[ST] [SA] Debrief Meeting Agenda

[marvmerv at rcn.com]

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:23:56 -0500
>From: "Benjamin Levy" <deguspice at gmail.com>  
>Subject: [ST] [SA] Debrief Meeting Agenda  
>To: staff-announce at arisia.org
>
>  Below is the agenda for the Debrief Meeting
>
>  While a detailed report is important, please just present a summary
>at the meeting.  After each Division's reports, there will be a chance
>for others to bring up issues (good or bad) like we did at the Gripe
>Session, but except for requesting a clarification, please try to
>resist discussing issues.

You know, I have to voice an objection to this philosophy of handling a debrief.

At last year's debrief, I made a comment about giving Staff a chance to gripe and hash out the issues.  This comment stands out to me because it was answered by a room full of applause.

No one wants to spend a whole afternoon at a debrief -- that's human nature and we accept it.  

However, in my experience, the convention debrief is one of the times you get a lot of rank-and-file staff in one room at one time; not just concom (dept heads and up).  I think that disregarding an opportunity to allow a discussion that will generate useful insights, just because the discussion will take up time and/or will be boring to some people who have no interest and/or input on a variety of issues, is ill-advised.

If it's going to be this way, it's going to be this way.  It's Tem's meeting.  However, I suggest scheduling several more meetings in the spring; where the Staff who choose to attend can tackle one or two divisions at a time, and offer the chance for the griping, the discussion to follow the griping, and give the next year's heads and conchair more options to explore as they plan Arisia '08.  Of course, the downside to that is that the issues aren't quite as fresh in our minds by then.

I'll be at the debrief at least long enough to get my time sheet signed and turned in.  How long I stay depends on the frustration level.  And I sincerely suggest that the concom consider the frustration level of all involved -- the concom who devotes significant time to run the convention, the staff who devote not-insignificant time to run the convention, and the time of those who don't want to sit through the reports and gripes of divisions in which they have neither interest nor input -- and find a working balance.

Merv