[Membership-affairs] Membership Affairs Coordinator and New Member Intake

[William Drake]

Hi

On Jun 24, 2013, at 4:30 AM, Rafik Dammak <rafik.dammak at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Ed,
> 
> thanks for the reply and comments:
> 
> You are better placed than I am to actually make this work. As a member of the NCSG EC you are a member of the group whose inaction on membership applications caused me to suspend active large scale recruitment. All I could do was ask people to act on the applications. Cintra from NPOC was the only person who really responded. You are in a position to make things happen and I know you will.
> 
> 
> yes the process is not optimal and there were hiccups unfortunately, we already discussed about and trying to fix e.g. using automation and better management of membership database.
> 
> While I am happy to listen to the feedback, I don't think that trying to blame individuals is  the best or efficient way  to fix process related issues.

No it is not and I really wish it would stop.  These are publicly archived lists and interpersonal bitching and agendas just sow discontent, drive people away, and make us look unprofessional.

> anyway I understood the frustration but lets focus on fixing them and improve the situation . do you have any particular measure(s) or action(s) in mind? 
> 
> I am thinking for example if you or any ncuc member approach people and encourage them to apply, it can be helpful to inform ncuc reps in EC beforehand to make the process smoother and also having better coordination. 

I strongly agree.  Outreach is the responsibility in the first instance of the Membership Affairs team, which folded together the aborted Outreach and Inreach teams.  There has to be coordination, including on messaging.  I've received reports of unusual and off-putting outreaching that are a cause for concern.  We need to ensure the optics are normal.
> 
> btw I am not sure that Cintra is really responding neither the new npoc rep. anyway you have access to the two files where we have ongoing and pending applications and you can check the progress.
> 
> You are also better placed than I was  to respond to applicants who want to know why no action had been taken on their application. All I could do was in effect say "not my area of responsibility." The last thing you want to do to an enthusiastic young member to be  is try to explain NCSG/NCUC/NPOC relations. As a member of the NCSG EC who also is running the MA Committee the buck stops with you. I'm told by a former NCSG EC member it shouldn't take any longer than a week to approve new individual applicants. Hopefully you can get it closer to that standard than to the 4+ months some have currently been waiting.
> 
> again, coordination can help, to speed up things, it is much better to coordinate outreach and application review beforehand to avoid contentious cases . 
> the goal is not just to increase membership when we still have engagement issue of our current members. we have to work simultaneously in both fronts although that won't be an easy task.

Indeed, and again, Inreach should be coordinated in the first instance via this team.
> 
> 
> There are some outreach initiatives I've been working on that I will continue to work on in my role as an elected EC member. Although I have chosen not to do my work through Bill's committees, I will do my best to consult and cooperate with you as we try to achieve our mutually held goal of greater diversity and inclusion into the NCUC.  

They're not "Bill's committees," they are teams of members who've agreed to work on certain issues to help share the load and hopefully build some community in the process.  If someone is willing to do the work of coordinating them and members get engaged they'll work, if not they won't and we can either try something else or let it go and return to the status quo ante.

> 
> 3. The Membership Affairs Coordinator sends a standard welcome message to the newbies.  Would be good if this team could decide what info should be conveyed and draft the letter.
> 
> First, that has been happening. Every member admitted this year has, or should have,  received such an e-mail from me.

Ed, could you please share a copy of that letter with the Membership Affairs team?
> 
> In reality, I don't believe the MA facilitator should be sending such a letter. The letter should come from the Chair. New members deserve to be welcomed by an elected member of the EC, preferably the Chair,  not by a committee leader. It might not be a bad idea to have the elected EC representative of the region the new member is from also to send a welcome. I intend to do so for all new members from North America.

I think we should follow collectively agreed processes here, rather than having people just go off and do whatever they like privately on behalf of the uninformed group.  As to who the letter comes from, I can see arguments on both sides; the point of having the team coordinator do it would be to decentralize responsibility within a shared framework, and underscore that's how we roll.  But if the group feels like it'd be better for the chair to do it, I am happy to add this to my 20-30 hours a week of NCUC work.

Bill
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