[StrategyPlan] Wiki and Announcement

Wed Jan 12 11:07:16 PST 2011

My responses below in bold

________________________________

From: Jim Stauffer <jims at greens.org>
To: strategyplan at cagreens.org
Sent: Tue, January 11, 2011 5:28:59 PM
Subject: Re: [StrategyPlan] Wiki and Announcement

I don't see how asking counties to comment on some topics is "telling the 
counties....". Its an invitation, its optional, its voluntary. It lets the 
counties know what what we "state leaders" have been thinking and talking 
about...so far. Its not the end-all, end product, its just a starting point. 
However, its all moot anyway because the email has gone out with just the 3 
broad questions and no reference to any specific topics. You got what you 
wanted, so what is  your argument?. Are you blocking that we at the state level 
do any strategic planning ourselves?. If not, then just as we are doing with the 
counties, we need a repository for our ideas and data as well. If we are using 
Wiki for all Greens, then lets be consistent and also use Wiki for specific 
topics that we can add as we go through this. ...

The topics were to also include the many points you put forth. As to consensus, 
you and Shane were the only ones to put forward any specific topics. I didn't 
because between the 2 of you, all the bases were pretty much covered, as 
starting points...again, JUST to get conversation started. Please, lets not get 
stuck on "this is it...these are the topics....there is nothing else we need 
to talk about....obviously there is much more, there will be more, we are in the 
beginning stages of this process.  

As to spending months on this....I don't want to, didn't want to.... but we 
obviously have to. Its about compromise and building consensus. I'm guessing 
that if this proposal, which seemed to have consensus quite a while ago had gone 
to an IT person who didn't have blocking concerns then it would have gone out 
quite awhile ago. So, you need to take some responsibility in the length of time 
this has taken. Shane also had some suggestions and concerns, we talked about 
them, and he stepped aside. The other co-co's have been supportive. The CC is 
supportive. That sounds like consensus to me, except for you. So, here we 
are...again. 

However, you deleted any reference to specific topics in the email that went out 
an hour after you posted this anyway!. Thats fine, thats great!. If I were a 
Green going to Wiki for the first time to post my county's ideas on the 3 very 
broad questions and also saw some specific topics being openly discussed, I 
would not think...."oh no! The state party is telling me what to do". I would 
think "oh, here are some specifc things being discussed, and we are invited to 
post our ideas too...and we are  even invited to create new topics!" So, if its 
an open invitation to everyone, any topics can be added, I don't get why you 
think Greens will think this is top-down?.  
So, we are still having the same debate about whether or not we should be 
telling the counties what topics to discuss. How many more months do you want 
to spend on this issue? And, who said *these* are the topics we need to 
discuss? I don't remember any consensus around that.

If you and Shane think these topics are the most important, then bring them up 
when you have your county/group meeting.

Can we then say the same for the specific topics you brought up?. The plan was 
to include your suggested topics in the Wiki as well. Are you suggesting we 
don't have any topics on the Wiki ever?. If so, then how do you suggest the 
State Party do any strategizing?. How do you suggest we create a documented 
Strategic Plan?. What other methods to you have in mind?. We've chosen Wiki as 
the tool, and we eventually need to have some way to keep the ideas organized. 
How else do you suggest we keep ideas organized, than by topic?. 

I am adamantly opposed to listing these topics in the intro to the wiki as if 
they are some definitive list ordained by the GPCA. 

I had sent an email saying...go ahead, delete "topics" from the intro. I thought 
we were done. Then you sent this....I'm confused as to what you are asking. 

Are you suggesting we don't have any specific topics on the Wiki ever?. If so, 
then how do you suggest the State Party do our strategizing?. How do you suggest 
we create a documented Strategic Plan?. What other methods to you have in mind?. 
Let me reiterate, nothing here is definitive....nothing on the Wiki is 
definitive....none of the topics are ever definitive....strategic planning is 
all about having some kind of goal in mind and some ideas of how to get there 
and the ability to be flexible and allow the Plan to change and evolve with the 
times.  I honestly do not know where you keep getting "definitive" from....I've 
never put this proposal forth as being that. I've been saying over and over that 
is what we don't want and couldn't possibly create. 

If you really want to 
pursue creating such a list, it's going to need a lot more buy-in than just 
you and Shane.

We have the buy-in!. We've had the buy-in for awhile!. Seemingly, you are the 
only one that keeps blocking!  How much more assurance do you need that this is 
NOT a definitive, rigid, state-created, top-down strategic planning process?. 
Quite the opposite!. Please assure me that you are not blocking for just 
blocking's sake?

Jim, please clarify what you are asking for. I know what you DON"T want, and I 
AGREE. Please describe the how of Strategic Planning if you don't want a 
"topics" format on Wiki. How else do you suggest we gather information?. 

Jim

On 1/10/2011 6:01 PM, Kendra Gonzales wrote:
> For the sake of getting this done, I'll agree to removing the list of topics,
> *_for now. _*
> I'd like to add those topics back in after we start seeing some feedback from
> locals...maybe in beginning of March?. We are supposed to be strategizing
> also, so using Wiki makes sense to faciliate that process. These topics are
> certainly some of the things we need to start talking about.
>
> Kendra Gonzales
> www.vccool.org
> www.cagreens.org/ventura
> "All the energy stored in the Earth's reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas
> is matched by the energy from 20 days of sunshine" ---Union of Concerned
> Scientists
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Jim Stauffer <jims at greens.org>
> *To:* strategyplan at cagreens.org
> *Sent:* Mon, January 10, 2011 5:18:05 PM
> *Subject:* [StrategyPlan] Wiki and Announcement
>
> This is a carry-on from our previous thread.
>
>
> The text of the current draft announcement is pasted below. It includes
> instructions for posting comments. But, after comparing the announcement and
> the wiki, it seems that they are aimed more at individual responses rather
> than group responses.
>
> We've been talking all along about counties having group meetings. A secondary
> purpose of this project was to encourage counties to get together with their
> neighbors for an afternoon. As I reported, the CC wants this and is planning
> on promoting it in a follow-up announcement.
>
> Our primary interest is in getting these group reports. Then we can have
> individuals adding responses to those reports, or adding new topics.
>
> I'm going to change the bullet-list instructions in the announcement. The last
> two bullets will be:
>
> * Click the Discussion tab and type or paste your group's report directly on
> the page.
>
> * Individuals are invited to comment on these reports, or to add new topics.
>
>
> For an intro on the wiki main page, I suggest we just use pertinent paragraphs
> from the announcement. We can add a ToC when we decide on how to sub-divide
> the responses.
>
> And I assume we're removing that list of Current Topics.
>
> Jim
>
> =================================================================
>
> [ The final announcement is in HTML with links, highlights and emphasis. ]
>
>
>
> Fellow Greens,
>
> 2011 is the ideal time to set goals for the Party and develop strategies to
> implement them!
>
> The Green Party of California is very excited about creating "The GPCA
> Strategic Action Plan"
>
> Your input is absolutely vital in making this happen!!
>
> We have very basic questions to ask Greens in every County:
>
> * What can The Green Party of California accomplish in 2011/2012? How?
> * What can The Green Party of California accomplish in the next 5 years? How?
> * What can The Green Party of California accomplish in the next 10 years?
> How?
>
>
> Please forward this message to your local lists, present and discuss at your
> next meeting, or however else you want to share this exciting project with
> other Greens.
>
> We plan to collect your responses, blend them with things we've been talking
> about, and create a draft outline GPCA Strategic Action Plan for our Spring
> Plenary.
> This document will be continually evolving throughout 2011 and needs to be
> something useful for all of us as we plan ahead.
>
> We've made it really easy!.
>
> * Just go to this wiki page: Strategy Plan Wiki.
> * Log-in or create an account. (10 seconds; link in upper right corner).
> * Click the Discussion tab and type or paste your input directly on the page.
> * You are invited to share your ideas on all the Strategy Topics.
>
>
> Please keep your comments short, specific, realistic and action-based.
>
> We also have an email lists as an alternative to the wiki for your responses
> if you prefer. The address to send a message to this list is
> strategyplan at cagreens.org <mailto:strategyplan at cagreens.org>.
>
> Wiki is a much better format than email for gathering lots of data, please
> give it a try.
> Its really quite easy!
>
> Please post your input on Wiki no later than the End of February.
> We look forward to hearing from you........
>
> Let's get this Party started!!
>
>
> -- GPCA Standing Groups and the Coordinating Committee
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>
>
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