Members and Employees:
How We Need to Interact
________________________________________________________
Two weeks ago, a member observed what they thought was inadvisable behaviour by our sailing school staff.
The fact that our members are keeping their eyes open around the club is great. Indeed, it is every member's DUTY to keep an eye on our collective property and activities, to help keep our club and property safe and secure.
Unfortunately, the good intentions of the member observing the issue, and those of others who discussed the issue with that member, set us towards a lee shore. Dozens of emails circulated, and days (volunteer days! ) have been spent meeting and talking to people about what was perceived (bad), what was perceived second hand by other members (very bad), what happened (not at all bad), and how nobody intended to offend anybody (yet did).
Here's what to do if you, as a member, see our staff doing something you do not agree with:
1) If it's a "Mayday" kind of issue, raise your concern as respectfully as possible, and IMMEDIATELY contact Rennie or a board member.
2) If it's a "Pan-Pan" issue, quickly contact Rennie or any board member and have them deal with the issue. All the board's numbers are in the directory.
3) If it's not urgent -- chat with or email the responsible board member. If you email, state facts, and if you're not sure about something, say so.
4) If you raise an issue, want a response, and don't get one in a timely fashion (remember, the board is all volunteer, mostly with day jobs), follow-up.
Here's what NOT to do:
1) Do NOT raise the issue with the staff directly unless it's truly a "Mayday" issue. They do not know all our members, and they DO NOT report to them. Most of them DO NOT have "listening to senior member complaints" in their job descriptions.
2) Do NOT write emails about things you aren't sure about. Emails get forwarded (and forwarded, and forwarded).
3) Do NOT turn the issue into a bar conversation. People's reputations, livelihoods, and feelings are at stake.
4) Do NOT send emails about bar conversations you heard about issues you didn't observe. Encourage the observer to raise the issue themselves, and if they won't, ask a board member to get the facts directly. Anybody remember the "broken telephone" game? -- there is always a loser.
I have the greatest respect for the members involved in this; they had good intentions, and I've known them and worked with them personally for years. However, as a complex organization, we need to think carefully about our interactions with others, especially our valued staff.
I have the greatest respect for our Sailing School staff. They are led by Finley & Sophie McEwen, who have put into place procedures for training, and for tracking and resolving all incidents. Our chief instructor and instructors are all certified in sailing instruction and in first aid. They do a great job with our kids, have developed some outstanding athletes, and help make sure our sport grows and thrives. They also freely admit there is room for improvement -- if you have a suggestion for the school, send it to Finley or myself and we'll pass it on.
On behalf of the board and the members, I wish to apologize to the instructors who were offended by the flurry of miscommunication surrounding what turned out to be a (non-) issue.
Most respectfully,
Paul Brennan
Rear Commodore
p.s. On the other side of this coin, compliments on the work done by staff are always in order. Directly to the staff, and if you wish, to their supervisor or the responsible board member.
