Re: board [was Re: OOXML [was Re: GNOME Foundation Board Meeting Minutes :: 7/6/07]]

[Glynn Foster <Glynn Foster Sun COM>]

Quim Gil wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Things I have learned during this time at the board:
> 
> 1 - Voting busy candidates is risky if not counterproductive.
> 2 - Running for election when you are busy is risky if not counterproductive.
> 3 - Seven members is what you need to run efficiently a board.
> 4 - Even a board of busy members can be a good board, but needs to
> concentrate on the essentials.
> 5 - You concentrate on the essentials by *not doing* other things,
> either because you delegate, you drop or you don't even start new
> things.
> 6 - It is difficult to point out publicly and even internally when
> something/someone is wrong concentrating on the essentials,
> delegating, dropping, starting new things. We are (too?) respectful
> with each other.

Agree with everything Quim has said, and very much my observations this year.
What I've mentioned previously, is that sometimes the board has too great an
expectation on what it can done - and in reality, it did very, very well this
year (though that's largely thanks to the other busy board members). I continue
to believe that 7 is a good number, providing you get the right 7 people.

> I feel that we at the board have failed integrating his voluntarism in
> a delegation. I still wonder what has failed and why though. All the
> elements were in place: a Legal area in the board with 2 people
> responsible, public and private mailing list, relatively regular
> contact with lawyers and people around legal matters, regular presence
> of legal related topics in the board meetings and agenda... Should I
> make a conclusion I would probably end up thinking that personal
> differences had more weight than they should, but who knows.

I was one half of that board rep for Legal. Unfortunately this year has been
particularly busy and I've not been able to focus enough on board activities.
Apologies. FWIW, I'll not be going for the board again - there are many more
enthusiastic people to hand over the baton.


Glynn