Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a clear priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has created a steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description, planning and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting with the Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more information about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have also included three questions on the participation page to help us start forming a better understanding of the community’s various opinions and expectations.
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
Hi Alice,
Thank you for moving forward with this.
Questions:
1. One of the characteristics listed is "Experience in leading an organization as ED or CEO, very preferably an NGO or F/L/OSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) organization, with 250 people or more." But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly as a way to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming WMF. So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or she will manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for someone who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
2. Will the hiring for execs for HR, Tech, and Community wait until after the new ED is selected, or will those recruiting processes happen independent of the ED hiring process?
3. For the search steering group. would you consider adding a representative elected from the affiliates, and a representative elected from the community, who are not WMF board members and can therefore be responsive to the affiliate and community constituencies without potential conflict with WMF interests?
Thanks! Pine
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 11:37, "Alice Wiegand" awiegand@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a clear priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has created a steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description, planning and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting with the Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more information about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have also included three questions on the participation page to help us start forming a better understanding of the community’s various opinions and expectations.
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate _______________________________________________ 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-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Hi Pine-
I can answer your second question for you. We are moving forward with hiring the CTO, VP of HR, and VP of Community (in that order) during the interim.
Best, Lisa
On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Alice,
Thank you for moving forward with this.
Questions:
- One of the characteristics listed is "Experience in leading an
organization as ED or CEO, very preferably an NGO or F/L/OSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) organization, with 250 people or more." But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly as a way to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming WMF. So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or she will manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for someone who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
- Will the hiring for execs for HR, Tech, and Community wait until after
the new ED is selected, or will those recruiting processes happen independent of the ED hiring process?
- For the search steering group. would you consider adding a
representative elected from the affiliates, and a representative elected from the community, who are not WMF board members and can therefore be responsive to the affiliate and community constituencies without potential conflict with WMF interests?
Thanks! Pine
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 11:37, "Alice Wiegand" awiegand@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a clear priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has created
a
steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description, planning and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting with the Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more
information
about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have also
included
three questions on the participation page to help us start forming a
better
understanding of the community’s various opinions and expectations.
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate _______________________________________________ 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-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
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Lisa,
Good to hear. Thanks.
I'm aware that my first question might feel like it's a lot for the Board to digest while it's got so many other urgent issues. However, it seems to me that any ED candidate would want to know if spinoffs or a breakup are under consideration, and that if these are likely or planned then the selection process will need to take theses issues into account when trying to find a candidate with optimal fit. Also impacting the search process is that it might be easier to find two or three EDs for two or three separate, smaller, and more focused orgs than to try to find a single ED who can handle the wide and deep complexity of WMF in its current form. I have faith in Katherine as an interim ED and perhaps even as the ultimate selection, and I think that Katherine's abilities will provide us all some time and breathing room to think through questions about possible spinoffs and/or breakup. So, we can take some time to think carefully about the spinoff/breakup issue before proceeding further with selecting an ED for an organization that is currently very complex and is a significant systemic risk in the Wikimedia ecosystem.
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 18:51, "Lisa Gruwell" lgruwell@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi Pine-
I can answer your second question for you. We are moving forward with hiring the CTO, VP of HR, and VP of Community (in that order) during the interim.
Best, Lisa
On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Alice,
Thank you for moving forward with this.
Questions:
- One of the characteristics listed is "Experience in leading an
organization as ED or CEO, very preferably an NGO or F/L/OSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) organization, with 250 people or more." But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly as a
way
to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming
WMF.
So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or she
will
manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for someone who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
- Will the hiring for execs for HR, Tech, and Community wait until after
the new ED is selected, or will those recruiting processes happen independent of the ED hiring process?
- For the search steering group. would you consider adding a
representative elected from the affiliates, and a representative elected from the community, who are not WMF board members and can therefore be responsive to the affiliate and community constituencies without
potential
conflict with WMF interests?
Thanks! Pine
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 11:37, "Alice Wiegand" awiegand@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a clear priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has
created
a
steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description,
planning
and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting with the Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more
information
about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have also
included
three questions on the participation page to help us start forming a
better
understanding of the community’s various opinions and expectations.
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate _______________________________________________ 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-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
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So you're suggesting we don't find an ED for the biggest org in the movement because there's a thread on a mailing list about spinning bits of it off?
I think hiring an ED can be done safely. Spinning elements off the WMF is something that has already been done, repeatedly, be it duties (the FDC, ish) or departments (see the WikiEd Foundation). In neither case did senior leadership suddenly find they had nothing to do.
I guarantee that finding three executive directors is not an easier task than finding one, however you split the duties.
On Monday, 18 April 2016, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Lisa,
Good to hear. Thanks.
I'm aware that my first question might feel like it's a lot for the Board to digest while it's got so many other urgent issues. However, it seems to me that any ED candidate would want to know if spinoffs or a breakup are under consideration, and that if these are likely or planned then the selection process will need to take theses issues into account when trying to find a candidate with optimal fit. Also impacting the search process is that it might be easier to find two or three EDs for two or three separate, smaller, and more focused orgs than to try to find a single ED who can handle the wide and deep complexity of WMF in its current form. I have faith in Katherine as an interim ED and perhaps even as the ultimate selection, and I think that Katherine's abilities will provide us all some time and breathing room to think through questions about possible spinoffs and/or breakup. So, we can take some time to think carefully about the spinoff/breakup issue before proceeding further with selecting an ED for an organization that is currently very complex and is a significant systemic risk in the Wikimedia ecosystem.
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 18:51, "Lisa Gruwell" <lgruwell@wikimedia.org javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Pine-
I can answer your second question for you. We are moving forward with hiring the CTO, VP of HR, and VP of Community (in that order) during the interim.
Best, Lisa
On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Pine W <wiki.pine@gmail.com
javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Alice,
Thank you for moving forward with this.
Questions:
- One of the characteristics listed is "Experience in leading an
organization as ED or CEO, very preferably an NGO or F/L/OSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) organization, with 250 people or
more."
But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly as a
way
to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming
WMF.
So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or she
will
manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for
someone
who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
- Will the hiring for execs for HR, Tech, and Community wait until
after
the new ED is selected, or will those recruiting processes happen independent of the ED hiring process?
- For the search steering group. would you consider adding a
representative elected from the affiliates, and a representative
elected
from the community, who are not WMF board members and can therefore be responsive to the affiliate and community constituencies without
potential
conflict with WMF interests?
Thanks! Pine
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 11:37, "Alice Wiegand" <awiegand@wikimedia.org
javascript:;> wrote:
Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a clear priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has
created
a
steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description,
planning
and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting with
the
Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more
information
about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have also
included
three questions on the participation page to help us start forming a
better
understanding of the community’s various opinions and expectations.
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org javascript:; Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
<mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org javascript:;
?subject=unsubscribe>
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Hi everyone,
I agree with Pine on his 3rd proposal. Including a representative from the affiliates and another from the community into the search steering group should help including the input from wider Wikimedia community. This would be positive both for the search process and the recruitment.
Regards, Tanweer
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 4:12 PM, Oliver Keyes ironholds@gmail.com wrote:
So you're suggesting we don't find an ED for the biggest org in the movement because there's a thread on a mailing list about spinning bits of it off?
I think hiring an ED can be done safely. Spinning elements off the WMF is something that has already been done, repeatedly, be it duties (the FDC, ish) or departments (see the WikiEd Foundation). In neither case did senior leadership suddenly find they had nothing to do.
I guarantee that finding three executive directors is not an easier task than finding one, however you split the duties.
On Monday, 18 April 2016, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Lisa,
Good to hear. Thanks.
I'm aware that my first question might feel like it's a lot for the Board to digest while it's got so many other urgent issues. However, it seems
to
me that any ED candidate would want to know if spinoffs or a breakup are under consideration, and that if these are likely or planned then the selection process will need to take theses issues into account when
trying
to find a candidate with optimal fit. Also impacting the search process
is
that it might be easier to find two or three EDs for two or three separate, smaller, and more focused orgs than to try to find a single ED who can handle the wide and deep complexity of WMF in its current form. I have faith in Katherine as an interim ED and perhaps even as the ultimate selection, and I think that Katherine's abilities will provide us all
some
time and breathing room to think through questions about possible
spinoffs
and/or breakup. So, we can take some time to think carefully about the spinoff/breakup issue before proceeding further with selecting an ED for
an
organization that is currently very complex and is a significant systemic risk in the Wikimedia ecosystem.
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 18:51, "Lisa Gruwell" <lgruwell@wikimedia.org javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Pine-
I can answer your second question for you. We are moving forward with hiring the CTO, VP of HR, and VP of Community (in that order) during
the
interim.
Best, Lisa
On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Pine W <wiki.pine@gmail.com
javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Alice,
Thank you for moving forward with this.
Questions:
- One of the characteristics listed is "Experience in leading an
organization as ED or CEO, very preferably an NGO or F/L/OSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) organization, with 250 people or
more."
But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly
as a
way
to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming
WMF.
So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or
she
will
manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for
someone
who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
- Will the hiring for execs for HR, Tech, and Community wait until
after
the new ED is selected, or will those recruiting processes happen independent of the ED hiring process?
- For the search steering group. would you consider adding a
representative elected from the affiliates, and a representative
elected
from the community, who are not WMF board members and can therefore
be
responsive to the affiliate and community constituencies without
potential
conflict with WMF interests?
Thanks! Pine
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 11:37, "Alice Wiegand" <awiegand@wikimedia.org
javascript:;> wrote:
Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a clear priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has
created
a
steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description,
planning
and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting with
the
Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more
information
about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have also
included
three questions on the participation page to help us start forming
a
better
understanding of the community’s various opinions and expectations.
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org javascript:; Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
<mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org javascript:;
?subject=unsubscribe>
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Does Dariusz as a community selected board member not count?
Seddon
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 11:26 AM, Tanweer Morshed wiki.tanweer@gmail.com wrote:
Hi everyone,
I agree with Pine on his 3rd proposal. Including a representative from the affiliates and another from the community into the search steering group should help including the input from wider Wikimedia community. This would be positive both for the search process and the recruitment.
Regards, Tanweer
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 4:12 PM, Oliver Keyes ironholds@gmail.com wrote:
So you're suggesting we don't find an ED for the biggest org in the movement because there's a thread on a mailing list about spinning bits
of
it off?
I think hiring an ED can be done safely. Spinning elements off the WMF is something that has already been done, repeatedly, be it duties (the FDC, ish) or departments (see the WikiEd Foundation). In neither case did
senior
leadership suddenly find they had nothing to do.
I guarantee that finding three executive directors is not an easier task than finding one, however you split the duties.
On Monday, 18 April 2016, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Lisa,
Good to hear. Thanks.
I'm aware that my first question might feel like it's a lot for the
Board
to digest while it's got so many other urgent issues. However, it seems
to
me that any ED candidate would want to know if spinoffs or a breakup
are
under consideration, and that if these are likely or planned then the selection process will need to take theses issues into account when
trying
to find a candidate with optimal fit. Also impacting the search process
is
that it might be easier to find two or three EDs for two or three separate, smaller, and more focused orgs than to try to find a single
ED
who can handle the wide and deep complexity of WMF in its current
form. I
have faith in Katherine as an interim ED and perhaps even as the
ultimate
selection, and I think that Katherine's abilities will provide us all
some
time and breathing room to think through questions about possible
spinoffs
and/or breakup. So, we can take some time to think carefully about the spinoff/breakup issue before proceeding further with selecting an ED
for
an
organization that is currently very complex and is a significant
systemic
risk in the Wikimedia ecosystem.
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 18:51, "Lisa Gruwell" <lgruwell@wikimedia.org javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Pine-
I can answer your second question for you. We are moving forward
with
hiring the CTO, VP of HR, and VP of Community (in that order) during
the
interim.
Best, Lisa
On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Pine W <wiki.pine@gmail.com
javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Alice,
Thank you for moving forward with this.
Questions:
- One of the characteristics listed is "Experience in leading an
organization as ED or CEO, very preferably an NGO or F/L/OSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) organization, with 250 people or
more."
But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning
off
components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly
as a
way
to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or
underperforming
WMF.
So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or
she
will
manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for
someone
who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
- Will the hiring for execs for HR, Tech, and Community wait until
after
the new ED is selected, or will those recruiting processes happen independent of the ED hiring process?
- For the search steering group. would you consider adding a
representative elected from the affiliates, and a representative
elected
from the community, who are not WMF board members and can therefore
be
responsive to the affiliate and community constituencies without
potential
conflict with WMF interests?
Thanks! Pine
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 11:37, "Alice Wiegand" <awiegand@wikimedia.org
javascript:;> wrote:
Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a
clear
priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has
created
a
steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description,
planning
and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting
with
the
Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more
information
about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have
also
included
three questions on the participation page to help us start
forming
a
better
understanding of the community’s various opinions and
expectations.
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
Support Free Knowledge:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org javascript:; Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
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?subject=unsubscribe>
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On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 6:43 AM, Joseph Seddon jseddon@wikimedia.org wrote:
Does Dariusz as a community selected board member not count?
I would certainly hope that people DO approach me with ideas, and I am definitely very open to the discussion within the community.
dj
Hi Joseph,
No, because board members' first duties are to WMF, not to the community or the affiliates.
Pine
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 3:43 AM, Joseph Seddon jseddon@wikimedia.org wrote:
Does Dariusz as a community selected board member not count?
Seddon
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 11:26 AM, Tanweer Morshed wiki.tanweer@gmail.com wrote:
Hi everyone,
I agree with Pine on his 3rd proposal. Including a representative from
the
affiliates and another from the community into the search steering group should help including the input from wider Wikimedia community. This
would
be positive both for the search process and the recruitment.
Regards, Tanweer
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 4:12 PM, Oliver Keyes ironholds@gmail.com
wrote:
So you're suggesting we don't find an ED for the biggest org in the movement because there's a thread on a mailing list about spinning bits
of
it off?
I think hiring an ED can be done safely. Spinning elements off the WMF
is
something that has already been done, repeatedly, be it duties (the
FDC,
ish) or departments (see the WikiEd Foundation). In neither case did
senior
leadership suddenly find they had nothing to do.
I guarantee that finding three executive directors is not an easier
task
than finding one, however you split the duties.
On Monday, 18 April 2016, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Lisa,
Good to hear. Thanks.
I'm aware that my first question might feel like it's a lot for the
Board
to digest while it's got so many other urgent issues. However, it
seems
to
me that any ED candidate would want to know if spinoffs or a breakup
are
under consideration, and that if these are likely or planned then the selection process will need to take theses issues into account when
trying
to find a candidate with optimal fit. Also impacting the search
process
is
that it might be easier to find two or three EDs for two or three separate, smaller, and more focused orgs than to try to find a single
ED
who can handle the wide and deep complexity of WMF in its current
form. I
have faith in Katherine as an interim ED and perhaps even as the
ultimate
selection, and I think that Katherine's abilities will provide us all
some
time and breathing room to think through questions about possible
spinoffs
and/or breakup. So, we can take some time to think carefully about
the
spinoff/breakup issue before proceeding further with selecting an ED
for
an
organization that is currently very complex and is a significant
systemic
risk in the Wikimedia ecosystem.
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 18:51, "Lisa Gruwell" <lgruwell@wikimedia.org javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Pine-
I can answer your second question for you. We are moving forward
with
hiring the CTO, VP of HR, and VP of Community (in that order)
during
the
interim.
Best, Lisa
On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Pine W <wiki.pine@gmail.com
javascript:;> wrote:
Hi Alice,
Thank you for moving forward with this.
Questions:
- One of the characteristics listed is "Experience in leading an
organization as ED or CEO, very preferably an NGO or F/L/OSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) organization, with 250 people
or
more."
But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning
off
components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization,
partly
as a
way
to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or
underperforming
WMF.
So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he
or
she
will
manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for
someone
who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
- Will the hiring for execs for HR, Tech, and Community wait
until
after
the new ED is selected, or will those recruiting processes happen independent of the ED hiring process?
- For the search steering group. would you consider adding a
representative elected from the affiliates, and a representative
elected
from the community, who are not WMF board members and can
therefore
be
responsive to the affiliate and community constituencies without
potential
conflict with WMF interests?
Thanks! Pine
Pine On Apr 17, 2016 11:37, "Alice Wiegand" <awiegand@wikimedia.org
javascript:;> wrote:
> Hi all, > > Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a
clear
> priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board
has
created
a > steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description,
planning
> and conducting the search, and finding ways to include
community
> perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting
with
the
> Board throughout the search process. > > Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more information > about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have
also
included > three questions on the participation page to help us start
forming
a
better > understanding of the community’s various opinions and
expectations.
> > [1] > >
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
> > Alice. > > > -- > Alice Wiegand > Board of Trustees > Wikimedia Foundation > > Support Free Knowledge:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate
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On 17 April 2016 at 21:52, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly as a way to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming WMF. So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or she will manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for someone who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
There has been a small amount of discussion of a vaguely-defined, hypothetical split, which has involved only a handful of people. The idea has not been tested with the wider community, much less developed as a formal proposal. That's not a good basis on which to appoint an ED.
Hi Andy,
Just because an idea is hatched by a few people isn't a reason to dismiss it. Otherwise, how would ideas get traction?
It seems to me that any incoming ED needs to know what the plan is, if there is a plan, regarding possible forks from WMF. It's also highly desirable that, if this is being actively considered, that the ED should be someone who has experience with forks. On the other hand if the plan is to continue with WMF in its current form, then maybe WMF should look for a unicorn again who can manage the wide scope of WMF's activities. So the question of whether WMF is thinking about forks is something that should go into the calculus of the ED selection process.
Given the history of WMF, it seems to me that a fork is something that the ED and the Board should have on their radar as possible and maybe even likely as a desirable option. Katherine seems to be quite capable as an interim ED, so it seems to me that this buys us some time to think carefully about the experience that we're looking for in the next longer-term ED (who might be Katherine); whether or not we're looking for experience with forks is something that I think would be prudent to consider at this stage.
I like a lot of the other ideas that are listed on https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran.... It's this issue of what to do with regard to a potential fork that I'm trying to wrap my head around, and I hope that the Board and others are too. I tend to think that the concept of forking WMF should get serious consideration. That intersects a bit awkwardly with the ED transition, and I'm thinking that the best way to get those two processes to work together is to have the forking discussion (at least in the short term) happen first so that we know what we're looking for in the ED transition. I'm open to hearing other ideas; maybe Gayle could share her thoughts so I'm pinging her.
Regards,
Pine
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 4:21 AM, Andy Mabbett andy@pigsonthewing.org.uk wrote:
On 17 April 2016 at 21:52, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly as a
way
to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming
WMF.
So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or she
will
manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for someone who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
There has been a small amount of discussion of a vaguely-defined, hypothetical split, which has involved only a handful of people. The idea has not been tested with the wider community, much less developed as a formal proposal. That's not a good basis on which to appoint an ED.
-- Andy Mabbett @pigsonthewing http://pigsonthewing.org.uk
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It's not a reason to *dismiss* it, no, but it's definitely not a reason to entirely reorganise our plans for organisational governance in case it turns out to get traction at *some* point. And that's what you're talking about here; making monumental changes to the timetable, scope and demands of a very important hiring decision, because 'an idea [was] hatched by a few people'.
The new ED should know what the plan is. But at the moment, there *is* no plan. When you've come up with one, and people have agreed with it, it will be an appropriate time to stick a spanner in the works. Until then, what you're suggesting is massively over the top for the interest the plan has got so far.
I'll be honest and say I'm pretty disappointed by your approach's failure to consider the human cost of decisions here. The organisation is in some amount of chaos and uncertainty, with an associated cost in stress and ill-enjoyment for the people participating in it. You're suggesting perpetuating that chaos. Yes, Katherine is a great interim ED from everything I've seen, but I haven't seen you ask if she wants to do the job long-term, which is something your idea is entirely premised on: being able to put the burden on her, or someone like her, while we tilt at windmills. Some consideration has to be given to the human beings involved in this process - to the fact that this is not an abstract theoretical exercise in optimal governance, but for a lot of people 8-12 hours of their day, and disruptions to it carry heavy risks, particularly given how unpleasant things have been over the last 6-12 months.
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 1:22 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Andy,
Just because an idea is hatched by a few people isn't a reason to dismiss it. Otherwise, how would ideas get traction?
It seems to me that any incoming ED needs to know what the plan is, if there is a plan, regarding possible forks from WMF. It's also highly desirable that, if this is being actively considered, that the ED should be someone who has experience with forks. On the other hand if the plan is to continue with WMF in its current form, then maybe WMF should look for a unicorn again who can manage the wide scope of WMF's activities. So the question of whether WMF is thinking about forks is something that should go into the calculus of the ED selection process.
Given the history of WMF, it seems to me that a fork is something that the ED and the Board should have on their radar as possible and maybe even likely as a desirable option. Katherine seems to be quite capable as an interim ED, so it seems to me that this buys us some time to think carefully about the experience that we're looking for in the next longer-term ED (who might be Katherine); whether or not we're looking for experience with forks is something that I think would be prudent to consider at this stage.
I like a lot of the other ideas that are listed on https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran.... It's this issue of what to do with regard to a potential fork that I'm trying to wrap my head around, and I hope that the Board and others are too. I tend to think that the concept of forking WMF should get serious consideration. That intersects a bit awkwardly with the ED transition, and I'm thinking that the best way to get those two processes to work together is to have the forking discussion (at least in the short term) happen first so that we know what we're looking for in the ED transition. I'm open to hearing other ideas; maybe Gayle could share her thoughts so I'm pinging her.
Regards,
Pine
On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 4:21 AM, Andy Mabbett andy@pigsonthewing.org.uk wrote:
On 17 April 2016 at 21:52, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
But recent discussions have included the possibility of spinning off components of WMF and/or a breakup of the WMF organization, partly as a
way
to mitigate the systemic risk from a dysfunctional or underperforming
WMF.
So, should we be looking for an ED with the expectation that he or she
will
manage an organization with 250+ employees, or should we look for someone who has experience with spinoffs and/or breakups?
There has been a small amount of discussion of a vaguely-defined, hypothetical split, which has involved only a handful of people. The idea has not been tested with the wider community, much less developed as a formal proposal. That's not a good basis on which to appoint an ED.
-- Andy Mabbett @pigsonthewing http://pigsonthewing.org.uk
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On 18 April 2016 at 18:22, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Just because an idea is hatched by a few people isn't a reason to dismiss it.
Indeed. Which is why I didn't dismiss it.
It seems to me that any incoming ED needs to know what the plan is, if there is a plan
So far as splitting up the WMF into smaller organisations goes, there is no plan; for the reasons I gave earlier.
It's also highly desirable that, if this is being actively considered, that the ED should be someone who has experience with forks.
Do you have any evidence that it is "being actively considered", outside of the small discussion to which I referred?
Ironholds, I think that you're taking a negative interpretation. It seems to me that any ED candidate is going to want to know what they're getting into before agreeing to take the job, and if forks are on the horizon -- whether planned or only under consideration -- then this is something that they should know about. It also seems to me that the target skill set and experience that WMF is seeking should take these issues into consideration. This can be done with less disruption at this stage than might first appear (and as I think further about this issue I would in hindsight revise some of my earlier statements for better alignment with the existing timeline and thought process of the search committee), and it seems to me that it's wise to think ahead now, while the search committee is actively interested in comments about plans and can make adjustments most easily.
Andy, as far as I know there have been periodic mentions of this idea off and on for years, but I'm unaware if the WMF Board is actively pondering this issue. At this point I'm not thinking that it's necessary to make a final decision about moving forward with a forking process, so much as it's necessary that if a fork is likely to happen or likely to be seriously considered any time in the near future then this issue should be under consideration both by the search committee and by the ED candidates. I'm revising my thinking as we continue this conversation and I appreciate the questions.
Thanks, Pine
On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 7:05 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Ironholds, I think that you're taking a negative interpretation. It seems to me that any ED candidate is going to want to know what they're getting into before agreeing to take the job, and if forks are on the horizon -- whether planned or only under consideration -- then this is something that they should know about. It also seems to me that the target skill set and experience that WMF is seeking should take these issues into consideration.
The interpretation I'm taking is that you're asking for complexities and slowdowns in an already slow and complex process. Is that incorrect?
Yes, the ED candidate should know what they're getting into, but one mailing list discussion does not a probability or even a plausible possibility make. If we informed the candidates about everything that had ever been discussed on the mailing lists, they'd die of old age before we'd finished.
It would be nice if the ED candidate had skills that could be applied to fork or delegate creation, sure, because it's always nice to find candidates who are overqualified. But that doesn't mean we hire for "must have skill at forking". That's not how skills work. We hire for judgment and experience governing similar organisations, and then we trust.
The old job description does not include "must be capable of suing the NSA" - yet we managed to pull it off. Because what the old JD did call for was an awareness and interest in public policy, and sound judgment about what public policy issues put the movement and its goals at risk. We hire for broad areas, not narrow. The broad areas for forking would, presumably, be a desire to empower people at the lowest possible level, which is already part of the process - because however flawed we are at it sometimes (a lot of the time, really) that is inherently part of the movement's goals and principles.
Andy, as far as I know there have been periodic mentions of this idea off and on for years, but I'm unaware if the WMF Board is actively pondering this issue.
You're unaware of if the WMF Board is actively pondering this issue. None of us are. In fact, the only commentary we have on this issue at all recently is a single mailing list thread.
Yes, it's been debated on and off for years. It's the very definition of a perennial proposal. And for what it's worth, I'm actually a fan of delegating elements of the organisation's activities or creating spinoffs! But that doesn't mean it's worth throwing in a job description or factoring into the hiring process for an executive director of an organisation that spent 18 months on ED hiring _before_ it was systemically traumatised.
I'm revising my thinking as we continue this conversation and I appreciate the questions.
Well, I for one won't *be* continuing this conversation. What I said to you was "that sounds non-trivial, please consider the disruption and misery drawing this process out is likely to cause people". And beyond saythat it's easier than it sounds - without, actually, providing any evidence that it's easier than it sounds - you've done none of that.
As a community member, as a former staffer, as a human being, I am tired of conversations which, while polite on the surface, simply gloss over or ignore the actual human cost of decisions that might be reached, or the cost of even participating in the conversations in the first place. I asked you to factor these costs in. I'm not seeing that done. I'm not interested in engaging in discussions which lack that consideration, any more. Our limited time on this tiny blue ball is far too valuable for that.
I realize that Oliver has departed from this conversation, but since this is a public discussion I wanted to respond to one point in particular, which is "If we informed the candidates about everything that had ever been discussed on the mailing lists, they'd die of old age before we'd finished." I agree. However, the Meta page implies that there has already been a decision that WMF will continue for the foreseeable future as a 250+ person organization. Based on recent experience of what happens when so much risk and responsibility is concentrated in WMF, and things go very wrong at WMF, it therefore seems the current model of putting so many eggs in one basket is ripe for rethinking.
On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 9:46 PM, geni geniice@gmail.com wrote:
They aren't. Its an incredibly bad idea to the point where people of significance aren't even going to bother engaging with it.
I'm curious to hear how you come to the conclusion that it's a bad idea. I think quite the contrary. Perhaps we can discuss this in a new thread?
Thanks,
Pine
On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 7:14 PM, Oliver Keyes ironholds@gmail.com wrote:
On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 7:05 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Ironholds, I think that you're taking a negative interpretation. It seems to me that any ED candidate is going to want to know what they're getting into before agreeing to take the job, and if forks are on the horizon -- whether planned or only under consideration -- then this is something
that
they should know about. It also seems to me that the target skill set and experience that WMF is seeking should take these issues into
consideration.
The interpretation I'm taking is that you're asking for complexities and slowdowns in an already slow and complex process. Is that incorrect?
Yes, the ED candidate should know what they're getting into, but one mailing list discussion does not a probability or even a plausible possibility make. If we informed the candidates about everything that had ever been discussed on the mailing lists, they'd die of old age before we'd finished.
It would be nice if the ED candidate had skills that could be applied to fork or delegate creation, sure, because it's always nice to find candidates who are overqualified. But that doesn't mean we hire for "must have skill at forking". That's not how skills work. We hire for judgment and experience governing similar organisations, and then we trust.
The old job description does not include "must be capable of suing the NSA" - yet we managed to pull it off. Because what the old JD did call for was an awareness and interest in public policy, and sound judgment about what public policy issues put the movement and its goals at risk. We hire for broad areas, not narrow. The broad areas for forking would, presumably, be a desire to empower people at the lowest possible level, which is already part of the process - because however flawed we are at it sometimes (a lot of the time, really) that is inherently part of the movement's goals and principles.
Andy, as far as I know there have been periodic mentions of this idea off and on for years, but I'm unaware if the WMF Board is actively pondering this issue.
You're unaware of if the WMF Board is actively pondering this issue. None of us are. In fact, the only commentary we have on this issue at all recently is a single mailing list thread.
Yes, it's been debated on and off for years. It's the very definition of a perennial proposal. And for what it's worth, I'm actually a fan of delegating elements of the organisation's activities or creating spinoffs! But that doesn't mean it's worth throwing in a job description or factoring into the hiring process for an executive director of an organisation that spent 18 months on ED hiring _before_ it was systemically traumatised.
I'm revising my thinking as we continue this conversation and I
appreciate the
questions.
Well, I for one won't *be* continuing this conversation. What I said to you was "that sounds non-trivial, please consider the disruption and misery drawing this process out is likely to cause people". And beyond saythat it's easier than it sounds - without, actually, providing any evidence that it's easier than it sounds - you've done none of that.
As a community member, as a former staffer, as a human being, I am tired of conversations which, while polite on the surface, simply gloss over or ignore the actual human cost of decisions that might be reached, or the cost of even participating in the conversations in the first place. I asked you to factor these costs in. I'm not seeing that done. I'm not interested in engaging in discussions which lack that consideration, any more. Our limited time on this tiny blue ball is far too valuable for that.
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Just a few comments more broadly about what I hope WMF will look for in an ED:
(1) Realistically, I don't think that we're going to find a single human being who can do everything that the WMF ED should do. With that in mind, I'd like to suggest placing a lot of emphasis on this recommendation that's already on Meta: "Proven track record for building great teams (can properly evaluate people, make good hires)", and expand that to *building great cross-functional teams* and *building great executive teams*.
(2) It's also important that the ED know when to cut losses. That means that they need to have the courage and self-confidence to initiate difficult conversations and make decisions when programs or people are underperforming or are not good fits. Being a good manager often involves being supportive, and it also involves holding programs and people accountable.
I think that I've said enough in this thread, so I'll pause my involvement here for the time being.
Onward and upward (:
Pine
On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 9:23 AM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
I think that I've said enough in this thread, so I'll pause my involvement here for the time being.
Fortunately for you, I actually read all the way through this thread and got to this part.
Austin
On 20 April 2016 at 00:05, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Ironholds, I think that you're taking a negative interpretation. It seems to me that any ED candidate is going to want to know what they're getting into before agreeing to take the job, and if forks are on the horizon
They aren't. Its an incredibly bad idea to the point where people of significance aren't even going to bother engaging with it.
Hello Alice,
Thank you for this clear update and the opportunity to provide input. I really appreciate it.
May the force be with you!
Warmly, /a
On Sun, Apr 17, 2016 at 11:19 AM, Alice Wiegand awiegand@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi all,
Finding the next Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director is a clear priority for the Board. To address this challenge, the Board has created a steering group tasked with crafting the actual job description, planning and conducting the search, and finding ways to include community perspectives. This steering group will be regularly consulting with the Board throughout the search process.
Please see the ED transition team page on meta [1] to find more information about the steering group, and get the latest updates. We have also included three questions on the participation page to help us start forming a better understanding of the community’s various opinions and expectations.
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director_Tran...
Alice.
-- Alice Wiegand Board of Trustees Wikimedia Foundation
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