Question 9: Reactive or Proactive?
 

This question was submitted by Cholula:
Do you feel TalkBoard should be reactive or proactive?

Should TB just sit back and wait for suggestions from the general members or should they, as a group, also discuss and recommend ideas that were solely developed among the TalkBoard members?

Definitely proactive.

While this in no way implies that it should not listen to suggestions made by members, it means that it should actively seek out ways to improve FlyerTalk.

Both. How's that for an answer that straddles the fence?

TalkBoard should always be in discussion about ideas that they, as members, have for making FT better. As a representative body, the voters decided to have the TB members represent them. So, in coming up with ideas themselves, the TB members ARE representing FT.

And yet, the TB should make an effort to get more input from the member population. An effective use of the IBB's polling technology would allow TB to get a better read on the membership and help the TB decide if, for example, there was a great demand for a new forum. I wouldn't expect TB to conduct a poll before every vote or even vote in line with such a poll, if taken, but the TB needs to reach out more and get feedback. TalkBoard Topics isn't exactly one of the busiest forums on FT.

Of course, the TB should also discuss and act upon member suggestions and feedback throughout the year. That's a given, IMO.

Both. But first let's be clear about something:

Before the TB makes ONE MORE 'proactive' (ie, internally suggested, discussed and approved or rejected) decision THE TB DISCUSSION/DEBATE FORUM MUST BE MADE OPEN TO ALL POSTERS ON A READ-ONLY BASIS.

Can you tell I feel macacanly strongly about this?

I believe in open discussion, open debate, open decision-making. It does not serve the posters when suggestions, debate and decisions are made in secret....ever.

The first time posters hear about a TB decision must NEVER be when the decision is final.

Posters should be able to follow TB debate and discussions so that each poster can determine for his or herself what the TB is talking about at any given time, who is taking what position on a particular issue, why TB members are taking a certain position in their own words and how effective each TB member is as an advocate for their positions or against another TB member's position on issues.

That said, the best ideas still come from the posters.

Hi

As other fellow candidates have stated TalkBoard needs to be proactive and reactive but how far do you go is the question that should you ask.

Being Proactive. If TalkBoard come up with lots of ideas and implement them then the community might just say, well I am not bothering to put anything forward as they are just doing what they want to do and stuff the rest of us.
It could lead to people thinking that TalkBoard members think themselves as above everyone else.

Being Reactive. If TalkBoard are Reactive then they could be accused of sitting on their backsides waiting for something to happen and basically a waste of space.

The thing is to try and find a balance between both of them and that is always going to be hard as each community members has his/her views on what they think is Proactive or Reactive, yet again “Dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t” comes to mind.

Regards

It's best to be proactive.

Take ideas from the general membership through surveys, open forum discussions, and evaluate their recommendations. The TB can then have all the "facts" and make decisions on new features, upgrades and other changes.

Making ill-informed decisions causes an organization to have to react poorly (those reactions are the ones people really care about). And yes, it's true - sometimes things happen and for whatever reason the TB didn't make the right decision. So again evaluate through many means (as mentioned before) and also analyze how the TB decision failed. If we have a controlled process we can make community decisions based on facts and even a bit of rational emotions.

Question for the current/past TB members or Randy:

Does the House of Miles ever ask TalkBoard for advice on an item that is not for public consumption?

Short answer:
Yes. :D

Long answer:

I believe both are expected. None of us would be candidates if we didn't have ideas about the future direction of FlyerTalk (or plans about how to maintain the status quo). Some of these ideas will eventually be brought up and discussed and perhaps voted upon by the TalkBoard.

At the same time, the TalkBoard is a representative body, and thus should be listening to the membership and taking suggestions for future improvements.

I do think ideas that are solely the brainchild of a TalkBoard member or the TalkBoard as an entity need to be made public for general comments, as I mentioned elsewhere.

Yes. Beyond that I do not feel free to reply.

A yes or no was all I was looking for. Thank you.

It should be both to be an effective body.

Why does that matter? I understand that this is an oft-cited excuse not to open the TB for posters to read.

But if Randy wants to ask a question or make a point to the TB that he doenst want the posters to see he can use PM. That's precisely why it is there. Heck, he has done that with me a few times when I get on a soapbox that I didnt even realize was shaky for reasons best not discussed in public. Worked like a charm! @:-)

A better question would be: What percentage of things discussed in the private TB forum are about things that entail Randy asking for advice on an item that is not for public consumption?

Of course the TB needs to be reactive as well as proactive. However when reactive it should not be seen to be reacting to whatever the hot button issue of the day is. Generally these issues are either not strictly within the TB's purview, or they are issues which are so fleeting and emotional that the TB should not really be involved.

As a proactive organization the TB should in fact be making moves, suggestions to help FT expand in a non-linear way in order to be the "brain trust" that takes FT to the next level.

He can. But you can't hold a discussion by PM, as you can send a PM to only five people (as any Do organiser, who is not a mod, is very well aware ;)), and there are nine plus randy on TB - and no reply all capability. So the input he would get would be much better when tossed around on a forum than by PM, where you have no synergy between members going on.

@:-) Unless he then set up a private TB forum for those discussions @:-) ;)

The answer must be BOTH, based on the issues at hand.