NEW LRA Board - First 100 Days - Promising!

Here's what I perceived from the LRA's 'first' quarterly feedback meeting of the year:

1. The NEW Board of Directors inherited an infrastructure of 'mis-management & disarray'.
2. The first 100 days have been spent on 'stabilising' the LRA foundation.
3. Standards seem to again be approaching where they were 3 years ago.
4. There is a promising return to reinstating and further developing Mass Consumer Benefits for contributors.
5. There is clearly a difference in passion and commitment injected by NEW blood on the LRA board.

Firstly, I doff my cap to those who have passionately contributed to making this difference. You know in your heart of hearts who YOU are. Thank you for what you are doing for our peace of mind, safety and security in Lonehill. No amount of critique/criticism (fair or unfair) can ever be directed at those who give of their very best efforts - especially as volunteers.

Secondly, I found myself assessing that the feedback was very light on SERIOUS strategy for dealing with the No.1 EMOTIONAL issue on all South Africans minds right now - CRIME. In my opinion, we appear to have allowed our security provider's service to slip back to reactive mode as opposed to raising their awareness (on the ground) to that of PROACTIVE mode. To be fair, I have seen an improvement in standards from last year - so something positive is definitely emanating from the Security Committee function.

However, I am wholly concerned when local leaders believe that 'we will never eradicate crime compeletely'... because that implies sub-conciously that we will not try to institute a 100% Zero Tolerance Crime Free community. When you allow a breach in the wall of your mind as leader, the problem flows through followers minds like water through a dyke... pretty soon it becomes a flood of tsunami proportions.

In my opinion, that is what happened over the past three years. When you are unconciously conditioned to accept 'failure' (to accept that 'apathy' rules and 'people don't care') - no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant, you become inured to declining standards by those who take advantage of the gaps (and I am talking about those supposedly on your side - paid service providers and their employees) until the flood of problems hits you rudely in the face.

To me, one incident of CRIME in Lonehill is one too many, no matter who it happens to - contributor or not!

I made the comment at this meeting that VISIBILITY of our proactive guarding force is one of our biggest challenges (they just do not SEEM to be around when we drive around - especially at night), that ideally we need to double-to-triple the visible presence on the ground, that the quality of this proactive presence needs to ideally be upgraded 1000% (I disagree with the 'Ranger' suggestion that we reduce numbers to increase quality of proactive guarding presence - I'll buy having the 'Ranger' idea added to our numbers).

Further, I made the comment in recognition that such commitment to ZERO crime is a function of increased FUNDING. This is a MAJOR priority. And here's where I found the presentation really light on relevant strategy! Our strategy seems to be majoring on soft minor things... instead of highlighting the critical core MAJOR future needs and solutions..! I acknowledge that this may be a legacy of the current 'stabilisation' objectives... but I remain very concerned that time/resource does not appear to be allocated to critical and simple core strategies designed to run concurrently and to address the MAJOR priority above.

Others also made the point that there is the clear feeling that the few are funding the security of the many. This is a perception that must be refuted or if correct, addressed as a priority.

Here's my encouragement, don't fear the challenge of increasing funding, there's plenty out there when the foundation is right.

Thirdly, I found myself assessing that we have a strangely skewed system in Lonehill where passionate unpaid volunteers (some I'm concerned to see feeling 'press-ganged' and obviously unhappy) are clearly shoring up the poor/incompetent standards of delivery provided by PAID service providers.

Last year, we had the ridiculous situation of voluntary managers managing a 'professional' manager employed to manage the paid service provider managers that weren't managing their service delivery to the levels that we wanted them managed. Phew! That's how absurdly comical it was... albeit having very serious consequences that almost drove our initiative back onto the rocks, and perhaps still in further need of 'stabilising' to ensure that it doesn't end up there.

I have one very strong opinion on this, get rid of the INCOMPETENT/ENCE when you see it... someone is clearly responsible for delivering on, administering or overseeing the stated 'mis-management and disarray' at the service delivery core... for being a part of the problem. I ask one question, what makes anyone think that such individuals can take personal responsibility for delivering any differently today? I, personally have zero confidence in retaining the services of those who were at the core of the problem inherited by the NEW board.

PAY people for excellent performance. Perhaps start paying extraordinary Lonehill volunteer contributors an honorarium for outstanding performance. I still have faith in Lonehillers to be able to set the quality of standards that they will work to and to claim a commensurate return for such effort.... and to recognise when they are not performing and to move aside for those that can and want to. I believe that PERSONAL INTEGRITY will always define the individual... and lack of integrity will always be exposed.

Fourth, I found a massive difference between the basic, but effective, (what I consider to have been disingenuous) pink and blue pamphlet drop promotion drive emanating from last years LRA offices to attract people to the previous community meeting at the Village Church in their droves... as compared to the marked lack of similar basic promotion drive for this quarterly feedback meeting. Seems to me that where people's personal egos are involved they get off their butts and do what they should be doing as a matter of course. The fact that they don't do it when it really counts exposes, to me, their lack of value to this community.

Fifth, I found that there is still a struggle to be OPEN & TRANSPARENT with figures and statistics (it is too easy to selectively use cherry-picked numbers to support one's argument - the real picture almost always lies in the figures not being highlighted)... although there is a marked improvement in transparency which I continue to encourage.

Here's my advice, don't get cute with numbers... open them up completely... let people criticise and complain... and here's what will happen... they will lead to realisations of our true community challenges and INNOVATIVE ideas coming back from a community of individuals who clearly have the ability, skills and expertise to make MAGIC happen.

I close by repeating: I doff my cap to those who have passionately contributed to making this difference. You know in your heart of hearts who YOU are. It's tough work, isn't it?

With apologies to those who don't like me saying it as I see it... if you want a pat on the back for doing a great job... DO a great job... ;-)

Clearly some are doing a great job. A PROMISING first 100 days. Thank you, Thank You, Thank YOU..!

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident