2016-01-21 Leadership Call

Owned by Jamie Thomas
Last updated: Jan 23, 2017 by Jeff Neiman
5 min read

How to Join

Contact Jamie Thomas for more information on how to join the call.

Agenda

Notes

Attendees
  • Jamie Thomas
  • Jan Flowers
  • Bill Lober
  • Terry Cullen
  • Jonathan Teich
  • Andy Kanter
  • Darius Jazayeri
  • Saptarshi Purkayastna
  • Michael Downey
  • Hamish Fraser
  • Suranga Kasthurirathne
  • Wyclif Luymia
  • Pascal Brandt
Regrets: Paul Biondich, Chris Seebregts
Agenda
Finalize setting up the Leadership Group name (5 min)
  • Concerns expressed with "Community Management Committee"
  • "Management"
  • "Management Committee" -> BL: has a specific meaning on boards, that might be confusing https://goo.gl/cyyyEK
  • "Community Management" -> MD: not managing the community, and not the practice of Community Management
  • This group is designed to be the management/operational/decision-making board for the community
  • Paul suggests Community Leadership Council - see below functional org chart 
  • BWM - "Community Based Management"
  • Bill thinks Leadership Council is excellent - descriptive our roles as leaders (project leaders, leaders of intiiatives, etc.) and suggestive as an advisory/counciling role, not a "line authority" role.  Our line authority comes from our roles in projects, not an overall role in the organization.  Leadership Council doesn't mean leaders are not do-ers! (Bill agrees w/ Michael re Community Managment)
  • DJ - council sounds like a group that talks but we want to be doers
  • >>>>>>> *** VOTE ON THESE OPTIONS *** <<<<<<<<
  • BL: overall comments
  • with regard to the noun, the role of a team or a group is not inherently clear, but I believe the role of a council, an advisory board, or a steering cmte are much more commonly understood.  
  • An adjective can help (eg., Leadership team, or advisory team), but in the end it's a team because no one wanted to make clear the role or authority.  The water district board sets the rates and approves construction projects.  The water district team plays softball, or maybe goes bowling together on Tuesdays.  
  • Advisory (council, board, etc.) is typically added to clarify that there is no line authority.  My observation is that Steering, Managment, etc., usually imply authority given to that body - not that the body is comprised of people with that authority.  In other words, a managment committee has authority as a committee, rather than being a committe of people who may be managers. 
  • I think our govenance document already has a Board of Directors, and an Advisory Council (not sure I recall the name correctly), in additon to this group (the group that shall not be named)
  • OpenMRS Management Committee
  • JTh: First Choice (like sticking with committee if this is the way we are moving (ie. advisory committe) and like starting with "OpenMRS" to signify that these our community members_
  • DJ: First Choice
  • JF srcond choice
  • PBr: Second Choice.
  • MD: -3.14 because of the negative connotations of the word "committee" to ever get anything accomplished :-)
  • -1 (JT) A committee is who the leaders assign tasks to, not the leaders themselves.  Would have gone for "OpenMRS Management Team" as second choice but it's not here.
  • AK: Second choice
  • MS: Second choice
  • +1 Paul's second choice
  • TC- first choice
  • BL - (speaking against) see my comment about about a management committee having a different connotation.  Often a subcommittee of the board of directors.  Google the term.  Of course, since Google tailors searches you may see something different than I do!  I would have less trouble with Managment Board, though it's not a common term.
  • (Community|OpenMRS) Leadership Council
  • BL: First Choice - agreed w/ MD - fits expectations for this group. self explanatory.  Doesn't indicate if the group has authority or is advisory, but I think we're not clear on that point ourselves.
  • MD: First Choice.
  • MD: +42 million as this is an extremely common name for this type of decision-making group across FOSS projects. (e.g. Fedora Council, Ubuntu Community Council, GNOME -everything- Community Councils, WikiProject Council, etc.) Council is something that anyone can aspire to be on vs. a Committee.
  • -1000 (BWM) sounds like old farts talking about things and not doing anything... or something on Superman's home planet. Increase to -500 if we say "Community's LC". LOL
  • DJ: -100 for the word "Council", which sounds like talking and not doing
  • -1 (JF) Sounds like a group that just gives a bunch of advice, we want to instill trust that we make sure things get done and move forward...lead
  • SP: First Choice
  • JT-the-guy: Second Choice.  
  • -1 (AK) Sounds like something where nothing gets done
  • +1 Paul's first choice (do I need to put in a larger number or somehting? :))
  • OpenMRS Leadership Team
  • DJ: Second Choice
  • MD: Second Choice
  • PBr: First Choice.
  • JTh: Second Choice
  • JT-the-guy: First choice
  • AK: First choice
  • MS: First choice
  • BL: second choice - consultant speak though and suffers from the Team/Group problem.
  • SP (second choice)
  • jf first choice
  • TC- second choise
  • Community-Based Management Team
  • Community-Based Operational Team (COT)
  • +1 (BWM) underscores that these are community members; if they aren't, they should be here
  • MD: -2.222... The language here feels a little bit contrived although I like the acronym.   "It's COT to be good...!"
  • Community Empowerment Team
  • DJ: -1 - this is gimmicky (agree)
  • MD: -33 1/3 as this is one of the primary responsibilities of the CM division
  • -1 (JF) - agree with both above, don't like it
  • AK: I only added it because if we want to use the name to mean something high and mighty, why not go all the way and create something that sounds totally ridiculous in common use but says exactly what we inspire the thing to be :)
  • Managers Council/Management Council
  • BL - I know this wasn't an option, but I like it more than my actual second choice. 
TODO - All will vote on their favorite name above
  • Darius/Andy/Chris will have a call next week to discuss ideas for leadership / community mgmt and the relationship to OpenMRS Inc and then bring their thoughts back to the leadership team after the call
  • transition from leadership to community mgmt outcome
Annual Report Update (10 min) Terry
  • Would like for people to share photos, or quotes with Jan, Terry or Michael
  • Want to publish by Feb 15
  • Darius will be incorporting 3 graphs; what graphs? where?
  • activity (# of commits in github)
  • community size (number of individual commiters in github)
  • community aging chart (cohorts of first commit and who are still active)
operational plan cross walked into a proposed community organizational diagram (5 min) - Terry
  • want to spotlight it to the community on Feb 1
  • need people to provide feedback as the group that has put this together has taken some liberties.
  • TODO - leads of strategic goals please review your sections specifically and make changes/suggestions
  • did not really talk about