Randy
On 6/03/2020, at 2:40 PM, Randy Bush <randy@xxxxxxx> wrote:
One thing that becomes obvious while serving in the IETF leadership is
that no-win situations are unavoidable. If you try to make decisions
based on objective criteria and take your time to gather data, you get
criticized. If you try to make decisions based on anecdotal evidence
or take what seems to be the path of least resistance, you get
criticized. If you follow the advice of one group of participants,
you get criticized by a different group that disagrees. It can seem
like an endless, thankless torrent of messages telling you that no
matter what you do, it’s wrong and it isn’t good enough.
i hope and presume you are not surprised by this. it is just part oflife in leadership roles.
There is a big difference between people asking questions, making recommendations, providing alternative analysis, challenging decisions, etc and impugning motives, deliberately misrepresenting people/processes, plain insults, etc. The former is perfectly acceptable, the latter is never acceptable.
Yes the former is something we sign up for but it doesn’t take much of the latter to poison the atmosphere.
[ not so much in management roles, where
blame shifting and avoidance of black marks plays a large role. ] which
is why one does one's best to do what one perceives as the right thing,
motivate it well, and then get on with life and the inevitable next
pile.
I prefer to aim for a more positive culture both by the way I contribute and by what I expect of others. The culture of an organisation is set by the worst behaviour people are willing to expect.
Jay
--
Jay Daley
IETF Executive Director
randy
