Re: Some perspective on the relative importance of the board.

[John Williams <john williams lists gmail com>]

> > Boards of non-profits:
> > -give legitimacy to the organization
> > -provide an overall direction for the organization
> > -liaise with other organizations
> > -HELP RAISE MONEY

This is all good, and right on the mark, except for one thing.  The
GNOME Foundation (and GNOME itself) is only accidentally a non-profit
making organisation.  They key point in the problems that we face is not
that we are non-profit oriented it is:  (ta-daaaaaaaah!)


A loose collaborative effort of volunteers, or at best weakly connected
network organisation.


All our problems stem from this.  All our strengths stem from this.  We
need to stop applying standard business logic to the organisation of
ourselves.  In particular, this relates to the planning function.  The
point, of course, is that we can (almost) never tell someone to do
something.  We have ask, cajole, wheedle, persuade, inspire and respect
ourselves into getting things done.  (As an aside, this is way cool in
my book.)

We do, however, need to start/increase applying standard business logic
to the relationship between ourselves and our customers (or
"stakeholders", if you really want to go all the way).  That is the
function of the board, as outlined originally: to be the interface
between GNOME and the rest of the world.  

And probably not much more than that?

Oh well, that's enough abstract academia for Saturday morning.  Back to
the coffee!

Ciao,

John