On Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 8:03 AM, Anthony Cole <ahcole...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I found this response interesting. It highlights the imbalance we, on the
> outside, are having to deal with. It is OK for anyone to criticize the ED
> on this list and elsewhere but if she says something that implies
> shortcomings on the part of one or more of her staff or former staff - and
> if WMF had problems when she arrived at least some of them were staff
> problems - it is used as proof she's "literally Hitler".
>
I don't think she's even figuratively Hitler; rather, she's not good at
communicating ideas or demonstrating leadership.
Multiple staffers are interpreting Lila's message as a carefully
constructed narrative positioning herself as a strong-willed reformer in
opposition to intransigent/incompetent staff. If anything, it's the most
well-constructed communication she's created to date... but even if that
narrative spoke to me as an ideal ("kick out the bums! get work done!") it
doesn't gel with what I've seen, and what other staff have seen, in the
last year and a half. If you don't believe one of us, fine; if you don't
believe any of us, well, I don't know what to say.
The achievements she claims are those of staff, often created as skunkworks
"pet projects". The projects she cites as successes have been losing their
leaders to resignation after resignation. I just don't buy the new
narrative she's giving that our work environment problems are due to
non-performing staff angry at not being promoted or their pet projects
being shut down.
> Does anyone know when the board is meeting (has it met) to resolve this? I
> don't want them to rush a poorly thought-through decision but, after a
> while, inaction in a human crisis like this becomes negligent abuse.
>
Rumor mill says they're meeting again on the subject at 9am pacific today.
(As noted elsewhere, the November board meeting covered the topic of Lila's
performance as ED, and many staff do not feel there has been visible
improvement since. The Board could come back and say "we gave her until
April to improve, she's gotta stay until then, deal with it" or they could
come back with a different decision. Or they might continue to stay silent.
It's increasingly hard to read them, with so many board members failing to
engage in public discussion.)
-- brion
> On 22 Feb 2016 10:53 pm, "Giuseppe Lavagetto" <glavage...@wikimedia.org>
> wrote:
>
> > Dear Lila,
> >
> > I woke up this morning and as usual I went for my WMF email with my
> coffee.
> >
> > I woke up to read my ED implying that the employee discontent[1] was due
> > to, amongst other things:
> >
> > > We’ve asked for adjustment in attitude towards work, our
> > responsibilities and professional relationships.
> > > We prioritised impact and performance so that we can provide more value
> > to our communities and the world.
> >
> > Now, one easy way to read this, the most obvious one, is that the
> > attitude towards work of the WMF employees was somewhat not right or
> > unprofessional, and that we were lazy and not goal-driven.
> >
> > I would find this inappropriate in an internal email, but you went to
> > state that in public, and I have to admit I find this is deeply
> > offending on a personal and professional level.
> >
> > I restrained from expressing publicly any issues I might have
> > with your own performance; I would love you to not
> > spread covert allegations on my performace and professional attitude
> > (not specifically, but well, I'm part of the staff here right?).
> >
> > For the first time in the two years since I joined the WMF I felt a
> > sour taste in my mouth for just sitting down to work.
> >
> > Deeply sad,
> >
> > Giuseppe
> > [1]
> >
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-01-06/News_and_notes
> > "WMF Staff morale"
> > --
> > Giuseppe Lavagetto
> > Senior Technical Operations Engineer, Wikimedia Foundation
> >
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