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From the President, September 2001
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Psst - hey! Did you hear that because of the small number of specifiers in CSI, they will not be allowed to renew their membership? Or that Institute Board members voted themselves a 200% increase in pay this year? That the coming replacement for the Manual of Practice was revised just so CSI could sell a whole new series of educational material? Or that the new MasterFormat will be issued in four volumes - one for each of the construction "teams" - and will incorporate the Code of Hammurabi? Or how about this - that the reason the Convention will be held in Chicago for three years is that the Chicago chapter has been taken over by construction unions? Despite what you may have heard, the truth is not quite that interesting. Odd as it sounds, in an organization that was founded on the idea of clear communication, CSI has done a poor job of keeping its own members informed of what it is doing. The unfortunate result of this is that some members, frustrated by a lack of basic information, have decided that there is some conspiracy involving Institute officers, and that they have a "hidden agenda" to perpetrate some horrific crime. Given the lack of communication, it isn’t hard to understand why such feelings exist. Looking at things logically, though, one can’t help but ask what it is that the conspirators are supposed to gain. It certainly isn’t monetary; even with the obscene salaries paid to Board members, they're still a couple of bucks short of a cup of coffee. Although officers and chairs may be criticized for appearing aloof, all members must accept some responsibility for our imperfect communication. Institute officers and staff speak to the members in many ways, some of which require the members to exercise a certain amount of initiative. Traditional print media are frequently used - the Construction Specifier and NewsDigest are sent to all members - but we still have to take the time to read them. Some things appear on the Institute web site, but again, we have to take a few moments and visit the site. Other information, principally that furnished by Institute committees, is supposed to be passed from Institute to members through the regions. the weakest linkIt is this last style of communication that is most in need of change. Most members will freely admit that if they have been told something in a magazine, newsletter, fax, or e-mail, they are at fault if they did not read it. Making information available by putting it in a place the intended recipient must visit is less reliable, but still accepted. The Internet web site is simply the modern equivalent of the kiosk or the bulletin board. It is less convenient, but as long as people know that something they need is there, and they know where to look, it can be useful for things that are not time-sensitive. Many years ago, when long-distance communication was slower and more expensive, the chain-of-command method made sense. Starting at Institute the office, knowledge was passed to a small group of people representing each of the regions; they returned to their regions and passed it on to representatives of chapter committees; from there it was disseminated to the members at meetings or in newsletters. The chain of command may work for the military, but it does not work for CSI. Armies depend on immediate and unconditional response to orders passed down the ranks, and the officers in the chain of command have no choice but to follow their orders. Volunteer organizations cannot rely on the same system, as there is no punishment for failure. Everyone in the chain has good intentions, but the chain is often broken when jobs and family needs get in the way. And despite their good intent, some people simply are not capable of doing what is required. CSI should step back and take a fresh look at the Institute-Region-Chapter-Member system; it is obvious that it doesn't work well. Given today's instant communications, it is impossible to justify a process that adds weeks or months to the time it takes for a member to find out what's going on. This is not to say that regions no longer have a purpose. Some things require "face time" and consistently fail without it. Training is a prime example. In my brief experience, the most valuable part of region meetings is the workshops where chapter officers and chairs learn what it is that they are supposed to do. Of less importance is the information that comes from Institute committees, which is generally out of date anyway. Our region leaders are now beginning to evaluate all aspects of the region - how it is organized, how we communicate, how we train, where we meet, when we meet, and so on. One of the big questions is "Should we even have a region?" I believe that the region should continue to exist, to provide training and intense discussion between chapters. I also believe that the use of regions as an intermediary between Institute and chapters is obsolete, and that Institute committees should communicate directly with chapter committees. Perhaps with a little more knowledge, and the reasons that go into Institute business decisions, we will have fewer surprises and fewer dissatisfied members. Sheldon Wolfe, President |
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