Christmas is the time for giving thanks... and I want everyone of the LRA volunteers - especially those involved in the various Security portfolios and weekly meetings - to know that I offer my sincere thanks to them for getting the LRA process back to where it was with a reasonable semblance of management order.
As one who has been there, done that, and got the T-shirts in more ways than one on the LRA, I know exactly what these people do above and beyond the call of duty.
It's nice to see all the soft issues - the Lonehill Fun Day, Carols By Candlelight, colour Newsletter, the Evironment portfolio, the Hamper Funds - all again beginning to approach something of the standards and potential we expected of them when launched with mass contribution and participation during the early days of the Lonehill Community/Security Initiative.
I won't repeat my statements made in the blog post Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due as they still hold good today.
My one simple wish for Lonehill this Christmas is that our leadership reread every comment I have made in this blog - http://www.lonehillaction.blogspot.com/ - which comments I unequivocally stand by, and get over their clear reluctance to broaden the community strategy debate with as many people as possible who want to participate in the growth of the Lonehill Community Process.
Right now, it seems that leadership is adopting an 'if we ignore them, they might go away' stance to anyone who makes a comment that pricks at their sensitivities. And they are right... they will go away... this attitude WILL deepen disinterest and broaden community apathy for the serious hard issues - i.e. the broadest possible contribution to our collective community security. This should have been the most important driving factor of our LRA structure... and I sense (from the limited feedback we do get at feedback meetings) that it has been the weakest.
I for one, have already said to myself 'why bother' after attending the last feedback meeting, and leaving unimpressed and disappointed with the attitude that I heard and experienced at that meeting - see http://lonehillaction.blogspot.com/2007/11/lonehill-how-bumbling-leadership-bursts.html - and then I remember holding Steve Parrymore's bullet-riddled body together... and remember the chill that hit me as I first thought it was my family being wiped out in our lounge on that fateful night. Then I hear of the family attacked in their home in Fourways last week... with two killed and three in hospital.
That's why I bother...!
So to repeat my Christmas wish... LRA leadership, please broaden the community strategy debate by doing what you clearly refrain from doing - bring all leaders and interested stakeholders together to discuss a BIGGER future for this project.
That said, I repeat my grateful thanks for the voluntary efforts contributing to what we get right now..!
And, I encourage you... we can do SO MUCH BETTER as a community initiative..!
Merry Christmas and a thoughtful, prosperous New Year to you all.
Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday, December 03, 2007
Lonehill: LRA Oct. 2007 Public Meeting Feedback
From: Lonehill Residents Association
To: Newsletter
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 4:10 PM
Subject: [Lonehill Lists] TEST YOUR SYSTEMS BEFORE CHRISTMAS COMES
REPORT BACK ON THE FINAL PUBLIC FEEDBACK MEETING FOR 2007
One of the areas the LRA board has been focusing on is communication with the residents and as such February 2007 saw the first of the quarterly public feedback meetings, held to keep the community up to date with what’s happening in the suburb. Last night the final meeting for 2007 was held at the Village Church.
Rob Gillespie, LRA chairman, welcomed all those who attended and then ran through the following feedback items and questions raised :
Renewal of the Security Tender
The current contract with Fidelity Security Services ends in February 2008. The LRA is busy finalising a tender specification and companies that have been identified as having the resources and infrastructure required to meet the standards set by the LRA will be invited to tender for the provision of the security services. A part of this tender is the proactive input from these companies as to what steps can be taken to secure the community. Future use of technology is paramount to compliment the staff already on the ground, particularly the use of camera surveillance and the management of Lonehill’s perimeters.
Management of Current Resources
Concerns were raised about the monitoring of the current street patrollers and complex guards to ensure that they are patrolling/carrying out their duties. A real time guard monitoring system will be implemented for the street guards by the end of November 2007 and future use of camera technology in the guard houses is being investigated. A specific point was made that the security officers are there to perform a job and those officers who do not meet the standard will have to face disciplinary procedures which could lead to them being removed from Lonehill.
Introduction of new Financial Director of the LRA
Roger McKee has just joined the board to manage the financial portfolio as Avi Naidoo resigned due to business commitments. Roger is a long time resident of Lonehill and has an extensive accounting and company secretarial background. He is retired and occupies his time with voluntary work, bowls and caravanning.
Household / Subscriber stats in Lonehill
There are 5 600 households in the area covered by the LRA and of these 3 004 contribute either directly or indirectly to the security initiative.
Over and above the households there are 8 shopping centers, 2 schools and 7 office or business parks. The number of subscribers is growing, but slowly. The LRA are investigating various options with regards to improving marketing to residents. This includes ongoing maintenance of the website, involving the estate agents and more.
The LRA collects an average R 1 285 000 per month for security services and R 1 115 000 is paid over to Fidelity for the provision of these services. (87% of revenue collected). The difference is used to fund the environment and the LRA’s operating expenses.
Profit distribution from events held in Lonehill
All events such as the Fun Day, Run etc are held to foster community spirit and the money raised is donated to local charities.
Donations to charities this year were as follows –
Ladies Breakfast – February R 3 876 donated to Bosom Buddies (breast cancer support group)
Lonehill Fun Run – July R 17 260 to Princess Alice Adoption Home
Lonehill Fun Day – September R 15 355 to Witkoppen Clinic
The LRA does not pay out cash, but asks the charities for wish lists and items on these wish lists are then purchased and donated.
Communication with residents and businesses
The e-mail newsletter is sent out to 1733 addresses and there is approximately a 1% return. The problem is that you don’t know how many people are actually reading the communication. The LRA has now taken the step of printing out a precise of these weekly newsletters and delivering to the households and complexes and a dedicated “distributor” is being employed to do this to ensure that the news reaches the community.
Rob advised residents that the quarterly hard copy newsletter is receiving a “make-over” and the next edition will be in the form of a magazine.
Status with regards to implementing a “Community Improvement District”
Whist this has been explored in the past, it takes enormous time and effort and there aren’t enough resources at present to focus on this as well as growing the security initiative and environmental portfolio. The project has not been shelved and will be re-investigated at a future date.
Current Lonehill Security Status
Whilst communities around us are experiencing an upsurge in violent crime, armed robberies and hi-jackings our suburb remains largely clear of these events. Events in October were a ‘follow-me” driveway robbery where residents had cash taken from them by armed men after they made a withdrawal from the bank, an armed robbery at a complex in Beverley and several thefts of laptops (which have stopped since moving patrol guards to the riverfront at night).
Vacancy at the LRA offices
It was with regret that Rob advised those present that Giulia Crozier has handed in her resignation. She will be traveling abroad next year. Giulia manages the day to day technical call-outs, prepares the weekly e-mails newsletter and handles all advertising queries for the newsletter as well as is involved in complex liaison with regards to administration. A job description for this position will be made available and it is hoped that this position can be filled by a local resident.
Carols by Candlelight
The last event for 2007 will be a Carols by Candlelight evening on 1 December 2007. Residents will be invited to bring their picnic baskets and enjoy the event which will be staged by the three local churches.
General
· Noted that a value add service to being a subscriber is paramedic support if required in a medical emergency. This support is currently being provided by Life Hospital, Fourways.
· There is no change in status with regards to the vacant land next to the fire station. Crawford College is hoping to lease this land from council in order to move the pre-primary school and extend it’s sports fields.
· There were concerns raised about the noise generated from the cell phone and other masts erected on the tower at the fire station. Council will be requested to measure the noise and take the necessary steps if it’s too loud.
· The current court actions against the Lonehill Shopping Centre with regards to building regulations and excess noise have been remanded to end November.
There being no further questions raised the meeting was closed at 20:30.
To: Newsletter
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 4:10 PM
Subject: [Lonehill Lists] TEST YOUR SYSTEMS BEFORE CHRISTMAS COMES
REPORT BACK ON THE FINAL PUBLIC FEEDBACK MEETING FOR 2007
One of the areas the LRA board has been focusing on is communication with the residents and as such February 2007 saw the first of the quarterly public feedback meetings, held to keep the community up to date with what’s happening in the suburb. Last night the final meeting for 2007 was held at the Village Church.
Rob Gillespie, LRA chairman, welcomed all those who attended and then ran through the following feedback items and questions raised :
Renewal of the Security Tender
The current contract with Fidelity Security Services ends in February 2008. The LRA is busy finalising a tender specification and companies that have been identified as having the resources and infrastructure required to meet the standards set by the LRA will be invited to tender for the provision of the security services. A part of this tender is the proactive input from these companies as to what steps can be taken to secure the community. Future use of technology is paramount to compliment the staff already on the ground, particularly the use of camera surveillance and the management of Lonehill’s perimeters.
Management of Current Resources
Concerns were raised about the monitoring of the current street patrollers and complex guards to ensure that they are patrolling/carrying out their duties. A real time guard monitoring system will be implemented for the street guards by the end of November 2007 and future use of camera technology in the guard houses is being investigated. A specific point was made that the security officers are there to perform a job and those officers who do not meet the standard will have to face disciplinary procedures which could lead to them being removed from Lonehill.
Introduction of new Financial Director of the LRA
Roger McKee has just joined the board to manage the financial portfolio as Avi Naidoo resigned due to business commitments. Roger is a long time resident of Lonehill and has an extensive accounting and company secretarial background. He is retired and occupies his time with voluntary work, bowls and caravanning.
Household / Subscriber stats in Lonehill
There are 5 600 households in the area covered by the LRA and of these 3 004 contribute either directly or indirectly to the security initiative.
Over and above the households there are 8 shopping centers, 2 schools and 7 office or business parks. The number of subscribers is growing, but slowly. The LRA are investigating various options with regards to improving marketing to residents. This includes ongoing maintenance of the website, involving the estate agents and more.
The LRA collects an average R 1 285 000 per month for security services and R 1 115 000 is paid over to Fidelity for the provision of these services. (87% of revenue collected). The difference is used to fund the environment and the LRA’s operating expenses.
Profit distribution from events held in Lonehill
All events such as the Fun Day, Run etc are held to foster community spirit and the money raised is donated to local charities.
Donations to charities this year were as follows –
Ladies Breakfast – February R 3 876 donated to Bosom Buddies (breast cancer support group)
Lonehill Fun Run – July R 17 260 to Princess Alice Adoption Home
Lonehill Fun Day – September R 15 355 to Witkoppen Clinic
The LRA does not pay out cash, but asks the charities for wish lists and items on these wish lists are then purchased and donated.
Communication with residents and businesses
The e-mail newsletter is sent out to 1733 addresses and there is approximately a 1% return. The problem is that you don’t know how many people are actually reading the communication. The LRA has now taken the step of printing out a precise of these weekly newsletters and delivering to the households and complexes and a dedicated “distributor” is being employed to do this to ensure that the news reaches the community.
Rob advised residents that the quarterly hard copy newsletter is receiving a “make-over” and the next edition will be in the form of a magazine.
Status with regards to implementing a “Community Improvement District”
Whist this has been explored in the past, it takes enormous time and effort and there aren’t enough resources at present to focus on this as well as growing the security initiative and environmental portfolio. The project has not been shelved and will be re-investigated at a future date.
Current Lonehill Security Status
Whilst communities around us are experiencing an upsurge in violent crime, armed robberies and hi-jackings our suburb remains largely clear of these events. Events in October were a ‘follow-me” driveway robbery where residents had cash taken from them by armed men after they made a withdrawal from the bank, an armed robbery at a complex in Beverley and several thefts of laptops (which have stopped since moving patrol guards to the riverfront at night).
Vacancy at the LRA offices
It was with regret that Rob advised those present that Giulia Crozier has handed in her resignation. She will be traveling abroad next year. Giulia manages the day to day technical call-outs, prepares the weekly e-mails newsletter and handles all advertising queries for the newsletter as well as is involved in complex liaison with regards to administration. A job description for this position will be made available and it is hoped that this position can be filled by a local resident.
Carols by Candlelight
The last event for 2007 will be a Carols by Candlelight evening on 1 December 2007. Residents will be invited to bring their picnic baskets and enjoy the event which will be staged by the three local churches.
General
· Noted that a value add service to being a subscriber is paramedic support if required in a medical emergency. This support is currently being provided by Life Hospital, Fourways.
· There is no change in status with regards to the vacant land next to the fire station. Crawford College is hoping to lease this land from council in order to move the pre-primary school and extend it’s sports fields.
· There were concerns raised about the noise generated from the cell phone and other masts erected on the tower at the fire station. Council will be requested to measure the noise and take the necessary steps if it’s too loud.
· The current court actions against the Lonehill Shopping Centre with regards to building regulations and excess noise have been remanded to end November.
There being no further questions raised the meeting was closed at 20:30.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Lonehill: How Bumbling Leadership BURSTS The Balloon
This post contains my honest feedback on the Wed. 31st Oct. LRA Feedback meeting:
Well... it certainly didn't take too long for Oregon Hoskins and SARU to pop the high-flying balloon that was carrying almost an entire nation along on a wave of national pride and euphoria.
In one fell swoop Hoskins and SARU succeeded in turning us from the 2007 World Rugby Cup CHAMPIONS to the laughing stock of the world.
Oh yes... LEADERSHIP is very powerful indeed..!
If the cancer of EGOship (as opposed to leadership) wasn't so obvious I might be called the most prescient of prophets for my statement last week: 'Didn't Oregon Hoskins give the impression of being the archetypal autocratic CEO with his nose almost permanently out-of-joint at the mounting successes of his front-line champion? One gets the constant impression that the long knives are just itching to be plunged into the back of this irritatingly successful champion of the people.'
And who do they blame?
Why... Jake White, of course!
I mean, can't you see... he didn't run the right lines to win the World Cup. Skande.
Look... he broke his 'Luke Watson' shackles when he saw the line... and just went for the win. What sort of example is that to set to South Africans?
And look at what he's done now... the entire nation loves him... they are lining the streets in every shape and colour to honour their national heroes... there's a new pride in the streets... new 10-year to 15-year-old Habana's and Pietersen's have been fired up to pull that World Cup Springbok jersey over their heads in 2015 and 2019... and people have new hope for our 2010 World Cup Soccer activities... the whole national community is uplifted.
So what does EGOship do? They do exactly what that masterful and most vilified autocratic bumbling CEO of SARU - Louis Luyt - did in 1995 did to kill an entire nation's spirit for many years to come... SARU then burst the bubble of euphoria that came from being 1995 World Cup Rugby Champions!
It seems that to most leaders, history is there to be repeated... not to be learnt from.
So now here's the question. Who will be blamed for the nation's rugby apathy to come... the spectator who decides not to pitch at the stadium... or rugby's leaders who killed the spectator's enthusiasm for the game?
It is so clear to me... there are really only two types of leadership... INSPIRING Leadership or uninspiring leadership.
The one builds community, the other doesn't.
Ooooh... sorry... you wanted my feedback from Wednesday night's LRA feedback session!
Sadly... one word... uninspiring!
Whilst I respect what the current LRA structure are doing as volunteers, and have complimented them on restoring some really simple management structure to refloat a ship about to beach once again, I still see zero incentive or encouragement for a 'Jake White' to emerge to take this community to the 'World Class' status that I, and others of like-mind, would like to see for it.
Everybody has differing perceptions, and what became clear to me from leadership's attitude at Wednesday's feedback meeting is that there seems to be a warm glow of self-satisfaction on the part of current leadership that everything is running completely according to their plan as they see it.
I must admit to having had difficulty in following the logic of their available time priorities (for critical marketing of the LRA and signing in of more contributors) being taken up by time-consuming planning of small community events (with their obvious laudable charitable objectives)... and then announcing that they were focusing on a 'bigger' carols by candle-light event.
Maybe I just missed how this 'bigger' small event is going to stimulate the future inflow of needed financial contributions to significantly improve the Lonehill Community Initiative. I scratch my head at the order of priorities.
Now, if our current LRA standards are to be the worst that we will have to live with... then so be it. It could be, and has been, worse!
However, if I am to be honest, I see very little change in key critical numbers having happened over the past four years... I cannot find a dynamic goal designed to inspire a community to greater heights, and I sense that the bulk of the required paying spectators (contributors) are therefore not overly inspired to pitch in or pitch up to participate in the LRA game.
Because I credit this current leadership team with the intelligence and savvy to have sifted out the fact from the fiction of our previous LRA mangement debacle over the past eighteen months, I am extremely disappointed to hear the comments I heard indicating that they have not (sadly, with the same personalised politicking being employed to play one resident off against another without the slated being present - that's just cheap), and to see a levelling off of potential for progress indicative of following a path to the typical boom-bust cycles of most mediocre residents associations.
Just not the type of legacy I expected of such a great initiative when we launched it back in 2000.
The inspired dream and passion of a CHAMPION with a vision - a focused professional - a Jake White - is still missing..!
Oh, how I wish for the quality of community leadership that says... 'Jake, here's our objective. We want to win our 'World Cup'. We want you to build the team to do it. Can you do it? Here's our blessing. Do whatever it takes with openness, honesty and integrity... and we and our entire community will celebrate your rewards that come from achieving a WIN-WIN for everybody'.
Leadership can do that overnight..! But will they..?
Let me know if your phone rings Jake... ;-)
Just don't hold your breath. I'm not.
Common sense is a rarity.
Count me as disappointed.
Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790
Well... it certainly didn't take too long for Oregon Hoskins and SARU to pop the high-flying balloon that was carrying almost an entire nation along on a wave of national pride and euphoria.
In one fell swoop Hoskins and SARU succeeded in turning us from the 2007 World Rugby Cup CHAMPIONS to the laughing stock of the world.
Oh yes... LEADERSHIP is very powerful indeed..!
If the cancer of EGOship (as opposed to leadership) wasn't so obvious I might be called the most prescient of prophets for my statement last week: 'Didn't Oregon Hoskins give the impression of being the archetypal autocratic CEO with his nose almost permanently out-of-joint at the mounting successes of his front-line champion? One gets the constant impression that the long knives are just itching to be plunged into the back of this irritatingly successful champion of the people.'
And who do they blame?
Why... Jake White, of course!
I mean, can't you see... he didn't run the right lines to win the World Cup. Skande.
Look... he broke his 'Luke Watson' shackles when he saw the line... and just went for the win. What sort of example is that to set to South Africans?
And look at what he's done now... the entire nation loves him... they are lining the streets in every shape and colour to honour their national heroes... there's a new pride in the streets... new 10-year to 15-year-old Habana's and Pietersen's have been fired up to pull that World Cup Springbok jersey over their heads in 2015 and 2019... and people have new hope for our 2010 World Cup Soccer activities... the whole national community is uplifted.
So what does EGOship do? They do exactly what that masterful and most vilified autocratic bumbling CEO of SARU - Louis Luyt - did in 1995 did to kill an entire nation's spirit for many years to come... SARU then burst the bubble of euphoria that came from being 1995 World Cup Rugby Champions!
It seems that to most leaders, history is there to be repeated... not to be learnt from.
So now here's the question. Who will be blamed for the nation's rugby apathy to come... the spectator who decides not to pitch at the stadium... or rugby's leaders who killed the spectator's enthusiasm for the game?
It is so clear to me... there are really only two types of leadership... INSPIRING Leadership or uninspiring leadership.
The one builds community, the other doesn't.
Ooooh... sorry... you wanted my feedback from Wednesday night's LRA feedback session!
Sadly... one word... uninspiring!
Whilst I respect what the current LRA structure are doing as volunteers, and have complimented them on restoring some really simple management structure to refloat a ship about to beach once again, I still see zero incentive or encouragement for a 'Jake White' to emerge to take this community to the 'World Class' status that I, and others of like-mind, would like to see for it.
Everybody has differing perceptions, and what became clear to me from leadership's attitude at Wednesday's feedback meeting is that there seems to be a warm glow of self-satisfaction on the part of current leadership that everything is running completely according to their plan as they see it.
I must admit to having had difficulty in following the logic of their available time priorities (for critical marketing of the LRA and signing in of more contributors) being taken up by time-consuming planning of small community events (with their obvious laudable charitable objectives)... and then announcing that they were focusing on a 'bigger' carols by candle-light event.
Maybe I just missed how this 'bigger' small event is going to stimulate the future inflow of needed financial contributions to significantly improve the Lonehill Community Initiative. I scratch my head at the order of priorities.
Now, if our current LRA standards are to be the worst that we will have to live with... then so be it. It could be, and has been, worse!
However, if I am to be honest, I see very little change in key critical numbers having happened over the past four years... I cannot find a dynamic goal designed to inspire a community to greater heights, and I sense that the bulk of the required paying spectators (contributors) are therefore not overly inspired to pitch in or pitch up to participate in the LRA game.
Because I credit this current leadership team with the intelligence and savvy to have sifted out the fact from the fiction of our previous LRA mangement debacle over the past eighteen months, I am extremely disappointed to hear the comments I heard indicating that they have not (sadly, with the same personalised politicking being employed to play one resident off against another without the slated being present - that's just cheap), and to see a levelling off of potential for progress indicative of following a path to the typical boom-bust cycles of most mediocre residents associations.
Just not the type of legacy I expected of such a great initiative when we launched it back in 2000.
The inspired dream and passion of a CHAMPION with a vision - a focused professional - a Jake White - is still missing..!
Oh, how I wish for the quality of community leadership that says... 'Jake, here's our objective. We want to win our 'World Cup'. We want you to build the team to do it. Can you do it? Here's our blessing. Do whatever it takes with openness, honesty and integrity... and we and our entire community will celebrate your rewards that come from achieving a WIN-WIN for everybody'.
Leadership can do that overnight..! But will they..?
Let me know if your phone rings Jake... ;-)
Just don't hold your breath. I'm not.
Common sense is a rarity.
Count me as disappointed.
Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Lonehill: WORLD CLASS Performance Uplifts An Entire Community
This little story is all about Lonehill.
What does the fantastic picture of John Smit, his victorious Springbok team and President Thabo Mbeki with the 2007 Rugby World Cup hoisted high above their smiling heads do for a Nation?
Seems like a no-brainer of a question to answer as we follow the celebratory ticker-tape tour of the Springboks and watch folks of all ages in thronging crowds celebrating their heroes.
Clearly, our nation is inspired by the Springboks' World Cup win, stimulating feelings of new hope for exciting possibilities in South Africa, all of which seems to stir even the most negative of pessimists.
This is the story of the power of a MASSIVE GOAL, a World Class objective... the focused vision, strategy, planning, leadership, implementation and superb execution of a simple plan in just four years... visualised by ONE man - Jake White.
He knew what he needed to do back in 2003 - to build up a team of committed professionals who would be ready to take on the best in the world in 2007 - and he set about doing it.
Was it easy? Hell, no! Everything bad about political interference and internal politics in sport was thrown at Jake.
Didn't Oregon Hoskins give the impression of being the archetypal autocratic CEO with his nose almost permanently out-of-joint at the mounting successes of his front-line champion? One gets the constant impression that the long knives are just itching to be plunged into the back of this irritatingly successful champion of the people. Yet, Jake has never wavered on his quest. He knew what he needed to do, and he did it.
For handsome remuneration, of course!
Not as good as our national soccer coach, I'll bet, who has probably earned in a couple of months what Jake has earned from his entire 4 year project.
But, what price success..? If you want the best, you've gotta pay for 'em.
If we get to the quarters or semi's of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, perhaps that will be even more meritorious than Jake's masterminding of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Can you imagine what it will do for our nation?
Not for one moment do I discount the incredible commitment of Jake's players. They were the ones to put their bodies on the line.
But, for me, it was Jake White who gave them the support of consistent selection to build up their experience and confidence as players who could take on anyone and win.
John Smit, as captain, was critical to Jake White's plans - he became the solid rock around which the team was built. And, I think that he is only going to get better as both a player and a leader. Move over, Sean Fitzpatrick... your successor has arrived.
Well done to all in the Springbok World Cup endeavour.
DESTINY smiles on those who prepare for it.
So what does this story have to do with Lonehill... or any community, for that matter?
Simple, it provides all the clues for local leadership to follow to inspire and uplift an entire community.
Identify our 'World Cup' that we want to win. Set our World Class GOAL for our community. One that WILL inspire the entire community. Find and appoint our community's 'Jake White'. Someone who as the clear attributes to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. Empower him/her to build a SUPER TEAM to achieve the focused objectives. And to achieve that World Class GOAL in four years.
And here's what will happen... even the 'apathetic' will be inspired.
You see, everyone loves to be associated with a WINNER. Everyone wants to be seen to have had some part to play in supporting the very Best of the Best.
I have always maintained - and coined the phrase - that 'apathetic communities result from pathetic leadership'. And that, therefore, the opposite is true.
INSPIRED communities arise from World Class leadership, with the entire community deriving exponential benefits long after the original GOAL has been achieved.
Compare our national mourning, gloom and despair after the piddle-poor showing of our 2003 national rugby team from the pathetic closed door 'leadership' antics of the Kamp Staaldraad era... to that of today, as World Cup WINNERS in 2007, that has arisen from the open, transparent, consistent, goals-oriented style of Jake White, who openly explained his winning policy every step of the way.
I believe that our revitalised LRA under Chairman Rob Gillespie have gone a long way to restoring what seems to be a fair semblance of management order in Lonehill, for which I have been at pains to compliment them on in this forum.
Perhaps now we are ready to find and appoint our own CHAMPIONS to achieve our World Class dreams for our community.
They exist in Lonehill..!
It takes quality leadership to locate, identify, select and appoint them.
The more one studies the 'Jake White phenomenon' the more clues one gets. I've only touched on a few here.
I'm looking forward to seeing more OPEN, transparent feedback of critical numbers and sharing of our challenges - what's working, what's not - at our upcoming LRA feedback meeting on Wed. 31st: 7 p.m. at The Lonehill Village Church.
I sense that we're poised for taking the path to GREATNESS once again.
Did we take this path when it beckoned back in 2003/4?
Coincidentally, the same time that Jake White was appointed!
No. Our community structure, in my opinion, went the Kamp Staaldraad route, which had only one impending outcome... as exerienced by our disastrous 2003 Rugby World Cup campaigners.
What a waste of four years.
Thank goodness for those who stood up to put a stop to the rot!
Now we're back to the stage we were when Jake White was appointed.
Do we have the mettle to go after World Class achievement status for our community... and all the benefits that would derive?
It takes GREAT LEADERSHIP to make the right choices.
Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790
What does the fantastic picture of John Smit, his victorious Springbok team and President Thabo Mbeki with the 2007 Rugby World Cup hoisted high above their smiling heads do for a Nation?
Seems like a no-brainer of a question to answer as we follow the celebratory ticker-tape tour of the Springboks and watch folks of all ages in thronging crowds celebrating their heroes.
Clearly, our nation is inspired by the Springboks' World Cup win, stimulating feelings of new hope for exciting possibilities in South Africa, all of which seems to stir even the most negative of pessimists.
This is the story of the power of a MASSIVE GOAL, a World Class objective... the focused vision, strategy, planning, leadership, implementation and superb execution of a simple plan in just four years... visualised by ONE man - Jake White.
He knew what he needed to do back in 2003 - to build up a team of committed professionals who would be ready to take on the best in the world in 2007 - and he set about doing it.
Was it easy? Hell, no! Everything bad about political interference and internal politics in sport was thrown at Jake.
Didn't Oregon Hoskins give the impression of being the archetypal autocratic CEO with his nose almost permanently out-of-joint at the mounting successes of his front-line champion? One gets the constant impression that the long knives are just itching to be plunged into the back of this irritatingly successful champion of the people. Yet, Jake has never wavered on his quest. He knew what he needed to do, and he did it.
For handsome remuneration, of course!
Not as good as our national soccer coach, I'll bet, who has probably earned in a couple of months what Jake has earned from his entire 4 year project.
But, what price success..? If you want the best, you've gotta pay for 'em.
If we get to the quarters or semi's of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, perhaps that will be even more meritorious than Jake's masterminding of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Can you imagine what it will do for our nation?
Not for one moment do I discount the incredible commitment of Jake's players. They were the ones to put their bodies on the line.
But, for me, it was Jake White who gave them the support of consistent selection to build up their experience and confidence as players who could take on anyone and win.
John Smit, as captain, was critical to Jake White's plans - he became the solid rock around which the team was built. And, I think that he is only going to get better as both a player and a leader. Move over, Sean Fitzpatrick... your successor has arrived.
Well done to all in the Springbok World Cup endeavour.
DESTINY smiles on those who prepare for it.
So what does this story have to do with Lonehill... or any community, for that matter?
Simple, it provides all the clues for local leadership to follow to inspire and uplift an entire community.
Identify our 'World Cup' that we want to win. Set our World Class GOAL for our community. One that WILL inspire the entire community. Find and appoint our community's 'Jake White'. Someone who as the clear attributes to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. Empower him/her to build a SUPER TEAM to achieve the focused objectives. And to achieve that World Class GOAL in four years.
And here's what will happen... even the 'apathetic' will be inspired.
You see, everyone loves to be associated with a WINNER. Everyone wants to be seen to have had some part to play in supporting the very Best of the Best.
I have always maintained - and coined the phrase - that 'apathetic communities result from pathetic leadership'. And that, therefore, the opposite is true.
INSPIRED communities arise from World Class leadership, with the entire community deriving exponential benefits long after the original GOAL has been achieved.
Compare our national mourning, gloom and despair after the piddle-poor showing of our 2003 national rugby team from the pathetic closed door 'leadership' antics of the Kamp Staaldraad era... to that of today, as World Cup WINNERS in 2007, that has arisen from the open, transparent, consistent, goals-oriented style of Jake White, who openly explained his winning policy every step of the way.
I believe that our revitalised LRA under Chairman Rob Gillespie have gone a long way to restoring what seems to be a fair semblance of management order in Lonehill, for which I have been at pains to compliment them on in this forum.
Perhaps now we are ready to find and appoint our own CHAMPIONS to achieve our World Class dreams for our community.
They exist in Lonehill..!
It takes quality leadership to locate, identify, select and appoint them.
The more one studies the 'Jake White phenomenon' the more clues one gets. I've only touched on a few here.
I'm looking forward to seeing more OPEN, transparent feedback of critical numbers and sharing of our challenges - what's working, what's not - at our upcoming LRA feedback meeting on Wed. 31st: 7 p.m. at The Lonehill Village Church.
I sense that we're poised for taking the path to GREATNESS once again.
Did we take this path when it beckoned back in 2003/4?
Coincidentally, the same time that Jake White was appointed!
No. Our community structure, in my opinion, went the Kamp Staaldraad route, which had only one impending outcome... as exerienced by our disastrous 2003 Rugby World Cup campaigners.
What a waste of four years.
Thank goodness for those who stood up to put a stop to the rot!
Now we're back to the stage we were when Jake White was appointed.
Do we have the mettle to go after World Class achievement status for our community... and all the benefits that would derive?
It takes GREAT LEADERSHIP to make the right choices.
Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Lonehill: Welcome Return To OPEN Security Meetings
Was nice to see and chat to all the old Lonehill Weekly Security Meeting stalwarts at Tony Platt's funeral last week. Nice show of respect from those who truly know what incredible efforts were put in by those serving on these weekly meeting forums.
Almost all those I chatted to were in 100% agreement with my comments in this blog calling for more OPEN participation of those residents who want to make things happen in Lonehill.
Last week I mentioned how Tony was 'looking forward to the day that he could get back into a contributing role when the security meeting process again opened up for the committed community contributors to participate in once again.'
Well, bless my cotton-picking socks and pick me up off the floor if I didn't read in the very next LRA email:
'Weekly Security Meetings - Residents, please remember that the weekly security meetings held at the LRA offices (81 Studio Office Park, Concourse Cresc) are open for anyone who is interested to attend. The meetings are every Thursday morning from 7.30am'
Hmmm... must have missed the original announcement that these meetings were now open to every concerned Lonehill resident to attend, once again. That's GOOD news! Maybe it also says something about the right messages not getting out timeously or clearly to the community. If I wasn't aware of this, with my high level of interest, how many others in this community weren't..?
The last time I attended such a security meeting - then CLOSED by the leadership in place at the time and moved to 10 a.m., which in my opinion was to make it doubly more difficult for any resident to attend - it was disbanded instantly by those in 'power' because I dared to arrive (after their ignoring my repeated email requests to attend) to ask questions. That became another indicator for me that something was 'rotten' in our structure at the time... ;-)
So, it's nice to see a continuing return to the OPEN transparent formats and processes that signified the best of this initiative in the early days. Gets more and more encouraging!
I've often wondered why it is that many in our society at community-level are highly critical of the lack of openness and transparency of ruling government players and their political machinations in Zimbabwe, in the U.K., in the U.S., and in our own country. Yet, the moment they find themselves in leadership positions in a community initiative such as ours they end up duplicating the exact same stupid, political, ego-driven games in their own community.
In our Lonehill Community Initiative we have the forum and platform to show that we want, and can deliver, openness and transparency of governance to an unparalleled standard of excellence - and we must protect this. It is surely the simplest thing in the world to involve everyone in our community to ask, answer, participate and deliver upon a simple question: What can WE do to make OUR Community GREAT..?
I'm looking forward to the OPEN LRA FEEDBACK session (7 p.m. Wed. 31st Oct.) of those now responsible for reinstating the OPEN community formats that worked so well before in this initiative. I am hoping that our current leadership will demonstrate their understanding of the key Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats within and facing our initiative, with a simple analysis of the pertinent NUMBERS behind all observations, projects and events.
They have called for input... and these are just some of the things that I'd like to see discussed (some being extracts from previous posts in this blog forum):
a.) To what degree of specific measurability are the LRA Directors committed...
1. ..to RAISE Standards... continually... especially those of service delivery, openness and transparency.
2. ..to unleash the Abundant Potential that lies within our community... open up to include everybody who wants to participate.
3. ..to facilitate a regular major indaba of all key stakeholders, decision-makers and interested contributors in this community.
b.) What are the Critical Success Factors needed to be adopted and Questions needed to be asked in these areas (note that I have only highlighted some examples of what a community should be asking if leadership does not lead with their own pertinent observations, proposed solutions, and feedback):
1. Strategy, Sustainability & Succession
e.g.
- What Does The LRA Community Initiative Do Well?
- What's Holding The LRA Community Initiative Back?
- What's The LRA Community Initiative Future Action Plan?
2. Participation, Communication & Marketing
e.g.
- What total no. of Households make up the Lonehill Community?
- What actual no. contribute in what specific breakdowns?
- What is required to close the gap - what is working, what is not?
Some numbers that we might like to know each month are (amongst others):
- The numbers of contributors by breakdown: individual households/complexes/enclosures/business etc.
- % of contributors vs. non-contributors related to total households in the LRA defined area
- % Revenue applied by contributor breakdown to PROACTIVE guarding force
- Possible vs. Actual contribution by total community households
- % allocation of community events revenues to reducing load on contributors
- Target revenue projections from special events/promotions/programs designed to reduce load on contributors
- % of emails that actually reach total no. of households
- etc.
3. Transparency, Governance & Accountability
e.g.
- What funds were raised at the Lonehill Fun Day (i.e. as for any LRA event)?
- Who were the key benefactors (what amount) - LRA, charity, individuals)?
- Were LRA directors, staff, service providers remunerated from this event (what amount)?
c.) How do the LRA Directors respond to a call (from a previous blog post) to:
1. Allow DISCIPLINED People To Flourish - these are passionate people who will align our community goals with their own goals and who can deliver. It means having people in management that do not need to be highly-managed. It means removing those in management who cannot or will not deliver. It means instituting SMART objectives and deliverables with accountabilities and responsibilities clearly designated. It means actively encouraging those with voluntary and/or vested interest desires to establish and drive mutually-beneficial community projects. It means allowing a process for all stakeholders to participate in developing and/or selecting the projects they want to see as priorities.
2. Create a culture of DISCIPLINED Thought. 'Create A Culture Where The Truth Can Be Heard'... where openness, transparency and fact are sacrosanct... and where opinion is widely sought and encouraged.
3. Allow the above people and culture to stimulate DISCIPLINED Action. Eradicate all bureaucratic hurdles - what Tom Peters' identifies as 'The Management Paradox':
d.) How do the LRA Directors respond to ideas-brainstorming, such as these from a previous post:
IDEA 1. Bring in enthusiastic specialists who have proven their ability to excel. Get back to OPEN TENDERING of mutually-beneficial community/business related projects. Allow the tender winner to win as the community wins. Attract the finest quality entrepreneurial thinkers to conduct their presentations and allow all stakeholders to participate in the selection process... as we did when we launched this initiative.
IDEA 2. Modernise Lonehill's image and attraction - it is no longer a '20th century rural horsy bridle-path village' as it was originally developed (the shopping centre and Summercon developments have seen to that) - let's get real and refocus its future vision to fit the 21st century. Make it a WOW statement to stimulate national and international interest and recognition. If only to ramp up the desirability of living in this area (good for our property prices). There are many concepts that can be brainstormed here.
IDEA 3. Provide Lonehill stakeholder security services FREE..!
IDEA 4. Treble to quadruple the proactive guarding force and reaction vehicles, and their quality and standard of pay (for performance incentive) and marry that with quality PROACTIVE surveillance equipment.
IDEA 5. Treble to quadruple the Estate Management/Environment function to uplift and beautify every area of Lonehill.
IDEA 6. Re-assess the actual benefit of the current LRA offices... is it really needed in it's current format... ... is it needed at all (freeing up funds for other projects)... and/or perhaps get back to the original idea for a community centre that will be of benefit to every contributing stakeholder (don't we already 'have' one at The Lonehill Village Church..?).
IDEA 7. Turn Lonehill Dam into a Bio-Diesel plant. This was almost my April 1 email subject-headline: 'Lonehill to build bio-diesel plant on local dam'. Purpose of this idea (and IDEA 3.) is to stimulate seemingly crazy ideas to approach solutions from a different perspective... no idea should be pooh-poohed. In all ideas lies the kernel of the next MASSIVE breakthrough.
Take a look at this blog link - GREAT Ideas - http://icgreatideas.blogspot.com/ - for more ideas on how to get get creative and manage ideas effectively.
See Ideas Are A Dime A Dozen... Or Are They? & Possibility Thinking - Managing IDEAS Effectively
IDEA 8. Share the ideas. Ideas can be expanded upon by the inputs of others. Ideas stimulate ideas. Provide a list of all the ideas submitted so that someone can get excited enough to take it to action and implementation stage.
IDEA 9. Bring important, enthusiastic, interested Lonehill stakeholders together in an eye-ball to eye-ball brainstorming indaba - already mentioned in previous post.
IDEA 10. Develop a competition to reward the very best ideas. Provide incentives. Give recognition. (Reminds me...as yet no follow through on the recognition program stated at the last open feedback meeting).
Hope those prove to be thought-provoking inputs.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Almost all those I chatted to were in 100% agreement with my comments in this blog calling for more OPEN participation of those residents who want to make things happen in Lonehill.
Last week I mentioned how Tony was 'looking forward to the day that he could get back into a contributing role when the security meeting process again opened up for the committed community contributors to participate in once again.'
Well, bless my cotton-picking socks and pick me up off the floor if I didn't read in the very next LRA email:
'Weekly Security Meetings - Residents, please remember that the weekly security meetings held at the LRA offices (81 Studio Office Park, Concourse Cresc) are open for anyone who is interested to attend. The meetings are every Thursday morning from 7.30am'
Hmmm... must have missed the original announcement that these meetings were now open to every concerned Lonehill resident to attend, once again. That's GOOD news! Maybe it also says something about the right messages not getting out timeously or clearly to the community. If I wasn't aware of this, with my high level of interest, how many others in this community weren't..?
The last time I attended such a security meeting - then CLOSED by the leadership in place at the time and moved to 10 a.m., which in my opinion was to make it doubly more difficult for any resident to attend - it was disbanded instantly by those in 'power' because I dared to arrive (after their ignoring my repeated email requests to attend) to ask questions. That became another indicator for me that something was 'rotten' in our structure at the time... ;-)
So, it's nice to see a continuing return to the OPEN transparent formats and processes that signified the best of this initiative in the early days. Gets more and more encouraging!
I've often wondered why it is that many in our society at community-level are highly critical of the lack of openness and transparency of ruling government players and their political machinations in Zimbabwe, in the U.K., in the U.S., and in our own country. Yet, the moment they find themselves in leadership positions in a community initiative such as ours they end up duplicating the exact same stupid, political, ego-driven games in their own community.
In our Lonehill Community Initiative we have the forum and platform to show that we want, and can deliver, openness and transparency of governance to an unparalleled standard of excellence - and we must protect this. It is surely the simplest thing in the world to involve everyone in our community to ask, answer, participate and deliver upon a simple question: What can WE do to make OUR Community GREAT..?
I'm looking forward to the OPEN LRA FEEDBACK session (7 p.m. Wed. 31st Oct.) of those now responsible for reinstating the OPEN community formats that worked so well before in this initiative. I am hoping that our current leadership will demonstrate their understanding of the key Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats within and facing our initiative, with a simple analysis of the pertinent NUMBERS behind all observations, projects and events.
They have called for input... and these are just some of the things that I'd like to see discussed (some being extracts from previous posts in this blog forum):
a.) To what degree of specific measurability are the LRA Directors committed...
1. ..to RAISE Standards... continually... especially those of service delivery, openness and transparency.
2. ..to unleash the Abundant Potential that lies within our community... open up to include everybody who wants to participate.
3. ..to facilitate a regular major indaba of all key stakeholders, decision-makers and interested contributors in this community.
b.) What are the Critical Success Factors needed to be adopted and Questions needed to be asked in these areas (note that I have only highlighted some examples of what a community should be asking if leadership does not lead with their own pertinent observations, proposed solutions, and feedback):
1. Strategy, Sustainability & Succession
e.g.
- What Does The LRA Community Initiative Do Well?
- What's Holding The LRA Community Initiative Back?
- What's The LRA Community Initiative Future Action Plan?
2. Participation, Communication & Marketing
e.g.
- What total no. of Households make up the Lonehill Community?
- What actual no. contribute in what specific breakdowns?
- What is required to close the gap - what is working, what is not?
Some numbers that we might like to know each month are (amongst others):
- The numbers of contributors by breakdown: individual households/complexes/enclosures/business etc.
- % of contributors vs. non-contributors related to total households in the LRA defined area
- % Revenue applied by contributor breakdown to PROACTIVE guarding force
- Possible vs. Actual contribution by total community households
- % allocation of community events revenues to reducing load on contributors
- Target revenue projections from special events/promotions/programs designed to reduce load on contributors
- % of emails that actually reach total no. of households
- etc.
3. Transparency, Governance & Accountability
e.g.
- What funds were raised at the Lonehill Fun Day (i.e. as for any LRA event)?
- Who were the key benefactors (what amount) - LRA, charity, individuals)?
- Were LRA directors, staff, service providers remunerated from this event (what amount)?
c.) How do the LRA Directors respond to a call (from a previous blog post) to:
1. Allow DISCIPLINED People To Flourish - these are passionate people who will align our community goals with their own goals and who can deliver. It means having people in management that do not need to be highly-managed. It means removing those in management who cannot or will not deliver. It means instituting SMART objectives and deliverables with accountabilities and responsibilities clearly designated. It means actively encouraging those with voluntary and/or vested interest desires to establish and drive mutually-beneficial community projects. It means allowing a process for all stakeholders to participate in developing and/or selecting the projects they want to see as priorities.
2. Create a culture of DISCIPLINED Thought. 'Create A Culture Where The Truth Can Be Heard'... where openness, transparency and fact are sacrosanct... and where opinion is widely sought and encouraged.
3. Allow the above people and culture to stimulate DISCIPLINED Action. Eradicate all bureaucratic hurdles - what Tom Peters' identifies as 'The Management Paradox':
d.) How do the LRA Directors respond to ideas-brainstorming, such as these from a previous post:
IDEA 1. Bring in enthusiastic specialists who have proven their ability to excel. Get back to OPEN TENDERING of mutually-beneficial community/business related projects. Allow the tender winner to win as the community wins. Attract the finest quality entrepreneurial thinkers to conduct their presentations and allow all stakeholders to participate in the selection process... as we did when we launched this initiative.
IDEA 2. Modernise Lonehill's image and attraction - it is no longer a '20th century rural horsy bridle-path village' as it was originally developed (the shopping centre and Summercon developments have seen to that) - let's get real and refocus its future vision to fit the 21st century. Make it a WOW statement to stimulate national and international interest and recognition. If only to ramp up the desirability of living in this area (good for our property prices). There are many concepts that can be brainstormed here.
IDEA 3. Provide Lonehill stakeholder security services FREE..!
IDEA 4. Treble to quadruple the proactive guarding force and reaction vehicles, and their quality and standard of pay (for performance incentive) and marry that with quality PROACTIVE surveillance equipment.
IDEA 5. Treble to quadruple the Estate Management/Environment function to uplift and beautify every area of Lonehill.
IDEA 6. Re-assess the actual benefit of the current LRA offices... is it really needed in it's current format... ... is it needed at all (freeing up funds for other projects)... and/or perhaps get back to the original idea for a community centre that will be of benefit to every contributing stakeholder (don't we already 'have' one at The Lonehill Village Church..?).
IDEA 7. Turn Lonehill Dam into a Bio-Diesel plant. This was almost my April 1 email subject-headline: 'Lonehill to build bio-diesel plant on local dam'. Purpose of this idea (and IDEA 3.) is to stimulate seemingly crazy ideas to approach solutions from a different perspective... no idea should be pooh-poohed. In all ideas lies the kernel of the next MASSIVE breakthrough.
Take a look at this blog link - GREAT Ideas - http://icgreatideas.blogspot.com/ - for more ideas on how to get get creative and manage ideas effectively.
See Ideas Are A Dime A Dozen... Or Are They? & Possibility Thinking - Managing IDEAS Effectively
IDEA 8. Share the ideas. Ideas can be expanded upon by the inputs of others. Ideas stimulate ideas. Provide a list of all the ideas submitted so that someone can get excited enough to take it to action and implementation stage.
IDEA 9. Bring important, enthusiastic, interested Lonehill stakeholders together in an eye-ball to eye-ball brainstorming indaba - already mentioned in previous post.
IDEA 10. Develop a competition to reward the very best ideas. Provide incentives. Give recognition. (Reminds me...as yet no follow through on the recognition program stated at the last open feedback meeting).
Hope those prove to be thought-provoking inputs.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Monday, October 01, 2007
Lonehill: Another Stalwart Passes On - R.I.P. Tony Platt
Condolences to Shawnene, family and friends on the passing of Tony Platt. Tony was a regular, active, salt-of-the-earth participant in the weekly OPEN Security Management Meeting process that we used to enjoy in the early days of the Lonehill Community Initiative. He was instrumental in ensuring that security standards were maintained to the level we required as residents - and enjoyed casting an eye over the entire community as he drove around to make his assessments. Tony was not shy to tell you what he felt - and he told me so many a time... ;-)
Sadly, as the open process was taken away from such willing community contributors, to behind closed doors, Tony found himself frustrated at not being able to make the contribution he really wanted to make. Meeting with him just on 10 days ago whilst convalescing, he was perky, excited about the improvement in the LRA management process, and looking forward to the day that he could get back into a contributing role when the security meeting process again opened up for the committed community contributors to participate in once again. However, from there he took a turn for the worse, and passed away on Thursday 27th September with his family at his bedside.
Rest-In-Peace Tony. You made a significant contribution to our security in this community... thank you.
Tony's funeral service will be held at The Methodist Church, Grosvenor Road, Bryanston on Wednesday 3rd October at 2 p.m.
As with the recent passing of Sigrid Dreyer - Lonehill: Time Moves Us ALL On - R.I.P. Sigrid Dreyer - I repeat extracts from my appeal then to our community leaders.
Repeat:
For me, the passing of yet another aquaintance this year is a continual signal that time moves us ALL on... whether we like it or not!
So the trick is to enjoy life while you can... because it is over all too soon before you even blink.
In that regard, this forum has touched on much of what I would like to see happen in Lonehill (or to be honest, would like to have seen happening a long time ago already) before time erodes the many fleeting opportunities that present themselves.
One of the key points made early on in this forum - refer Dr. Jan Nel comment et al in - A Wrong RIGHTED - That's Leadership! - is for the LRA to openly recognise and honour those who make, and have made, a substantial difference to this community by their extraordinary contribution - whilst they are alive..!!!
Too many good people and their amazing efforts are too easily forgotten. They should be lauded permanently to stimulate and encourage others still to come to follow their example whilst recognising their sweat-equity invested in this community.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Sadly, as the open process was taken away from such willing community contributors, to behind closed doors, Tony found himself frustrated at not being able to make the contribution he really wanted to make. Meeting with him just on 10 days ago whilst convalescing, he was perky, excited about the improvement in the LRA management process, and looking forward to the day that he could get back into a contributing role when the security meeting process again opened up for the committed community contributors to participate in once again. However, from there he took a turn for the worse, and passed away on Thursday 27th September with his family at his bedside.
Rest-In-Peace Tony. You made a significant contribution to our security in this community... thank you.
Tony's funeral service will be held at The Methodist Church, Grosvenor Road, Bryanston on Wednesday 3rd October at 2 p.m.
As with the recent passing of Sigrid Dreyer - Lonehill: Time Moves Us ALL On - R.I.P. Sigrid Dreyer - I repeat extracts from my appeal then to our community leaders.
Repeat:
For me, the passing of yet another aquaintance this year is a continual signal that time moves us ALL on... whether we like it or not!
So the trick is to enjoy life while you can... because it is over all too soon before you even blink.
In that regard, this forum has touched on much of what I would like to see happen in Lonehill (or to be honest, would like to have seen happening a long time ago already) before time erodes the many fleeting opportunities that present themselves.
One of the key points made early on in this forum - refer Dr. Jan Nel comment et al in - A Wrong RIGHTED - That's Leadership! - is for the LRA to openly recognise and honour those who make, and have made, a substantial difference to this community by their extraordinary contribution - whilst they are alive..!!!
Too many good people and their amazing efforts are too easily forgotten. They should be lauded permanently to stimulate and encourage others still to come to follow their example whilst recognising their sweat-equity invested in this community.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Monday, September 24, 2007
Lonehill: Beware - Apathy Is Fuelled By Lack Of Transparency
At first glance, the latest Lonehill email letter - Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 4:02 PM - announcing 'Another Great Fun Day' conveys all the right messages to sponsors and key people responsible for the day... and rightly so. It looked pretty impressive.
Even more heartening is the announcement that 'substantial funds' were raised, which 'the LRA Board has decided will go towards purchasing much needed equipment and supplies for the Witkoppen Clinic on William Nicol Drive'. CHARITY has always been one of the key drivers of this initiative.
However, my antennae (or hackles) raise when I see a total lack of specifics on reporting of the funds raised on such a day.
I almost didn't comment on this, at first feeling to myself - '..so who really cares..?'.
Well, I recognise that for one having been so committed to this community initiative that such feeling is a very dangerous sign of apathy setting in. And, if that is how I feel, how do people feel who are not as slightly passionate about this initiative as I... ?
So here's my warning to the LRA... lack of transparency will lose you the good ground you are reclaiming.
A simple transparent accounting report on the Fun Day could have said something like this: '..2000 paying entrants attended, R60000 was raised, R30 000 has been donated to X on behalf of the Lonehill Community... and R30 000 has gone to purchasing new mowers for our environment efforts.'
Community reporting of such initiatives should be OPEN & TRANSPARENT to a fault.
As should monthly directors meetings, financials, regular update of contributor numbers, and key highlights and concerns, be regularly reported openly to all stakeholders. It is a COMMUNITY initiative, after all.
When transparency is lacking... apathy is fuelled.
Methinks it is about time for another OPEN LRA feedback meeting for its publics. But this time, allow the stakeholders to ask their questions and debate issues that they want to debate.... with the LRA directors listening, answering questions and learning what their community wants. This aside from the 'ALL STAKEHOLDERS' concerted input session that I continually call for on this blog.
And talk about raising my hackles. The abovementioned email also once again highlighted the laughable and inept mediocrity of our internal approach to the standards of marketing required of this initiative when they say goodbye to... 'our marketing guru'..!
Well, knock me over with a feather, this commment must have been written by our phantom 'communications guru'. The one we've never had, which has been the other long-standing achilles heel of our initiative.
I for one think that it is a great injustice to lump one of the most disturbingly consistent INEPTITUDES of recent LRA Boards onto the shoulders of a nice young lady with a simple penchant for newsletter compilation, graphic design and advertising.
The biggest problem created in the recent past is precisely because too many inept people have considered themselves to be local 'marketing gurus' with self-proclaimed maketing degrees and/or corporate marketing experience who felt that they were ordained to experiment with our LRA funds... and who have sadly delivered diddly-squat of any major marketing import that can be pointed to in the past three odd years. In fact, most of our community initiative's money squandered has been due to the amateurish marketing ignorance and arrogance of these 'marketing gurus'.
Lack of transparency of reporting of update and/or new contributor numbers and contribution to bottom-line profitability generated from each LRA 'marketing campaign' consistently fails to acknowledge any accountability for good or poor performance from the funds spent on these 'gurus' foibles. Quote: 'Good marketers measure'. Seth Godin.
The acknowledged marketing guru of the 20th century - Philip Kotler - puts the problem like this: 'Marketing professionals lack accountability and hence take short term decisions.' The LRA can get a clue of what marketing skill is really required for this community initiative in this extract from the article 5 Lessons From Philip Kotler - 'Kotler recommends the creation of a marketing scorecard that captures the number of new customers added every year, measures the satisfaction level of current customers and indicates the brand health'.
The community grapevine has it that those responsible for the inept deliverables pointed to in these blog posts are being found out - slowly but surely. Would be neat to hear our LRA directors openly highlighting what is really happening within our management structures rather than leaving it to the grapevine to buzz wih conjecture. I repeat, I stand by every comment made in these blogs... and until the inept areas of delivery are removed from the LRA operating structures we will continue to dumb-down our community initiative to the mediocre standards of those responsible and struggle to cross the chasm to be the quality of initiative that we can be. The LRA strategy should be to remove the weak and bring on the strong. Our families lives depend on it.
But then... why should I care?
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Even more heartening is the announcement that 'substantial funds' were raised, which 'the LRA Board has decided will go towards purchasing much needed equipment and supplies for the Witkoppen Clinic on William Nicol Drive'. CHARITY has always been one of the key drivers of this initiative.
However, my antennae (or hackles) raise when I see a total lack of specifics on reporting of the funds raised on such a day.
I almost didn't comment on this, at first feeling to myself - '..so who really cares..?'.
Well, I recognise that for one having been so committed to this community initiative that such feeling is a very dangerous sign of apathy setting in. And, if that is how I feel, how do people feel who are not as slightly passionate about this initiative as I... ?
So here's my warning to the LRA... lack of transparency will lose you the good ground you are reclaiming.
A simple transparent accounting report on the Fun Day could have said something like this: '..2000 paying entrants attended, R60000 was raised, R30 000 has been donated to X on behalf of the Lonehill Community... and R30 000 has gone to purchasing new mowers for our environment efforts.'
Community reporting of such initiatives should be OPEN & TRANSPARENT to a fault.
As should monthly directors meetings, financials, regular update of contributor numbers, and key highlights and concerns, be regularly reported openly to all stakeholders. It is a COMMUNITY initiative, after all.
When transparency is lacking... apathy is fuelled.
Methinks it is about time for another OPEN LRA feedback meeting for its publics. But this time, allow the stakeholders to ask their questions and debate issues that they want to debate.... with the LRA directors listening, answering questions and learning what their community wants. This aside from the 'ALL STAKEHOLDERS' concerted input session that I continually call for on this blog.
And talk about raising my hackles. The abovementioned email also once again highlighted the laughable and inept mediocrity of our internal approach to the standards of marketing required of this initiative when they say goodbye to... 'our marketing guru'..!
Well, knock me over with a feather, this commment must have been written by our phantom 'communications guru'. The one we've never had, which has been the other long-standing achilles heel of our initiative.
I for one think that it is a great injustice to lump one of the most disturbingly consistent INEPTITUDES of recent LRA Boards onto the shoulders of a nice young lady with a simple penchant for newsletter compilation, graphic design and advertising.
The biggest problem created in the recent past is precisely because too many inept people have considered themselves to be local 'marketing gurus' with self-proclaimed maketing degrees and/or corporate marketing experience who felt that they were ordained to experiment with our LRA funds... and who have sadly delivered diddly-squat of any major marketing import that can be pointed to in the past three odd years. In fact, most of our community initiative's money squandered has been due to the amateurish marketing ignorance and arrogance of these 'marketing gurus'.
Lack of transparency of reporting of update and/or new contributor numbers and contribution to bottom-line profitability generated from each LRA 'marketing campaign' consistently fails to acknowledge any accountability for good or poor performance from the funds spent on these 'gurus' foibles. Quote: 'Good marketers measure'. Seth Godin.
The acknowledged marketing guru of the 20th century - Philip Kotler - puts the problem like this: 'Marketing professionals lack accountability and hence take short term decisions.' The LRA can get a clue of what marketing skill is really required for this community initiative in this extract from the article 5 Lessons From Philip Kotler - 'Kotler recommends the creation of a marketing scorecard that captures the number of new customers added every year, measures the satisfaction level of current customers and indicates the brand health'.
The community grapevine has it that those responsible for the inept deliverables pointed to in these blog posts are being found out - slowly but surely. Would be neat to hear our LRA directors openly highlighting what is really happening within our management structures rather than leaving it to the grapevine to buzz wih conjecture. I repeat, I stand by every comment made in these blogs... and until the inept areas of delivery are removed from the LRA operating structures we will continue to dumb-down our community initiative to the mediocre standards of those responsible and struggle to cross the chasm to be the quality of initiative that we can be. The LRA strategy should be to remove the weak and bring on the strong. Our families lives depend on it.
But then... why should I care?
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
George Joubert Writes: Well said! You are SOOOOO right!
Hi Trevor,
Well said! You are SOOOOO right!
However, I do believe that the MAGIC of communication with the market, total transparency and being willing to accept advice or recommendations from the marketplace is sorely missing!
The Devil as we marketers know is always in the DETAIL!!!
I do, however, disagree with you that everything is hunky dory in the land of Lonehill! (For the record, never said 'everything is hunky dory', am complimenting where compliments are due. TN)
Yes, there have been subtle improvements over the previous regime’s efforts but like in any failing business, if one reaches rock bottom there can ONLY be one way to go and that is up or one closes down! The bar has NOT been raised far enough I am afraid to say!
Our security costs for the service deliverance we receive are far too high! Studio Park has just been slapped with an eight per cent. increase for a couple of guards at the gate who push a remote to open the booms. Yet Fidelity refuse to help me implement a wheel-clamping procedure for the illegal parkers! I have to take the criticism, “parking rage” outbursts from the owners and tenants!
The LRA have not reached the standards and the vision that the likes of you and the originators of LSAG set almost eight year’s ago!
I see minor cosmetic changes being worked on like best garden prizes, cheaper AA rates (are most of us aware that this is probably covered by our motor insurance policies?), WiFI and lucky draws but what about the thieving, hijacking, robberies, ill-will, the noise and dog pollution (both ends) that abounds and what about those who benefit from the security initiative and are not members of the LRA? Are these figures even available?
This is still very evident from where I sit as Chairman of Studio Office Park Owner’s Association and as a Director of our cluster home Section 21 Company.
I, personally, have had two instances in the past two week’s of a vagrant just walking into my back garden after having breached the front gate system! He followed one of the residents into the complex!
My wife is on her own there during the day but thank goodness for our Bull Terrier which does not cost us over R15,400 a month (the cost of the guard’s at the Studio Park gate)!
Let the LRA do a survey in those two areas alone and I think they will be shocked by the outcome. What ever happened to the Lonehill “temperature survey” that was mooted?
An example of how details are being allowed to erode in Lonehill are the “booms” that were placed across pathways -- to stop the irritating off-road racers – which are broken in many places!
Dumping is taking place all around us!
The other smaller Lonehill “dam” is a disgrace!
Perhaps those who have not lived in Lonehill as long as I have, have not seen how pretty it was with clear water and beautiful reeds and brimming with bird life!
The ESCOM sub-station at the end of Concourse Crescent, is not going to enhance its immediate surrounds once completed unless action is taken immediately. The fence Escom have placed around it has all but blocked that bridle path used by many in the past.
The bridle paths are overgrown with weeds and rubbish!
Take a walk up the one that runs from opposite Fabz’s Estate. Someone has placed a fence across the top end which now prevents one using that bridle path!
Is this legal?
Incidentally, Fabz has been sold and if the LRA were on the ball they would start discussion with the new owners right away!
I know that this communiqué will again be construed as negative criticism but as you and many are aware, I have never been one to shut-up when justice needs to be done!
I would also like to ensure that “OUR” (the residents’ asset) now worth in excess of R3.2-million is “protected” in the future! Once the “old-timers” who know the true Lonehill security story are lost in the mists of time! It is not good enough to just say that it can only be bought by a similar organization to the LRA! How does that protect OUR investment? What if the LRA is disbanded?
The original LSAG’s (Lonehill Security Action Group) members’ money was used to pay for that asset!
And I could go on and on!
Have a great day!
You may post this on your blog if you like! It is food for thought by all thinking Lonehillers!
Regards,
George
George L Joubert
Managing Director
Ambis Group (Pty) Ltd.
Tel +27 (0) 11 465 5930
Fax +27 (0) 11 465 1048
Mobile +27 (0) 83 250 6251
Website - http://www.ambis-sa.com
Email - George@Ambis-sa.com
Well said! You are SOOOOO right!
However, I do believe that the MAGIC of communication with the market, total transparency and being willing to accept advice or recommendations from the marketplace is sorely missing!
The Devil as we marketers know is always in the DETAIL!!!
I do, however, disagree with you that everything is hunky dory in the land of Lonehill! (For the record, never said 'everything is hunky dory', am complimenting where compliments are due. TN)
Yes, there have been subtle improvements over the previous regime’s efforts but like in any failing business, if one reaches rock bottom there can ONLY be one way to go and that is up or one closes down! The bar has NOT been raised far enough I am afraid to say!
Our security costs for the service deliverance we receive are far too high! Studio Park has just been slapped with an eight per cent. increase for a couple of guards at the gate who push a remote to open the booms. Yet Fidelity refuse to help me implement a wheel-clamping procedure for the illegal parkers! I have to take the criticism, “parking rage” outbursts from the owners and tenants!
The LRA have not reached the standards and the vision that the likes of you and the originators of LSAG set almost eight year’s ago!
I see minor cosmetic changes being worked on like best garden prizes, cheaper AA rates (are most of us aware that this is probably covered by our motor insurance policies?), WiFI and lucky draws but what about the thieving, hijacking, robberies, ill-will, the noise and dog pollution (both ends) that abounds and what about those who benefit from the security initiative and are not members of the LRA? Are these figures even available?
This is still very evident from where I sit as Chairman of Studio Office Park Owner’s Association and as a Director of our cluster home Section 21 Company.
I, personally, have had two instances in the past two week’s of a vagrant just walking into my back garden after having breached the front gate system! He followed one of the residents into the complex!
My wife is on her own there during the day but thank goodness for our Bull Terrier which does not cost us over R15,400 a month (the cost of the guard’s at the Studio Park gate)!
Let the LRA do a survey in those two areas alone and I think they will be shocked by the outcome. What ever happened to the Lonehill “temperature survey” that was mooted?
An example of how details are being allowed to erode in Lonehill are the “booms” that were placed across pathways -- to stop the irritating off-road racers – which are broken in many places!
Dumping is taking place all around us!
The other smaller Lonehill “dam” is a disgrace!
Perhaps those who have not lived in Lonehill as long as I have, have not seen how pretty it was with clear water and beautiful reeds and brimming with bird life!
The ESCOM sub-station at the end of Concourse Crescent, is not going to enhance its immediate surrounds once completed unless action is taken immediately. The fence Escom have placed around it has all but blocked that bridle path used by many in the past.
The bridle paths are overgrown with weeds and rubbish!
Take a walk up the one that runs from opposite Fabz’s Estate. Someone has placed a fence across the top end which now prevents one using that bridle path!
Is this legal?
Incidentally, Fabz has been sold and if the LRA were on the ball they would start discussion with the new owners right away!
I know that this communiqué will again be construed as negative criticism but as you and many are aware, I have never been one to shut-up when justice needs to be done!
I would also like to ensure that “OUR” (the residents’ asset) now worth in excess of R3.2-million is “protected” in the future! Once the “old-timers” who know the true Lonehill security story are lost in the mists of time! It is not good enough to just say that it can only be bought by a similar organization to the LRA! How does that protect OUR investment? What if the LRA is disbanded?
The original LSAG’s (Lonehill Security Action Group) members’ money was used to pay for that asset!
And I could go on and on!
Have a great day!
You may post this on your blog if you like! It is food for thought by all thinking Lonehillers!
Regards,
George
George L Joubert
Managing Director
Ambis Group (Pty) Ltd.
Tel +27 (0) 11 465 5930
Fax +27 (0) 11 465 1048
Mobile +27 (0) 83 250 6251
Website - http://www.ambis-sa.com
Email - George@Ambis-sa.com
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Lonehill: Fun Day - Pretty Impressive
Had the opportunity, last Sunday, to spend a couple of hours at the Lonehill Fun Day talking to over a 100 Lonehillers (was conducting a little survey of my own). The current board of directors can take a well-deserved pat on the back for earning almost 100% praise and approval for the current state of Lonehill from those I chatted to.
Shelly Miller needs to take a bow for getting the fun day offering back to some of the key elements that made the first fun day back in 2001 such an initial charity-donating success. I suspect that this one will have got close, if not having surpassed the funds donated from that first event.
Also had occasion to bump into LRA directors Rob Gillespie, Ray Stride, Hamish McBain, Avi Naidoo and Ian Temba at the LRA tent... and it continues to be clear to me that this 'new' core of directors have succeeded in pulling the LRA back to the edge of the chasm - see Lonehill - At The Edge Of The CHASM, Once Again!
In the above link, I pointed out how and why a previous board had missed the opportunity of crossing-the-chasm resulting in Lonehill falling headlong into the chasm, and what is needed for this new team to take the bull by the horns to cross the chasm to the community we really can become.
My gut is seldom wrong when it comes to analysing what is needed to make business projects hum... and as I looked at the obvious efforts of this new team, it was clear to see what is still missing. It is a little thing, almost imperceptible, but as important as the little key that turns your car engine. Without it you get nowhere. It's the the little bit of magic, the little spark, the little bit of marketing chutzpah, the little bit of flair, the little bit of action-oriented goal-driven activity to achieve the results targeted.
On Sunday, just one subtle preparatory twist could have resulted in everyone's details being collected and the Envirofund offer being pitched assertively to a market pumped up with good feeling and goodwill. So, I saw a huge opportunity lost to build some important contributor numbers. The foundation appears to be getting back up to scratch, but it's that finishing touch that makes the difference that is still missing. And the answer lies within this community.
Again, this is not intended as blunt criticism... I just don't believe that the current directors are yet mustering all the resources at their fingertips to make the giant leap across the chasm that can be taken. This opportunity to make a giant leap across the chasm to make Lonehill a truly amazing community was missed once before, and Lonehill's efforts went backwards. Don't allow it to happen again. Make it grow to BIGGER than anyone can imagine. Oh please, LRA directors, don't rest on your laurels now.
Oh yes, I see the little things being done that is indicative of someone providing good management where it wasn't before. I see the 'singular' apostrophe removed from the logo on some of the newer marketing collateral. I see the new marketing collateral. the small things do count towards the massive improvement in security and environment that is clear to see. These are all very important and deserving of positive kudos.
But, it is the little bit of MAGIC that has not yet been applied... and that magic IS available in the community... just call that INDABA of seriously interested stakeholders together...!
Nevertheless, the Lonehill Community Fun Day looked pretty impressive. Well done.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Shelly Miller needs to take a bow for getting the fun day offering back to some of the key elements that made the first fun day back in 2001 such an initial charity-donating success. I suspect that this one will have got close, if not having surpassed the funds donated from that first event.
Also had occasion to bump into LRA directors Rob Gillespie, Ray Stride, Hamish McBain, Avi Naidoo and Ian Temba at the LRA tent... and it continues to be clear to me that this 'new' core of directors have succeeded in pulling the LRA back to the edge of the chasm - see Lonehill - At The Edge Of The CHASM, Once Again!
In the above link, I pointed out how and why a previous board had missed the opportunity of crossing-the-chasm resulting in Lonehill falling headlong into the chasm, and what is needed for this new team to take the bull by the horns to cross the chasm to the community we really can become.
My gut is seldom wrong when it comes to analysing what is needed to make business projects hum... and as I looked at the obvious efforts of this new team, it was clear to see what is still missing. It is a little thing, almost imperceptible, but as important as the little key that turns your car engine. Without it you get nowhere. It's the the little bit of magic, the little spark, the little bit of marketing chutzpah, the little bit of flair, the little bit of action-oriented goal-driven activity to achieve the results targeted.
On Sunday, just one subtle preparatory twist could have resulted in everyone's details being collected and the Envirofund offer being pitched assertively to a market pumped up with good feeling and goodwill. So, I saw a huge opportunity lost to build some important contributor numbers. The foundation appears to be getting back up to scratch, but it's that finishing touch that makes the difference that is still missing. And the answer lies within this community.
Again, this is not intended as blunt criticism... I just don't believe that the current directors are yet mustering all the resources at their fingertips to make the giant leap across the chasm that can be taken. This opportunity to make a giant leap across the chasm to make Lonehill a truly amazing community was missed once before, and Lonehill's efforts went backwards. Don't allow it to happen again. Make it grow to BIGGER than anyone can imagine. Oh please, LRA directors, don't rest on your laurels now.
Oh yes, I see the little things being done that is indicative of someone providing good management where it wasn't before. I see the 'singular' apostrophe removed from the logo on some of the newer marketing collateral. I see the new marketing collateral. the small things do count towards the massive improvement in security and environment that is clear to see. These are all very important and deserving of positive kudos.
But, it is the little bit of MAGIC that has not yet been applied... and that magic IS available in the community... just call that INDABA of seriously interested stakeholders together...!
Nevertheless, the Lonehill Community Fun Day looked pretty impressive. Well done.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Lonehill: Time Moves Us ALL On - R.I.P. Sigrid Dreyer
Condolences to Dieter, family and friends on the all-too-rapid passing of Sigrid Dreyer. Sigrid, ex-Pam Golding Properties and leading Townhouse Property Specialist in Lonehill, played a very important sponsoring-business part in the launch and continual support of the Lonehill Community Initiative. Sigrid stepped up to the plate in her first year of retirement to take a role in stimulating last year's turn-around of the Lonehill Residents Association (LRA), when the news of her terminal illness surfaced in April of this year. Rest-In-Peace Sigrid. You made a significant difference in this community... thank you.
For me, the passing of yet another aquaintance this year is a continual signal that time moves us ALL on... whether we like it or not!
So the trick is to enjoy life while you can... because it is over all too soon before you even blink.
In that regard, this forum has touched on much of what I would like to see happen in Lonehill (or to be honest, would like to have seen happening a long time ago already) before time erodes the many fleeting opportunities that present themselves.
One of the key points made early on in this forum - refer Dr. Jan Nel comment et al in A Wrong RIGHTED - That's Leadership! - is for the LRA to openly recognise and honour those who make, and have made, a substantial difference to this community by their extraordinary contribution - whilst they are alive..!!!
Too many good people and their amazing efforts are too easily forgotten. They should be lauded permanently to stimulate and encourage others still to come to follow their example whilst recognising their sweat-equity invested in this community.
From the surface, Lonehill is now looking pretty-well-managed once again, some marketing innovations are being tested at last, and the security presentation looks pretty sharp (admittedly, this all from my superficial observation outside of the management structures - meaning that I believe it should be far more open and transparent to all)... which is a welcome reverse of the concerning slovenly conditions that seriously placed the security of our families in jeopardy and stimulated myself to relaunch this forum to point out where the problems really lay a year or so back.
So it now becomes far easier for me to rest my keyboard and use this time for other projects that interest me. Management is so simple really - and the 'new' board of last year showed precisely that, once again, in getting us back to where we were some years before. This forum has clearly identified where past mistakes were made. So no need to repeat them here.
Lessons should have been well learnt about the myopic dangers of autocratic, power-and-control, behind-closed-doors, decision-making of the few versus the open, inclusive participation of everyone who cares as we did to launch and grow this initiative.
Clearly, when it comes to 'Leadership' I believe that there is HUGE potential for giant leaps in progress for this community by unleashing the personal and collective leadership participation of all the stakeholders in Lonehill. I believe firmly that there is an unlimited abundance of ideas and potential hidden within the minds of all stakeholders in over 6000 local households, organisations and enterprises just waiting to be unveiled, uncovered and exposed for the benefit of everyone in this community and beyond.
I point to three key areas of focus that all Lonehill initiative leaders should be stimulating:
1. To RAISE Standards... continually... especially those of service delivery, openness and transparency.
2. To unleash the Abundant Potential that lies within our community... open up to include everybody who wants to participate.
3. To facilitate a regular major indaba of all key stakeholders, decision-makers and interested contributors in this community.
Do the above and I can unplug my keyboard... ;-)
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
For me, the passing of yet another aquaintance this year is a continual signal that time moves us ALL on... whether we like it or not!
So the trick is to enjoy life while you can... because it is over all too soon before you even blink.
In that regard, this forum has touched on much of what I would like to see happen in Lonehill (or to be honest, would like to have seen happening a long time ago already) before time erodes the many fleeting opportunities that present themselves.
One of the key points made early on in this forum - refer Dr. Jan Nel comment et al in A Wrong RIGHTED - That's Leadership! - is for the LRA to openly recognise and honour those who make, and have made, a substantial difference to this community by their extraordinary contribution - whilst they are alive..!!!
Too many good people and their amazing efforts are too easily forgotten. They should be lauded permanently to stimulate and encourage others still to come to follow their example whilst recognising their sweat-equity invested in this community.
From the surface, Lonehill is now looking pretty-well-managed once again, some marketing innovations are being tested at last, and the security presentation looks pretty sharp (admittedly, this all from my superficial observation outside of the management structures - meaning that I believe it should be far more open and transparent to all)... which is a welcome reverse of the concerning slovenly conditions that seriously placed the security of our families in jeopardy and stimulated myself to relaunch this forum to point out where the problems really lay a year or so back.
So it now becomes far easier for me to rest my keyboard and use this time for other projects that interest me. Management is so simple really - and the 'new' board of last year showed precisely that, once again, in getting us back to where we were some years before. This forum has clearly identified where past mistakes were made. So no need to repeat them here.
Lessons should have been well learnt about the myopic dangers of autocratic, power-and-control, behind-closed-doors, decision-making of the few versus the open, inclusive participation of everyone who cares as we did to launch and grow this initiative.
Clearly, when it comes to 'Leadership' I believe that there is HUGE potential for giant leaps in progress for this community by unleashing the personal and collective leadership participation of all the stakeholders in Lonehill. I believe firmly that there is an unlimited abundance of ideas and potential hidden within the minds of all stakeholders in over 6000 local households, organisations and enterprises just waiting to be unveiled, uncovered and exposed for the benefit of everyone in this community and beyond.
I point to three key areas of focus that all Lonehill initiative leaders should be stimulating:
1. To RAISE Standards... continually... especially those of service delivery, openness and transparency.
2. To unleash the Abundant Potential that lies within our community... open up to include everybody who wants to participate.
3. To facilitate a regular major indaba of all key stakeholders, decision-makers and interested contributors in this community.
Do the above and I can unplug my keyboard... ;-)
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Lonehill: Uphold The Right To Comment, Critique, Disagree & Criticise
Having received the AGM minutes this week... I now wish that I was able to make it on time to stand up to question and pooh-pooh what appears in my opinion to be the pathetic desperate last shakes of the 'power-and-control'-oriented in this community. I refer in particular to the AGM item titled 'Criticism against the LRA'.
If anything is a sign of autocracy looking to cling to a foothold in this community it is what I interpret as the utter codswallop conveyed in the above-mentioned extract from the AGM minutes.
It was precisely this blog author's opinion of the autocratic power-and-control-freak oriented attitude of previous past leadership that stimulated this very forum to counteract the patent nonsense of behind-closed-doors group-think decision-making that had us falling headlong into the downward spiral of 'mis-management and disarray' as identified by 'new' LRA Chairman - Rob Gillespie at the first 100 day feedback meeting of last year - see links: NEW LRA Board - First 100 Days - Promising! & VISIBILITY & Vigilance - No.1 Priority .
Nothing is more damaging to the progess of any society, organisation, or community than the dogma of those who look to dumb-down co-stakeholders who dare to question, critique or criticise their leaders. Especially, if those asking such questions, critiquing, or criticising, have already sweated blood successfully in the very hot seats or heat of the kitchen that they choose to comment on. That, to me, is called 'valuable insight and experience'.
For me, questions, critique and criticism - and the positive welcoming and handling thereof - are the sign of a mature community and MATURE leadership.
Here are some links to articles and research that discuss this very issue in a variety of ways:
1. Democracy and the importance of criticism, dissent and public dialogue - http://www.wolpetrust.org.za/dialogue2005/DN042005gumede_paper.htm
(Extract. "South Africa must have a political culture that encourages disagreement and does not penalise those who depart from the prevailing orthodoxy. Moreover, in a culture of silence and fear, there is the very real risk that leaders will not receive the information they require to make good decisions. When members of the ANC feel free to differ from the president or the party leaders, society is likely to hear a wider range of opinions, and better decisions may result. Policy errors are most likely to occur when people are rewarded for conformity. A system of free expression and dissent protects against false confidence and the inevitable mistakes of planners in both the private and public arenas.")
2. Say what you think – The importance of giving offence - http://www.indexonline.org/en/news/articles/2006/1/international-say-what-you-think-the-importa.shtml (Extract: "..in the real world, where societies are plural, then it is both inevitable and important that people offend the sensibilities of others. Inevitable because where different beliefs are deeply held, clashes are unavoidable and we should deal with those clashes rather than suppress them. Important because any kind of social change or social progress means offending some deeply held sensibilities. ‘If liberty means anything,’ George Orwell once wrote, ‘it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.’ Not to give offence would mean not to pursue change.")
Further to the AGM item titled 'Criticism against the LRA', I make these observations:
i. Nice to see that the Board has decided to uphold freedom of speech. That's encouraging.
ii. Would like to see specifics on who the supposed 'critics' are deemed to be by those making such pointed reference... I'd like to read/hear their input... and what 'related to personal business interests' means. Does one interpret that any resident with personal business interests has no role to play in the Lonehill community? If so, I would regard that as retrograde-thinking of the worst order.
iii. I find it a huge ASSUMPTION on the part of those who suggest that such 'critics' would not be approached to work with the directors in the near-term because 'it would cause conflict at meetings and not be productive'. Says who? And who would perpetrate 'the conflict'? Those in the current board meeting seats threatened by input from others that don't conform to their views! Do we interpret that to say that 'groupthink' on the LRA board should not be questioned/interefered with? Read article 2. above.
iv. From the above-mentioned AGM item, I'd like to highlight to those that may not have read the posts in this forum, that here indeed you will find regular posts that are hugely complimentary and encouraging of the immediate past LRA board's positive turn-around of the 'mis-management and disarray' they were faced with last year. As have the compliments flowed, in past forums by this author, to all of those volunteers having made positive contributions to this community initiative since launch. As author of this blog forum, I'd love to find/read others in this community also regularly writing similar complimentary, considered, pointed, balanced and questioning views / opinion on happenings in the Lonehill community - no matter whether their opinion differs to mine.
Never fear those who look to dumb-down the input of others, I certainly don't. Everyone has the right to openly express and stand by their point of view in a community... and others have the right to openly challenge that point of view.
Oh, by the way, I took the trouble to do a self-critical review of my own comments, pointed barbs, educational links and back-slapping statements of encouragement on every post on this entire forum... and I stand 100% behind them all as being, in my opinion, 100% on the money.. ;-)
That said, it's really nice to see Lonehill looking as good as it does with some simple management processes in place.
Imagine what could be achieved with some really impressive STRATEGY in place - backed by the concerted input and support of all key stakeholders, decision-makers and interested contributors in this community. I continue my call for the LRA to stimulate a major indaba of these individuals.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
If anything is a sign of autocracy looking to cling to a foothold in this community it is what I interpret as the utter codswallop conveyed in the above-mentioned extract from the AGM minutes.
It was precisely this blog author's opinion of the autocratic power-and-control-freak oriented attitude of previous past leadership that stimulated this very forum to counteract the patent nonsense of behind-closed-doors group-think decision-making that had us falling headlong into the downward spiral of 'mis-management and disarray' as identified by 'new' LRA Chairman - Rob Gillespie at the first 100 day feedback meeting of last year - see links: NEW LRA Board - First 100 Days - Promising! & VISIBILITY & Vigilance - No.1 Priority .
Nothing is more damaging to the progess of any society, organisation, or community than the dogma of those who look to dumb-down co-stakeholders who dare to question, critique or criticise their leaders. Especially, if those asking such questions, critiquing, or criticising, have already sweated blood successfully in the very hot seats or heat of the kitchen that they choose to comment on. That, to me, is called 'valuable insight and experience'.
For me, questions, critique and criticism - and the positive welcoming and handling thereof - are the sign of a mature community and MATURE leadership.
Here are some links to articles and research that discuss this very issue in a variety of ways:
1. Democracy and the importance of criticism, dissent and public dialogue - http://www.wolpetrust.org.za/dialogue2005/DN042005gumede_paper.htm
(Extract. "South Africa must have a political culture that encourages disagreement and does not penalise those who depart from the prevailing orthodoxy. Moreover, in a culture of silence and fear, there is the very real risk that leaders will not receive the information they require to make good decisions. When members of the ANC feel free to differ from the president or the party leaders, society is likely to hear a wider range of opinions, and better decisions may result. Policy errors are most likely to occur when people are rewarded for conformity. A system of free expression and dissent protects against false confidence and the inevitable mistakes of planners in both the private and public arenas.")
2. Say what you think – The importance of giving offence - http://www.indexonline.org/en/news/articles/2006/1/international-say-what-you-think-the-importa.shtml (Extract: "..in the real world, where societies are plural, then it is both inevitable and important that people offend the sensibilities of others. Inevitable because where different beliefs are deeply held, clashes are unavoidable and we should deal with those clashes rather than suppress them. Important because any kind of social change or social progress means offending some deeply held sensibilities. ‘If liberty means anything,’ George Orwell once wrote, ‘it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.’ Not to give offence would mean not to pursue change.")
Further to the AGM item titled 'Criticism against the LRA', I make these observations:
i. Nice to see that the Board has decided to uphold freedom of speech. That's encouraging.
ii. Would like to see specifics on who the supposed 'critics' are deemed to be by those making such pointed reference... I'd like to read/hear their input... and what 'related to personal business interests' means. Does one interpret that any resident with personal business interests has no role to play in the Lonehill community? If so, I would regard that as retrograde-thinking of the worst order.
iii. I find it a huge ASSUMPTION on the part of those who suggest that such 'critics' would not be approached to work with the directors in the near-term because 'it would cause conflict at meetings and not be productive'. Says who? And who would perpetrate 'the conflict'? Those in the current board meeting seats threatened by input from others that don't conform to their views! Do we interpret that to say that 'groupthink' on the LRA board should not be questioned/interefered with? Read article 2. above.
iv. From the above-mentioned AGM item, I'd like to highlight to those that may not have read the posts in this forum, that here indeed you will find regular posts that are hugely complimentary and encouraging of the immediate past LRA board's positive turn-around of the 'mis-management and disarray' they were faced with last year. As have the compliments flowed, in past forums by this author, to all of those volunteers having made positive contributions to this community initiative since launch. As author of this blog forum, I'd love to find/read others in this community also regularly writing similar complimentary, considered, pointed, balanced and questioning views / opinion on happenings in the Lonehill community - no matter whether their opinion differs to mine.
Never fear those who look to dumb-down the input of others, I certainly don't. Everyone has the right to openly express and stand by their point of view in a community... and others have the right to openly challenge that point of view.
Oh, by the way, I took the trouble to do a self-critical review of my own comments, pointed barbs, educational links and back-slapping statements of encouragement on every post on this entire forum... and I stand 100% behind them all as being, in my opinion, 100% on the money.. ;-)
That said, it's really nice to see Lonehill looking as good as it does with some simple management processes in place.
Imagine what could be achieved with some really impressive STRATEGY in place - backed by the concerted input and support of all key stakeholders, decision-makers and interested contributors in this community. I continue my call for the LRA to stimulate a major indaba of these individuals.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Lonehill - GOOD Thing, Bad Thing?
Imagine my surprise as I arrived at the LRA AGM venue last Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. (after wrapping up my own weekday business meetings) to find that the AGM meeting had finished after just 40 minutes.
Now there's a refreshing turn-up for the books: a +-R15 Millon p.a. community enterprise put to bed with minimal issues apparently raised from the floor.
I put this down to the timeous presentation and pre-circulation of the AGM financials and Chairman's Report. Well done!
I'm told that there were between 50 to 80 people present... and I wonder whether this reflection of public interest in the Lonehill community is a good thing or a bad thing?
Let's face it, Lonehill now appears to be pretty-well managed on the surface. A very welcome change from this time last year. The security presence seems reasonably alert. The environment is looking neatly maintained. There is an improvement in communications efforts. And the timely circulation of the annual financials and reports shows a measure of basic management skills that we all want to see.
These are GOOD things!
All of this may well have created a sense of comfort that 'someone else' has got things nicely under control, thank you. Making it easy to stay at home in front of the TV and warm fireplace, while others get on with the job. That would truly be a magnificent compliment to the immediate past Board and Chairman, if true. And, I sincerely hope it is.
However, even if true, if I were in the position of the current Chair, a personal mantra about communities that I developed from participating in and watching this initiative evolve would continually run through my mind:
'Apathetic Communities arise from Pathetic Leadership'.
This statement always served to remind me that the success of the original launching of the Lonehill Security Action Group initiative was founded upon the mass-inclusion of everyone who wanted to play a part - no matter how small. This was deliberately counter-intuitive to, and our unique differentiator to, the way that community associations had been run before.
Just days before the massively successful launch of this initiative, I was told by the then cash-strapped LRA that this community was too 'apathetic' to care. This cash-positive initiative swallowed up the LRA in a necessary merger for the LRA within the year.
So my concern as the current Chair - especially with the AGM feedback email also pointing to the fact that no new faces stood up to make themselves available as directors - would be as to whether I have over-managed the turn-around to the exclusion of others in Lonehill. After all, there is no point in doing a fantastic job of managing an enterprise back to health, only to have it collapse within a few weeks or months of the few remaining directors leaving it for whatever reason.
Too few people involved in the community-management processes is a bad thing in my view. It leads to the danger of the co-opting of like-minded thinkers, group-think-mentality, 'yes-wo/men' too scared to challenge autocratic command and control, and myopic assumptions leading to disastrous decisions. Where've we seen this before?
There is no greater legacy that a leader can leave than to have a quality management process and leadership succession plan in place to ensure a smooth transition of an enterprise to greater levels of growth.
In a clipping that I garnered some years ago from the Business Day, Steven Covey once identified four fatal mistakes that tend to occur in organisations.
1. 'The first mistake comes at the idea stage. All too often, good ideas are squelched by negative energy, self-doubt and fear. Without that core idea, the organisation has no purpose.'
2. 'The second mistake occurs in the production stage. It's hard to come up with a great idea, but even harder to properly execute it. This is where most new organisations fail — more than 90% within two years.'
3. 'The third fundamental reason for failure occurs at the management stage, as the founder tries to do it all, micromanaging to death. Formal systems are never set up to control company practices, especially cash flow. Even founders who concede they can't do it all single-handedly often sow the seeds of future failure by hiring “clones”, people who think the same way they do and who have the same strengths and weaknesses. But strengths become redundant and weaknesses are just multiplied.'
4. 'The fourth and final flaw occurs at the change stage. Initially successful organisations often fail to reinvent themselves and adapt to changing market conditions and new opportunities. They get so bogged down in their own bureaucratic cultures that they can no longer meet and anticipate the needs of their targeted customers.'
Says Covey: 'To survive and thrive over the long haul, organisations need to be led by management teams that are capable of perceiving and short-circuiting the critical threat at each stage of this cycle. Most importantly, a successful team must have a spirit of mutual respect, acknowledging and utilising the strengths of each member while offsetting the weaknesses of one by the strengths of the others.'
'Four different kinds of strength are needed: the strengths of an entrepreneur, a producer, a manager and a team-building leader.' 'Very few individuals possess all four of these strengths, which is why successful leaders must focus on those areas that are most vital to their specific roles and surround themselves with a team of people who will fill the remaining needs.'
'Every one of the four roles is vital, but in my experience most organisations are overmanaged and vastly underled.'
So what does this vested-interest observer believe are some key points of stimulation for thinking stakeholders and leadership in this community:
i. That the LRA leadership be motivated to bring together the widest array of key community stakeholders, decision-makers, interested parties to find ways to work TOGETHER to the maximum benefit of the community - a BIG indaba - no matter how pro- or anti-community they may appear to be. Every input in a collaborative environment will be valuable.
ii. That a solution be researched/proposed/developed whereby all community stakeholders be motivated to share the 'proactive community security service' load with equivalent parity.
iii. That openness and transparency should return to the reporting of critical performance figures and proceedings in monthly LRA Board meetings - after all, this is an OPEN community initiative and contributing stakeholders should be entitled to see how their directors represent their interests at such meetings.
iv. That marketing & communication efforts, whilst vastly improved in the past year off a piddle-poor base, offers greatest potential for significant quality improvement befitting of the size of this initiative.
Some numbers that we might like to know each month are (amongst others):
- The numbers of contributors by breakdown: individual households / complexes / enclosures / business etc.
- % of contributors vs. non-contributors related to total households in the LRA defined area
- % Revenue applied by contributor breakdown to PROACTIVE guarding force
- Possible vs. Actual contribution by total community households
- % allocation of community events revenues to reducing load on contributors
- Target revenue projections from special events/promotions/programs designed to reduce load on contributors
- % of emails that actually reach total no. of households
- etc.
Many of these figures we used to know in the main before they were taken behind closed doors... for obvious reasons, in my opinion, of becoming a little embarrassing to those tasked to grow them.
Finally, I was also told that some pointed reference was made at the AGM to the comments made by this writer on this forum as somehow not being in the community's best interests - and their apparently having proposed draconian actions be taken by the LRA to shut this forum down. Have no idea whether that is true or what such commentators might be referring to, but if they were referring to this writer then they are more than welcome to enter into open debate on their perspective on this forum and correct any statements they believe to be inaccurate in this forum. It's all about maturity of discussion and sharing of differing opinions.
I must say that I find it hugely amusing that almost every resident/stakeholder I have ever met in this community has almost always been scathing of the lack of open transparency exhibited by Political, Government and Municipal figures, and the same residents are almost always universally disgusted at and disapproving of the draconian clamp-downs on freedom-of-speech perpetrated by Hitler-, Amin-, Apartheid-, Mugabe-era style leadership as precursors of the very worst of societies disasters. I have yet to find one that openly stands up to declare their support of any of the above leadership-styles and/or their resultant cowardly acts of supression of contrary views.
And yet, we apparently still find some of these very same residents/stakeholders at local public meetings who seriously propose invoking the same draconian actions on anyone who dares to hold/make a different opinion or to make a comment that they might not like. A trifle hypocritical maybe?
This writer believes that Greater Lonehill has enormous potential to achieve so much more than it has so far... if that's being critical, well so be it. I happen to hold a different opinion... ;-)
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Now there's a refreshing turn-up for the books: a +-R15 Millon p.a. community enterprise put to bed with minimal issues apparently raised from the floor.
I put this down to the timeous presentation and pre-circulation of the AGM financials and Chairman's Report. Well done!
I'm told that there were between 50 to 80 people present... and I wonder whether this reflection of public interest in the Lonehill community is a good thing or a bad thing?
Let's face it, Lonehill now appears to be pretty-well managed on the surface. A very welcome change from this time last year. The security presence seems reasonably alert. The environment is looking neatly maintained. There is an improvement in communications efforts. And the timely circulation of the annual financials and reports shows a measure of basic management skills that we all want to see.
These are GOOD things!
All of this may well have created a sense of comfort that 'someone else' has got things nicely under control, thank you. Making it easy to stay at home in front of the TV and warm fireplace, while others get on with the job. That would truly be a magnificent compliment to the immediate past Board and Chairman, if true. And, I sincerely hope it is.
However, even if true, if I were in the position of the current Chair, a personal mantra about communities that I developed from participating in and watching this initiative evolve would continually run through my mind:
'Apathetic Communities arise from Pathetic Leadership'.
This statement always served to remind me that the success of the original launching of the Lonehill Security Action Group initiative was founded upon the mass-inclusion of everyone who wanted to play a part - no matter how small. This was deliberately counter-intuitive to, and our unique differentiator to, the way that community associations had been run before.
Just days before the massively successful launch of this initiative, I was told by the then cash-strapped LRA that this community was too 'apathetic' to care. This cash-positive initiative swallowed up the LRA in a necessary merger for the LRA within the year.
So my concern as the current Chair - especially with the AGM feedback email also pointing to the fact that no new faces stood up to make themselves available as directors - would be as to whether I have over-managed the turn-around to the exclusion of others in Lonehill. After all, there is no point in doing a fantastic job of managing an enterprise back to health, only to have it collapse within a few weeks or months of the few remaining directors leaving it for whatever reason.
Too few people involved in the community-management processes is a bad thing in my view. It leads to the danger of the co-opting of like-minded thinkers, group-think-mentality, 'yes-wo/men' too scared to challenge autocratic command and control, and myopic assumptions leading to disastrous decisions. Where've we seen this before?
There is no greater legacy that a leader can leave than to have a quality management process and leadership succession plan in place to ensure a smooth transition of an enterprise to greater levels of growth.
In a clipping that I garnered some years ago from the Business Day, Steven Covey once identified four fatal mistakes that tend to occur in organisations.
1. 'The first mistake comes at the idea stage. All too often, good ideas are squelched by negative energy, self-doubt and fear. Without that core idea, the organisation has no purpose.'
2. 'The second mistake occurs in the production stage. It's hard to come up with a great idea, but even harder to properly execute it. This is where most new organisations fail — more than 90% within two years.'
3. 'The third fundamental reason for failure occurs at the management stage, as the founder tries to do it all, micromanaging to death. Formal systems are never set up to control company practices, especially cash flow. Even founders who concede they can't do it all single-handedly often sow the seeds of future failure by hiring “clones”, people who think the same way they do and who have the same strengths and weaknesses. But strengths become redundant and weaknesses are just multiplied.'
4. 'The fourth and final flaw occurs at the change stage. Initially successful organisations often fail to reinvent themselves and adapt to changing market conditions and new opportunities. They get so bogged down in their own bureaucratic cultures that they can no longer meet and anticipate the needs of their targeted customers.'
Says Covey: 'To survive and thrive over the long haul, organisations need to be led by management teams that are capable of perceiving and short-circuiting the critical threat at each stage of this cycle. Most importantly, a successful team must have a spirit of mutual respect, acknowledging and utilising the strengths of each member while offsetting the weaknesses of one by the strengths of the others.'
'Four different kinds of strength are needed: the strengths of an entrepreneur, a producer, a manager and a team-building leader.' 'Very few individuals possess all four of these strengths, which is why successful leaders must focus on those areas that are most vital to their specific roles and surround themselves with a team of people who will fill the remaining needs.'
'Every one of the four roles is vital, but in my experience most organisations are overmanaged and vastly underled.'
So what does this vested-interest observer believe are some key points of stimulation for thinking stakeholders and leadership in this community:
i. That the LRA leadership be motivated to bring together the widest array of key community stakeholders, decision-makers, interested parties to find ways to work TOGETHER to the maximum benefit of the community - a BIG indaba - no matter how pro- or anti-community they may appear to be. Every input in a collaborative environment will be valuable.
ii. That a solution be researched/proposed/developed whereby all community stakeholders be motivated to share the 'proactive community security service' load with equivalent parity.
iii. That openness and transparency should return to the reporting of critical performance figures and proceedings in monthly LRA Board meetings - after all, this is an OPEN community initiative and contributing stakeholders should be entitled to see how their directors represent their interests at such meetings.
iv. That marketing & communication efforts, whilst vastly improved in the past year off a piddle-poor base, offers greatest potential for significant quality improvement befitting of the size of this initiative.
Some numbers that we might like to know each month are (amongst others):
- The numbers of contributors by breakdown: individual households / complexes / enclosures / business etc.
- % of contributors vs. non-contributors related to total households in the LRA defined area
- % Revenue applied by contributor breakdown to PROACTIVE guarding force
- Possible vs. Actual contribution by total community households
- % allocation of community events revenues to reducing load on contributors
- Target revenue projections from special events/promotions/programs designed to reduce load on contributors
- % of emails that actually reach total no. of households
- etc.
Many of these figures we used to know in the main before they were taken behind closed doors... for obvious reasons, in my opinion, of becoming a little embarrassing to those tasked to grow them.
Finally, I was also told that some pointed reference was made at the AGM to the comments made by this writer on this forum as somehow not being in the community's best interests - and their apparently having proposed draconian actions be taken by the LRA to shut this forum down. Have no idea whether that is true or what such commentators might be referring to, but if they were referring to this writer then they are more than welcome to enter into open debate on their perspective on this forum and correct any statements they believe to be inaccurate in this forum. It's all about maturity of discussion and sharing of differing opinions.
I must say that I find it hugely amusing that almost every resident/stakeholder I have ever met in this community has almost always been scathing of the lack of open transparency exhibited by Political, Government and Municipal figures, and the same residents are almost always universally disgusted at and disapproving of the draconian clamp-downs on freedom-of-speech perpetrated by Hitler-, Amin-, Apartheid-, Mugabe-era style leadership as precursors of the very worst of societies disasters. I have yet to find one that openly stands up to declare their support of any of the above leadership-styles and/or their resultant cowardly acts of supression of contrary views.
And yet, we apparently still find some of these very same residents/stakeholders at local public meetings who seriously propose invoking the same draconian actions on anyone who dares to hold/make a different opinion or to make a comment that they might not like. A trifle hypocritical maybe?
This writer believes that Greater Lonehill has enormous potential to achieve so much more than it has so far... if that's being critical, well so be it. I happen to hold a different opinion... ;-)
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Lonehill - What A Difference A KNIGHT Makes
Almost one year ago to the day, I wrote - When Is an AGM Not An AGM..? - in which I made pointed reference to 'mediocrity', 'incompetence', and specifically to: 'The lack of financial statements at today's meeting, together with a quick sight of the hurried collection of two copies of the statements, raises questions as to INEFFECIENCIES and LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY that may well exist in the minds of service-providers who are not being called to account for piddle-poor deliverables'.
One year later, and after perusal of the Chairman's Report - well-prepared and timeously delivered to our homes before the impending AGM meeting - confirms that LRA Chairman Rob Gillespie is the white knight that was so sorely needed to step in and stop the rot. I have already conveyed my compliments to Rob and his LRA team in Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due.
The Chairman's Report confirms everything that made this writer and others a trifle unpopular last year, with the report confirming that our service providers 'had been allowed to slip into a mode of "below-expectation" delivery, which is typical of a poor management environment'. So point made and the stance of those courageous few who stood up to ask questions and investigate the matter is vindicated as having being in the best interest of our community.
I find myself in total disagreement with the Chairman's comment that criticism of the Finance and Administration portfolio 'was unwarranted and undeserved'. In my opinion, it was totally deserved and the Chairman is too loyal to a fault to those who were paid a bundle to deliver the mess that he (and his new team) had to fix up. I cannot find myself at all confident in the abilities of such operation to ever manage itself in the future... in my opinion, making them too highly paid in the past for what they didn't deliver, and still now at R50,000 p.m., for the service that they currently deliver.
Loyalty is admirable, but when it appears to entrench incompetence it serves primarily to invoke criticism of leadership, just as in David Bullard's latest blog criticism of our Minister of Safety & Security and our latest crime figures where he comments: 'Anyway, nobody ever gets sacked from Thabo Mbeki’s Cabinet, however incompetent or mediocre their performance'.
There are a number in this community who will NOT work with this F&A portfolio team due to a lack of faith in their ability or capability to support a project with any semblance of enthusiasm or sustainability. I have written before in this forum of the importance of getting the 'right people on the bus' and referred to http://www.jimcollins.com/ site to underscore the point.
This will continue to present a substantial divide for many that have proven to be major contributors to the Lonehill Community Initiative (i.e. those who truly know how to think and deliver in a big way), and my view is that if the Chair wishes to remain loyal to a group that others don't believe in then the Chair should allow for another bus to be manned by those who have differing (read 'higher') standards of project delivery for Lonehill. That would be 'Leadership'.. and the community would benefit from a wider net of people who want to contribute in their way!
I would still like to see much more open and transparent leadership, board-meetings, goal-setting, accountability and reporting than happens right now. The last quarterly-feedback meeting revealed that arbitrary/autocratic/unilateral decisions are STILL being taken without referring to the community (refer the Lonehill Control Centre idea mooted and roundly pooh-poohed by residents in attendance).
Community association directors should not have the unfettered ability to take arbitrary decisions without conducting reasonable research of their stakeholders opinions and, if they do so without such research, should hold themselves wholly accountable to such decisions (as they should for all decisions, but don't right now). Groupthink and arbitrary decisions taken behind closed doors proved to be a very dangerous, destructive force in the immediate past debacles... and must be guarded against by the community.
Why, mark my words, just now someone will want to entrench the directors for a 5-year term... shades of Mugabe-style entrenchment, heaven forbid. It ain't healthy! My view is that a community association Chairman should have a maximum of 2 years in the Chair... and the second year should be spent grooming the Vice-Chair to take over (i.e. a succession plan to ensure continuity but also injecting fresh thinking). This keeps us away from the demigod-like characters that seem to abound in our society.
Too much is still hidden behind the veneer of Section 21 legalese and a balance sheet, when in addition here's what is really required: Management KPI's need to be evaluated to show how effective our LRA Service Providers really are - and therefore how effective our leadership is. Because I don't have access to the numbers (which I should as a stakeholder), I fear that we are some way off the contributing numbers we were at when things began to fall off the 'moral high-ground' rails.
Also, to me, very little effort has been stimulated by current leadership to directly engage positively with those who have made significant contributions in the past. It has been mostly those who have wanted to contribute who have pushed leadership to enter into any discussion, with very little response other than a seemingly passive condescending ear. From my direct personal experience, it appears that 'assumptions', mostly incorrect, seemed to have perpetuated through to current leadership that is a carry-over from a time and ethos that should forever be an embarrassment to those who contributed to what led up to the AGM debacle of last year.
If I am wrong in my perceptions above, I will be happy to be so convinced.
That all being said, the timeous and pretty complete Chairman's Report leave me feeling upbeat for the security and well-being of our families in Lonehill in the coming year. I'm pretty much in agreement with much of what is outlined by the Chair as needing to be focused upon in the coming year. For me Rob Gillespie gets 100% PLUS for effort and achievement in pulling the LRA act together once again. So I extend my heartfelt personal 'Thank You' to Rob and his LRA team.
I would like to think that it is the sign of a mature community that allows for stakeholders to work towards progress for the community in general whilst they may be in disagreement on specifics. I still look for the 'great INDABA' of all interested stakeholders as the starting point for our next big growth move forward. I hope to see it this coming LRA year... ;-)
If my business meetings end in time I hope to be able to make this AGM meeting. See you there.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
One year later, and after perusal of the Chairman's Report - well-prepared and timeously delivered to our homes before the impending AGM meeting - confirms that LRA Chairman Rob Gillespie is the white knight that was so sorely needed to step in and stop the rot. I have already conveyed my compliments to Rob and his LRA team in Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due.
The Chairman's Report confirms everything that made this writer and others a trifle unpopular last year, with the report confirming that our service providers 'had been allowed to slip into a mode of "below-expectation" delivery, which is typical of a poor management environment'. So point made and the stance of those courageous few who stood up to ask questions and investigate the matter is vindicated as having being in the best interest of our community.
I find myself in total disagreement with the Chairman's comment that criticism of the Finance and Administration portfolio 'was unwarranted and undeserved'. In my opinion, it was totally deserved and the Chairman is too loyal to a fault to those who were paid a bundle to deliver the mess that he (and his new team) had to fix up. I cannot find myself at all confident in the abilities of such operation to ever manage itself in the future... in my opinion, making them too highly paid in the past for what they didn't deliver, and still now at R50,000 p.m., for the service that they currently deliver.
Loyalty is admirable, but when it appears to entrench incompetence it serves primarily to invoke criticism of leadership, just as in David Bullard's latest blog criticism of our Minister of Safety & Security and our latest crime figures where he comments: 'Anyway, nobody ever gets sacked from Thabo Mbeki’s Cabinet, however incompetent or mediocre their performance'.
There are a number in this community who will NOT work with this F&A portfolio team due to a lack of faith in their ability or capability to support a project with any semblance of enthusiasm or sustainability. I have written before in this forum of the importance of getting the 'right people on the bus' and referred to http://www.jimcollins.com/ site to underscore the point.
This will continue to present a substantial divide for many that have proven to be major contributors to the Lonehill Community Initiative (i.e. those who truly know how to think and deliver in a big way), and my view is that if the Chair wishes to remain loyal to a group that others don't believe in then the Chair should allow for another bus to be manned by those who have differing (read 'higher') standards of project delivery for Lonehill. That would be 'Leadership'.. and the community would benefit from a wider net of people who want to contribute in their way!
I would still like to see much more open and transparent leadership, board-meetings, goal-setting, accountability and reporting than happens right now. The last quarterly-feedback meeting revealed that arbitrary/autocratic/unilateral decisions are STILL being taken without referring to the community (refer the Lonehill Control Centre idea mooted and roundly pooh-poohed by residents in attendance).
Community association directors should not have the unfettered ability to take arbitrary decisions without conducting reasonable research of their stakeholders opinions and, if they do so without such research, should hold themselves wholly accountable to such decisions (as they should for all decisions, but don't right now). Groupthink and arbitrary decisions taken behind closed doors proved to be a very dangerous, destructive force in the immediate past debacles... and must be guarded against by the community.
Why, mark my words, just now someone will want to entrench the directors for a 5-year term... shades of Mugabe-style entrenchment, heaven forbid. It ain't healthy! My view is that a community association Chairman should have a maximum of 2 years in the Chair... and the second year should be spent grooming the Vice-Chair to take over (i.e. a succession plan to ensure continuity but also injecting fresh thinking). This keeps us away from the demigod-like characters that seem to abound in our society.
Too much is still hidden behind the veneer of Section 21 legalese and a balance sheet, when in addition here's what is really required: Management KPI's need to be evaluated to show how effective our LRA Service Providers really are - and therefore how effective our leadership is. Because I don't have access to the numbers (which I should as a stakeholder), I fear that we are some way off the contributing numbers we were at when things began to fall off the 'moral high-ground' rails.
Also, to me, very little effort has been stimulated by current leadership to directly engage positively with those who have made significant contributions in the past. It has been mostly those who have wanted to contribute who have pushed leadership to enter into any discussion, with very little response other than a seemingly passive condescending ear. From my direct personal experience, it appears that 'assumptions', mostly incorrect, seemed to have perpetuated through to current leadership that is a carry-over from a time and ethos that should forever be an embarrassment to those who contributed to what led up to the AGM debacle of last year.
If I am wrong in my perceptions above, I will be happy to be so convinced.
That all being said, the timeous and pretty complete Chairman's Report leave me feeling upbeat for the security and well-being of our families in Lonehill in the coming year. I'm pretty much in agreement with much of what is outlined by the Chair as needing to be focused upon in the coming year. For me Rob Gillespie gets 100% PLUS for effort and achievement in pulling the LRA act together once again. So I extend my heartfelt personal 'Thank You' to Rob and his LRA team.
I would like to think that it is the sign of a mature community that allows for stakeholders to work towards progress for the community in general whilst they may be in disagreement on specifics. I still look for the 'great INDABA' of all interested stakeholders as the starting point for our next big growth move forward. I hope to see it this coming LRA year... ;-)
If my business meetings end in time I hope to be able to make this AGM meeting. See you there.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Lonehill - Security Ops. Manager Moves On
Johan Engelbrecht writes:
The time has arrived for me to move on.
I have had the privilege to serve the community for almost three years, had the opportunity to work with three Boards of Directors of the LRA and last but not least established a super relationship with the SA Police in Douglasdale, to the benefit of our community.
I want to thank some individual residents with whom I had a closer working relationship, people such as:
Herman Erdman , Chris Crozier, Bill Parr, Willem Hazewindus , Joy Cook, Lindie and Shirley, the events girl of Lonehill.
Special thanks must go to Trevor Nel, the driving force behind the establishment of the Lonehill Initiative. I have yet to meet a more passionate person when it comes to issues affecting the community. He shoots from the “hip” and calls a spade a spade. You know exactly where you stand with him, thanks Trevor.
Herman Erdman, what a gentleman, but eish, when he is not happy, you hear it in no uncertain terms. And then Chris Crozier, the Diplomat, I can continue forever.
I am leaving behind a passionate team of Managers, Supervisors and Security Officers, without them, we could not achieve the levels of success against crime , they do not always receive appreciation and credit for the work they do. Thank guys, keep up the good work.
My successor will be announced soon and to him/her, I want to wish them the best and they must remember that Lonehill is and will always be the “Blue Chip “suburb of the country.
Johan Engelbrecht
Operations Manager
076 145 2075
The time has arrived for me to move on.
I have had the privilege to serve the community for almost three years, had the opportunity to work with three Boards of Directors of the LRA and last but not least established a super relationship with the SA Police in Douglasdale, to the benefit of our community.
I want to thank some individual residents with whom I had a closer working relationship, people such as:
Herman Erdman , Chris Crozier, Bill Parr, Willem Hazewindus , Joy Cook, Lindie and Shirley, the events girl of Lonehill.
Special thanks must go to Trevor Nel, the driving force behind the establishment of the Lonehill Initiative. I have yet to meet a more passionate person when it comes to issues affecting the community. He shoots from the “hip” and calls a spade a spade. You know exactly where you stand with him, thanks Trevor.
Herman Erdman, what a gentleman, but eish, when he is not happy, you hear it in no uncertain terms. And then Chris Crozier, the Diplomat, I can continue forever.
I am leaving behind a passionate team of Managers, Supervisors and Security Officers, without them, we could not achieve the levels of success against crime , they do not always receive appreciation and credit for the work they do. Thank guys, keep up the good work.
My successor will be announced soon and to him/her, I want to wish them the best and they must remember that Lonehill is and will always be the “Blue Chip “suburb of the country.
Johan Engelbrecht
Operations Manager
076 145 2075
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Lonehill Resident Responds: I Prefer What The Greek Brothers Have Built
George Joubert responds:
Dear Trevor,
Well done! Keep the news coming! The Truth will always out but remember that two-way communication is the glue that holds any relationship together!
The “news” about the Lonehill shopping centre is not really new and is something we have known about for many years? This goes back right to the days when you got the health club to remove their ugly sign from the Lonehill skyline above the shopping mall’s roof top!
On a personal note, my wife and I have always shopped at the Lonehill shopping mall going back to the days when it was a little “village market” type operation and we knew each of the shop-owners by name and they ours! Perhaps there is a marketing lesson here for the (developers) and the new shop-owners!
I must say though that I prefer what the Greek brothers have built to that small, dingy mall -- although I know there will be many who will object to this! But I very seldom have to drive outside of Lonehill any more to do my shopping! We now have a huge choice of goods and restaurants right on our doorstep! It is inevitable that some people will be affected by change or will resist it!
You are also fully aware that my sole objective regarding security was ALWAYS to achieve TOTAL transparency in EVERY type of business transaction anyone does in Lonehill but which WOULD still benefit EVERY Lonehiller whether a member of the LRA or not!
So with ALL this in mind – why does the LRA not do a survey and ask the residents to vote on what they think of the Lonehill Shopping Mall?
You also have a reasonable database of Lonehill so why don’t you test the “market”?
The shops are not going to go away and the last thing anyone wants is a ghost “mall” on our doorstep!
The key to my security solution – for which I took so much abuse -- was always to make it a “no-brainer” for those residents (whom I often castigated for being ostriches, freeloaders and fence-sitters) to join the security “initiative”! The one you instigated and started with other Lonehill residents (including myself) so many years ago and set the ground rules and standards!
It is sad that the present regime are NOT prepared to discuss ideas or solutions with those who actually were instrumental in starting that ball rolling!
My own view is that this may detract from their own importance!
But like you, this attitude will NOT stop me from making a contribution that WILL benefit ALL the residents in Lonehill!
Kind regards,
George
George L Joubert
Managing Director
Ambis Group (Pty) Ltd.
George@Ambis-sa.com
Tel +27 (0) 11 465 5930
Fax +27 (0) 11 465 1048
Mobile +27 (0) 83 250 6251
Dear Trevor,
Well done! Keep the news coming! The Truth will always out but remember that two-way communication is the glue that holds any relationship together!
The “news” about the Lonehill shopping centre is not really new and is something we have known about for many years? This goes back right to the days when you got the health club to remove their ugly sign from the Lonehill skyline above the shopping mall’s roof top!
On a personal note, my wife and I have always shopped at the Lonehill shopping mall going back to the days when it was a little “village market” type operation and we knew each of the shop-owners by name and they ours! Perhaps there is a marketing lesson here for the (developers) and the new shop-owners!
I must say though that I prefer what the Greek brothers have built to that small, dingy mall -- although I know there will be many who will object to this! But I very seldom have to drive outside of Lonehill any more to do my shopping! We now have a huge choice of goods and restaurants right on our doorstep! It is inevitable that some people will be affected by change or will resist it!
You are also fully aware that my sole objective regarding security was ALWAYS to achieve TOTAL transparency in EVERY type of business transaction anyone does in Lonehill but which WOULD still benefit EVERY Lonehiller whether a member of the LRA or not!
So with ALL this in mind – why does the LRA not do a survey and ask the residents to vote on what they think of the Lonehill Shopping Mall?
You also have a reasonable database of Lonehill so why don’t you test the “market”?
The shops are not going to go away and the last thing anyone wants is a ghost “mall” on our doorstep!
The key to my security solution – for which I took so much abuse -- was always to make it a “no-brainer” for those residents (whom I often castigated for being ostriches, freeloaders and fence-sitters) to join the security “initiative”! The one you instigated and started with other Lonehill residents (including myself) so many years ago and set the ground rules and standards!
It is sad that the present regime are NOT prepared to discuss ideas or solutions with those who actually were instrumental in starting that ball rolling!
My own view is that this may detract from their own importance!
But like you, this attitude will NOT stop me from making a contribution that WILL benefit ALL the residents in Lonehill!
Kind regards,
George
George L Joubert
Managing Director
Ambis Group (Pty) Ltd.
George@Ambis-sa.com
Tel +27 (0) 11 465 5930
Fax +27 (0) 11 465 1048
Mobile +27 (0) 83 250 6251
Monday, July 09, 2007
Lonehill - A Story Of 'Greed & Stupidity'
Returned from a glorious break in the bush, where the animals are honestly transparent about surviving by the bush 'law of the jungle', to a deluge of messages on my answering machine about the Lonehill shopping centre developers... and snippets of Noseweek articles (July 2007) piled up under my door .
Seems that Noseweek - http://www.noseweek.co.za/ - have broken a story on the Lonehill Shopping Centre developers which documents an apparently outrageous tale of 'Greed and Stupidity', and community disregard, that appears to have netted them a property asset-pile of billions.
See article link: The faces that launched a thousand shops - 'Notorious Joburg rogue developers, the freewheeling Theodosiou brothers have amassed a gigantic fortune parking flagrantly illegal shopping centres all over town'
See article link: Greed and stupidity - 'THE THEODOSIOU brothers inherited a property dynasty from their father, but by 1995 greed and stupidity had reduced them to bankruptcy.'
Lonehill Residents Association (LRA) Chairman - Rob Gillespie - is quoted as saying: 'These guys are bad news. You cannot believe anything they say, you cannot work with them. They're a law unto themselves'.
I can only raise a wry smile as I read the entire story. Those who have followed my writings on Lonehill will know that none of what I read comes as any surprise. Nevertheless, I'd still be interested to hear the developers side of the story.
Even I have to admit finding myself at times both bemused and exhibiting begrudging recognition for what they appear to have 'achieved' with such brazen chutzpah (although I can't get around the extreme disregard they seem to show for the rights of others). They clearly live by their own rules and I'll bet that they enjoy the notoriety. Only in the wild west!
If there is one thing that I have learnt it is that almost everyone in this community has a different perception of reality... and many have a very different view on what is morally-acceptable behavior.
Lest anyone should forget, even voluntary community do-gooders can fall into the trap of collective stupidity (I am reminded of the feedback of unbelievably stupidly-infantile behaviour at an infamous LRA board-meeting held around this time last year) which led to my return to producing pointed commentary such as in this link from Oct.22, 2006: Community Leadership for DUMMIES..!.
Power and control exercised behind closed doors can lead 'well-intentioned' people to make stupid decisions, just as greed can.
For me, openness, transparency, honesty and integrity have sadly proven to be the rarest of commodities on offer in this community, and experience tells me that no one should be thought to be any more morally-superior to anyone else lest one wants to be wholly-disappointed.
As bordering on the cynical as that may seem, it is perhaps the perfect base for no-nonsense negotiation between all stakeholders (assume that everyone has a vested interest and press for a declaration of such), and for ensuring the continual questioning and open recording of all contracts and commitments that affect this community.
Since launching the Lonehill security initiative in 2000 I've seen enough 'moral high ground' halos slipping from local heads in our real-life soap opera to produce a script worthy of Endemol (based in Lonehill) shooting as an international series soapy.
The script could have all the hallmarks of a fiction best-seller: Crime, greed, stupidity, ego, evil, deceit, arrogance, skullduggery, intrigue, conniving, collusion, murder, death, terrorism, horrific shoot-outs, drug-dealing, incompetence, apathy ... with 'rogue billionaires' thrown in.
But, stupidity and sarcasm aside, the past is the past, this is one resident who doesn't have time to waste on the pathetic.
The point is: What is the LRA going to do about the shopping centre issue?
Is it an issue that affects residents? Is it an LRA issue? Should the LRA be proactive on behalf of residents... or reactive, leaving affected residents to fend for themselves? Should the LRA be providing leadership in finding a solution to the problem... or just sitting back and watching the situation unfold at its own pace?
From what I read there appear to be two current possibilities discussed: The building alterations get approved retrospectively and they stay as they are (with consequent inconveniences for nearby residents remaining as status quo), cementing another fortune for the developers and encouraging others to do the same, or any illegal structures get demolished by Metro council order.
Where do they demolish it back too... back to the original 'low impact neighbourhood convenience centre'? Seems like a big lose-lose-lose mess for everyone involved. Is there a solution? I believe so.
Here's a little clue, the old saying goes, '..when life gives you lemons, make lemonade'.
Speaking as a business strategist, just as I saw the possibilities of our initiative becoming a HUGE SUCCESS (which it still has, despite the delaying hiccups of recent debacles), I can again see the opportunity for some hugely innovative solutions that can come from this latest exposé that can be a MAJOR WIN for everyone of the stakeholders involved. Yes, I mean everyone!
Having done my voluntary bit to inititiate and activily participate for well-over my promised three years in driving what is now a +R100 Million Lonehill initiative from a zero-revenue base - introducing the principle of cash-positive project management to our then cash-strapped community structure - I'll happily declare my vested interest in providing these new solutions on a transactional revenue-fee basis. No solution, no pay, no nonsense.
Those who consider themselves to be key decision-making stakeholders who can benefit from such solutions are welcome to contact me. Just don't expect any pussy-footing around. I ain't got time to waste with stupidity and petty egos... the stakes are too high for all stakeholders to play games right now. I will treat every concerned such stakeholder contacting me with the healthy disrespect I have implied above in seeking a WIN for all - no one will be regarded as more pious than the other. Stay away from me if you fear common-sense finding of a workable solution. My questions will be direct and pointed to get to a solution in shortest possible time.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Seems that Noseweek - http://www.noseweek.co.za/ - have broken a story on the Lonehill Shopping Centre developers which documents an apparently outrageous tale of 'Greed and Stupidity', and community disregard, that appears to have netted them a property asset-pile of billions.
See article link: The faces that launched a thousand shops - 'Notorious Joburg rogue developers, the freewheeling Theodosiou brothers have amassed a gigantic fortune parking flagrantly illegal shopping centres all over town'
See article link: Greed and stupidity - 'THE THEODOSIOU brothers inherited a property dynasty from their father, but by 1995 greed and stupidity had reduced them to bankruptcy.'
Lonehill Residents Association (LRA) Chairman - Rob Gillespie - is quoted as saying: 'These guys are bad news. You cannot believe anything they say, you cannot work with them. They're a law unto themselves'.
I can only raise a wry smile as I read the entire story. Those who have followed my writings on Lonehill will know that none of what I read comes as any surprise. Nevertheless, I'd still be interested to hear the developers side of the story.
Even I have to admit finding myself at times both bemused and exhibiting begrudging recognition for what they appear to have 'achieved' with such brazen chutzpah (although I can't get around the extreme disregard they seem to show for the rights of others). They clearly live by their own rules and I'll bet that they enjoy the notoriety. Only in the wild west!
If there is one thing that I have learnt it is that almost everyone in this community has a different perception of reality... and many have a very different view on what is morally-acceptable behavior.
Lest anyone should forget, even voluntary community do-gooders can fall into the trap of collective stupidity (I am reminded of the feedback of unbelievably stupidly-infantile behaviour at an infamous LRA board-meeting held around this time last year) which led to my return to producing pointed commentary such as in this link from Oct.22, 2006: Community Leadership for DUMMIES..!.
Power and control exercised behind closed doors can lead 'well-intentioned' people to make stupid decisions, just as greed can.
For me, openness, transparency, honesty and integrity have sadly proven to be the rarest of commodities on offer in this community, and experience tells me that no one should be thought to be any more morally-superior to anyone else lest one wants to be wholly-disappointed.
As bordering on the cynical as that may seem, it is perhaps the perfect base for no-nonsense negotiation between all stakeholders (assume that everyone has a vested interest and press for a declaration of such), and for ensuring the continual questioning and open recording of all contracts and commitments that affect this community.
Since launching the Lonehill security initiative in 2000 I've seen enough 'moral high ground' halos slipping from local heads in our real-life soap opera to produce a script worthy of Endemol (based in Lonehill) shooting as an international series soapy.
The script could have all the hallmarks of a fiction best-seller: Crime, greed, stupidity, ego, evil, deceit, arrogance, skullduggery, intrigue, conniving, collusion, murder, death, terrorism, horrific shoot-outs, drug-dealing, incompetence, apathy ... with 'rogue billionaires' thrown in.
But, stupidity and sarcasm aside, the past is the past, this is one resident who doesn't have time to waste on the pathetic.
The point is: What is the LRA going to do about the shopping centre issue?
Is it an issue that affects residents? Is it an LRA issue? Should the LRA be proactive on behalf of residents... or reactive, leaving affected residents to fend for themselves? Should the LRA be providing leadership in finding a solution to the problem... or just sitting back and watching the situation unfold at its own pace?
From what I read there appear to be two current possibilities discussed: The building alterations get approved retrospectively and they stay as they are (with consequent inconveniences for nearby residents remaining as status quo), cementing another fortune for the developers and encouraging others to do the same, or any illegal structures get demolished by Metro council order.
Where do they demolish it back too... back to the original 'low impact neighbourhood convenience centre'? Seems like a big lose-lose-lose mess for everyone involved. Is there a solution? I believe so.
Here's a little clue, the old saying goes, '..when life gives you lemons, make lemonade'.
Speaking as a business strategist, just as I saw the possibilities of our initiative becoming a HUGE SUCCESS (which it still has, despite the delaying hiccups of recent debacles), I can again see the opportunity for some hugely innovative solutions that can come from this latest exposé that can be a MAJOR WIN for everyone of the stakeholders involved. Yes, I mean everyone!
Having done my voluntary bit to inititiate and activily participate for well-over my promised three years in driving what is now a +R100 Million Lonehill initiative from a zero-revenue base - introducing the principle of cash-positive project management to our then cash-strapped community structure - I'll happily declare my vested interest in providing these new solutions on a transactional revenue-fee basis. No solution, no pay, no nonsense.
Those who consider themselves to be key decision-making stakeholders who can benefit from such solutions are welcome to contact me. Just don't expect any pussy-footing around. I ain't got time to waste with stupidity and petty egos... the stakes are too high for all stakeholders to play games right now. I will treat every concerned such stakeholder contacting me with the healthy disrespect I have implied above in seeking a WIN for all - no one will be regarded as more pious than the other. Stay away from me if you fear common-sense finding of a workable solution. My questions will be direct and pointed to get to a solution in shortest possible time.
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Neighbourly Crime Control - in Lonehill
Found this article in Hi-Tech Security Solutions
by Dr Chris Crozier, chairman, Lonehill Residents' Association - 6/1/2006
The Lonehill Residents' Association (LRA) is now probably the most active and organised volunteer residents' association in the country, a state it has reached in the last six years after 20 or so years of being like most other RAs.
In the late '90s, crime in Lonehill was out of control, and it was scant consolation that other areas were in the same predicament. Armed robberies, hijackings and worse were commonplace: two or three residents were killed every year in violent crime incidents. Finally, in mid-2000, an angered resident, Trevor Nel, who had had enough, started an aggressive, in-your-face campaign to do something about it. Nel's initiative led directly to the LRA in its current form and there is no doubt that through the efforts of the LRA over the last five years as many as 10 or 12 lives have been saved.
The key to getting control of our suburb was to leverage combined purchasing power. The fact was that we were spending hundreds of thousands of rand every month for multiple, uncoordinated security companies who saw their role as reactive, not preventative, and were patently ineffective in stemming the criminal rampage. We went out to tender to get a security company on board that was willing and able to provide more than reaction services. We wanted every home, road closure and townhouse complex to be linked into a common security network, with bobby-on-the-beat foot patrols, a coordinated and dedicated squad of reaction vehicles and our own local control room.
The process was kick-started, tragically, by a particularly horrific hijacking gone wrong that left a resident with seven AK-47 bullets in him (he miraculously survived, though at enormous physical, emotional and financial cost) and 70 more in his vehicle. Unfortunately it often takes a terrible incident to get people moving in the right direction, but we had a meeting where a couple of hundred people turned up and a volunteer core was formed. That core started the tendering process and defined a vision for where we wanted to go.
The next significant step was to raise funds so that the LRA could operate. We called for contributions to a capital fund of R1500 per household, and soon had a kitty of close to R500 000. The interest from the money (the capital was held in trust pending final approval of how best to use it), funded the operations for the initial months.
The third key step was to take control of our administration and directly contract with the residents, using our security provider as an outsource operation to whom we pay one cheque at the end of each month. To do this, we agreed on a deduction from the gross security payment to cover our admin costs (which we were taking away from the security provider) and appointed a company to manage it for us. This had two important consequences: it took administration away from volunteers who had limited time and resources and gave us full control of the money. The first addresses the problem of volunteer fatigue as enthusiasm dwindles; the second recognises that money is power - you may not like it, but it is an ineluctable truth.
Today, the LRA is a R15m per annum business, directly employing six people, and through contracts with service providers employs nearly 300 people providing security, administration, technical support and, most recently, marketing services. The core of our success is simply coordination and the power to say what we want from the security company instead of accepting what they want to offer.
Coordination makes a tremendous difference. If you have six independent vehicles in a 15 km area, you can push your panic button and 'your' response vehicle is 4 km away (or in another area entirely), while a rival company's vehicle is around the corner and unaware of what is going on. We currently have four vehicles, two motorbikes, 12 foot patrols and over 60 complex and road closure guards all on a common radio network. Plus there are undercover agents feeding information in. We know we have prevented at least two robberies in the shopping centre.
We made mistakes along the way, one of which was a phase of being a touch over-proud of ourselves, and not working very well with the SAPS, but we have been cooperating much better with them over the last year and appreciate the support we get from them.
The results are clear. There is still crime in Lonehill, but we have contained it to well below the levels experienced in surrounding areas. In the last six years we have had one murder: not good, but prior to the LRA security initiative we would have expected at least a dozen in that time. We are achieving a steady long-term decrease in crime, although the beginning of 2006 has threatened our record, but armed robbery in particular has shown a surge throughout the area and we are getting some of the spillover.
We have not deployed technology in the form of cameras and monitoring systems, yet. Cost is a factor, but it is chiefly the cost of human monitoring to make them effective rather than the equipment cost; but we believe that as sector wages rise and equipment costs fall, we will soon be re-evaluating surveillance technologies. Fewer, higher-level people working shorter shifts are becoming relatively more affordable as wage structures change, and the advent of IP video surveillance offers many possibilities such as letting volunteer residents get directly involved in monitoring, doing virtual patrols without having to leave their homes; or to transmit video feeds directly to reaction vehicles as they respond; and to track suspicious persons and vehicles without having reaction vehicles rushing around searching for them.
For more information contact Dr Chris Crozier, 011 783 1508, chris@cirrus.co.za
by Dr Chris Crozier, chairman, Lonehill Residents' Association - 6/1/2006
The Lonehill Residents' Association (LRA) is now probably the most active and organised volunteer residents' association in the country, a state it has reached in the last six years after 20 or so years of being like most other RAs.
In the late '90s, crime in Lonehill was out of control, and it was scant consolation that other areas were in the same predicament. Armed robberies, hijackings and worse were commonplace: two or three residents were killed every year in violent crime incidents. Finally, in mid-2000, an angered resident, Trevor Nel, who had had enough, started an aggressive, in-your-face campaign to do something about it. Nel's initiative led directly to the LRA in its current form and there is no doubt that through the efforts of the LRA over the last five years as many as 10 or 12 lives have been saved.
The key to getting control of our suburb was to leverage combined purchasing power. The fact was that we were spending hundreds of thousands of rand every month for multiple, uncoordinated security companies who saw their role as reactive, not preventative, and were patently ineffective in stemming the criminal rampage. We went out to tender to get a security company on board that was willing and able to provide more than reaction services. We wanted every home, road closure and townhouse complex to be linked into a common security network, with bobby-on-the-beat foot patrols, a coordinated and dedicated squad of reaction vehicles and our own local control room.
The process was kick-started, tragically, by a particularly horrific hijacking gone wrong that left a resident with seven AK-47 bullets in him (he miraculously survived, though at enormous physical, emotional and financial cost) and 70 more in his vehicle. Unfortunately it often takes a terrible incident to get people moving in the right direction, but we had a meeting where a couple of hundred people turned up and a volunteer core was formed. That core started the tendering process and defined a vision for where we wanted to go.
The next significant step was to raise funds so that the LRA could operate. We called for contributions to a capital fund of R1500 per household, and soon had a kitty of close to R500 000. The interest from the money (the capital was held in trust pending final approval of how best to use it), funded the operations for the initial months.
The third key step was to take control of our administration and directly contract with the residents, using our security provider as an outsource operation to whom we pay one cheque at the end of each month. To do this, we agreed on a deduction from the gross security payment to cover our admin costs (which we were taking away from the security provider) and appointed a company to manage it for us. This had two important consequences: it took administration away from volunteers who had limited time and resources and gave us full control of the money. The first addresses the problem of volunteer fatigue as enthusiasm dwindles; the second recognises that money is power - you may not like it, but it is an ineluctable truth.
Today, the LRA is a R15m per annum business, directly employing six people, and through contracts with service providers employs nearly 300 people providing security, administration, technical support and, most recently, marketing services. The core of our success is simply coordination and the power to say what we want from the security company instead of accepting what they want to offer.
Coordination makes a tremendous difference. If you have six independent vehicles in a 15 km area, you can push your panic button and 'your' response vehicle is 4 km away (or in another area entirely), while a rival company's vehicle is around the corner and unaware of what is going on. We currently have four vehicles, two motorbikes, 12 foot patrols and over 60 complex and road closure guards all on a common radio network. Plus there are undercover agents feeding information in. We know we have prevented at least two robberies in the shopping centre.
We made mistakes along the way, one of which was a phase of being a touch over-proud of ourselves, and not working very well with the SAPS, but we have been cooperating much better with them over the last year and appreciate the support we get from them.
The results are clear. There is still crime in Lonehill, but we have contained it to well below the levels experienced in surrounding areas. In the last six years we have had one murder: not good, but prior to the LRA security initiative we would have expected at least a dozen in that time. We are achieving a steady long-term decrease in crime, although the beginning of 2006 has threatened our record, but armed robbery in particular has shown a surge throughout the area and we are getting some of the spillover.
We have not deployed technology in the form of cameras and monitoring systems, yet. Cost is a factor, but it is chiefly the cost of human monitoring to make them effective rather than the equipment cost; but we believe that as sector wages rise and equipment costs fall, we will soon be re-evaluating surveillance technologies. Fewer, higher-level people working shorter shifts are becoming relatively more affordable as wage structures change, and the advent of IP video surveillance offers many possibilities such as letting volunteer residents get directly involved in monitoring, doing virtual patrols without having to leave their homes; or to transmit video feeds directly to reaction vehicles as they respond; and to track suspicious persons and vehicles without having reaction vehicles rushing around searching for them.
For more information contact Dr Chris Crozier, 011 783 1508, chris@cirrus.co.za
Friday, June 22, 2007
Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
Perceptions are important... and here's what I perceive right now while driving around Lonehill.
It seems to be pretty clean and in good condition once again, and the proactive guards and vehicles seem to be far more visible and attentive again. Just the way we like to see it as a minimum basic standard of service delivery.
Clearly, LRA Chairman Rob Gillespie and his team have stimulated a marked improvement in the management of security service levels, communication and visibility of our inititiative. Let's give credit where credit is due.
It is always important to encourage those who make a difference.
Giving credit where credit is due... the more I think about this... the more I believe that this is what makes for quality leadership.
I'd certainly like to see a lot more prominence given to those who have clearly stood up at significant moments in Lonehill's past, and to those currently and in future who do and will stand up, to make positive difference-making things happen in a MASSIVE meaningful way in this community.
Often these people are unheralded, go unrecognised, are in danger of being forgotten, and their input is often ignored for puerile personal/political like/dislike reasons (i.e. grow up, people), or just not sought after. I talk of people like Lindy Boulanger (Lonehill's most caring connector); Joy Cook (vociferous Complex representative), Geoff Caplin and Bill Parr (both made the Observer program tick like a well-oiled clock), to name just a few. There are many others that I can mention.
This forum has been very much about the strategic RAISING of our community standards by getting the 'right people on the bus' and removing those who have clearly not made any significant measurable difference off the unique foundation of a cash-positive community initiative that we contributors have provided them with.
The continual raising of standards is the essence of LEADERSHIP that everyone should look for in any project that they champion... and which is almost universally lacking in most projects driven to failure.
This interesting presentation - The Importance of Being a Leader - www.fngla.org/leadership/doc/ImportanceofBeingaLeader.ppt - has some interesting pointers (from slide13 - titled Give Credit Where Credit Is Due) that can be applied to greater effect in our Lonehill community initiative:
Pointer 1. Create a climate where people are involved and important.
Pointer 2. Always give credit for the contributions of others…no matter what the size of the contribution.
Pointer 3. We become more powerful when we give our power away.
Quote: 'You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.' - Harry S. Truman
Some further interesting quotes and pointers from the presentation that stimulate thought related to our initiative are:
Quote: 'The success of a grassroots group is attributable, in part, to the coordination and motivation of group members. The extent to which a grassroots organization encourages members to identify with the group may be important for sustained success.' (Bettencourt, p. 170.)
This quote highlights one of my key concerns for our current LRA executive who appear to operate almost directly contrary to the above sentiment. Methinks they appear a little too fearful of, or overly-sensitive to, the criticisms of others and/or lacking in confidence to bring a major day-long INDABA together of all key interested stakeholders in this community (yes, decision-makers in Summercon, the Shopping Centre, Complex Chairpeople, Church Leaders, Business People, anyone with a passionate interest in our community) - whether they agree or disagree with individual Board members views.
If the challenge is a fear for facilitating such meeting, I will happily do it (as much-loved as I am by many of the above ;-) or I will find the second-best of facilitators from outside this community to do it.
The danger in not doing the above is that the 'few' will again misread the sentiments of the community or thumbsuck their own assumptions once again which will lead to a repeat of last year's disastrous first AGM happening again in the future.
To repeat Point 1. above again: Create a climate where people are involved and important.
Quote: 'Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses' George Washington Carver
Anyone attending the latest quarterly feedback session would have been galled at the silly excuse of people being too short to do a decent job on the community noticeboards. I long ago gave up buying the silly excuses emanating consistently from the same source. I find it difficult to accept that short people lacking in any ideas are still around to regale us with consistent excuses and apologies. It does nothing for the current executive who appear to stand by such mediocrity. Someone please show me what they do to make a positive difference in this community that can't be done a thousand times better by those more motivated. Get the right people on the bus... or show me some measurable indication of their positive contribution to growing this initiative.
By the way, did anyone notice at the last quarterly feedback meeting presentation that our unilaterally changed logo (obviously changed sometime during our farcical marketing debacle era) seems to reflect the singular resident - "Lonehill Resident's Association" (note the apostrophe) as opposed to what we used to be - "Lonehill Residents Association" - reflecting all residents. Someone please correct me. Am I again showing my grammatical ignorance, to which I will always profess.. ;-)
If I'm correct this error will forever symbolise for me the classic mistakes of mediocrity made by autocratic, unitlateral decision-makers who believe that they alone represent a community's interests. I wonder who signed off on it?
Quote: 'Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility….In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.' Michael Korda - Editor-in-Chief, Simon & Schuster
What are the measurables (KPI's/CSF's - Key Performance Indicators/Critical Success Factors) that LRA service providers and LRA board members are asked to deliver on? What numbers can we use to assess how well people are delivering on their responsibilities? These have not been clarified in the current executives term which can indicate a specific weakness or fear for accountability. As community stakeholders we're entitled to hold our service provideres and excutives to account... and they should relish the challenge.
Pointer: 'You Cannot be a Leader if Your “View” Does Not Change… A leader encounters the world outside the boundaries of an organization, the more you know about the world, the easier it is to approach it with assurance. Take every opportunity to expand your “view”.'
To be honest, I think that current LRA board members seem to have done a great job of re-instilling basic MANAGEMENT criteria over people that should be able to manage themselves. I don't believe that this is 'leadership'. I believe that leadership needs to recognise that strategy and direction needs to be applied to stimulating a massive leap in the growth of our community initiative project. Get rid of those who cannot manage themselves.
Pointer: 'True leaders foster risk taking, encouraging others to step out into the unknown, rather than play it safe' (Kouzes & Posner, 2002.)
Personally, I have found this to be the one major stumbling blocks for the vast majority of those who have found their way onto the LRA board during my time of involment since initiating this Lonehill community project. What they miss is that it took some huge risks by us founder/initiatitors of this initiative to put our reputations on the line to deliver an initiative of this scale. To take it to the next level takes much less of a reputational risk than it does to sit back and preside over its mediocre collapse into a heap of mismanagement and disarray.
So in giving credit where credit is due to those who have brought us back to a basic minimum standard that we had once achieved a few years ago... my ongoing encouragement is for the LRA Board to be different to their immediate predecessors and open up to include those who want to make a massive difference in this community... everyone can be catered for (regardless of their vested interest) with the correct strategic thinking. Just do it..!
For extra reading:
Communities: Coming Together Through Effective Leadership
http://www.achievementgaps.org/nea/CommunitiesComingTogether.pdf
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
It seems to be pretty clean and in good condition once again, and the proactive guards and vehicles seem to be far more visible and attentive again. Just the way we like to see it as a minimum basic standard of service delivery.
Clearly, LRA Chairman Rob Gillespie and his team have stimulated a marked improvement in the management of security service levels, communication and visibility of our inititiative. Let's give credit where credit is due.
It is always important to encourage those who make a difference.
Giving credit where credit is due... the more I think about this... the more I believe that this is what makes for quality leadership.
I'd certainly like to see a lot more prominence given to those who have clearly stood up at significant moments in Lonehill's past, and to those currently and in future who do and will stand up, to make positive difference-making things happen in a MASSIVE meaningful way in this community.
Often these people are unheralded, go unrecognised, are in danger of being forgotten, and their input is often ignored for puerile personal/political like/dislike reasons (i.e. grow up, people), or just not sought after. I talk of people like Lindy Boulanger (Lonehill's most caring connector); Joy Cook (vociferous Complex representative), Geoff Caplin and Bill Parr (both made the Observer program tick like a well-oiled clock), to name just a few. There are many others that I can mention.
This forum has been very much about the strategic RAISING of our community standards by getting the 'right people on the bus' and removing those who have clearly not made any significant measurable difference off the unique foundation of a cash-positive community initiative that we contributors have provided them with.
The continual raising of standards is the essence of LEADERSHIP that everyone should look for in any project that they champion... and which is almost universally lacking in most projects driven to failure.
This interesting presentation - The Importance of Being a Leader - www.fngla.org/leadership/doc/ImportanceofBeingaLeader.ppt - has some interesting pointers (from slide13 - titled Give Credit Where Credit Is Due) that can be applied to greater effect in our Lonehill community initiative:
Pointer 1. Create a climate where people are involved and important.
Pointer 2. Always give credit for the contributions of others…no matter what the size of the contribution.
Pointer 3. We become more powerful when we give our power away.
Quote: 'You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.' - Harry S. Truman
Some further interesting quotes and pointers from the presentation that stimulate thought related to our initiative are:
Quote: 'The success of a grassroots group is attributable, in part, to the coordination and motivation of group members. The extent to which a grassroots organization encourages members to identify with the group may be important for sustained success.' (Bettencourt, p. 170.)
This quote highlights one of my key concerns for our current LRA executive who appear to operate almost directly contrary to the above sentiment. Methinks they appear a little too fearful of, or overly-sensitive to, the criticisms of others and/or lacking in confidence to bring a major day-long INDABA together of all key interested stakeholders in this community (yes, decision-makers in Summercon, the Shopping Centre, Complex Chairpeople, Church Leaders, Business People, anyone with a passionate interest in our community) - whether they agree or disagree with individual Board members views.
If the challenge is a fear for facilitating such meeting, I will happily do it (as much-loved as I am by many of the above ;-) or I will find the second-best of facilitators from outside this community to do it.
The danger in not doing the above is that the 'few' will again misread the sentiments of the community or thumbsuck their own assumptions once again which will lead to a repeat of last year's disastrous first AGM happening again in the future.
To repeat Point 1. above again: Create a climate where people are involved and important.
Quote: 'Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses' George Washington Carver
Anyone attending the latest quarterly feedback session would have been galled at the silly excuse of people being too short to do a decent job on the community noticeboards. I long ago gave up buying the silly excuses emanating consistently from the same source. I find it difficult to accept that short people lacking in any ideas are still around to regale us with consistent excuses and apologies. It does nothing for the current executive who appear to stand by such mediocrity. Someone please show me what they do to make a positive difference in this community that can't be done a thousand times better by those more motivated. Get the right people on the bus... or show me some measurable indication of their positive contribution to growing this initiative.
By the way, did anyone notice at the last quarterly feedback meeting presentation that our unilaterally changed logo (obviously changed sometime during our farcical marketing debacle era) seems to reflect the singular resident - "Lonehill Resident's Association" (note the apostrophe) as opposed to what we used to be - "Lonehill Residents Association" - reflecting all residents. Someone please correct me. Am I again showing my grammatical ignorance, to which I will always profess.. ;-)
If I'm correct this error will forever symbolise for me the classic mistakes of mediocrity made by autocratic, unitlateral decision-makers who believe that they alone represent a community's interests. I wonder who signed off on it?
Quote: 'Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility….In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.' Michael Korda - Editor-in-Chief, Simon & Schuster
What are the measurables (KPI's/CSF's - Key Performance Indicators/Critical Success Factors) that LRA service providers and LRA board members are asked to deliver on? What numbers can we use to assess how well people are delivering on their responsibilities? These have not been clarified in the current executives term which can indicate a specific weakness or fear for accountability. As community stakeholders we're entitled to hold our service provideres and excutives to account... and they should relish the challenge.
Pointer: 'You Cannot be a Leader if Your “View” Does Not Change… A leader encounters the world outside the boundaries of an organization, the more you know about the world, the easier it is to approach it with assurance. Take every opportunity to expand your “view”.'
To be honest, I think that current LRA board members seem to have done a great job of re-instilling basic MANAGEMENT criteria over people that should be able to manage themselves. I don't believe that this is 'leadership'. I believe that leadership needs to recognise that strategy and direction needs to be applied to stimulating a massive leap in the growth of our community initiative project. Get rid of those who cannot manage themselves.
Pointer: 'True leaders foster risk taking, encouraging others to step out into the unknown, rather than play it safe' (Kouzes & Posner, 2002.)
Personally, I have found this to be the one major stumbling blocks for the vast majority of those who have found their way onto the LRA board during my time of involment since initiating this Lonehill community project. What they miss is that it took some huge risks by us founder/initiatitors of this initiative to put our reputations on the line to deliver an initiative of this scale. To take it to the next level takes much less of a reputational risk than it does to sit back and preside over its mediocre collapse into a heap of mismanagement and disarray.
So in giving credit where credit is due to those who have brought us back to a basic minimum standard that we had once achieved a few years ago... my ongoing encouragement is for the LRA Board to be different to their immediate predecessors and open up to include those who want to make a massive difference in this community... everyone can be catered for (regardless of their vested interest) with the correct strategic thinking. Just do it..!
For extra reading:
Communities: Coming Together Through Effective Leadership
http://www.achievementgaps.org/nea/CommunitiesComingTogether.pdf
Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident
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