Developments on the Ubuntu governance

[Ian Weisser]

On 11/16/2014 06:22 AM, Aveem Ashfaq wrote:
> You have been into Ubuntu for so long that you start assuming that
> people know all of these but are not interested. Here is an outsider
> view so that you realize how wrong you are.

When I see new enthusiasts appear in the areas I frequent, we have had a
nice discussion about their skills and goals and interests, and I guide
them toward projects and people that are good matches for them.

When I find people involved in my areas who are a poor skill or interest
match for the work, I try to put them on a path they may find more
fulfilling.

That's leadership.
Aveem's example seems like a failure of leadership to me.

The problem Aveem's example highlights is not Ubuntu's complexity, it is
not developers-don't-pay-attention-to-social-media, it is not
documentation. The problem is that we do not engage new participants
immediately, mentor them, and train them. We let new participants get
frustrated and walk away.

This is extracted from an old leader planning checklist I dug out from
perhaps 20 years ago when I was volunteering in an entirely different
field:

  - When a new volunteer appears, who greets them?
  - Who mentors them to explain the organization, and to match their
skills and expectations with your needs?
  - Who shows them how to get training, and tracks their training
progress?
  - Who offers them greater challenges and responsibility as they
progress?
  - Who periodically mentors them to ensure they are happy with their
direction? How often?
  - When a volunteer drops away, who notices? How soon? Who contacts
them?
  - Who does the exit interview to learn the reason for leaving? When?

Recruiting, training, and retention are not system functions - they are
leader tasks that some systems can support...but not replace.

We do what we do for Ubuntu because we feel it is fulfilling. Human
contact is a vital element of that. Leaders build those relationships.
Those relationships spur participants to do the work, to do it well, and
to return tomorrow and do it some more.

We need to spread the message: Code is code, people are people. If you
take care of the people properly, they will take care of the code. New
participants should not need to mentor themselves; that's not taking
care of people properly.

Cheers,

-Ian