I reject that, both philosophically, as the kind of abstract idealism that keeps us from doing what we're capable of, and practically, as we have several members--and have had several members each term--demonstrating what it looks like to do both jobs well.

We are a small organization with limited means and should be thinking entrepreneurially: everyone does whatever it takes to get where we need to get to be large enough and prosperous enough to start expanding the team and dividing the labor more granularly. I look forward to the day when "I only do one thing for the party" is a luxury we can afford.

That said, no shame at all for anyone who might suspect that's my goal: We all come at this from different life situations and time constraints. If you're doing all you can do already, you're doing all you can do, and that's all we can ask. But if you do have the time and the inclination, and see a way you could contribute to the growth of the party, don't let a sketchy theory about how that's an inherently bad idea keep you from volunteering.

Last thought: If you don't have the time to volunteer yourself, perhaps you know someone you could recruit, or someone who's name you could pass on to Carter as a suggestion for recruiting. Thanks in advance!