Lonehill Community Stakeholders

Now THAT's More Like It!

2009-04-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

Spotted this interesting statement on www.lonehill.net - 14.04.09 - 12:59- DRAMATIC DROP IN CRIME IN GREATER LONEHILL AREA :

'The Lonehill Residents Association (LRA) is pleased to announce that there has been a dramatic drop in the incidents of crime in and around Lonehill, Beverley and Lonehill East areas over the past few weeks. Most areas have in fact experienced no reported crime at all, with only a few exceptions. '

Now THAT's more like it!

THAT's what we want to hear from our LRA.

Why it took so long to focus on the simple deliverables that we expect for what we pay, no one will ever know... save to say that I believe it was due to the standard malaise that sets into arrogant voluntary-based resident-type associations - they fell asleep! And some were well paid for this non-delivery of what we expect!

So what has done the trick? According to the quoted report, this did it: 'In line with the application of the enhanced security plan announced last year by the LRA, after substantial research and inputs, it would appear that the combination of improved training, deployment, tactics, and technology amongst the LRA Fidelity teams and the activities of the SAPS and SAPS Reservists is having a marked effect on reducing crime in our area.'

Quite simple, but everyone knew this years ago... we pay for this every month... why it takes so long to deliver on expected deliverables floors me. We pay for a proactive security solution, finished and klaar!

Now for an upcoming bone of contention - I see a little note to the next public feedback meeting - 7th May 19:00 - says 'Important - security cost increases will also be tabled' .

For what? The pathetic security we experienced in our community last year?

Actually, we are owed something back for being let down as we were!

And what about those who don't contribute? Who has brought THEM into the fold!

And why are the original contributors required to continue carrying an increased burden?

Where's the marketing that was promised... where's the sign-ons... what are the comparitive stats contributors vs. non-contributors... what stats demonstrate parity of contributions... who takes responsibility for the marketing to these non-contributors... wasn't that part of the Security tender conditions... what alternatives can be applied... who has failed us here?

In the recent post - VISIBILITY - One Off Wonder... Or Permanent Feature? - I made this note:

'I do hope that the LRA refer back to VISIBILITY & Vigilance - No.1 Priority and recognise that they have begun action on only part of the formula:

Priority No. 1 Strategy should be simple:

SECURITY ==> VISIBILITY & VIGILANCE ==> FUNDING

It's too easy just to raise the fees of those who contribute, without taking the tough road of doing one's homework first on non-contributors and/or looking for alternative routes of funding. My guess is that this issue is the WEAKEST function of our Lonehill community initiative run by the LRA.

Show me the homework done... and the effort put into to bringing non-contributors on board and or alternative funding mechanisms proposed BEFORE you ask me for more money!

Trevor Nel
Lonehill Resident - 011 - 705-2790

Welcome BACK - Doug Black

2009-04-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Just as I wrote in Lonehill: Should We Be IMPRESSED? - one can clearly see what gets achieved when you put the right man into the right function.

Welcome back - Doug Black!

Don't know why it takes so long to appoint the correct people?

This is what appeared in above article: 'Must say that I have been impressed by the exceptionally high visibility of Doug Black (standing in for a recuperating Ian Bell) and the Lonehill Estate Management vehicle. It seems that everywhere I drive around Lonehill, there is Doug and his team cleaning up something, somewhere.'

'Thanks Doug, your activity delivers on the vision of pro-active community management that launched this community initiative.'

Now for some with leadership, strategy, vision and marketing nous!

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

VISIBILITY - One Off Wonder... Or Permanent Feature?

2009-03-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

Back in February 2007 I wrote: VISIBILITY & Vigilance - No.1 Priority

Took a while, but seems that our LRA finally got to some action on this front. Hopefully, at last this belated action by the LRA will prove to be a permanent and regular feature feature in our community... and not just a one-off wonder that lulls everyone (especially those resonsible for delivering on their security deliverables) back into a state of slumber once again.

See this copy from Monday 16th March LRA newsletter:

SECURITY - LRA & SAPS SPECIAL OPS

Following the LRA security feedback meeting at Crawford Prep on the 3rd of March, the LRA conducted the largest single security operation in Lonehill, Beverley and Lonehill East on Tuesday, the 10th of March. The special operation started in the early hours of the morning. It involved almost seventy members of the SAPS, SAPS Reserve, Metro Police Services, the LRA, Fidelity Security Services (the LRA security service provider) and representation from RSS.

Security checks were conducted in the residential areas and road blocks were set up under a stop-and-search authority issued by SAPS Douglasdale. The operation was carried out by highly trained members of the SAPS Reservists supported by the SAPS Rapid Reaction Force. The message to criminals and criminal elements is clear...The LRA and our community mean business! And there’s more bad news for criminal elements...this was just the beginning.
We did not only learn from the logistics and coordination of the various elements involved in the operation, but also had the opportunity to use new equipment such as high tech body armour and the new Lonehill Security reflective vests. Special flyers with crime advice from the LRA and SAPS were distributed to the public.

The community of Lonehill shall benefit immensely from this historic operation between the Lonehill Residents Association and local security services/providers. We are determined to enforce zero tolerance towards crime. The whole community must be involved and we would encourage anyone who wishes to get involved in these initiatives in various capacities including volunteering for the SAPS Reservists to contact the LRA Offices for more information as to how to get involved. The LRA wish to thank the SAPS for their dedication to the fight against crime.

I love this line - 'We are determined to enforce zero tolerance towards crime' - makes a welcome change to the piddle-poor LRA attitude to our community security that really piddled me off last year - see: Lonehill: Who's Fooling WHO..? . What a pity that their collective attitude stank so much. It's going to take a long time for me to ever trust or have faith in this lot again... if ever!

I do hope that the LRA refer back to VISIBILITY & Vigilance - No.1 Priority and recognise that they have begun action on only part of the formula:

Priority No. 1 Strategy should be simple:

SECURITY ==> VISIBILITY & VIGILANCE ==> FUNDING

I do like the fact that they now appear to be doing what they should have been doing for the last few years of my highlighting their alarming failings on this forum. Let's see how long they can last... or whether this IS just a one-off wonder.

Now, if we can only get our proactive guards more visibile for the full period of their shifts... there is often not a sight of a guard between 5 to 7 both a.m. and p.m.

Trevor Nel
Lonehill Resident - 011 - 705-2790

Promising? ACTION Is What We Want To See From Our LRA.

2009-03-08T20:58:00.001-07:00

Pity that the LRA feedback meetings were moved from Saturday mornings to weekday evenings... just means that some of us can't make 'em.. ;-)

From the LRA mailing received - see below - it seems that the LRA slumber of last year is hopefully being replaced by a semblance of some decision-making... that's better, ACTION is what we want to see from our LRA... time will tell if they match their words with deeds!

My comment in light blue below:

LONEHILL RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION SECURITY FEEDBACK AND UPDATE MEETING 3 MARCH 2009 - 06.03.09 - 10:53

1. The LRA was founded in 2000 on the back of a then existing serious deterioration in the crime occurrence statistics in Lonehill with the shooting of Steve Parrymore being the galvanizing event it proved to be. The LRA was in existence when my family arrived in Lonehill in 1988. Seem to recall that the original developers established the LRA with first purchasers. The Lonehill Security Action Group formed in 2000 to establish the foundation of this current Lonehill community initiative and merged itself with funds collected into the LRA in 2001. The LRA should strive to be a custodian of accurate historic records of this community.

2. The founders’ vision, which remains the same today, was:

2.1. The creation of a 24/7 security protection zone in Lonehill so that residents in the area would be free to live, exercise, shop and relax in a crime protected environment Would prefer a 'crime free' environment... ;-)

2. 2. To “come home to a quality” environment where parks, verges and common areas were properly maintained

The original VISION was actually stated as: ‘An upmarket community where all residents are free to live, shop and exercise in pristine surroundings with total peace of mind in their personal safety and security’.

3. To this end a security and area maintenance plan was devised that suited the needs of the community and met, by and large, the requirements of the Vision

4. Was the plan successful?Crime in Lonehill from 2000 to the present is considerably lower than surrounding areas and in some cases by 80% or more Does this statistic measure up against the zero tolerance standard of the LRA...certainly not and more particularly the members of our community who have been subjected to criminal activity.There is little divergence of opinion that in the area of the maintenance of the environment, the LRA has been successful in maintaining area quality and maintenance in difficult circumstances

5. As with almost anything else in this world, however, crime and criminals evolve their modus operandi. Yesterdays solutions are not necessarily today’s answers. The LRA’s approach and methodology to crime deterrence must also evolve accordingly Whilst there have been previous surges in crime statistics in Lonehill such as in 2004, the facts are that since October/November 2008 there has been a surge in criminal activity as outlined in the crime stats report back

6. As a result of several armed incidents, the LRA embarked upon one of the most comprehensive residential security reviews carried out in South Africa. This involved consultations with the SAPS, SAPS Reservists, Department of Justice, Business Against Crime, various Security Service providers and consultants, Security Technology Providers , community leaders and Association members from other complexes such as Dainfern and Fourways Gardens, some past LRA leadership and of course inputs from the Lonehill Community itself.

7. The LRA was able to distil the following concerning the present situation we face:

7.1. Most dangerous challenge is the drive in armed gang usually operating in numbers of 2 to 5

7.2 Hawkers can act as information sources for criminals

7.3. Housebreakers can move into a complex and take advantage of slack personal security habits such as open windows, no alarms, doors not locked and properties left in darkness to steal

7.4. Apathy in general towards security and critical attitudes

7.5. Challenges with management and personnel and equipment of the service provider

7.6. Massive increase in through traffic and pedestrians throughout Lonehill and surrounds

7.7. The fact that we are an “open” suburb with no perimeter fence or wall and no entrance control

We the community of Lonehill stand at a time of decision and direction

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty : Churchill

If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future : Churchill

There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and misery
: Julius Caesar 4.3.218

Record the vision and make it plain
And Without a vision the people perish

Accordingly it is our intention to outline several steps we intend to initiate in the near future and to also seek your response on as the community of Lonehill:

1. SMS Warning SystemWe have installed an sms community warning system which at this time shall be offered as a free service to existing LRA security clients and to non clients at a nominal monthly fee of R30, 00. This system will enable all residents of Lonehill to receive real time warnings of any suspicious or criminal activity as it becomes known to the Fidelity Control Room, wanted or sought vehicles or persons that may operate in our area, Community Notices and Community Interest materials.The challenge is that we need to swiftly verify and upload thousands of cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses on our databases. If anyone is willing to assist please speak to us after the meeting.

2. Ideco Fingerprinting and Personnel Verification SystemFor a nominal fee residents of Lonehill can access security clearance checks for domestic workers, for both current and potential employment. In the unlikely event of an issue a full record of such person’s background can be made available.

3. Domestic ForumCommunity domestic workers are receiving training at a bi-monthly LRA Domestic Forum. Some of the topics covered include security issues, first aid, recycling and what to do in emergency situations. These forums will create a useful source of area security intelligence.

4. Marketing Drive. We are in the process of launching a comprehensive marketing drive to increase membership of the LRA and to increase the co operation between various security service providers, the Police services and local government departments.

5. Observer Groups.This function, which proved useful and effective in the past, consists of groups of volunteers from the community who do not wish to be directly involved in confronting criminal elements but who wish to contribute by checking up on guards and their routines, equipment, and by going around Lonehill and its environs and reporting any suspicious activity to the LRA Control Room.PLEASE WOULD YOU CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING TO JOIN THE OBSERVER GROUPS TO ASSIST OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS MANNER.

6. Specialist additional Reaction Force.We are at an advanced stage of investigating and costing the provision of a Specialist Reaction Force to supplement our current reaction force officers. This will consist of two man teams with additional training and weaponry, special equipment such as night vision equipment, and will be used to supplement pro- active patrolling when not deployed on response.

7. SAPS Reservists InitiativeWe are calling on members of our community to volunteer to serve in the Reservists. Reservists have the power of search and arrest and will have proper training and equipment to conduct roadblocks and crime intervention and proactive patrolling subject to the command structures of the SAPS. ## Devlin ....49 reservists at present and training course commencing, subject to confirmation in May 2009.He will address you for 5 minutes on the reservists and categories of reservists

FUNDING AN SAPS REACTION VEHICLE BY THE LRA Douglasdale SAPS are aiming to place a reaction vehicle in each of the sectors serviced by the station. It was agreed by the majority at the LRA meeting that the LRA would finance an emergency reaction vehicle dedicated to the policing in the Lonehill sector.

7. Booming of Lonehill. We have received various representations concerning closing off all or parts of Lonehill and Beverley. We are in the process of lobbying the municipality and relevant departments for approval of this project. Once approval has been granted we will commence with a fundraising initiative. Please be aware that this will be a lengthy process and the LRA will keep you informed every step of the way.

8. Traffic Camera Monitors linked to number plate recognition monitoringIrrespective of Booms or not, the installation of traffic monitoring cameras at the 7 main entrances to Lonehill and Beverley is being investigated. We have identified systems we wish to install in the form of monitoring cameras feeding a real time video stream to our control room and. The system also simultaneously checks number plate recognition against the NATIS database for stolen or flagged vehicles.

9. Community steps for personal security. We appeal to you, the community, to be more vigilant, and to report suspicious activity or strange vehicles or noises to the LRA FIDELITY control room. Take basic precautions to ensure you are not being followed.S ecure your homes and property by taking basic steps such as night lighting, keeping windows of unoccupied premises and windows closed and locked, keeping valuables such as laptops, jewellery, cell phones and the like secured and out of sight when you are not on the premises.

Install at least a panic system or alarm, Join the sms community alert system, Together, lets all make Lonehill the crime free zero tolerance zone we all strive for. We can do this ......together

Lonehill: What We have HERE Is..

2009-02-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

1. For some reason my ears ring with the immortal lines in the Paul Newman movie classic - Cool Hand Luke - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061512/ - 'What we have here is a failure to communicate'.

Was having a most enlightening series of discussions with an LRA director on www.lonehill.ning.com which highlighted our polar opposite viewpoints.

Most promising points made by said director were:

1. 'The LRA IS TOTALLY committed to the security and well being of Lonehill and its residents'

2. 'The LRA is in the process of upgrading security in the Lonehill environs and will continue to aspire with zero tolerance for a zero crime scenario.'

Sadly, said director seems to have pulled the plug on his communication contribution to the site and deleted his side of the discussions.

Don't know if it is because we were getting too close to sensitive territory for the LRA through my daring to comment: 'For contributors/stakeholders in the Lonehill community initiative who may not be able to be on the inside track of the LRA Board and/or make LRA meetings, there is NO alternative participatory, consultative, informative, feedback, communication loop process that provides an insight, or ability to provide input, into the establishing of or assessment of proposed/actual '..S.M.A.R.T. Objectives - (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Specific) - deliverables, accountabilities and responsibilities..' that we can all relate to.'

In the questions answered by the above LRA commentator as reported in Lonehill: Do Not Be Afraid To Question FEARLESSLY, hardly a specific answer can be deduced from the generalities provided.... let alone any further measurable to time-specific elements as discussed above.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that our LRA fell into slumber mode in 2008 which, for me, was reflected in the increased level of alarming security incidents in our community, and that they appear to have been stung into some type of action since.

Whilst one can sense something of an improvement in the attitude and awareness of our 'proactive' guarding presence on the ground and having being informed by above LRA commentator that we can expect things to happen this year, I have seen nothing of much change in attitude from our LRA directors to differ from my views voiced in Lonehill: Do Not Be Afraid To Question FEARLESSLY and Lonehill: Who's Fooling WHO..? .

To be fair, the new e-Newsletter looks good and the www.lonehill.net site shows promise - if all categories are populated - notably annual financials and monthly financial summaries. One just wonders why it takes SO LOOOOONG to do something like this, which can be constructed in way less than a week. Hopefully it is now backed up... unlike the previous slip-up.

A little sad to see that the interactive blog feature will be censored, especially if it is censored by those who cannot handle honest criticism with grace. Sounds a tad like the internet censorship laws in China... ;-)

Communication is a two-way dialogue... not just what one party wishes to hear or say.

2. All Lonehillers are encouraged to participate in open forum with their innovative thoughts and comments on www.lonehill.ning.com

Latest discussion posted is: What Will It Take To Make Lonehill Truly GREAT? - add your comment.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Do Not Be Afraid To Question FEARLESSLY

2008-12-18T01:34:00.000-08:00

After having had a great Christmas break on the KZN North Coast with family and friends, and having taken the time to review every post written on this forum by self (and having reread every link contained therein) , I so want to wish those directors and others on the LRA who take themselves overly seriously just to 'Be Happy' in 2009 and to get over their personal egos and their seemingly misplaced beliefs that the LRA must be protected from any form of critique or criticism at all costs.

I repeat my preface in Lonehill: Who's Fooling WHO..? (please read it in full) - 'Please note that my comments in this email/post are not aimed at those who truly make things work and happen in Lonehill. I will never criticise those who honestly strive for excellence in delivery of our vision.'

After much contemplation during this break I am absolutely convinced that it is the personal egos of some of those in 'leadership' positions on the LRA who are not willing to apply the most basic of inclusive community leadership principles that holds our LRA back from being the powerhouse it can possibly be for all resident stakeholders.

It is not as if they cannot do it, anyone can do it if they really want to, but in my opinion more to do with a Child-like (as in Adult, Parent, Child - Transactional Analysis) instinct that prevails in a school-yard playground - 'I'm in charge of the ball and I'll pick who can play in the game'. The Parent would say, 'If you can't play nicely together I'll take one or some of you out of the game' - typical of the autocrat. Whereas the Adult would look to ensure that everyone, who wants to, gets to play and enjoy themselves.

So, I guess what I am calling for is a commitment to Adult Leadership on the LRA... and I fully expect the Child and/or Parent in some to lash out in massive assumption and misinterpretation before reading this Adult Leadership link.

For those whose egos can't stand the introspection, I gift you with a great piece of prose that I discovered many years ago and which soothes my tender ego whenever ruffled by the criticism of others:

ANYWAY
sourced from - Readers Digest Dec. 1982

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centred.

Love them any way.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down
by the smallest people with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for some underdogs anyway.

What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

-------------------------------

The copy below was written in draft on 18th December, but not posted until after Christmas so as not to give some the heartache that they will extract from it:

Last year I was able to write - Lonehill: Grateful Thanks & A Simple Christmas Wish - '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.'

This year, as much as I'd like to give thanks to someone for making great things happen in our community I'm afraid that, in my opinion, it seems that we've gone backwards once again. And, what's the point of encouraging such retrograde steps with false compliments that some would like to hear.

In fact, reading this post - Here's OUR Challenge & Why WE Must Speak UP - written November 24 2006, where I wrote - 'My Point: Our challenge will be to proactively stem the influx of opportunistic criminal elements into our midst and thereby to protect our families peace-of-mind and security.' - it seems that we have slipped back to those times. What a sad waste of time, money and effort.

For me, and from my direct experience with some of these 'leaders', 2008 proved to be a sad, sad year for any prospect of great leadership taking root in our community.

I am of the opinion that our security initiative was allowed to slip into slumber mode, leaving us with primarily a reaction service as opposed to a proactive service, and as a result we probably had one of our worst years of security incidents on record since the launch of this initiative.

I cannot see anything of much added significance having been achieved this year by our LRA - apart from perhaps a focus on keeping the community neat and clean (aaaahhh, for that I can give thanks).

From the time we were attacked in our home - Lonehill: Attacked - 3 Gunmen Storm OUR Home! - to events leading up to and after my post - Lonehill: Who's Fooling WHO..? - the saddest revelation to me has been how our LRA 'leadership' have reacted in almost direct opposite contrast to the sage advice offered on the many, many leadership and community development links referred to on this forum.

To me, our current 'leadership' sucks in that they have no idea of how to respond positively to the challenges of community leadership innovation posed on this forum or to this writer, nor do they have any idea of how to include those in the community who do not conform to their views (regardless of whatever the commentators openly declared vested interests or otherwise)... and they react predictably with open indignation as being hard-done-by, unfairly-slated, community volunteers who 'are doing their best'.

They clearly get little to zero respect from this writer for not having the leadership maturity to rise above their predictable reactions to criticism from their public/s.

As example, it took over 70 days - Lonehill: 70 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA - to get something of an attempt at answers to some simple questions posed of the LRA - see 2 comments or extracts below - which questions seem not to have been appreciated at all by the LRA respondent. Now that should raise every thinking person's attennae.

I can predict, right now, their very reaction to the above introduction... and it won't be to compliment this writer for offering an honest and frank opinion that they will address positively... ;-)

So, despite what I expect to have heaped on self, here's my warning to our community... do not abrogate your responsibility to ask simple questions of those in positions of leadership and trust.

It is no slight on you or them.

And, if they think it is, and they demonstrate clearly that they don't like the responsibility that comes with leadership of answering questions related to their actions or otherwise - start asking MORE questions!

Here are some interesting links that relate to the importance of individuals asking questions of those in positions of trust, and high-risk characterisitics to look out for, in any organisation:

1. The importance of questioning fearlessly and answering honestly - extract1: 'Those in the position to answer them seem to regard questions as accusations, if not inquisitions. Questions make them feel threatened. Or humiliated. Or both. That psyche makes them paranoid. They become totally defensive. They try as best they can to get away with saying nothing. Alternatively, they become totally vicious and vindictive. If they have a nimble tongue, they fight back with facetious cynicism..'.

And, extract2: 'The supreme question-dodger is somebody who ignores the question and chooses to answer an unasked question of his own making. That way, any damn fool can, unquestionably, always answer a question. But that brings us no nearer to the truth under any circumstances.'

2. TheInfluenceofOne.pdf - 'The independence, freedom and transforming power of even a single citizen should not be underestimated. There have simply been too many that have prevailed against improbable odds.'

3. Developing Ethical Leadership - extract: 'Principles, values, cultures, and individual differences often conflict. Ethical leadership requires an attitude of humility rather than righteousness: a commitment to one’s own principles, and at the same time, openness to learning and to having conversations with others who may have a different way of seeing the world.'

4. David Alexander - '..it's important to look at character traits of managers. Those managers who are aggressive, have big egos and can't admit to being wrong are high-risk candidates.'

5. Bernie Madoff - $50 Billion Alleged Scam - ‘No one has ever dared question what I’m doing.’

Never, never, NEVER... be afraid to ask simple questions and get straight answers... so let's see how our LRA fare for you.

---------------------------------------

This extract from 2 comments - LRA response in blue below:

i. What are the biggest challenges facing our initiative in the coming year?

1.1. The prevention of crime and especially violent crime in Lonehill and environs on the basis of zero tolerance.

1.2. To continually and innovatively raise the performance levels of the security service provider and its personnel and that of the Association.

1.3.To ensure the continued improvement of the environment in Lonehill and its environs.

1.4. To remedy complacency and apathy in the greater Lonehill community towards the above aims and objectives and to promote community involvement and spirit in achieving such objectives.

1.5.To promote such community participation in an atmosphere of encouragement and support and to confront and eradicate the type of destructive input from one or two malcontents that continues to have the effect, intended or otherwise, of dissuading participation by many of the incredible giftings and talents latent in our community when they view the contemptuous and disparaging manner that Association members and staff are subjected to when serving their community.

1.6. Increase Association funding by raising membership and corporate sponsorship.

1.7. Improving the efficacy of SAPS, Metro and other government depatrment interface.

ii. What plans are in place to resolve those challenges and what innovations will we see?

2.1. The roll our of a comprehensive security enhancement programme, aspects of which are in the process of finalisation but components of which are already in action and have been publicised.

2.2. A new marketing initiative is in the process of implementation and the Association website updated and to be imminently re launched.

iii. Who is accountable for deliverables on these resolutions (what are their KPI's)?

3. The Association and its board and the management of the security service provider are responsible for deliverables and Key Performance Indicators for external assessment include crime statistics, the financial status and performance of the Association, the extent of community participation in Association events such as Carols by Candlelight, Fundays etc etc and the standard of the environment in the Lonehill and environs.

iv. What finances are required for the coming year and future... and where will it be sourced from?

4. The Financial Statements of the Association include forecasts of future expenditure and financial needs, track budget and actual income and expenditure and are subject to annual audit and monthly mamagement review by a Finance sub committee and regular community scrutiny at public feedback meetings.Future financial needs shall be sourced from present and future projected Association members and corporate sponsors and donors.

v. What are the critical numbers we should be watching to assess future success of the project?

5. The critical numbers and success indicators are set out in 3. above.

vi. What is being done to reduce the burden of current contributors?

6. A new marketing programme to attract additional members has been embarked upon and negotiations with service providers and corporate sponsors for limiting cost escalations and sponsorships are ongoing.

vii. Why do we only have +- 300 voting members on the LRA from +- 6000 householders?

7. One can only speculate as to why there are the number of voters as at present but it should be noted that when this Board commenced its tenure, there were only 8 members and now there are over 300.

viii. Are there any expected major budget allocations (in excess of R50 000 in total) that may be paid to individuals in the coming year and for what?

8. There are several sizeable budget allocations anticipated by the Association but excluding budgeted and regular salaries and remuneration, none of these allocations are to be paid to paid to individuals, but to service providers and equipment providers primarliy for improvements to the security of the community and environment.

ix. Should a new budget allocation limit be imposed on the Board requiring referral back to Members for approval?

9. At present, the practice of the Association is to disclose expenduitre of all sizes to the residents at regular feedback meetings generally before such expenditure is incurred save for urgent items and repairs. It follows however that disclosures can only be made once negotiations with service and/or equipment suppliers have been finalised so that accurate figures may be quoted. The Associations Board is authorised to carry on its business and that includes such activities as expenditure.

x. What added-value does each paid individual on the LRA add to our initiative (e.g if paid +- R250K, did individual add another +-R250K and more to the initiative)?

10. The value add by individuals to the Association, wherther paid or otherwise, is subjective and open to interpretation. Suffice to say that at present, the Association and its Board are satisfied that the limited personnel operating on behalf of the Association are performing a Herculean task in challenging circumstances but continually strive for higher standards and the implementation of technology to assist where appropriate.

xi. How can stakeholders benefit from and use the LRA community centre facilities which they have funded?

11. Concerning the community centre, if there are any suggestions for its use, please feel free to submit these."

It is not the Associations intention to get caught up in endless questioning of its affairs and will in future be focussing the energy applied on trying to answer your questions and elicit your co operation and support to more worthwhile endeavours such as the security of the community the Association was created to serve.

LRA

Tue Dec 09, 06:34:00 AM 2008

---------------------------------------

I will leave you to assess the above answers for yourself, and make my comment on them in January's post.

In the meantime, have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Man Assaulted At Lonehill Roadblock - 'Nobody In Control'

2008-12-04T04:58:00.000-08:00

Lonehill: Man Assaulted At Lonehill Roadblock - 'Nobody In Control' - click link for article

YOU can now comment on the above post on www.lonehill.ning.com - sign in (complimentary) and interact.

An informed community is one that communicates openly.

Take a look at and participate in the discussion links already posted on www.lonehill.ning.com (see below) or add your own:

Can ANY Criminal Intent Really Be Justified?

Victims Against Crime - The SCOURGE of "Complacency and Reasonableness"

Information and Intelligence Gathering - Criminal Activities

What Would YOU Like To See Discussed/Offered On This Forum

Please accept this invite to participate in a complimentary NEW Social Network Platform for the Greater Lonehill community.

Go to www.lonehill.ning.com and Sign Up.

Here's what you can do on this Lonehill Social Network Forum:

1. Stimulate Discussion Topics... make your comments known

2. Develop a local Security Alert facility

3. Create Individual Street/Complex Groups - invite your neighbours to participate - form Buddy-Buddy security networks to look after each other in your neighbourhood

4. Post Photos/Videos

5. Form local Interest/Service Groups - Bridge Clubs, Jogging, Camera Club, Security Observers, Counselors, Babysitters, Handymen, et al

6. Contribute Blog Posts

This is YOUR community.... make it work as YOU want it to work. All ideas and input welcome.

Go to www.lonehill.ning.com and Sign Up.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Oh, For A BARACK On Our LRA Board..!

2008-12-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I am not at all enamoured with our LRA 'leadership' - see Lonehill: Who's Fooling WHO..? - and nothing has transpired since that article to change my view.

I find it frightening and extremely unhealthy that one cannot ask questions and/or get answers of the LRA Board - see Lonehill: 70 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA

In my opinion, our LRA 'leadership' lacks authenticity for the reason advocated in this article: Authenticity Starts With Transparency - extract: 'Leadership is about influence. Influence is about buy-in. Buy-in comes through trust. Trust is born in transparency. Transparency is a reflection of authenticity... lack of transparency opens WIDE the door of misunderstanding... there is nothing that builds trust more, than letting people inside and being... TRANSPARENT.'

I noticed this recent announcement in the world media - Obama announces his national security team - 'Obama: I assembled this team because I am a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions. I think that's how the best decisions are made. '

Now THAT's Leadership!

Is Barack Obama going to make mistakes? Of course!

But, here's what I believe he recognises that our LRA 'leaders' don't - see Do you want to make better-quality decisions? - extracts: 'Many leaders, managers, supervisors, and employees have become conflict-averse. They shy away from conflict, feel uncomfortable about “going against the grain”, rocking the boat, or being perceived as a “trouble-maker,” not being a “team player.” If you’re not experiencing constructive conflict in your workplace, you’re most likely not making high-quality decisions; nor are you encouraging your colleagues to be committed to implementing the decisions you are making.'

A thought just struck me that it might be an interesting postulate to research that: 'weak leadership begets that which it fears most'.

Googled it and found these extracts:

1. 'Secrecy begets suspicion, suspicion begets fear and fear can beget conflict rather than cooperation.'

2. “Like begets like, honesty begets honesty; trust, trust, and so on.” James F. Bell - Here are the 12 most common reasons (not in any particular order) I hear over and over for why teams won’t take responsibility.

3. '..poor leadership begets more poor leadership because poor leaders often select managers who possess the same traits they themselves demonstrate.' - What It Takes to Be a Good Leader - Ken Blanchard

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

LRA Director Responds (extracted from comments)

2008-11-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

2 comments

J Berdou said...

Having read the contents of this blog as authored by Trevor Nel and several of his associated contributors, I decided to respond as per Nel's invite on the blog, to his version of the "attitude" of the current LRA board and related matters. I set this out as follows:

1. I find the depth of criticism, jaundiced interpretation of fact and perchance to insult and recrimination which is replete in regard to the present LRA board to be quite frankly disgusting, uncalled for and unnecessary not to mention the total antithesis of the community spirit Nel subscribes to or so he says.

2. The present LRA board are most certainly not subscribers to mediocrity in service delivery especially when it comes to the provision of security for the residents of Lonehill.The pursuit of zero defect in this respect is the top priority of the present LRA board and the SAPS statistics reveal that Lonehill experiences far lower levels of crime than any of its surrounding precincts which is a clear result of the LRA security initiative and its associated activities. The fact that some criminal activity still takes place in Lonehill, such as what happened to Nel and several other of our fellow Lonehill residents, is simply not acceptable and should spur us all to redouble our efforts to pull together as a community rather than embark on the route of blaming the LRA board, who incidentally consist of fellow Lonehill residents giving of their time and effort and whose families security is of equal concern as that of all other Lonehill residents. In short we are in this together. It should be remembered that criminal activity still took place in Lonehill from time to time from the inception of the Lonehill Residents Association initiative, including during the tenure of Mr Nel , so to ascribe the blame for occasional criminal activity that still takes place in Lonehill to the present LRA board is not factual.

3. The fact is that criminal activity evolves in cycles with vehicle borne armed gangs being the most dangerous. By placing unarmed security officers in reflector vests on streets to give such criminals a fright, as suggested by Nel, is simply not the answer. Readers of this blog will know what will happen to such personnel if such personnel were to confront these armed gangs. The only way to deal with such a threat is to institute roadblocks using properly trained, equipped , armed and legally authorised personnel and to site such roadblocks at places of our choosing as far away from homes and schools as possible for obvious reasons.

4. As such, the LRA board, in association with the SAPS, has launched an appeal for residents of Lonehill to volunteer to join the SAPS reservists. Such reservists will receive training, proper equipment including automatic weapons and will be legally empowered to conduct searches unlike ordinary security officers. Additionally, the LRA board is in the process of securing donations of equipment such as vehicles, radios and roadblock materials in association with sponsoring corporate contributors.

5. The LRA Board most certainly does not believe that they cannot benefit from inputs from the community and in fact owes its existence to such community and its inputs and participation. But this cannot surely be taken as an invitation to destructively criticise, insult and demean fellow Lonehill residents who happen to be serving on the LRA board at present.Im sure there is no reader of this blog who would appreciate being spoken about as Nel has spoken of the present LRA Board on this self same blogsite!

6. With the correct counselling and mediatorial interventions, perhaps the tremendous and remarkably extraordinary efforts that Nel goes to in his criticisms of the present LRA Board, could be channelled into co operative activities with the LRA Board who, contrary to the impression given on this blog, remain open to such joint activity.

7. We owe it to our community to put all of this ridiculous recrimination aside and to get on with the job of focussing our limited resources and time on protecting the residentsand bettering the environs of Lonehill for the benefit of all its residents. J BerdouFellow Lonehill ResidentMember of LRA Board
Fri Nov 14, 07:24:00 AM 2008

Trevor said...
if the cap fits wear it... far more productive to answer questions posed on this forum which will show what the LRA Board is actually doing, or at worst, planning to do. Refer previous post linked in main post above - Lonehill: 42 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA Talk is cheap. What does the LRA Board want to have happen? Who do they want to deliver on the objectives? Allocate tasks to competent people (volunteers and/or professionals) who will make things happen... and then get out of the way.
Fri Nov 14, 08:59:00 AM 2008

Lonehill: Who's Fooling WHO..?

2008-11-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

Preface:

Please note that my comments in this email/post are not aimed at those who truly make things work and happen in Lonehill. I will never criticise those who honestly strive for excellence in delivery of our vision.

I aim my comments specifically at those whose lack of strategy, tactics and/or proactive action have resulted in the current failure in our community initiative to deliver a 24-hour total security solution. When guns against our foreheads in our homes are now the result of their short-of-the-mark efforts, I WILL call a spade a spade.

I am reminded that we all see things differently and that I acknowledge the right of others to hold a contrary opinion.

I apologise up-front to those who may take personal umbrage to my tone in this email (please forgive me) and ask that if we do seem to hold an adversarial position that you look past any tone that may upset you to the core issue/s in discussion. Please feel free to submit your argument/debate/opinions in response.

Summary Extracts: This forum post argues, with reasons derived from a 3-hour meeting with the LRA Board, that in my opinion:

1. Our current LRA Board provides lip-service to our Vision of zero-tolerance towards crime in Lonehill
2. Our current LRA Board accepts levels of innefficiency, incompetence, mediocrity, and deficiency in their service delivery under the justification - 'we're doing our best'.
3. Our current LRA Board no longer considers itself responsible for delivering on no-nonsense pro-active first-line-of-defense security for its community.

It is my contention that this current LRA Board is fooling themselves... and us as a community who believe that our Vision of 24-hour total security is being resolutely honoured and delivered upon by the LRA.

My primary observation from this meeting was that this Board clearly does not believe that the LRA can adequately protect this community against crime.

It has now passed the point where I actually FEAR the Peter-Principle incompetence, intransigence, ineffectiveness and crime-accepting-resignation of our 'leadership' MORE than I fear the criminals themselves.

This is now the third time in our twenty years in this community that I have experienced this sad showing of our LRA in Lonehill.

Some of this Board did not take kindly to my analogy of their attitude to their 'best efforts' being like constructing a 'Golden-Gate'-type bridge across an ever-widening Grand Canyon and having it fall 20 metres short of reaching the other end. Some still cannot see that all their 'best efforts' are rendered ineffective in delivering on the intended objective if 150% span, change, expansion, flexibility, innovation and growth et al are not built into the design of the bridge.

My Resolution: To return to shoring up our own personal home and family protection once again from our Home and Street outwards - recognising sadly that we're on our own again. And, at the same time, to do everything in my power to return the Lonehill Community initiative to the original Vision intended, no matter how unpopular that may make me in the eyes of some.

Summary Ends.

Now to the full post, for those who want the full insight and reasoning behind my opinion.

Warning: this post is lengthy because I am serious about safety & security for all in this community:

One of the easiest things to tell in the business world are those individual egos wrapped up in their own corporate arrogance. And often, these egos look to congregate in collectives (called Groupthink ) to engender support and seek 'official' confirmation to back up their arrogance... no matter that it further deepens the fools they make of themselves in the eyes of their publics.

There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see.

Or, put another way, there are none so blind as those with closed minds who make up their minds to manipulate the 'facts' to fit their own jaundiced perceptions and/or subjective assumptions.

Classic case (could well be a pun given the corporate in this story) of this occuring at the moment is in this story - Our Zero tastes just fine: Coke - where some Coke corporates appear to miss the entire point of one man's critical input and clearly enjoy the 'research' and rulings that support their arrogant view on the situation.

A real pity, because Coke is one of the world's greatest product and business stories of all time. But, great history does not protect an entity from the arrogance of a few individual egos in their midst.

Here's what I mean. In my taste-buds' collective opinions, there is no way in a generation of Sundays that Coke Zero tastes like Real Coke.

My taste buds are hooked on Real Coke..! They know the real thing.

That's all that one man was telling them (there's no way that Coke Zero tastes like Real Coke)... and they seemed to fight that one man with research data and a justification that is totally off issue (the point is not whether people like Coke Zero or not) seemingly not realising that they are fooling themselves and their publics by making patently unbelievable claims to which many just don't bother to jump up and say anything about.

We just won't buy the stuff.

If anything the unwitting 'genius' in their claim (for which I doubt that they can seek credit) is that it's probably doing more for improving the sales of Real Coke due to the marked 'yugh' factor from the first taste-test of the new product. I immediately bought a Coke to wash away the after-taste of the Coke Zero.

The corporate arrogance of such individuals cannot see that it is not what you say that is important, but what you do/deliver as a customer experience.

You can do everything you want - cute slogans, adverts, studies, legal opinion, and press releases - to fool my taste-buds into believing that it taste like Real Coke... but what you actually deliver is the true acid test. That's where your integrity gets found out.

And so it is with the LRA right now.

The LRA's new slogan could well be: LRA Zero - just like the Real LRA.

Here's why I say this.

Just like the Real Coke... our Real LRA was taken over in 2001 by an active community (the Lonehill Security Action Group formed in 2000) to deliver on the Vision: To create an up-market village community where all residents are free to live, shop and exercise in pristine surroundings with total peace of mind in their personal safety and security.

I will argue below why today's LRA Zero is a pretender delivering on PARTIAL safety and security and placing our families and homes at risk... as opposed to TOTAL safety and security.

As promised, I followed through on requesting a 3-hour meeting of the LRA Board last Friday 24th October and introduced them to six outsiders from my vast contact network of business specialists with resource, experience and skills in the fields of business strategy, innovation, leadership and crisis centre management.

Personally, I was extremely disappointed with the outcome of the meeting, having prefaced my opening comment with my committment to subordinate my emotions of the attack on my family, friend and home, and to allowing past happenings within the LRA to be water under the bridge, in preference for finding positive ways to move our initiative forward.

I think that the invited outsiders were also a little taken aback at what they witnessed: See - Attack Meeting: Outsiders Feedback & Thank You Thread

I chose to ignore the earlier attempts at stonewalling the agenda despite being invited to set the agenda - 'Trevor, Our understanding was that this session today was specifically to address the security issues at hand, at a high level, with a few people, in order to prepare for a more open public session. Your agenda details otherwise, and seems to want to focus on a myriad of other matters. This will not happen, and the focus will remain on the security issues. RG' - with my simple response: 'Sorry... this is the agenda... it is not your meeting'. See link: Friday 24 Oct 2008 Meeting Agenda Thread

Update insert: This intransigence and arrogance continues 15 days later with the LRA Board not releasing draft minutes of the meeting to all attendees who participated, but preferring to release it to their select few for their sanitising first before releasing it to others (even the sanitised version is not yet released). My response to the LRA Chairman (still ignored) was this : 'I would think it far more appropriate and transparent to allow ALL who took the trouble to participate in this meeting an opportunity to comment on the 1st draft minutes of that meeting.' Sadly, the LRA Board seems incapable of assessing how such action has the potential to render any such sanitised minutes to be unreliable and not representative of those who attended, and for how it shows a lack of respect and disregard for the value of the time and input of others.

I ignored the fact that the agenda was claimed not to have been received by the LRA Board and therefore not printed for circulation at the meeting despite all clearly having been copied on the agenda email: From: Rob Gillespie - To: 'Trevor Nel' - Cc: Don Perry ; Hamish McBain ; Jean Berdou ; Michael Goodwin ; Ray Stride ; Ray Stride ; Rob Gillespie ; Roger McKee ; Sally Pearson ; Simon Bradshaw - Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 9:03 AM - Subject: RE: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

However, instead of allowing the meeting to flow down the direction of brainstorming ideas for achieving innovative excellence and positive change to the 'don't cross this line in the sand' attitude to crime in our community that is our Vision and Mission, the verbal ripostes from the LRA Board members highlighted their frail, defensive, protective sensitivities as a collective - demonstrating a seemingly misguided loyalty to each other as individuals - towards any comment made by this writer on this forum.

The first indication of their intended direction was when they embarrassed themselves with a puerile show of unmitigated suspicion towards representatives of a Crisis Management Centre that had traveled a long way without condition as part of my team of invited outsiders to lend of their experience in brainstorming possible solutions.

The LRA Board's general 'NO, We Can't' poor attitude to almost every innovative approach made to them is in stark contrast to Barack Obama's 'YES WE CAN' campaign that swept him to victory in the US Presidential elections. Just as Gregg thompson writes in When The Leader Speaks…. : 'Things happen! People become engaged. Teams gel. Customers are served. Problems are solved. Products are invented. Such is the power of a leader’s communication'. Would that our leaders would just deign to read this article link, if nothing else.

There are some that patently could not hide their deep embitterment for myself and this forum's comments (which they interpret has wholly negative), leading to non-helpful emotional comments and barbs arising from the LRA Board, such as... 'there are many people in Lonehill who hate you'... 'if we bring you onto the Board there are many who will leave - they just won't work with you'... and... 'it seems that you have something to sell..' and even an after-meeting follow up telephone contact comment to one of the attendees to say '..he's lost the plot'.

All such silly barbs do is to compound my lack of respect for their leadership immaturity. I'm not into politics. I couldn't care less for what other people think of my looking to protect my family, home and community from armed gangs running around at will through our current security initiative which currently leaks like a sieve.

I have no desire to be on such intransigent Board lacking in any innovative growth-oriented qualities at all - I've already committed over four and a half years to establishing this initiative and being on the Board. Besides, they would never be able to take the honest feedback and input of an individual like myself on the current Board... worse, they subscribe to none of the minimum standards and principles that I use as a base measure for governance, openness, inclusivity and transparency, et al - judging by their shutters coming down the moment I referred back to our original Lonehill Manifesto proposals.

And, to confirm my consistent stance on this forum, if the LRA Board is going to waste R100 000's to millions of our hard-earned Rands on non-delivery by incompetent people, as has happened, I'd rather see competent people in Lonehill being paid to deliver what we really want. But, I recognise that given my role on this forum, it's hardly likely that I could give away ice-cold Real Coke to an immature LRA Board dying of thirst in a desert... let alone 'sell' them anything!

The issue is not about smokescreens, bruised egos, false perceptions of power and control, personalities and silly internal politics - that's just pathetic in any community - and it turns me off to see it consistently at play here in Lonehill.

So, what's the issue?

It's about the hard-core issue of non-delivery on our most critical objective - total 24-hour security.

It's about being an individual responsible for striving to achieve the difference between effective delivery vs. ineffective delivery of this key objective in our community.

Maybe it's time for the sensitive softies (who all have an equal place in this community) to separate themselves into focusing on the soft issues that keeps them 'so busy' - sterilising feral cats, garden competitions, et al... and to bring in the hard-core to focus on the hard issues.

I just believe that it's time again for some of the fragile egos on the LRA Board obstructing our community progress on our core issue of providing 24-hour total security to step aside and allow fresh, mature leadership to lead the way forward!

In my opinion, it seems that many of the current LRA Board are more intent on protecting their personal egos/integrities, which they perceive to be under 'attack' from this writer/forum, than they are committed to seeking and innovating solutions for providing 24-hour total security to us homeowners in this community.

They should read: Lonehill: Uphold The Right To Comment, Critique, Disagree & Criticise .

On my asking why we only had +-300 LRA members from +- 6000 householders after almost 3 years of this new Board's tenure and given the changes to the LRA AGM voting participation requirement process, only one individual on the Board, to his credit, had the honesty to call a spade a spade (which I do repect) and to admit a core area/s of failure of the LRA - Marketing & Communication - which led to a positive suggestion from self to address the problem at the root of our community: To conduct a market research interview of EVERY household.

The response to this market research proposal floored me, to paraphrase: 'We already use Fidelity to conduct this type of market research feedback and the findings are excellent'.

Hmmmm... well, they would be, wouldn't they? Why not just get the criminal elements that attack us to conduct another even more 'unbiased' market research opinion of our security initiative?

What is frightening, is that some of these Board members truly believe some of the absurd logic and assumptions they verbally espouse and do everything in their power to control or browbeat contrary opinions into oblivion. I focus on' verbally', as it is almost impossible to get this LRA Board to make and clarify such absurd logic and assumptions in writing. Most disingenuous. Refer: Lonehill: 42 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA - this link also includes an indication of how draft minutes from our meeting will not be circulated to all attendees for comment prior to sanitisation by the LRA Board.

Who's fooling who..?

Let me just say that the divide between certain individuals on this Board and self is so wide as to have us more than Poles apart on our viewpoints.. ;-)

My primary observation from this meeting was that this Board clearly does not believe that the LRA can adequately protect this community against crime... and therefore they are resigned to doing 'the best we can' and look to justify their service and actions by comparison against statistics in other areas.

In other words, in my opinion, this Board does not believe in the most critical part of their mandate as stated in our Vision derived from our original security mission - '..to provide 24-hour total security..' and consequently they choose to focus on softer issues that they feel they can deal with operationally.

Not that I have any problem with what they're attempting to achieve on the softer issues - see: Lonehill: Should We Be IMPRESSED? - I am just more concerned with the hard issue of how we can protect families in our community from being attacked in their homes and driveways with guns to their heads as we were.

Individual Board members highlighted clearly their views that the responsibilty for protecting oneself against crime in this community vests in the householders themselves at their home base... and that the LRA was merely just another incidental line of defense. Some, of course, blamed the government and the police, which just was not useful comment at all.

There is an attitude of resigned 'acceptable deficiency' that prevails. The current LRA Board is accepting that crime will happen in our community... and, I repeat, are happy that their best is OK as long as we 'look' better than the stats from surrounding areas.

This attitude, in my opinion, has resulted in a marked decline in any semblance of pro-active security visibility.

It is now becoming rare to see a Lonehill Security vehicle parked off anywhere (whilst one notices them either travelling outside of our community or parked off at the LRA office - what good is that?) and roving guards are becoming difficult to see. No wonder criminals are seeing us as easy meat once again.

This attitude also has some on our LRA Board REACTING to any of my/our pushing for expected service delivery ... by themselves pushing back in often belligerent, defensive, protective, aggressive and even obstructive (stonewalling) fashion... rather than accepting our questions and feedback as essential input to be applied positively to attaining our ideal of total 24-hour security in our community.

It is clear that the LRA Board's jaundiced attitude to questions asked by this community is that such questions are designed to undermine the LRA... whereas in actual fact, their not answering simple questions honestly, with openness and transparency, foolishly undermines their very integrities they seek to protect.

It would be laughable if it weren't for the fact that people have been attacked in their homes in Lonehill whilst I believe this LRA Board must know in their heart-of-hearts that they have NOT been focussing on protecting us to the levels of excellence that we expect... and, all the more pathetic in that that they almost always seem to begrudgingly react after serious incidents to launch stop-gap reactionary attempts at short-term security visibilty in damage-control mode to minimise the fall-out from their publics.

That's too LATE!

The LRA Board must know their deficiencies, they must know that they react no different to the way that most security companies react in most communities, and they must know that they appear not to have a clue what to do to make this initiative sustainable and PROACTIVE in delivering total 24-hour security for our community.

This LRA Board does not appear to know where they want to go and seem intent on just keeping the ships engines turning... and therefore they meander around in circles painting the decks and re-arranging the deck chairs.

It has now passed the point where I actually FEAR the Peter-Principle incompetence, intransigence, ineffectiveness and crime-accepting-resignation of our 'leadership' MORE than I fear the criminals themselves.

This is now the third time in our twenty years in this community that I have experienced this sad showing of our LRA in Lonehill.

As further indication, from the experience I have from the reaction and follow-up to our attack, it is my opinion that their sad attitude is now endemic from LRA top-down and permeates through to the E-grade guards on the ground who are now too scared to communicate (those that have the ability to communicate) with us as a community - their clients on the ground.

Sadly, I had to witness the patent fear of an intelligent proactive guard who applied his street-smart savvy towards reporting suspicious activity (very likely, from the descriptions, a return of our attackers) to a non-appreciative and threatening internal management structure. To me, this fear stems from the autocratic, subjective, closed, 'I'll fire you' management-by-fear style that emanates from the top of our LRA, that has people on the ground, and management in-between, too scared to comment for fear of retribution.

Bully-Boy 'threat' and 'fear' seems to be a consistent weapon/tactic of choice employed by some on this Board as I have personally experienced in both the threatened litigation of self for comments I make on this forum - See: Lonehill: The BEST of People... The WORST of People... and Everybody In-Between ... and in responses to my dealing with unfair labour practice issues on behalf of a loyal LRA staffer who was not having his simple questions answered. What for? These are out-dated management-style tactics that belong to a bygone pre-1994 era... and should have disappeared with The Ark.

Consequently, it's my opinion, the LRA Board gets only the feedback that their fearful subservients believe they want to hear.

Some of this Board did not take kindly to my analogy of their attitude to their 'best efforts' being like constructing a 'Golden-Gate'-type bridge across an ever-widening Grand Canyon and having it fall 20 metres short of reaching the other end. Some still cannot see that all their 'best efforts' are rendered ineffective in delivering on the intended objective if 150% span, change, expansion, flexibility, innovation and growth et al are not built into the design of the bridge.

It will collapse at some point!

It's like the car manufacturer advertising 'zero-tolerance' in their brand whilst having a built in 'acceptable-deficiency' which can have four lock-nuts left off a rear wheel.

So, I sadly left our 3-hour meeting recognising that we (my family and household) can no longer depend on these LRA Board members to protect us as an initiative with a no-nonsense first-line-of-defense, as they no longer feel accountable for that... and that any reference to 'zero-tolerance' to crime as I read in a recent LRA e-mail is purely lip-service from this LRA Board.

They have almost returned our initiative to back to being not much better than any other security reaction service in any other community.

What they are really saying is - LRA Zero - just like the Real LRA - and sadly, in my opinion, they operate to that mantra and they will not allow the facts to interfere with a good story that they're going to stick by.

Here's my offer to each current LRA Board member, please enjoy a Coke Zero on me and tell me if you truly believe it is the Real Coke. And then ask yourself whether you believe that what you offer to us as a zero-tolerance 24-hour total security service in our community right now is truly that.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Attack Meeting: Outsiders Feedback & Thank You Thread

2008-11-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

The following thread from bottom to top are thank you's to LRA Board and Outsiders, and Outsider's responses received:

Ivan Andersen writes:

Hi Trevor,

Only a pleasure. Sorry I could not do more in moving the process toward a mutually acceptable way forward.

My feeling is that there appears to be just too much baggage on both sides to get to point where the parties could/would sit around the same table and be able to leave the personal sensitivities and egos behind and focus on the “right” solution for the community as a whole. This feeling was confirmed when statements like “if Trevor is to join the board, some members would leave ...” were made. This clearly shows division and differing agendas, in my opinion, as that comment was made after a proposal for you to be co-opted and positive statements w.r.t. your passion, energy and experience had been voiced.

This is unfortunate, because initiatives like this, depend on people working together for the greater good. As soon as there is fragmentation of effort and agenda the system WILL break down and fail.

It would appear to me, as an outsider to the community, and with my limited exposure to the inner workings of the LRA, that a shake-up is required.

My perception, as a frequent visitor into the Lonehill area is that there has been a noticeable drop-off and reduction in visible policing (Fidelity foot & bicycle guards), specifically in the last six weeks or so. I clearly recall a number of discussions we have had in this regard over the last few years and have noticed the disappearance and re-appearance and disappearance of these guards from time-to-time. This to me is also an indication of the challenges faced internally by the LRA.

As I mentioned on Friday, clearly one’s priority must be the safety of your own family and home first, so the decisions need to be made from that basis.

All the best
Ivan

----------------------------------------------------------

Morne Mostert writes:

Hi Trevor

I am always cautious not to oversimplify these things, but here are a few thoughts:

The LRA requires a clear vision of what they intend to achieve in the next 18-24 months. I don't just mean what actions will they take, but what will Lonehill look like in 18-24 months from today as a result of their management practices

They may then benefit from articulating a number of Values that will govern their behaviour, such as client centricity, safety first, etc - this will depend on the unique challenges and character of Lonehill

Then they need to be clear on a few strategic objectives with regards to issues like safety, client engagement, internal management, decision-making processes,etc.

Internally, they then need to respond to some challenges, such as their Human Resources: If they only have one person for communication & marketing, what strategies will they employ to overcome this constraint? They cannot simply point it out it is a constraint. This includes possible solutions such as a communication drive for co-opting volunteers, ensuring each board member is managing a committee of volunteers, etc., establishing LRA sub-committees, etc.

On Marketing & Communication, there appears to be a lack of feedback mechanisms for residents to respond to them. They then argue that no news is good news. It's a bit like saying no-one has ever complained about living on the the planet Jupiter, so it must be a great place to live!

In terms of broader stakeholder engagement, I am not convinced they are interacting regularly with bodies corporate of complexes, other security companies in their area, business networks, etc. They appear to operate in a highly isolated way.

On Finance, they may want to consider sponsored advertising by local businesses on all their communication. This will reduce costs dramatically.
In terms of their overall functioning, such a more strategic approach will make them less reactive.

They then need to communicate these commitments to the community and report regularly on progress made.

I hope this helps a little - we all have our own angles on ways for improving effectiveness.

Kind regards
Morne Mostert
Director of Leadership Leadership Options
Tel: +27 (0) 11 467 9985
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 855 7328
Fax: +27 (0) 866 133 476
morne@leadershipoptions.co.za
http://www.leadershipoptions.co.za/
DataDeal Place, 41 Wessels Road, Rivonia, 2191
P.O. Box 104, Petervale, Bryanston, Johannesburg, 2151

--------------------------------------------------------

Marilyn Overend writes:

Hi Trevor

Yes, we were not prepared for the highly emotional interaction from both sides. However I do believe they were compassionate about your situation. I think there are very few South Africans that would not feel for your situation. It happened to my younger son two months ago – and he is lucky to be with us. So I understand the anger and despair and fear.

From our perspective we felt there was blaming on both sides rather than finding some common ground to move forward to the start of a solution.

As you have a lot of experience Trevor, then maybe you need to move back onto the committee. I think it was a good idea to “put a stake in the ground” and move forward – learn from what is not working and try new ideas.

Warmest regards

Marilyn Overend
Assessor - Corporate College International
Assessor No. 175733US

Futuristic Training and Development
Cell: +27 82 601 0056
Tel: +27 11 704 6838
Fax: +27 11 704 6815
http://www.futuristictraining.com/

marilyn@futuristictraining.com

--------------------------------------------------------

Kevin Foot writes:

Hi Trev,

Firstly it was no trouble!! And you are not beholden to anyone….favours are not given or stored for cashing in later; they are given with love and respect and with no expectations.

Only a pleasure to assist and participate….I only wishes I had known sooner about the incident, and been in a position to give you and Ivan more support.

Any time, anywhere…it’s only a phone call, and I will do whatever I can. Both of you know that.

My thoughts today are not changed from the conversation we had at the Wimpy. And Ivan summed it up very well. And your final remarks about securing the home, the street etc are most valid.

To carry on interacting with the LRA now, is a “mission” I think you should delay and give yourself time to heal.

Cheers.

Kevin

PS. On 3 occasions this week; today at about midday, Thursday morning, And Monday...can't remember time.......I drove thru Lonehill and around the "big Loop" and was surprised to note that the Bobby on the Beat was conspicuous by their absence. Not so long ago, the security personnel were visible all over the area, including vehicles. Has there been a cut back in the number/activity?

--------------------------------------------------------

From: Trevor Nel [mailto:growth@global.co.za] Sent: 25 October 2008 09:30 AMTo: Kevin FootCc: Ivan Andersen; Marilyn Overend; Jacques Grobbelaar; charlvj@lantic.net; Morne Mostert; Lindy BoulangerSubject: My Thanks - Fw: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Kevin, Marilyn, Morne, Jacques, Renier, Charl, Ivan, Lindy

Many thanks for volunteering your valuable time to attend yesterday's meeting.

I cannot express adequately how much I APPRECIATE your trouble taken to lend an ear and participate.

I am beholden to return the favour to each of you, I am at your call... :-)

Below is the response to the LRA Board attendees FYI.

Realising that it must have been very difficult to enter such meeting totally uninformed (that was necessary so as not to create preliminary bias from any perspective) and try to evaluate 8 years of history in such a short session, I would however like for you to be brutally honest in what you assessed as being at play from your specific specialist skills-set point of view.

I will forward that to the LRA Board, either as anonymous comment, or under your professional signature so that the LRA can contact you direct for your professional input or otherwise. You choose - just let me know.

You are more than welcome to contact the LRA Board in your professional or personal capacities, as you see fit, to offer advice/service/solutions.

Regards
Trevor - 011 - 705-2790

----- Original Message -----
From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: Don Perry ; Hamish McBain ; Jean Berdou ; Michael Goodwin ; Ray Stride ; Ray Stride ; Rob Gillespie ; Roger McKee ; Sally Pearson ; Simon Bradshaw ; info@lra.org.za
Sent: Saturday, October 25, 2008 7:15 AM
Subject: Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

To all in attendance

Many thanks for taking of your valuable time to attend this meeting.

I will reserve my personal comment pending:

i. Review of minutes/notes taken by Elmarie/Jenny - please forward ASAP compiled.
ii. Feedback from outsider specialists invited. (will copy you on their feedback).

Rob/Jean, as regards your joint claims that the http://www.lonehillaction.blogspot.com/ forum does not post your comments, this is surprising as it is an OPEN forum where any comment can be posted by anyone under the comments and Post a Comment facilities.

My records shows 2 posts from LRA directors - LRA Director Comments & LRA Chairman Responds - and I have personally posted - LRA 2008 AGM - Chairman's Report & LRA AGM 2008 Minutes - to represent the LRA's views to this community.

I am unaware of any request from yourselves requiring publication to this blog not being published, kindly copy myself on any such request having been made and I will ensure that it is published.

You are, of course, cordially invited to respond to the questions asked on Lonehill: 28 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA .

Thank You
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

Friday 24 Oct 2008 Meeting Agenda Thread

2008-11-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

Posted for recordal purposes:

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 9:12 AM
Subject: Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Sorry... this is the agenda... it is not your meeting

----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Gillespie
To: 'Trevor Nel'
Cc: Don Perry ; Hamish McBain ; Jean Berdou ; Michael Goodwin ; Ray Stride ; Ray Stride ; Rob Gillespie ; Roger McKee ; Sally Pearson ; Simon Bradshaw
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 9:03 AM
Subject: RE: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity
Trevor

Our understanding was that this session today was specifically to address the security issues at hand, at a high level, with a few people, in order to prepare for a more open public session.

Your agenda details otherwise, and seems to want to focus on a myriad of other matters. This will not happen, and the focus will remain on the security issues.

RG

From: Trevor Nel [mailto:growth@global.co.za] Sent: 24 October 2008 08:52 AM
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Subject: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Hi Rob

Herewith guideline agenda - I will facilitate initially and hand over to an outsider 'Chair' asap during process

Please can you arrange light refreshments/snacks/ cool drinks for all attending to keep them energised.

Flexible Agenda for LRA Meet - Friday 24th Oct 2:30 to 5:30

To all attending:

The purpose of this afternoon is to conduct an informal Current Situation Analysis and Brainstormer Session for further progress.

Specialist outsiders have been invited to facilitate impartiality, balance and input where they feel so inclined - 5 confirmed attending - others trying to change diaries.

It appears that some Lonehillers are determined to attend as observers from feedback I am receiving - cannot confirm, numbers unknown - should they attend they will be given 10 minutes at end of each 35 minute segment discussion to comment/provide input.

LRA to provide simple show and tell feedback with samples/visuals/graphics/maps/financials of feedback shared at weekly/monthly security and LRA Board meetings

The agenda for this afternoon will progress in simple discussion units of top 3 priorities per segment.

2:30 - Introductions

2:45 - feedback on LRA's Top 3 Priorities

1. Security
2. Community Contributions/Commitment - Financials, Contributors and Demographics
3. Marketing/Promotions

3:30
Soft Issues related to LRA attitudes towaeds Leadership/Vision/Strategy
1. LRA attitude towards community
2. LRA attitude to internal service/competence levels
3. LRA attitude to openness/transparency

4:15
Change, Innovation, Growth
1. Shattering the dogma of mediocrity and 'best practice'
2. Constructing a change-oriented eco-system - a living, breathing organism 'built to thrive'
3. Understanding the Age of Transparency

5:00
General

5:15
Closing question for LRA Board: Is there any reason why the LRA will not commit to supporting the changes discussed..?

5:30 Ends

----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Gillespie
To: Trevor Nel
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 9:18 PM
Subject: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

I have arranged for Friday afternoon starting 2.30pm at the LRA offices, for your discussion forum. Please let me have an agenda if there is one, or else we can put it together at the meeting.
RG

Lonehill: Heartfelt Condolences & ATTACK Meeting Proposal Follow-Up!

2008-10-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Condolences:

To Lonehill's Allan Brown and Family (and to all the families affected by this week's plane crash tragedy). Words can never express the deepest, deepest sympathy that we feel for you and your family at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We pray that you can all find peace and comfort. God Bless.

To Yvette and Etienne - condolences on the loss of your Mom - Lily Nel - wife of the late Dr. Jan Nel - both staunch supporters of our Lonehill Security initiative. Lily faced her long-suffering bout with cancer with feisty dignity. Treasure the memory of an exceptional woman.

Update:

A loss of a loved one makes all else pale into insignificance and it hardly seems appropriate to follow through with this update.

But, having come close to death in our home last week, and being once again reminded from the above family sorrows of the PRICELESS VALUE of every single life in this community... I am compelled to proceed.

First, both Gary Rivas (Lonehill Methodist Church) and Colin Ekman (Lonehill Village Church) have counseled myself on the spiritual implications of my third return to the fore in striving for the standard of excellence we all want for our families safety, security and well-being in our community.

Both have committed every spiritual resource they can muster to support our objective. I thank both for allowing me to work through much heart-sore anguish and humbling soul-searching to find the humility to assess the correct reasons for stepping up to the plate again. That's done and a given.

I found an email that I wrote on 29 Oct. 2000 - Lonehill: A Community In Transformation - where I wrote: 'I know that there are many good God-fearing folk in prayer-chains who are hard at work praying up a pile of God's blessings of peace, love, hope, salvation and joy for us ALL in Lonehill..'.

I also wrote: 'Talking of FAITH... I am constantly tackled by individuals who tell me that we have taken on an 'impossible' task... 'it'll never work'... or, 'you don't even have a plan..'. Oh ye of such little faith (now where have i heard that before). Quite simply, my entire life experience has shown that EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE... and it becomes highly probable when you have a CLEAR FOCUS..'.

My purpose in this third return to the plate is to stimulate a return to the above attitudes of a belief in attaining the unbelievable and achieving the impossible... to never be satisfied with what we have!

From my last week's invitation, I have been inundated with voluntary input offers from non-Lonehillers within my vast network of '..the finest facilitators, conflict resolution specialists, disruptive innovators and strategic thinkers in my network to an urgent 3 -hour, totally transparent, OPEN, critical situation analysis and solutions brainstormer of current LRA information, to ensure that past badwill is put far behind us (they will shut me up as they know my respect for them) and ensure that solutions are found for going forward with clear strategic goals and action plans understood by the entire community.'

Those committed (some trying to change their national flights and programs to attend) include a leading business specialist, academic and author in the field of Systemic INNOVATION, a banking industry leader currently on sabbatical completing a dissertation on Innovation for his banking business sector, a recent past Chairman of Dainfern Residents Association, and specialists in Business Strategy and Turn-Around consulting, Leadership, Corporate Governance and Transparency.

They all want to see a model of community excellence being established as a prototype to be transplanted into their communities.

I have deliberately targeted non-Lonehillers to distance their input from the emotions attached to this initiative in the past. I continue to maintain that we have the finest minds and talent in our community to make great things happen... and this resource has been ignored and even spurned. That must change.

We meet with the LRA Board and Fidelity representatives at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow Friday 24th October.

My brief to the panel attending is simply: 'I look to drive for unreasonable levels of zero tolerance, continually innovating, continually growing/thriving, continually breaking down stereotypes and rebuilding anew, and for continual disruptive innovation to eradicate/nullify the events that we experienced. The theme is to be Lead, Follow or Get Out Of The Way... and you guys are specialists at looking out for what needs to be re-framed in stodgy minds.'

Recognising that mine could well be the most stodgiest mind of all.

The LRA have called for this to be a closed meeting which is anathema to everything I uphold for this community. I believe that all interested Lonehillers should be entitled to attend, observe and participate with comment at planned intervals. If you feel as strongly that you'd like to observe, and if you're available at such short notice, respond to this email and I will forward your request/motivation.

Otherwise I will ensure that the session is clealy recorded and reported on this forum.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Attacked - 3 Gunmen Storm OUR Home!

2008-10-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like the cold barrel of a 9mm parabellum against your forehead to clear your sinuses.

At 5 p.m.yesterday evening, 3 armed gunmen - well-dressed, well-spoken and looking like super-efficient police-detectives - stormed our home and placed their guns against my business partner's and my heads... demanding '..where's your gun, where's your safe, and where's your money'. None of which are on our premises.

It is only by God's GRACE and the presence of mind of my business partner who calmly got me to lie down and follow their instructions that we were not shot. My wife carrying our 4 week-old grand-daughter had even greater presence of mind to see them enter my Home Office and managed to slip out to hide in the garden.

I'm told by my partner that I was kicked and roughed up on the ground, but I recall nothing of that, except that I have a pretty painful hip area that I can't account for.

They then demanded that we show them a room that they could lock us up in, thankfully right next to my office... and locked the two of us in there, whereupon we heard them leave with my partners vehicle parked outside and a getaway car.

My wife heard them leave and bravely came back to press the panic and set us free

The shock and speed of the attack left me literally numbed in shock and I'm still wondering how I didn't soil my pants, although my business partner tells me that my sole concern was in stressing for the safety my wife and grandchild who I could not see... I can't recall in the blur.

My life didn't flash before me, none of those things. Just stunned numbness.

Here's my belief, that they were on a mission to attack someone and clearly were attracted by the vehicle on our driveway indicating people inside. The vehicle blocked direct line-of-sight access to our front door entrance. So they had clearly got out of their vehicle to attack our home regardless of what they confronted. My wife had also just returned home some minutes before. That's frightening!

Now, it's no secret that I am not at all enamoured with the LRA's lack of commitment to critical service delivery excellence, especially when it comes to our mission for this community - to provide safety and security for all to enjoy (to paraphrase).

When we launched this initiative we drew a line in the sand around our perimeter and said 'no further'.

Today that line is the hairline on the sights of a gunman's weapon and it is aimed at our foreheads.

That's not right..!

I am acutely aware that LRA leadership is not enamoured with me.... but here's the thing that I have always being striving for... it is not about the personalities and the internal politics of people playing silly games on the LRA, but about who is most effective at keeping us safe and secure in our community.

We are clearly not safe in our homes in Lonehill any longer, and like we did in 2000... and again some three-odd years ago... something now needs to be shaken up once again.

I am giving my LRA 'friends', past and present, who know my true open feelings about some of them and their actions (or lack thereof) to which we are clearly in disagreement (as expressed again between ourselves last night) an opportunity to contact me today with plans for how they will open up to people like myself again for us all to work together on this challenge to our families safety and security in this Lonehill initiative. For me, they have been ignoring the concerns expressed in this forum for too long. And, they can be addressed simply with competent people who do not have fragile egos.

My offer will be to bring a team of 3 to 5 of the finest facilitators, conflict resolution specialists, disruptive innovators and strategic thinkers in my network to an urgent 3 -hour, totally transparent, OPEN, critical situation analysis and solutions brainstormer of current LRA information, to ensure that past badwill is put far behind us (they will shut me up as they know my respect for them) and ensure that solutions are found for going forward with clear strategic goals and action plans understood by the entire community.

Being a God-fearing fundamental Christian man of very basic street-wise up-bringing, leanings and brash character, who has no idea why God's sense of humour seems to be to throw us into such situations to see how we will respond (although I believe we are all born with a purpose to fulfill on this planet), I will be approaching local community church leaders/elders today for much-needed spiritual counseling to bring humility to bear in this so-badly-flawed human-being as I prepare to muster willing troops once again to take on this evil now again being allowed to wander freely into our midst.

This call to the Almighty piddled people off when we launched the initiative back in 2000, but we succeeded with action supported by committed prayer groups. And, I believe I know why. So I am about to piddle people off again... but that's tough. This evil element attacking us does not worry if you are atheist, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu or Gentile... or whatever your belief or non-belief. And I don't have any problem with your foundation belief either, I'm not out here to convert you - you should be mature enough to fathom your beliefs for yourself given all the information at our fingertips, but let's just bring every 'weapon' in our community armoury to bear in succeeding once again at this community challenge. I'm just going to ask for DIVINE support, is all. YOU can bring whatever GOOD resources YOU can muster to the party. You won't piddle me off... ;- )

If you wish to offer words of counseling, guidance, help, support or just plain honest-to-goodness criticism of self, please let me know and I'll keep you in the loop as to what transpires.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: 70 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA

2008-10-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

In Lonehill: What Is The MISSING Ingredient? I wrote:

'So let's get to test just how open, mature and transparent our current LRA leaders are by requesting some straight answers to the simple questions posed on this forum, which I will send to the Chairman and post the answers on this forum as soon as they arrive.'

Below is the email thread of questions and reminders addressed to the LRA and LRA Chairman - Rob Gillespie.

Still no answers after 70 days... the intransigence, arrogance and lack of co-operation / transparency is patently clear to see, particularly in the Oct. 31 retort from the LRA Chairman '..I and we have so much on our plates that is of significantly greater urgency and importance than the questions you asked..'.

Really? What would that be... sterilising feral cats, filling Christmas hampers, organising garden competitions? Take a look at the questions asked at the bottom of this thread:

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 5:39 PM
Subject: Fw: Courtesy Reminder - draft minutes and forum questions (70 days) pendings
Courtesy reminder... 70 days pending on forum questions... following LRA Public Feedback meeting were these questions addressed as you said they would be... and is there any presentation material slides/notes for those who could not attend?

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 6:01 PM
Subject: Re: Courtesy Reminder - draft minutes and forum questions (63 days) pendings - Re: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity
Courtesy reminder... 63 days pending on forum questions...

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 1:44 PM
Subject: Fw: Courtesy Reminder - draft minutes and forum questions (56 days) pendings - Re: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity
Courtesy reminder... 56 days pending... and also, still no sight of draft minutes or otherwise from LRA/Fidelity/Outsiders meeting

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 2:15 PM
Subject: Fw: Courtesy Reminder - draft minutes and forum questions (49 days) pendings - Re: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Courtesy reminder... 49 days pending

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 8:38 AM
Subject: Courtesy Reminder - draft minutes and forum questions (42 days) pendings - Re: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Hi Rob (for time recordal purposes)

Courtesy reminder:

Please let me know when I can expect to receive either or both of the pendings below.

i. draft minutes not yet received - Subject: Re: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity - Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 10:40 AM

ii. 42 days - no answer in writing to: Subject: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum - Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:03 AM

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Hi Rob

re: point i. I would think it far more appropriate and transparent to allow ALL who took the trouble to participate in this meeting an opportunity to comment on the 1st draft minutes of that meeting.

re: point ii. Will repeat my response comment of Tue0ct21:

I am afraid that your response to 1. below is unacceptable as it highlights precisely one of the key the points of the http://www.lonehillaction.blogspot.com/ blog forum... that the LRA and you, as LRA Chairman, do not communicate with openness and transparency to our community in answer to the questions we may ask.

In particular, this forum writer asks that you answer questions in writing for recordal purposes on our blog forum.

May I suggest that consideration of your response/answers in writing to these questions will actually aid your presentation in a future OPEN forum.

RegardsTrevor Nel - Lonehill Resident011 - 705-2790

----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Gillespie
To: 'Trevor Nel'
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 9:11 AM
Subject: RE: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity
Hello Trevor. The minutes were only fwd’d to me last night in 1st draft mode. They have been circulated to the Board members who were present to verify / correct, which should take a day or three, before they will be circulated to all who were present, whose addresses we have.

On your point ii, with all due respect, I and we have so much on our plates that is of significantly greater urgency and importance than the questions you asked, and as a result they will be answered in due course, when time permits. We said that we would do so at the next public feedback session which if I’m not mistaken, will be in two weeks time.

RG

From: Trevor Nel [mailto:growth@global.co.za] Sent: 31 October 2008 08:21 AMTo: Rob GillespieCc: info@lra.org.zaSubject: Re: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Courtesy reminder:

Please let me know when I can expect to receive either or both of the pendings below.

Thank you
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790
----- Original Message -----
From: Trevor Nel
To: Trevor Nel ; Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:24 AM
Subject: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity

Courtesy Reminder:

Still pending receipt from yourselves:

i. Review of minutes/notes taken by Elmarie/Jenny - please forward ASAP compiled.

ii. No response yet received to questions asked on forum post - on Lonehill: 28 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA as sent 5 weeks ago (35 days). Sending repeat again as courtesy reminder.

Thank You
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:24 AM
Subject: Still Pending - Re: Agenda - Re: Meeting with the LRA and Fidelity
Courtesy Reminder:

Still pending receipt from yourselves:

i. Review of minutes/notes taken by Elmarie/Jenny - please forward ASAP compiled.

ii. No response yet received to questions asked on forum post - on Lonehill: 28 Days - NO Answers Yet From LRA as sent 5 weeks ago (35 days). Sending repeat again as courtesy reminder.

Thank You
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za ; Rob Gillespie
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 8:25 AM
Subject: Re: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum - and - Re: Last Night's Shooting Incident, Crisis Meeting feedback and Re: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum
For attn:
The Chairman: Rob Gillespie
Lonehill Residents Association

Hi Rob

I am afraid that your response to 1. below is unacceptable as it highlights precisely one of the key the points of the http://www.lonehillaction.blogspot.com/ blog forum... that the LRA and you, as LRA Chairman, do not communicate with openness and transparency to our community in answer to the questions we may ask.

In particular, this forum writer asks that you answer questions in writing for recordal purposes on our blog forum.

May I suggest that consideration of your response/answers in writing to these questions will actually aid your presentation in a future OPEN forum.

So I will request again:

1. Courtesy reminder: No response yet received to questions asked (below) as sent 4 weeks ago (28 days). Sending repeat again as courtesy reminder.

RegardsTrevor Nel - Lonehill Resident011 - 705-2790

From: Rob Gillespie
To: 'Trevor Nel'
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 4:11 PM
Subject: RE: Last Night's Shooting Incident, Crisis Meeting feedback and Re: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum

Trevor,
1. Your questions sent previously will be attended to at the next Public Feedback Forum – date to be advised shortly.

2. Shot fired by Fidelity in pursuit of a wanted burglar after a break in at Eagles Cragg. He was not apprehended. The goods were recovered.

3. There was no format or PPT last night. The people were informed of the modus operandi of the current spate of events, what we were doing about it, and what they believed we were not doing and/or should be doing, essentially sensitizing and requesting assistance. Notes have not yet been written.

RG

----- Original Message -----
From: Trevor Nel
To: info@lra.org.za Cc: Rob Gillespie ; Rob Gillespie
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:02 AM
Subject: Last Night's Shooting Incident, Crisis Meeting feedback and Re: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum

For attn:
The Chairman: Rob Gillespie
Lonehill Residents Association

Dear Rob

1. Courtesy reminder: No response yet received to questions asked (below) as sent 3 weeks ago (21 days). Sending repeat again as courtesy reminder.

2. Kindly provide details of last night's shooting incident in Crestwood/Franschoek area - where exactly it took place, who cried for help, who responded, who fired shot, and description/result of incident.

3. Please also provide feedback and/or presentation PPT from last night's Lonehill Security Crisis compulsory meeting called for Chairmen and Trustees of Complexes and Road Closures... would like to circulate it to those who are not the above or were unable to attend.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

----- Original Message -----
From: Trevor Nel
To: info@lra.org.za
Cc: Rob Gillespie ; Rob Gillespie
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 12:30 PM
Subject: Re: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum

Courtesy reminder: No response yet received to questions asked (below) as sent 2 weeks ago. Sending repeat again as courtesy reminder.

----- Original Message -----
From: Lonehill Residents Association
To: 'Trevor Nel'
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 8:25 AM
Subject: RE: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum

Dear Trevor

Your request has been forwarded to Rob and I’m sure he will reply as soon as he can.

Regards

Elmari Dell

From: Trevor Nel [mailto:growth@global.co.za]
Sent: 30 September 2008 06:21 AM
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za; Rob Gillespie; Rob Gillespie
Subject: Re: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum

Have received no response or acknowledgement of receipt from either addressee to this request sent 1 week ago. Sending repeat as courtesy reminder.

----- Original Message -----
From: Trevor Nel
To: Rob Gillespie
Cc: info@lra.org.za
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:03 AM
Subject: Questions from Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum

For attn:
The Chairman: Rob Gillespie
Lonehill Residents Association

Dear Rob

For the purposes of posting answers to our Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum - http://www.lonehillaction.blogspot.com/ - please be kind enough to provide answers to the following questions that were apparently not covered as per reading of the feedback provided from the recent LRA AGM (treat questions as at date of AGM).

i. What are the biggest challenges facing our initiative in the coming year?
ii. What plans are in place to resolve those challenges and what innovations will we see?
iii. Who is accountable for deliverables on these resolutions (what are their KPI's)?
iv. What finances are required for the coming year and future... and where will it be sourced from?
v. What are the critical numbers we should be watching to assess future success of the project?
vi. What is being done to reduce the burden of current contributors?
vii. Why do we only have +- 300 voting members on the LRA from +- 6000 householders?
viii. Are there any expected major budget allocations (in excess of R50 000 in total) that may be paid to individuals in the coming year and for what?
ix. Should a new budget allocation limit be imposed on the Board requiring referral back to Members for approval?
x. What added-value does each paid individual on the LRA add to our initiative (e.g if paid +- R250K, did individual add another +-R250K and more to the initiative)?
xi. How can stakeholders benefit from and use the LRA community centre facilities which they have funded?

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: What Is The MISSING Ingredient?

2008-09-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

The last post - Lonehill: Now Move From Good.. To GREAT! - identified and discussed a few simple things for our LRA to do to become the finest community initiative that we can possibly be.

1. Improve Communication by 1000%.
2. Improve Collaboration with community members who have the proven skills.
3. Improve Community Involvement and Participation.
4. Encourage Questions. Give Specific Answers. Provide The Facts.

So, here's the question: If it's that simple, why don't our LRA directors just apply these few simple things?

Who knows?

Perhaps it has something to do with the first 3 of the The Top Five Reasons Why Leaders Fail - by Paul Peterson:

1. They disconnect from the people they are leading.
2. They become proud and refuse to be questioned.
3. They are not authentic.

Or maybe Brian Jude has his finger on it in his latest seminar promotion - Mistakes That Managers Make - where he lists 20 of the most common mistakes made by managers, and looks at ways of preventing them in the future:

1. Not setting goals.
2. Poor communication.
3. Dictatorial, aggressive behaviour.
4. Wanting to be liked.
5. Poor hiring decisions.
6. Not motivating employees.
7. Criticism and negative discipline.
8. Creating a "them and us" culture.
9. Not managing conflict.
10. Resistance to change.
11. Not leading by example.
12. Not using the brain correctly.
13. Paying poorly.
14. A lack of training.
15. Not managing stress levels.
16. Unrealistic deadlines.
17. Prejudice.
18. Overlooking the wisdom of employees.
19. A lack of empathy.
20. Taking life too seriously.

To me, the Missing INGREDIENT seems to be an amalgam of much of the above which can perhaps be distilled down to a seeming lack of OPENNESS, MATURITY, and TRANSPARENCY on the part of our current LRA leadership.

Don't get me wrong, this is no criticism or denigration of the credit they deserve for moving us to GOOD status from the debacle of some two-plus years back.

I focus purely on what it now takes to move our community initiative from GOOD... to GREAT..!

Clearly, from the very limited information provided in the LRA AGM feedback and the lack of response to my request to view other resources used at the AGM (e.g. PowerPoint presentation) to find answers to specific questions asked in this forum or direct of the Chairman (a personal discussion thread that was not answered), we are being kept on a strict 'need-to-know' basis.

Hey, it's OUR community for goodness sake. We contribute. We make it happen. It is an OPEN COMMUNITY initiative. It is NOT an exclusive board initiative.

As discussed in the last post, 'Community Involvement and Participation' is critical to stimulating mass buy-in and support: 'Go all out to involve the community in EVERY aspect, fact and statistic of the initiative, warts and all, and the community will once again believe that it is THEIR project to enthusiastically participate in.'

On the same point in the above post, I discussed my view that: 'Top-down autocratic power and control of a few on a board directorate only results in community apathy. This has been the single biggest failing of board members in our recent past and the biggest failing of 'autocratic leadership' in most failed community initiatives.'

So let's get to test just how open, mature and transparent our current LRA leaders are by requesting some straight answers to the simple questions posed on this forum, which I will send to the Chairman and post the answers on this forum as soon as they arrive.

And hey, let's not beat around the bush, I do recognise that I am not the most popular individual (and that's putting it far too mildly.. ;-) with some past and present LRA board members for my straight talking views and opinions, but that's just tough for them. From the very first day of initiating this project, I have been a committed contributing member of this community initiative... and have done nothing less than I ask of them in this community.

Of course, I believe that there is so much more innovation that we can introduce and do... that we are not currently doing as a community... to make a radical departure from the mediocrity that besets average community initiatives. That falls into the realm of my personal business experience and vested interest as always declared openly on this forum. And, even that appears not to be a concern any more given the AGM's strange unquestioning acceptance of the Chair's own vested interest position as paid G.M.

Here is the first list of questions to go immediately after this forum article posting:

For attn:
The Chairman: Rob Gillespie
Lonehill Residents Association

Dear Rob

For the purposes of posting answers to our Lonehill Community Stakeholders forum - http://www.lonehillaction.blogspot.com/ - please be kind enough to provide answers to the following questions that were apparently not covered as per reading of the feedback provided from the recent LRA AGM (treat questions as at date of AGM).

What are the biggest challenges facing our initiative in the coming year?
What plans are in place to resolve those challenges and what innovations will we see?
Who is accountable for deliverables on these resolutions (what are their KPI's)?
What finances are required for the coming year and future... and where will it be sourced from?
What are the critical numbers we should be watching to assess future success of the project?
What is being done to reduce the burden of current contributors?
Why do we only have +- 300 voting members on the LRA from +- 6000 householders?
Are there any expected major budget allocations (in excess of R50 000 in total) that may be paid to individuals in the coming year and for what?
Should a new budget allocation limit be imposed on the Board requiring referral back to Members for approval?
What added-value does each paid individual on the LRA add to our initiative (e.g if paid +- R250K, did individual add another +-R250K and more to the initiative)?
How can stakeholders benefit from and use the LRA community centre facilities which they have funded?

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Now Move From Good.. To GREAT!

2008-08-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

Judging by the LRA AGM 2008 Minutes, it seems that those in attendance concurred with my personal assessment in - Lonehill: Should We Be IMPRESSED? - and also gave the 2007/8 LRA Board the accolade they deserve for producing a good set of financials and seemingly signalling their satisfaction for the LRA's performance over the financial year under review.

To repeat from my previous post:

I think that there are many an outsider who would love their community to have the foundation of resources that we appear to have at our fingertips.I doff my cap to the entire Board for their turnaround of the LRA management debacle of some two years back.

There is no doubt that the LRA is now where it should have been some four years ago... ready to launch some innovative, world-class, visionary initiatives to make Lonehill a GREAT community.

The concerns for governance issues that I raised in - Lonehill: Should We Be IMPRESSED? - do not seem to have concerned anyone else at that LRA AGM meeting.

It would seem, therefore, that our original Code of Ethics proposed in our early days is no longer valid, leaving whoever operates in unison on the LRA Board to effectively do what they like with our funds in their assessment of the LRA vision and Company's Act regulations... and we'll only find out what they did at the next presentation of financials.

Personally, I think that this is dangerously short-sighted, because by then the horse can well and truly have bolted. But hey, I'm clearly a minority on this.

I'm just always aware of what happened in this community the previous times that the boiling frog syndrome was allowed to take effect in Lonehill... ;-)

Besides, it becomes very difficult to nigh impossible for the Chair to claim moral authority over those who do not make their VOLUNTARY contributions when the Chair has a vested interest in the community cookie jar.

People will never tell the Chair direct to his/her face, too few like to stand up and be seen to rock the boat... but inside they will be sniggering 'ja, boet' as they keep their funds away from feeding the cookie jar.... much to the unknowing frustration of the Chair who naturally chides his/her community for not volunteering their contributions.

It is a downward-spiralling cycle with the potential to collapse whatever the initiative if not addressed.

Something like the Catholic Popes selling of indulgences from the 12th to 16th centuries eroded the moral authority of the Catholic Church. Martin Luther showed that intelligent people will always seek reform to ensure that moral authority maintains its rightful place.

Most often those with vested interests cannot see or acknowledge their vested interest position as compromising their moral authority and/or integrity.

Just get into a debate with Robert Mugabe on the subject.. ;-)

I believe that the Chair of a voluntary community initiative like Lonehill's... and the position of a paid GM function... should be totally separated.

To further repeat from my previous post:

Don't have a problem with anyone being remunerated for a job well done, as long as, and especially in a community initiative context, such intentions are openly pre-declared to the community for stakeholder discussion and approval, and the position is openly offered/advertised as an equal-opportunity to anyone in the community wishing to tender for it.
It has always been my view that individuals with transparently declared vested interests and/or requiring remuneration/incentivisation (a slice of the pie) will be critical to making a significant difference and building a much bigger pie for the benefit of all in a community.

So, that said, let's look to what can be done to move our community initiative from Good... to GREAT.

Actually, they are very SIMPLE things.

1. Improve Communication by 1000%.

First, it can take as little as just 5 minutes to set-up a top-notch social network website linking all Lonehillers in an informative manner.

Then, let's face it, the copy and layout in our emails, website (non-existent right now) and on our notice-boards can be upgraded to make a massive difference in the message conveyed.

Compelling copy can make all the difference in stimulating interaction with your audience.

This simple statement below (with link) attracted one of the biggest ever responses from my own database of like-minded business-owners, you're welcome to follow through to see how the process works - it's free - and the 3 Simple Steps can be applied in our own community initiative:

Do you know that just 3 Simple Steps in business have been used to build some of the greatest fortunes in history. If you want them, I'll send you the link to the formula (at no cost to you) just click on the link below:

YES Please Trevor, send me the no-cost link to the 3 Simple Steps to building a fortune in MY business

Content in our newsletters can be much more relevant and delivery can be vastly improved. I've never yet received a newsletter directly.

Was also asked what the Lonehill Objectors meeting was about that was apparently held at the Lonehill Shopping Mall on Wed. 20th August. Never heard about it. Surely this is important community news that the LRA should be circulating to all community members as a priority?

2. Improve Collaboration with community members who have the proven skills. Leadership can make a concerted effort to bring all local community players into the fold to make their contribution in their own select ways.

3. Improve Community Involvement and Participation. This community initiative launched with massive community involvement, meetings of 800 to a 1000 people in community halls out of 3300 households. Anything from 100 to 300 people involved in bringing the initiative to life.

Latest LRA AGM 2008 figures show an attendance of just 125 people from over 6000 households - only 68 being registered members. Here's a BIG clue to a key problem to be addressed.

There are simple, proven methods to apply to work out how to increase these numbers once again.

Key to this is to openly encourage participation in ALL things community from bottom-up. That includes an open exposure of the facts, statistics, problems and challenges facing the LRA Board. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Top-down autocratic power and control of a few on a board directorate only results in community apathy.

This is an OPEN COMMUNITY initiative not an exclusive board initiative.

This has been the single biggest failing of board members in our recent past and the biggest failing of ' autocratic leadership' in most failed community initiatives.

Go all out to involve the community in EVERY aspect, fact and statistic of the initiative, warts and all, and the community will once again believe that it is THEIR project to enthusiastically participate in.

Above all, give RECOGNITION to those who make (and have made) significant inputs. Everybody, but EVERYBODY, loves recognition... and many contributors in future will be attracted in numbers in direct proportion to the recognition accorded to those going before them.

Leadership should not be coy about this out of some mistaken sense of humility/modesty. It's not about YOU, the current leadership. It can be the simple difference between an organisation moving from Good... to GREAT. It is that important.

4. Encourage Questions. Give Specific Answers. Provide The Facts.

It seems from the minutes that not a single one of the questions posed in - Lonehill: Should We Be IMPRESSED? - was asked or addressed by anyone at the LRA AGM 2008. A pity... for both our community and our leaders.

Do we really know that anyone really has an idea of what's truly going on in our community if we don't know the facts?

LRA leadership should openly encourage pertinent questions and deliver specific answers with factual honesty. Emotion charged perceptions and assumptions should no longer cut the mustard. Just give us the facts.

These actions encompass the principles displayed in the two simple qualities of Top Leaders identified by Brian Tracy.

excerpt:

'The motivational leader insists on seeing things exactly as they are and encourages others to look at life the same way. As a motivational leader, you get the facts, whatever they are.
'You deal with people honestly and tell them exactly what you perceive to be the truth. This doesn't mean that you will always be right, but you will always be expressing the truth in the best way you know how.'

LRA leadership skills should be honestly evaluated and sharpened to encourage our community's belief in OUR VISION - help 'em see it (read the link). We deserve that level of personal and collective responsibility from our leaders

LRA leadership should openly review their current ethics code and open the process up to accepting community input - read: A Leader Has High Ethics By Sheila Murray Bethel, PhD.

Simple stuff. It's really no big deal to move from Good... to GREAT.

Even the doggie-poop in the park problem can be converted into a major win for the LRA, doggie-lovers, and non-doggie park-lovers, with some very simple ideas that can be brainstormed and applied. No one need be censured and no threatening posture needs come from anyone on the LRA.

No big deal.

It's about strategy, proven know-how, innovation, commitment and delivery.

This intellectual property exists in bunches within many circles in Lonehill. These circles can be brought in to work together with those of like-mind... or on their own to deliver on specific community objectives. The LRA Board's role must surely be to unleash the people with these skills for the benefit of the entire community.

The clues to doing this are all consistently stated in the posts archived on this forum.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

LRA AGM 2008 Minutes

2008-08-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

MINUTES OF THE LONEHILL RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON
29th JULY 2008 AT CRAWFORD PREPARATORY SCHOOL, SCEALES ROAD, LONEHILL

Present : 57 as per attendance register, 68 unregistered, 125 in total

Apologies : John Mendelsohn, Roger Manton

Proxies Received : Angela Manton appointing John Cluett
Chris Crozier appointing Hermann Erdmann
Karina Taylor appointing Dorica Eatwell

Rob Gillespie welcomed all members and residents to the 8th Annual General Meeting. He read a letter from Councillor Mendelsohn (copy attached) and commenced with the agenda as set out and circulated to all members.

1. The Chairman’s Report was read by Rob Gillespie (copy attached). No questions were asked.

2. Rob Gillespie introduced the Financial Director, Roger McKee, who proceeded to provide a synopsis of the salient points of the Audited Financial Statements as distributed. Roger McKee also provided some insight on the budget for the forthcoming year. It was noted that the audit was conducted under the stringent new International Financial Reporting Standards which required significant extra effort and time. No questions arose from the floor. Acceptance of the Annual Financial Statements was proposed by Hamish McBain and seconded by Nick Fredericksz. The motion was accepted unanimously.

3. The appointment of an Auditor for the forthcoming year was briefly discussed and members were advised that the board of directors was satisfied with the services provided by Clive Dryden during the previous appointment and saw no valid reason to change to another auditor. The re-appointment of Clive Dryden was proposed by Hermann Erdmann and seconded by William Carroll. The motion was accepted unanimously.

4. Fathima Beckmann resigned from the Board and was not available for re-election. Roger McKee who was co-opted during the year had resigned in accordance with the Articles, and had made himself available for re-election. Don Perry and Simon Bradshaw were both nominated and accepted for election. They both gave a précis of their CV’s and ambitions. No objections had been noted or received and no voting was required. The chairman asked for their election. The election of the new Board Directors was proposed by Hermann Erdmann and seconded by Nick Fredericksz. The Chairman again asked for any objections by way of show of hands. There were none. The Chairman then asked for the acceptance of the Board of Directors by way of show of hands. The Board was unanimously accepted.

The directors of the Lonehill Residents Association Section 21 Company are; Jean Berdou, Simon Bradshaw, Rob Gillespie, Michael Goodwin, Hamish McBain, Roger McKee, Don Perry and Ray Stride.

5. No items or matters for discussion of a general nature had been received. The Chairman noted that George Joubert had written to him some time before the meeting with a number of queries and that these had all been satisfactorily addressed directly back to George Joubert.

The Chairman then invited questions from the floor. John Cluett tabled a request from the Board of Trustees of Lanzerac for the provision of bullet-proof vests for their gate guards. Sue Cato re-iterated the Chairman’s request for residents who walk their dogs in public areas to pick up their animal’s mess. She also queried the licence requirements for fishing in the main dam. The Chairman noted that this had been addressed on numerous occasions in the past and that no licences were required for the activities that were being carried out at the dam. He also noted that such activities should be encouraged by the parents instead of allowing their children to frequent malls and the like, increasing their exposure to unsavoury and undesirable habits.

The meeting closed with a unanimous vote of thanks from the members to the directors and staff of the LRA for their good work and significant contribution to the community.

LRA 2008 AGM - Chairman's Report

2008-08-22T02:29:00.000-07:00

2008 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

The twelve months under review have been somewhat difficult and trying, but thankfully, we South Africans are not a bunch of sissies. We will always weather the storm despite its ferocity. Currently, the mood and condition barometer is a little confusing to say the least. On the one hand we are told that crime is under control and decreasing; that leaders are leading, and that 2010 will be the springboard year for South Africa! In reality… our economy, whilst being ably managed is in a fragile condition, our country’s governmental and municipal services are not what they should or could be, politicians are leaderless, crime is not yet under control, xenophobia is no longer a word that you look up in the dictionary, and there are long queues for foreign residence permits! Heard this before have you? Of course you have - 1994 - “last one out of Jan Smuts please turn off the lights”…. Well, it didn’t happen then and it won’t happen now!

Yes, there are truths, half truths, lies and distortions everywhere, but there is also a massive amount of good will, good intention and strong desire trying to gain ground. South Africa is a great country. We need to change our attitude with regards to our future, to look at things differently, for sanity’s sake and for the sake of our children’s mindsets. Our kids are becoming extremely vocal about our constant negative and depressing attitudes towards this country and the place in which we live. It has gone so far that the schools are organising outlets for the children’s feelings – at the kids’ request! Come on people – if you’re here, then be here fully! South Africans don’t give up easily. We’re resilient and resourceful, we like who we are, and for the most part, we’re patriotic and proud of it. So let’s show it!

Responsibility, reliability and accountability – none of these are new to us. These are basic tenets of any solid society, and it’s now time again for them to be practised loudly and proudly.

The same is true for Lonehill and the LRA. Yes, we still have a long way to go, and for every step forward we have to recover the two steps backwards that are foisted upon us by the detractors in any society, not to forget of course, those plain and simple free-loaders, those people or residents who have little or no community related responsibility or moral fibre, that are happy to live off and make use of other people’s good will and in this case, hard earned money and solid commitment. Too many people appear to be too happy to use someone else’s effort and resources. They will look the other way and even chastise you, in order not to be bothered or asked to participate in their own well being, in the area in which they live. They should be ashamed of themselves.

It is now becoming common practice in many communities around the world, to enforce participation in community efforts by the resident or would be population, just in order to obtain a residents permit, or to purchase a house and live in that community. Should we be doing this as well? I say yes. It should be a mandatory function of every letting agent, estate agent or landlord in the Greater Lonehill area, to ensure that each resident or potentially new resident or business owner contributes to the security and environment schemes, as well as participating on a ‘when able’ basis in community functions, such as the observers, or clean-up parades, or making their particular skill set available to the holistic community effort.

The time for being polite in this respect has passed. Are you happy to let your neighbour sponge off you? You shouldn’t be. We want our community to sparkle and shine. We want honest, committed people who can be relied upon. We want to know that our neighbours will help us when needed, and will offer their help willingly as true team players, in whatever form they are able to, otherwise they shouldn’t be neighbours or perhaps not even welcome in this community. Our government and municipal officials, looking after the supposed ‘bigger picture’, do not have the time, inclination or resources to take care of our ‘little issues’. My father taught me the expression – “Look after your pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”. So true.

We have to restart by placing importance on the little things. Littering, general tidiness, obeying the traffic laws – yes, they do exist, extending common courtesies, and ensuring peace and safety for our loved ones. Take the time to talk to others, and more importantly, to listen to them.

Lonehill is such a great place for these things to happen. It is a beautiful suburb full of people who use the wide streets, parks and paths for walking, running or cycling pleasure, and they talk up a storm in the process. They’re happy! Just take a look at the everyday photos in the latest Lonehill News magazine. We really do have a great community. The people are generally very willing, once engaged. Often they say we should advertise more, talk more, etc. You, members of this community, are the ones that have to do that – don’t leave it up to someone else, because there is no-one else. You are that someone else.

Your elected Board of Directors of the LRA has done a sterling job during this past year and I applaud and thank them each for their individual contributions. The responsibilities and expectations are enormous, sometimes even scary. The scope of what we still hope and dream to achieve is huge. The dedicated and committed staff of the LRA have been unbelievable. What champions we have here, and you should all be proud of them.

The LRA is not a little two bit operation any longer. It is a demanding and growing business with some very serious responsibilities and targets. There are members of the community who believe that the LRA is overstaffed and under worked, and that what it does should be done solely by volunteers. This is simply not possible nor even feasible, and a few hours spent in the office will open their eyes. I regularly receive calls from other communities, asking us what we do and how we get it right, because they can’t. It all boils down to commitment and management. Without the management structure that we have in place, the LRA and the entire security initiative would collapse in a heap.

During this past year we reviewed our security services and provider. We put together a team of consultants, whose job it was to recreate the security specification for the area, identify the possible organisations that would be able to fulfil the role, call for tenders, evaluate the responses, eliminate to a short list and finally choose a successful company. This process took longer than six months, and was handled with complete transparency and fairness. We re-awarded the contract to Fidelity, and are currently busy implementing many of the new controls. We are very happy to re-assure you that the LRA has the most capable and resilient security services organisation in the country. We may not have the best technology or desired numbers of staff yet, but we are well on the way to achieving this. It does however require the community’s support. The more subscribers we have, the more we will be able to achieve.

Fidelity Lonehill now reports directly into the Bryanston head office, and is backed up and managed by their highly successful and efficient banking division. A brand new control room with state-of-the-art equipment is about to be installed in our Studio Park premises. Some of the new functionality will include video and camera monitoring of booms, streets and perimeter areas. This will include links into licence plate and vehicle recognition systems. We are piloting remote, real time camera and monitoring equipment for our street patrollers. This technology is very new to this industry internationally. We would also like to increase the number of street patrollers in the area from 12 to at least 24, some of these being mobile on scooters, creating a lot more visibility and covering a lot more of our area more often. However, this comes at an additional cost of approximately R100,000-00 per month excluding vehicles, so it may be some time before the increased numbers are seen on the streets. An alternative to this would be to motorise the current patrollers as well as upgrade them.

How are we going to achieve this you ask! We have already begun more active marketing and selling programs, on the part of both the LRA and Fidelity. The LRA recently appointed a dedicated marketing and communications lady. Elmari Dell has taken this role by the horns and certainly has her work cut out for her. Fidelity now has 2 sales people in the area and their sales effort is a high priority project with dedicated and specific areas of focus. Their combined target at this stage is 40 new subscribers each month.

The increased security section activity has also resulted in more technical service calls as well as new installations, or upgrading of existing ones. The administration surrounding this function has also received attention. This aspect alone is one of the main reasons for the success of our operation. It is a personalised approach with understanding, care and attention.

Whilst on the subject of security, now would be a good time to reveal the statistics for the past year. The number of incidents of any form of criminal activity in Lonehill still remains very low when compared to any of the surrounding areas in this policing region. To be more precise, there were 157 incidents in the Greater Lonehill area over the 12 month period under review compared to 1503 in our policing region, which equates to 10% of the region’s crime whilst we occupy roughly 20% of the area and house approximately 16% of the region’s population.

We have established an excellent working relationship with the SAPS units in both Douglasdale and Sandton, with their members now attending our weekly security operations meetings. We have unfortunately not had the same degree of success with the Metro Police, despite one of their most senior staffers living in Lonehill.

Striving for a zero crime statistic in our area is the goal, but it is easier off the tongue than in practice. Nevertheless, our efforts will not cease. Criminals have become far more sophisticated over the last 12 months. For example, they are using up market vehicles such as new Mercedes Benz’s and Volvo’s. They are well dressed, follow the rules of a gated area, and generally attract no suspicion until the moment of the event. On the other hand, due to the number of displaced vagrants and illegal immigrants increasing in certain surrounding areas, there has been a marked increase in unattended or chance housebreakings. The majority of these have been in the Lonehill East area, alongside the spruit which is easily accessible from the old Clay Oven complex, a bone of major contention. Regular raids have been conducted, with many arrests, but without any decrease in the criminal activity. Overall, many arrests were made by our security operatives during this last year, but successful convictions or incarcerations were few due to what is now a standard excuse that the dockets were lost or no shows by complainants at court time.

Our Control Room, aside from being rebuilt, is now being enhanced with the introduction of new guard monitoring systems, using wireless camera and GPS technology. We are very excited about the development as it goes a long way towards resolving the age old problem of keeping the guard awake and motivated. Boom guards will be able to photograph both the vehicle and the driver and other occupants without any extra effort, or the occupants even being aware that a photo has been taken. This photo will appear on a screen in the control room within seconds.

During the last year, many organisations were invited to install their surveillance products for a trial period so that we could accurately assess whether they will work for us or not. To our not unexpected dismay, not one made good on their offer. We have been in contact with many other places that have significant camera installations, and most of them expressed disappointment or dissatisfaction with their products, installation or support. Their costs were all huge. We, touch wood, hope not to make the same mistakes. Camera technology has improved dramatically over the last year. We are looking at installing 3Mp smart low lux units, with robust and highly usable software systems, which will alert the operators to exceptional or suspicious events. The same system will enable us to ensure that available vehicle and reaction resources are placed optimally, to facilitate rapid response times to events. This infrastructure will also allow us to monitor the popular entrance, exit and possible escape paths. As soon as an event occurs, which could be as simple as a person walking through a demarcated zone or crossing a line, we will be able to dispatch a reaction officer or street patroller to that point immediately.

Our Observer group, led by Ros Truelock, has been operational during the year, but unfortunately not to the extent that we would’ve liked. There are a number of volunteers who regularly arrive to do their rounds, providing us with invaluable information from the complexes and guards. It is another one of those vital links that are required in order to have eyes everywhere. Please volunteer your services for this very important function, and thank you Ros for your dedication and effort. We sincerely hope to do better this year.

Another method of increasing our information gathering net, will be to re-establish a Domestic Worker’s Forum. We used to run these morning events once a quarter at the Fire Station, and there will be someone to talk to the members on an interesting topic – learning a new skill, and a security element whereby problems are highlighted and ideas are propagated.

Residents of the Greater Lonehill area, we are orders of magnitude better than anyone else in terms of pro-active security. Despite this, we still have crime, and we are actively looking at ways to reach that magical zero number. To be fair and honest, we often have weeks where no incidents are reported.

Moving onto matters environmental. My congratulations go to Ian Bell, Hans Cochlovius, Doug Black, and their team of gardeners. We’re looking better each day. We purchased a new mean, yellow, grass cutting machine during this year. It has enabled us to cut three times as much in the same time, using only one operator! We are now able to spend more time on other aesthetics around the suburb, all of which translate into better values and area utilisation. The parks and paths are always populated with residents making great use of these facilities. Now, if only we could get the doggy people to pick up their beloved pet’s mess! Please carry a bag and leave the environment in at least as pleasant a condition as you found it. It’s a mindset that we have to learn to embrace. As you walk along and see litter, please pick it up and deposit it into the next bin. We have even ordered a number of new bins to cope with the ever increasing volume of rubbish being left around. Littering is an offence, people, and it is punishable by a hefty fine. Inspectors do monitor this and fines are issued. Our cameras will also assist in this regard. Don’t hesitate to shout at someone who is littering either. If you tolerate that, you’re just as guilty.

We have started to clean up the stream beds and are planning to de-reed and de-silt the bottom two dams just off Concourse. The main dam will also be receiving some attention to retard the constant inflow of sand and silt. Some ad hoc cleaning has occurred on the Lonehill East side, but this is a mammoth task that requires the assistance of City Parks, who as you know, are not readily available, and often just do not have the resources or the budgets. On the positive side, we enjoy a good relationship with them and know that they are grateful for our efforts in looking after our own areas.

A lot of work has been done on the koppie, thanks to Don Perry and his helpers. The invader scrub is slowly being eradicated, allowing the indigenous vegetation to reclaim its rightful place. It’s a wonderful place to visit and take in the scenery and views. Some new benches have been installed, and watering holes have been provided for the resident wildlife.

Unfortunately, all dogs are now permanently banned from the koppie enclosure, due to a number of residents allowing their animals to openly chase and attack the wildlife, and in a few instances, other dogs and even people. Repetitive warnings and fines came to no good, so the final regrettable step of banning dogs from the area was taken

The pumps in our main dam have given up the ghost, again, and we are actively seeking a reliable supplier with relevant expertise for this project. The constant testing and dosing of the water has definitely yielded a good result so far, and we will continue with this line of treatment. A few experts in this field have made their knowledge available to us, and some of their ideas are already being implemented - such as the algae-eating grass raft that you may have noticed floating around. Its claim to fame is a 3m long root which has a high algal attraction and destruction rate. We are still awaiting the results of this test. With the slow down or completion of building projects in the catchment area, we also hope to see more stable levels of water purity and cleanliness going forward.

Furthermore, we are looking at redoing the lighting in the park areas, to replace the old sleeper columns which are now rotting. A number of new durable benches have also been installed around the main dam.

The LRA is in the process of signing up leases with Johannesburg Property (the council’s division that has ownership of the pavements etc) for the main entrance corners, four-way stop corners, Mulbarton Circle and the large park area in Beverley off Mulbarton Drive. These are areas that really need attention and they are part of the beautification project that we have been talking about for some time. It will cost money to complete these projects – hence the EnviroFund and other initiatives, as well as the possibility of a Council grant, so we are ensuring that we have ownership and control of these areas before going ahead with the work. So far all is on track, but the process is not short or easy. We are expecting to receive the final documentation during August.

Potholes…what potholes? Road resurfacing is another focus of attention, but this is dependant upon the availability of funds and equipment from the JRA. We managed to sort out the worst area of Mulbarton Drive, albeit temporarily, and this along with the remainder will be permanently addressed once all construction in the area is complete. The same applies to the Dennis / Cheney Road areas.

Cutting back of high growth foliage areas has commenced and is a mammoth task – often requiring the assistance of City Parks. Removal of the cuttings and debris is always an issue, so to ease this problem we are in the process of acquiring a large trailer, purpose built, to ensure that the rubbish does not lie around for long. It will also be used to take our equipment to cut and maintain the outlying areas. Naturally, the work load is increasing in this department as the demands or expectations rise, so we will be looking at increasing our gardening and cleaning staff complement. One particular area of focus here is the removal of paper and rubbish in the parks, on the roadside and pavements, and now during the summer rain season, the sweeping up of soil, sand and stones in the gutters, streets and intersections. This is a simple task, employing two, three or four casual labourers, but has an enormous benefit in terms of aesthetics, impressions, values, and general ‘feel good’.

Our gardening team has also taken on a few maintenance contracts and is available for more of the same, and we are also talking to a resident about a garden refuse collection and recycling service.

With regard to our Finances and Administration; we have been under the able and eagle-eyed care of Roger McKee and Clive Dryden – two Chartered Accountants who take nothing at face value and leave no paper unturned. The 2008 Annual Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with the new stringent International Financial Reporting Standards, reflect the healthy state of your company. In the current environment of rapidly increasing fuel and food prices, rising interest rates and a CPI, regardless of miscalculation or not, running into double figures, we have managed to hold our head clearly above water, and still produce a decent surplus for infrastructural projects around security and environment. Our office administration staff, being Dorica, Kelley and Elmari, have been through some tough times since Karina Taylor’s departure – highlighting the massive load and responsibility that she actually shouldered whilst in the hot seat. We are extremely thankful and grateful for all the support that Karina provided, and indeed still does, albeit remotely when required. We have come through with flying colours, and are now looking at putting belt and braces in place, engaging with a number of people with the view of putting them into cross-over positions, ensuring that we will never be without the required expertise to deal with the day to day activities and responsibilities of a R16m p.a. operation.

The Board took a decision two years back, not to re-employ a general manager in the short to medium term, as the current Board members would apply themselves to the task. This worked well for the first year. Your Chairman was required to spend an inordinate amount of time attending to the various requirements and responsibilities of the position, in addition to the daily management of the business, and the active management and guidance of the security service provider. This became something way beyond the donation of social responsibility and voluntary time. He did not run or shy away from this, but tabled a workable solution with the board, also discussed openly at one of the public feedback meetings, which enabled him to be reimbursed for his time spent managing the business. It was discussed at two full Board meetings, minuted, and a low hourly rate was agreed to. The position of an Executive Chairman is by no means out of the ordinary and is a functional and practical way to save costs, especially in a small operation, provided that the incumbent is prepared to take on the role, and its attendant responsibilities. This is currently working very well, and after due governance and diligence, monitored by our auditors, there appears to be no good reason to change or modify this modus operandi as long as the incumbent is willing and able, unless the Board decides otherwise. From my part as this Executive Chairman, it is one of the most stressful positions that I have occupied during my career, but is also extremely satisfying in terms of serving a community and achieving results that are appreciated by most. And yes, given your acceptance, I am most willing to continue serving this community.

We have made some significant changes to the Studio Park offices during the last six months. The LRA offices have now moved upstairs from the dungeon into far more pleasant digs. We have a functional and spacious Board Room that can also be hired out to other potential users. Roger and Clive, along with the rest of the Board, also kept an eye on property prices, bond and interest rates, and ensured that your investment is in fine shape, almost bond free, and increasing in value significantly, from a purchase price of R2.2m to a current value of around R4m.

We have unfortunately not been able to stem the tide of increases and inflation, and the ones that affect us most are those to do with our security service. This industry is governed by unionised wage negotiations which take place every three years. It is not a cost that can be absorbed or hidden or ignored – we have to face it. Fidelity, as always, has been challenged to lay their costs on the table for our scrutiny. They have tabled a general increase across the board to all of their clients, of 12.5%. We found ourselves unable to accept this, and have agreed to an increase in their costs to ourselves of 9.25%, which is the statutory labour cost increase for this year. Notice of this will be sent out at this month end. Whilst this does not sit comfortably on anyone’s palate, it is entirely acceptable given our vision of providing and securing a safe and pristine environment for the best value added cost, in which we wish to live. In spite of this increase, our services and product pricing remains close to par for the exceptional deliverable.

Last year I mentioned that we had pushed for an initiative involving the youth of Lonehill, in terms of a Junior LRA Council or Board. Each of the schools were approached on this but unfortunately nothing has yet come of it, although there is renewed interest from Crawford High. We will continue promoting the concept but are reliant upon the schools to promote it and for the youth themselves to take an interest.

The Lonehill Cub and Scout group initiative has garnered some interest, but the stumbling block here is the availability of some property where these worthy activities can be housed. Any ideas on this would be welcome.

Event wise, we are doing just fine. Shelley Miller, who has been helping out on the event management side has done a great job and she has our appreciation and thanks. This and other functions will from now on fall under the marketing and communications person - Elmari Dell. I’m sure that they will make a great team and that the community will be richly rewarded with well planned and run events under Elmari’s guidance. The main reason for holding the functions and activities is for the benefit of the community, to give them pride of ownership and participation, to bring the community together. Although funds are raised at these events, the amounts are small, and they are donated to a worthy charitable institution. This last year, we supported the Witkoppen Clinic by way of providing them with infrastructure to the value of the donation, rather than the cash itself. We are now looking for other deserving charities in our immediate vicinity, and will make a decision on this year’s donations during the next two months. All suggestions are welcome.

The 2008 Fun Run held last week was a great success. Our thanks and appreciation go out to all the sponsors, helpers and participants, particularly Otter Estates for their very generous sponsorship. Last year, we were overwhelmed by an increase of participants from 400 to 700. We ran out of T-shirts and medals. This year we ordered 1000 T-shirts and medals, and yes, you guessed it, we ran out again. Another remarkable increase from 700 to just over 1000 participants! And the interest is still growing. Great fun was had by all. A preliminary net profit of R25800 should be available for infrastructural donations to a worthy cause. For the record and those interested, the cost of this event was R70000.

Earlier this month, a Hijack prevention evening was held in this Crawford School Hall. It was a great success and widely appreciated, to the extent that a repeat will be held later in the year during the summer months.

The Father / Son Camp-Out, an idea long touted by Ian Bell finally came to fruition. This too was a great success with a guarantee of many more to be held in the future. The camaraderie between adult kids and real kids was amazing, and I’m not really sure who had more fun!

The Christmas Carols event held at the end of last year was another very successful occasion. It was a co-operative project with all three Lonehill based churches participating. This year end, we will repeat the event again, but this time will have a lot more audience and children participation, and a lot more carol singing to really get you into the Christmas spirit.

Our annual Fun Day event was slated to happen on 7th September, but sponsorships for this size of event at the moment are extremely hard to find and in fact non-existent. It may just be necessary to replace this event with a crafts / art in the park day, and then run the Fun Day during next year around March. The format of this event also requires rethinking, with a return to the traditional old “village fun festival”.

The Garden Competition has certainly cultivated serious interest from within our community and even from outside, with a tremendously successful introductory event. This year it will be held during October and promises to be a growing and colourful highlight.

In conclusion, I once again thank my colleagues and staff for their hard work and dedication, sometimes in the face of severe adversity, in providing our community with a great service, and sincerely hope that they will continue to do so going forward.

Rob Gillespie
Chairman - 2008

Lonehill: Should We Be IMPRESSED?

2008-07-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

So sad to hear of the passing of Joy Cook/e and her husband - within weeks of each other - recently.

Joy's steely spirit, grit, and determination epitomised the salt-of-the-earth type of character that has underpinned everything that is good about the Lonehill community initiative.

As discussed in this forum before, it would be nice to have a wall-of-honour (perhaps a Lonehill Hall-Of-Famers concept) to recognise a Joy Cook/e et all for their exceptional contributions to our community... while they're alive!

Must say that I have been impressed by the exceptionally high visibility of Doug Black (standing in for a recuperating Ian Bell) and the Lonehill Estate Management vehicle. It seems that everywhere I drive around Lonehill, there is Doug and his team cleaning up something, somewhere.

Thanks Doug, your activity delivers on the vision of pro-active community management that launched this community initiative.

Must also say, that at first impression, I am pretty impressed with the AGM financials.

I think that there are many an outsider who would love their community to have the foundation of resources that we appear to have at our fingertips.

I doff my cap to the entire Board for their turnaround of the LRA management debacle of some two years back.

There is no doubt that the LRA is now where it should have been some four years ago... ready to launch some innovative, world-class, visionary initiatives to make Lonehill a GREAT community.

Clearly some individuals are more responsible for this turnaround than others - for the quality of their efforts - and it is my belief that they should be highlighted (let's not be coy, and let's make it an LRA responsibility to recognise those that make exceptional contributions). I'm guessing that names like Rob Gillespie, Ray Stride, and Michael Goodwin are due some warm praise for their efforts.

Let's also not be shy to question governance issues raised by the financials.

Directors emoluments of some R257 000..?

Retroactive 'transparency', exposed by the need for declaration in public financials, and that have to be questioned for clarity to discover what has actually transpired, can only lead to raised eyebrows!

Don't have a problem with anyone being remunerated for a job well done, as long as, and especially in a community initiative context, such intentions are openly pre-declared to the community for stakeholder discussion and approval, and the position is openly offered/advertised as an equal-opportunity to anyone in the community wishing to tender for it.

It has always been my view that individuals with transparently declared vested interests and/or requiring remuneration/incentivisation (a slice of the pie) will be critical to making a significant difference and building a much bigger pie for the benefit of all in a community.

The question is, to what extent should Executive directors be able to vote themselves remuneration/awards without pre-approval of their members?

Today R257 000... tomorrow R500 000... soon R1 Million and maybe more..?

What should be the rights and limitations of the Board when it comes to making themselves such awards?

Again, don't get me wrong, I believe this community must go professional, and the right people who deliver must be paid.... and some paid big to deliver on big ideals.

I am just of the view that they shouldn't be on the Board..! Raises all sorts of governance issues related to undue influence and potential for accusations of vested interests. Just too close to the line of propriety for comfort.

In the interest of a positive AGM befitting the credit that is due to those engineering the management turnaround, I will withhold my personal answers to the above questions and related issues until my next post. You form your own views and questions... and ask them at the AGM.

At this year's AGM, I would like to hear a justification (albeit in hindsight) for the Directors emoluments as declared in the financials (i.e. what was delivered as KPI's by whom in return for that remuneration), a current SWOT analysis of the LRA, and future plans for the LRA - with KPI's - and who holds responsibility/accountability for their delivery in the coming year.

Some questions that should be asked and answered at the AGM are:

i. What are the biggest challenges facing our initiative in the coming year?
ii. What plans are in place to resolve those challenges and what innovations will we see?
iii. Who is accountable for deliverables on these resolutions (what are their KPI's)?
iv. What finances are required for the coming year and future... and where will it be sourced from?
v. What are the critical numbers we should be watching to assess future success of the project?
vi. What is being done to reduce the burden of current contributors?
vii. Why do we only have +- 300 voting members on the LRA from +- 6000 householders?
viii. Are there any expected major budget allocations (in excess of R50 000) that may be paid to individuals in the coming year and for what?
ix. Should a new budget allocation limit be imposed on the Board requiring referral back to Members for approval?
x. What added-value does each paid individual on the LRA add to our initiative (e.g if paid +- R250K, did individual add another +-R250K and more to the initiative)?
xi. How can stakeholders benefit from and use the LRA community centre facilities which they have funded?
xii. Should LRA AGM not be held within 60 days of financial year-end?

This forum has consistently complimented the chalk-and-cheese improvement in management of our community since the events leading up to the AGM debacle of two years ago.

However, this forum also believes that this Lonehill community initiative and its stakeholders are deserving of far greater VISIONARY application which can only happen by implementation of 3 simple things:

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.

We've still not yet achieved the above in any significant manner. When we do, is when this Lonehill community initiative will really take off as it should.

There are simple ways to implement them. Just takes a little LEADERSHIP!

That's when I'll be truly impressed.

Thought I'd close with this comment from a colleague (Chairman of an impressive Section 21 organisation) who watches our LRA affairs with interest:

'My suggestion would be the establishment of a working party comprising of the existing board & management team, plus interested community stakeholders. On the agenda :

1. Structure, accountability & governance.
2. Current situation - SWOT
3. Requirements for short & long term viability
4. Procedures & rules w.r.t
a. Changes in policy, accounting practice, remuneration.
b. Contractors, tenders, suppliers and any other forms of procurement
c. Marketing, fundraising, advertising
d. Rights & limitations of the board

So simple.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Be Patient, Be Persistent, Be PASSIONATE..!

2008-06-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Oh shame, I feel for the poor unknown scribe in the LRA Newsletter - Wednesday, 11 June 2008 - who laments the response of 'less than 300 contributors' to the environment fund project.

Let see, 300 at R60 p.m. is R18 000 p.m. Less the R10 000 p.m., which we were told is paid to vendors to cover the monthly voucher award... leaving a nett R8000 p.m.

At least it's a small profit that can be ploughed back into our community... but clearly not what the unknown LRA scribe is looking for.

One can understand the frustration of those who have been driving the project for over a year to 18 months now, and after apparently 'campaigning for the past week', resulting in the comment: 'The extremely poor feedback we’ve received is both heartbreaking and concerning.'

Especially if, as I suspect, the scribe has pinned his/her hopes on this one specific strategy to increase revenues and it is not going the way, and at the pace, that he/she wants it to. A little irritation is bound to set in.

Particulary too, within a community, where in my experience, logic is almost always over-shadowed by personalities, politics, and even just the plain 'ol pathetic.

Here's my word of encouragement, if your OFFER to the community is truly irrisistible and makes sense then... be patient, be persistent, and most of all, be PASSIONATE..!

Compelling offers, if really that good, will be taken up.

The flip side, of course, is that perhaps the offer is just never going to be that exciting to the targeted consumers... and that would clearly not be the fault of the targeted consumers.

In that instance, I'm not one who believes that 'guilt marketing', or sharing one's frustration, has much impact in a mature community.

Having coined the phrase - 'apathetic communities arise from pathetic leadership' - I am always sensitive to the poor universal standard employed by typical impoverished community leadership around the world, which is to conveniently blame their community as 'apathetic' when leaders don't get what they want.

The 'heartbreaking and concerning' statement in the LRA newsletter comes dangerously close to this old finger-pointing chestnut.

There may well come a time when leadership has to make the call to defocus the cause of their frustration and adopt an alternative strategy or two.

Most everybody has heard the definition of insanity described as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

What we need is a willingness to CHANGE... to explore NEW possibilities.

And that's where my own patience, persistence and passion for our Lonehill community keeps me hanging in on this forum to continually challenge our LRA leadership to broaden OUR strategies... broaden OUR participants... broaden OUR exploration into new ideas from willing residents who WANT to contribute.

In a previous post - Lonehill: We ALL See Things Differently - I talked of just this one individual having '..a range of MASSIVE ACTION projects ranging from raising an extra R100 000 p.m. to R500 000 p.m. for the LRA coffers, to MASS PARTICIPATION projects to bring the community together, to INTERNATIONAL recognition projects to have the eyes of the world on us.'

And, I'm sure that I am just one individual amongst many other creatives living within our +-6000 households that must have some incredible ideas that could be explored and implemented as alternative strategies to achieve the results we all want in our community.

And, let's see, R100 000 p.m. at nett profit would be equivalent to another 1666 contributors to the environment fund... and R500 000 p.m. would be the equivalent of 8333 such contributors.

So why wouldn't any community leadership want to seriously consider all the available options? Go figure!

As I've said before, in a community, logic is almost always over-shadowed by personalities, politics, and even just the plain 'ol pathetic... and I've said, it takes GREAT LEADERSHIP to make a community truly great..!

This forum has repeatedly recommended what is required to happen in Lonehill.... just 3 simple things:

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.

None of the above have happened to any serious degree yet!

Why not?

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Massive Opportunities A-Wasting?

2008-05-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

Given the laughably pathetic threat of defamation aimed at self from our LRA leadership, it seems clear that they have no love for anyone who challenges their egos.

So, before I am forcibly, or by pure exasperation, assigned to the ranks of the local apathetic that the LRA leadership regularly criticise... let me call a spade a spade.

You see, in my 20th year in this community, I am of the opinion that the LRA has probably been the least effective innovator of progress in that time.

Clearly, before anyone gets me wrong, it APPEARS that our current community management is much better today than we experienced during the LRA management debacle of some two-odd years and more back - so I am thankful for that as already discussed in Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due' .

And I am never one to criticise the neat little community things that those on the LRA believe that they should be focusing on... whatever rocks your socks, folks!

I am more concerned about the MASSIVE opportunities, community assets, resources and possibilities that, in my opinion, are a-wasting and therefore, I believe, negatively impacting materially upon our future potential and asset values as residents and community stakeholders.

I am also concerned for the current lack of OPENness, debate and transparency of the LRA management and leadership process.

I hanker for a return to the open attitude prevailing during the only time something really MASSIVE happened in this community - when WE resident stakeholders stood up as LSAG back in 2000 and did what the LRA would not do... and MADE something BIG happen!

Today's LRA and hopefully continuing solid financial footing is founded upon the results of THAT action.

We did it by inviting EVERYONE in our community to participate openly wherever they felt they had a role to play. No one was denied.

Anyone could sit in at any meeting - yes, even director's meetings - and comment or contribute, or just cast an interested eye over proceedings.

We conclusively demonstrated the benefits of INCLUSIVITY versus the stupidity of exclusivity.

Until... some ego's began to think that this was not the way that 'leaders' should operate... and that decisions affecting our community and their logic should start being taken behind closed doors by a select few.

This writer is absolutely convinced that it is his vocal opposition to such exclusive leadership style, much to the chagrin of local leadership who perpetuate it, both past and present, that makes him a tad unpopular with such individuals.. ;-)

Was just reading a book summary of 'Moose On The Table' where the subject of Courageous Leadership is discussed.

Particularly how 'silence kills organisations' and how 'when people fail to communicate, it leads to many problems such as':

1. Hiding/suppressing information
2. Minimizing or avoiding big problem issues
3. Helplessness, cynicism and apathy
4. Turf protection and silos or departmentalism
5. Team members dislike and avoid each other

Read the Chapter: Moose and Managers to view points 6 to 12.

Quote from the book: What keeps people from having courageous conversations? FEAR'.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

And because of almost a total lack of open insight into current LRA leadership logic, my own recent experience of dealing with this leadership team, and apparent examples of almost unilateral decision-making by a select few... I am of the opinion that the above 5 points closely describe our LRA organisation today... and I suspect that points 6 to 12 will mostly apply as well.

My view requires intelligence and lack of ego on the part of LRA leadership to understand the point that I am making. If YOU are wittingly or unwittingly perpetuating any or all of the above points... have the guts to look yourself in the mirror and bring about change in yourself... and to change the points above.

My view requires Courageous Leadership to understand that I don't care two hoots for over-inflated personal ego's being bruised... I'm talking about what kind of leadership will make our community truly great.

Lonehill requires Courageous Leadership from our LRA leaders.

You can erect the most magnificent mega-engineered kilometres-long structure to cross the Grand Canyon, and pat yourself on the back as to how fantastic it looks, but if it falls just 10 meters short of reaching the other side... it is a useless structure.

Let me make it clear, I do not criticise the positive work the LRA may do for this community (especally the volunteers)... I exhort them to focus on achieving BIGGER GOALS for this community, to OPEN their minds to the possibilities, and to strive to complete the last '10 meters' of our construction as a GREAT community, as in the analogy above.

I am reminded of the fantastic video by Dewitt Jones who underscores my attitude towards possibility-thinking in: Celebrate What's Right With The World - see http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28163893

However, I AM highly critical that the LRA board, as seemingly intelligent people, do not actively include everyone from this community who wants to participate and deliver in a big way... and that they DENY specific locals the opportunity to actively participate in making a difference in this community as they want... especially the PASSIONATE ones, such as self (acknowledging my continually openly declared vested interest).

Courageous Leadership would find a way to accommodate such passionate contributors. It's really that simple.

In essence, I repeat, this forum's call is for the LRA Board members:

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.

I have no idea why the LRA does not actively demonstrate their intent to follow this call... what is it that they FEAR?

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: The BEST of People... The WORST of People... and Everybody In-Between

2008-04-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

The LRA's threats of litigation against this writer and/or his opinions have led to some personal musings on social behaviour experienced within community.

This could probably be titled: What I Learnt From Being A PASSIONATE Community Contributor.

1. Status QUO Rules - Don't Dare Rock The Boat!

No matter how bad things get, the ruling pattern of social behaviour seems to be to maintain the status quo - i.e. not to rock the boat.

Lying somewhere between the Stockholm Syndrome and, what I'll call, the Zimbabwe Syndrome, adversely-affected people seem to comply with whatever their psychological captors throw at them. For 'captor' also read 'corporate bully' or 'social bully'.

Perversely the captor gains the 'loyalty' of their victims by seeming to spare their victims from the ultimate threat of death, destruction or such-similar threatened personal disaster.

THREAT being the primary psychological weapon of such captors.

In such situation, individuals do not want to be singled out from the crowd for fear of being 'dealt with'.

The pop psychologists will also probably refer to analogies of the 'frog in the gently heating pot of water' or that of the 'ostrich with his head in the sand'... or, 'if we ignore the problem maybe it'll go away'... to explain why people within an affected community will tolerate much more than outsiders can believe credulous (e.g. Zimbabwe).

It takes a particularly fearless, thick-skinned type of individual to stand up and rock the boat in a community, as such action attracts the enraged ire of all those with vested interests to maintain the status quo AND even the ire of those adversely affected by the status quo but who do not wish to have the boat rocked for whatever fear they have had drummed into them - 'you're only going to make it worse' or 'you're not going to make it any better' being their constant refrain for doing nothing.

So, in 2000, on penning this call-to-action communication - (click link) Lonehill Village Terrorism - Lonehill man Critical After Vicious AK47 Attack - this writer knew that he was not going to be the most popular with some in his community.. ;-)

Know that popularity will be an almost impossible crown to attain for the individual who challenges the status quo by rocking the boat!

Don't engage in the process if YOU are a sensitive soul, wanting to be a local politician, and/or fearful of heated criticism and threat of personal attack.

Also know that one need not be popular to be effective... most often, 'popularity' and 'effectiveness' do not go hand in hand when the chips are down and things need to be done.

2. Change UPSETS People - It's Easier To SIT On The Fence!

Given an audience with the then LRA of 2000, for all intents and purposes an ineffective community structure with little in the way of moral support, drive, initiative or finances, this writer was expressly forbidden to erect posters proclaiming - Are You DYING To Stay In Lonehill - which he ignored. The rest is HISTORY.

At the time the LRA was seen to be a behind-closed-doors decision-making body of 3 to 4 individuals that was seemingly out of touch with its community needs.

Not that these individuals felt that they were the problem.

To them the problem was the apathy and lack of financial support that they experienced from their community.

So was derived the personal insight: 'Apathetic Communities arise from Pathetic Leadership'.

The poster campaign and follow-up messages took a a very deliberate approach to destroy the fences that many locals were sitting on by posing a controversial challenge: 'The CHOICE is yours... it is either one or the other... there is NO INBETWEEN! You are part of the solution, or you are part of the problem!'.

Know that that people do not like to have their comfort zones rocked.

When one breaks down the fence that people are sitting on then they are FORCED to move to one side of the fence or the other... and they don't like to be exposed for the decision they then have to make: which side?

There were those who sided with this writer and collectively created arguably the most innovative, successful, open and inclusive community initiative this country had ever seen.

And there were those who totally disliked being exposed as the 'other' camp, making this writer the specific target of their ire and committing to never getting involved in the project.

Illogical? Yes... but hey, people act on emotion... not logic.

Change UPSETS people... accept it.

3. NEW Rulers Don't Like Their New Status Quo Rules Challenged - Don't Dare Rock The Boat Again!

Having initiated the NEW Lonehill Community Initiative and spending four-and-a-half years as a 100% committed volunteer driver (moving on to the board of the LRA by take-over/merger) and today, another three-and-a-half years later, after closely following the LRA's actions (and debacles) as a passionate contributing resident and a declared vested interest potential business contributor, this writer is amused to see how the observations in Points 1. & 2. above just seem to repeat themselves.

It seemed that this writer's voluntary resignation from the LRA Board due to envisaged future potential vested interest purposes saw an immediate return to a behind-closed-doors decision-making process which excluded the system of open transparent meetings and tenders with maximum invited community participation that was the hallmark of the initial success of the initiative.

It was a time marked by individuals on the LRA Board looking one in the eye and saying one thing... and then taking a completely different decision when in committee behind closed doors (sadly, much as is still experienced by this writer today). Leading to the despicable removal of Ian Bell at the time, and the disastrous marketing and management decisions that seemed, in this writer's opinion, to signal the potential running aground of this initiative.

After giving the then LRA a year to prove this opinion disastrously correct, it was time to stir the pot once again.

Having experienced some absurd, illogical reactions from individuals in this community, this writer's funniest and most absurd story heard about how status quo attempts to dumb down individual intelligence, was this response reportedly given by a member of the LRA Board to a new Board Member at the height of our past LRA debacle being (to paraphrase): 'Aren't you embarrassed that no one here likes you or your questions'.

It's no wonder that this community experienced an almost wholesale change of the LRA Board at that time.

Thankfully, Ian Bell was correctly reinstated and basic management order was restored: Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due'.

The question to ask is, would this have happened without someone having rocked the boat?

Would the ORIGINAL launch of the Lonehill Community Initiative (Lonehill Security Action Group - LSAG) have happened without someone rocking the boat?

The simple answer is NO.. if one wants something significantly different to happen in a community... if one wants to change the status quo... one has to MAKE something happen.

If anything, this writer's advice to anyone wanting to make a significant difference in their community is to recognise that one's actions will bring out the BEST of people... and the WORST of people... and elicit a range of responses from everybody in-between.

And, make no mistake, the one rocking the boat will be seen by others (and will be told in no uncertain terms so) as being the best of people... and the worst of people... and everything in-between... all at the same time.

Don't worry what people think... do what YOU know is right.

If you have got to rock the boat... ROCK THE BOAT!

Oh yes... the status quo may well issue threats.

Know that such reaction is primarily designed to dumb-down open debate and the independence of intelligent thought and opinion.

Very much like an old Zig Ziglar fisherman's story of why crab baskets don't have lids on to stop crabs escaping. If one of the crabs starts to climb up the sides of the basket, the other crabs will reach up and pull it back down. People in communities can be a lot like crabs.

This writer's response to those in 'power' who issue threats, or who act like crabs, is to look them in the eye and give them a broad knowing smile.

Sometimes even to throw the head back and just laugh at the weakness of feeble character of those 'leaders' who cannot handle an eyeball to eyeball open debate or discussion around a table to carry their points of view.

Let's face it, it is EMBARRASSING for those who have egotistical pretensions of 'leadership' and/or political position to be exposed for being laughably pathetic.

So what will bring out the best in a community?

Debate and dialogue will. New ideas will. Inclusivity will. That's what this forum is all about.

Refer: Do WE Demonstrate The Characteristics of TRUE Community..?

This forum has listed many positive suggestions, inputs and ideas (see summary here) for the LRA to consider, most yet to be seen to be implemented.. ;-)

In essence, this forum's call is for the LRA Board members:

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.

The threat of litigation against this writer and/or his opinions is hardly the response one would expect of quality, open-minded, transparent leadership.

But then again maybe it's a sign that such opinion is touching a raw nerve. Why? One can only wonder.

Surely, the objective of great community leadership should be to channel all passionate willing contributors, especially those with proven credentials of making things happen in a BIG way in their community, into directions that can deliver massive positive results for the community.

Does that mean that such leaders should work with people that they clearly do not like?

Well YES... if they subordinate their personal feelings for the good of their community. That's what leadership is about.

Would this writer work with people he does not like?

Heck NO... and he wouldn't select a team to work with that didn't have an abundance mentality and commonality of goodwill towards each other.

That's what makes a community... there is always a selection of the BEST of people... and the WORST of people... and everybody in-between... to select from to work in independent silos of common interests and like-minded thinkers for the overall good of the community.

Great leadership can and will make that happen.

The opposite is to 'divide and rule' and to deliberately exclude participation of others.

Seems logical... but when ego and emotions are in play... logic takes a back seat.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: We ALL See Things Differently

2008-03-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a rainy day for updating one's blogs.

Was asked by an acquaintance last year - What's ONE Thing In Life That You've Learnt..? - to which I responded:

'That no two people see all things the same way all of the time - everyone has their own unique perception of life, events and circumstance that may or may not align with mine from time to time. Actually - most of the time.. ;-) Don't fret or sweat it!'

And clearly, my recent direct approaches to the LRA are seen very differently by both parties.

Certainly, I am of the opinion that the current crop of volunteers on the LRA have done pretty well at restoring basic administration management hygiene factors as written in my previous post: 'To be sure, we should all be GRATEFUL and THANKFUL for those volunteers who give of their free time to do what they deem best as already stated in previous posts - Lonehill: Grateful Thanks & A Simple Christmas Wish & Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due'.

So, let's be clear, as a resident stakeholder I am 100% encouraging of them sweating the small stuff and recovering from the debacle that they took over some two-odd years ago.

Nevertheless, I remain of the opinion stated in my last post: 'What we have currently is so far short of where we should have been at this point... and CAN be!'

And, as many will know in Lonehill, I am not one to just talk and criticise. I walk my talk. I say what I will DO... and DO what I say..!

As a proven active resident stakeholder, I once again took the initiative in January 2008 to approach the LRA with proposals to back up my comments.

In essence, my proposals centred around the BIG PICTURE scenarios that I have consistently advocated for our Lonehill Community Initiative on this forum.

This extract from my LRA communications perhaps best capturing the essence of my proposals:

'As just one stakeholder, I have a range of MASSIVE ACTION projects ranging from raising an extra R100 000 p.m. to R500 000 p.m. for the LRA coffers, to MASS PARTICIPATION projects to bring the community together, to INTERNATIONAL recognition projects to have the eyes of the world on us. I certainly don't need to prove my bona-fides as a make-it-happen individual who walks-his-talk and delivers in this community.'

'All it needs is the commitment, encouragement and support of an LRA executive that is driven by the VISION we all set for ourselves at the launch of this initiative.'

'Does anyone know of a community of our size who can do something with an extra couple of hundred thousand rand each month for their coffers?'

Since my last post, and in seemingly final response from the LRA to my proposals, I have received a 'Final Warning concerning Distribution of Defamatory Materials' from the 'Legal Advisor To The LRA' threatening '..to make Application to the High Court of South Africa (Witwatersrand Local Division) for an Order restraining you from such unlawful conduct'.

Hmmm... a really interesting way to signal the end of any further discussions/negotiations.. ;-)

Now, I would have done it a little differently and returned the initial compliment of the proposer, who made all the running in inviting the LRA Chairman to a cup of Mugg & Bean coffee to gauge the LRA's willingness to entertain such proposals (which willingness was assured), and would have returned the favour with a return invite over a cup of coffee to say why the LRA is unwilling to take such discussion any further.

For me, the measure of a man is in how he deals with openness, honesty, integrity, transparency and trust... all too rare attributes to find.

That's how I like to deal. With brutal honesty.

I always look to enter into negotiations with eternal optimisim in the counter-party's intentions to go for a WIN-WIN until they demonstrate otherwise.

And, if they indicate otherwise, I run a mile from striking a WIN-LOSE deal. They just never work.

Aaaah well... no point my sweating it any further, there's just no point negotiating with people who show their intent to litigate... their actions speak much louder than their words.

I just wonder how this threatening LRA action motivates others as committed as myself to 'stand up and be counted' as requested by the LRA Chair recently.

Don't know why, but the LRA's communication/listening style with this consumer reminds me of this funny two-minute Web video about the consumer who wants a divorce from the advertiser... is there any similarity for our LRA to learn from?

History seems to show that the only way that committed people can do really big things in this community for the ultimate benefit of ALL residents is to take the type of independent actions that launched the Lonehill Security Action Group back in 2000 (against the express wishes of the then LRA - I wasn't very popular with them for exposing their lack of comparative action by bringing the community together as massively as we did then) and to do it outside of the LRA until common sense reigns as happened then.

Maybe those so inclined will just have to find a way to do something similar again.. ;-)

Interestingly, back then, I didn't just have to contend with threats of defamation law suits from some of the locals... but also with death threats..!

So maybe we're maturing as a community... ;-)

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lonehill: Still Grateful, Still Thankful... Still Aiming TOO LOW

2008-03-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

My own business meetings had me missing the latest Lonehill Residents Association (LRA) public feedback meeting on Wed.27Feb., but from a few of those attending I am told that nothing much earth-shatteringly exciting emerged and that the current executive seem pretty comfortable with their progress.

To be sure, we should all be GRATEFUL and THANKFUL for those volunteers who give of their free time to do what they deem best as already stated in previous posts - Lonehill: Grateful Thanks & A Simple Christmas Wish & Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due .

To my mind, and ever since launching this long-standing community initiative way back in 2000, I have always been of the opinion that our Greater Lonehill Initiative has the potential to be one of the GREATEST Community Empowerment stories in the world.... with all of the MASSIVE advantages that would accrue to each of us as astute residents in such an international-profile community.

What we have currently is so far short of where we should have been at this point... and CAN be!

Michelangelo is said to have voiced what I believe holds our initiative back:

'The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it. Rather, it's that we aim to low and we hit it'.

Spot on, Michy..!

Now don't get me wrong, I am not just criticising and waiting for others to deliver, I have actively and personally pursued the current LRA board to find a way to allow all Lonehill stakeholders - individuals with proven capability and skills - to participate in delivering on some MASSIVE objectives. This, to me, is quite simple to do.

As just one stakeholder, I have a range of MASSIVE ACTION projects ranging from raising an extra R100 000 p.m. to R500 000 p.m. for the LRA coffers, to MASS PARTICIPATION projects to bring the community together, to INTERNATIONAL recognition projects to have the eyes of the world on us.

And, I know that there are others who recognise that we have even greater potential than that... and they have just been ignored into exclusion and apathy.

Sadly, I have not heard even the faintest peep of a response from our local LRA leadership... not even to continuing the little ol' annual cricket match which I was challenged by the LRA Chairman to deliver on last year and did in short time... just in case the newbie leadership doubted my make-it-happen abilities... ;-)

C'mon LRA, in my case, your lack of response and/or decision-making ability is embarrassing... especially in the light of your recent Eskom-bleating session on Radio 702. At worst, it is just plain 'ol bad manners and a lack of common courtesy not to respond to serious community stakeholders who take the time and trouble to give of their input.

Does anyone know of a community of our size who can do something with an extra couple of hundred thousand rand each month for their coffers?

No point wasting a great idea... ;-)

In closing, the thought arises again as to what was the single most significant difference between what we did to launch this initiative and make the MASSIVE impact on the community that we did versus what it was that dumbed our initiative back down towards the mediocrity of typical apathetic community structures. I pointed to this in the post - OPEN Inclusive vs. CLOSED Exclusive - in which I offered a possible description of what people may say/think at the extremes of each style of leadership.

The 'OPEN Inclusive' extremist may say openly: 'Hey, I don't like you and/or your opinions, but I acknowledge what you're good at, so select your role and I'll wish you the best of success in greatly improving the lot of our community and give you all the information you need to be successful - now get on with it and deliver.'

The 'CLOSED Exclusive' extremist may or most likely, may well not say (but instead, act out on this mind-set): 'Hey, I don't like you and/or your opinions and I'm going to make it as difficult as possible for you to have any part to play in this community. I'll leave if you do. It's you or me! There is no room for the two of us.'

The more I think about it, what I am perhaps describing here is the difference between MATURE Leadership versus immature 'egoship'.

The latter being what we seem to see emanating from almost all levels of our national leadership - from political, to essential service providers, to national sporting body execs, et al. There seems to be more a focus on individual ego, power and control than in the general interest of the publics served.

What blows my brain, is that I have seen the very individuals who vocally question the apparent lack of common-sense of our national leaders perpetuate the very same stupidity of 'egoship' when they themselves step into a position of community authority. Go figure.

My challenge to our LRA leadership is to find a way to include EVERYONE who wants to contribute in their way to this community becoming a world-class initiative. At the moment, your current leadership style leans towards the 'CLOSED Exclusive' model.

Let's get back to the 'OPEN Inclusive' style that launched the very initiative and funding platform that allows you to get your personal leadership ways today.

Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lest We Forget AULD Acquaintance - 2

2008-01-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the second in the original online postings from the Year 2000 that rattled a few cages in Lonehill in the original days of our Lonehill Community Security Initiative... made me both popular and unpopular with a few at the time... wonder why... ;-)

Found on http://www.lonehillaction.co.za/campaignlaunchpage.htm

Are You DYING To Stay In Lonehill?

Lonehill residents ready to take action!

Online Internet security network takes off

Lonehill Village Terrorism!

An AK47 War Zone On Our Doorsteps

Click here for Lonehill Security Strategy Plan of Action! - 26/9/2000
Click here for Lonehill Tender Evaluation Document! - 22/8/2000
Click here for original Security ACTION Meeting notes! - 6/7/2000
Click here to join our Lonehill Residents Security ACTION email database - NOW! An active security communication network is vital email: (decommissioned)

Lonehill Security Headline News!

22 September: Van Klaveren Family HIT By Armed Thugs... Again!!! Not happy with taking the life of their husband and father... the Van Klaveren family were again tackled by 3 armed thugs in a silver BMW... just as they were pulling out of their driveway to go on a recuperative break at 5 a.m. this morning. Apparently a shot was attempted by the thugs... but their gun seemed to jam.

One wonders how this family feel about those Lonehill residents who can't see their way clear to participating in the TOTAL Security Plan for Lonehill. The quicker we all get our contributions in... the quicker we can provide a solution to these horrific events! It may well be you or your family next!

26 August: Huge Turnout At Lonehill Security Meeting Saturday 26th August saw the Lonehill Crawford College Hall JAM-PACKED with concerned Lonehill Residents in the BIGGEST show of community support ever!

The Lonehill Security Action Group explained their VISION to provide ALL Lonehill Residents with 24-Hour TOTAL Security Protection from evil criminal elements. They listed as their primary objectives -

...to establish VISIBLE proactive preventative policing in the Greater Lonehill area

...to LEVERAGE the Bulk-Buying Power of ALL Lonehill Residents to negotiate a SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION in the average residents monthly Security and Household Insurance costs

...to enhance the UPMARKET image and Value of Lonehill properties

In a stirring presentation Action Group members demonstrated conclusively that OVER 95% of Lonehill Residents believed that... -

1.) '... WE have a SERIOUS SECURITY PROBLEM in Lonehill!'
2.) '... our politicians are NOT protecting us!
3.) '... criminal elements are LAUGHING at us!'
4.) '... local security companies are NOT providing a solution!'
5.) '... those who are not part of the solution ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!'

Statistics taken from the recent Lonehill Residents Survey showed that:

i) ... at least one in five Lonehill residents has been affected by crime in Lonehill
ii) ... 99% support a TOTAL Security Plan for Lonehill (also evidenced by a MASSIVE show of hands)
iii) ... 65% will invest R1500 for a Security Solution (another 22% from R500 to R1000 - total 77%) - before our guarantee!
iv) ... SIGNIFICANT reductions in the Current Average security and household insurance costs are likely!

With MOST residents stating that they were VERY UNHAPPY with Lonehill's current SECURITY PROBLEMS they were invited to become part of the solution! Each resident was asked to complete a Residents Survey Form and to submit an email address for regular contact. Lonehill Village UPDATE letters will be delivered to ALL residents on a regular basis. Volunteers are also needed as Street Leaders and for any special skills that can be put to use by the community when needed.

Each resident is asked to make an INNOVATIVE kick-start investment contribution of R1500 with a 100% Money-Back guarantee (maximum 12 months). A very astute and conservative Action Group Executive have committed to placing these contributions into an LRA Trust Fund Account (at zero-interest return to the contributor) for use as negotiating LEVERAGE with local Security and Household Insurance companies.

The idea is to show that Lonehill Residents are ready to put their money where their mouths are! These funds will only be released by the appointed Trustees for Lonehill Security expenditure purposes when a significant reduction of the average monthly Security and Household Insurance figure is considered attainable and deliverable.

The proposed target for release of these funds is a minimum average savings of R300 per month off the current average statistics. That it is, an average recovery of the R1500 kick-start investment within 5 months PLUS the benefits of A RADICALLY BETTER TOTAL SECURITY SOLUTION for all Lonehill residents.

The Lonehill Security Action Group have come up with a FANTASTIC SOLUTION for everyone to participate POSITIVELY without fear of wasting their money on frivolous projects. Just think, if they do not secure a minimum average reduction of R300 per month (off current average statistics) you will get back your original R1500. It is an INCREDIBLE DEAL for every Lonehill resident to become part of the solution!

Some have said that with such a SIMPLE SOLUTION proposal we have no choice in the matter.
We either gamble R1500 on a SERIOUS ATTEMPT to achieve PEACE OF MIND and SECURITY with concerned solution-seeking Residents - offering a 100% money-back guarantee if they don't achieve their aims.

Or... we gamble the same R1500 (by witholding it) on not being the ONE in FIVE Lonehill residents exposed to crime and the evil 'terrorist' criminal elements who will have no hesitation in shooting, maiming or killing you in your home or on the Lonehill streets if they get you - and that's their proven 'guarantee'!

The CHOICE is yours... it is either one or the other... there is NO INBETWEEN! You are part of the solution, or you are part of the problem!

Cheques should be made out to: Lonehill Residents Security Administration with your name and address clearly written on the back, and delivered to the Lonehill Veterinary Clinic front office desk, corner Lonehill Boulevard and Crestwood Drive. For further detail contact Trevor Nel - 705-2790 - 4 Etterby Close, Lonehill

22 August: Security Action Group Feedback meeting - August 26th Saturday 26th August will see an open feedback meeting presented to all residents at Crawford College - 10 a.m. The presentation will last for 45 minutes followed by 30 minutes question and answer time. Thereafter there will be an opportunity to complete the security questionnaire for those who have not yet done so.

22 August: Raw sewage spills into Lonehill Dam for 10 days It has taken 10 days to get the council sewage cleaners to look at the problem source above the bridle path at the Pineslopes border. When they finally arrived it was after 6 p.m. and then they could not get through the locked gate at the edge of the farm smallholding. So we still have raw sewage spilling into the dam... it is shocking... stay out of the water!

31 July: Hi-jacking on corner Mulbarton and Lonehill Boulevard Just a short note to inform the community that an employee of ours was hi-jacked at the corner of Mulbarton and Lonehill boulevard at +- 15h00 on 31 July 00. He had been the the First National Bank at North Gate and cashed a cheque and had taken a route turning right from William Nicole into Mulbarton. When he stopped at the top of Mulbarton Road waiting to turn right into Lonehill Boulevard, he was approached by two armed black men who demanded to be allowed into the vehicle. He was then ordered to drive back into 4 ways gardens area where he was told to get onto the boot of his car and driven around for about 3 hours and ended up in Soweto. He was unharmed but was robbed of his watch, money and other goods in the car. He suspects that he was followed from the bank and that these criminals may be operating in the area and their target is people who have cashed large sums of money. The two thugs could not speak english very well. Let's get more patolling in this area. Regards and be alert. Tony Henry

24 July: Seven Thugs Terrorise Beverley Grandparents Here's the BAD NEWS. Our neighbour's left their 4 year old son with their parents at the Rose Farm in Beverley (bordering the bridle path opposite Sandton Village House) on Sunday evening 23rd July. Ten minutes after leaving... men in 'police uniforms' knocked on their back door and talked there way in... SEVEN armed thugs held up and terrorised the Grandparents, held a knife to the throat of the boy and threatened to slit his throat if he didn't stop crying. It seems that the old folks did not resist and were lucky to come out of this unscathed... but mentally scarred.

I am told that some Lonehill residents don't want to see the crime around them. I see these 'strange people' as OSTRICHES with their heads in the sand! it is about time that we printed this type of email out and used it to kick them up the only target they present to us... their exposed BUTTS! How can anybody be so naive, and frankly... STUPID? Either we kick their butts... or they get an AK47 shoved up it!

Oh yes... there are now a good MANY of us in Lonehill who are POSITIVELY SERIOUS about reclaiming our 'little piece of Heaven' back from these terrorist thugs. The GOOD folk are busy 'fighting' back!

20 July: Lonehill Security Residents Survey - 22nd & 23rd July Key Area Cordinators and Street/Complex Leaders will be circulating Lonehill Resident Survey Questionnaires throughout Lonehill on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd July. The purpose of the survey is to identify just how serious Lonehill residents really are about their security situation in their area. The objective of the survey is to get enough critical data to negotiate MUCH BETTER RATES and IMPROVED SECURITY for the ENTIRE village of Lonehill. MORE Street Leaders/Complex Leaders needed. Key contact persons for further details are: Tony Henry 082-5598-464 ; Craig Fraser 082 801 4095 ; Trevor Nel 705-2790

30 June: Springbok Bowler robbed in Lonehill by armed men S. Chronicle Crime Watch 30 June - Brazen gang robs Springbok bowler "Always expect the unexpected and don't have any shrubbery or bushes near gates behind which felons can hide!" This is the advice from Springbok bowler Cyril Lehana after he was held up while pressing a gate bell outside Martinique, a townhouse complex in Lonehill.

"I am very conscious of crime but while my attention was on the gate buttons, these two guys materialised. I told them not to shoot as I ahve two daughters and started to get out the car. One of them hit me over the head. Even when a car drove past they just stood casually as if chatting to me - no panic! They demanded guns (which I don't carry) and money, and made off with all my personal possessions, luckily just before a woman and child drove up to the gate. Like all law-abiding South Africans, I am just sick and tired of all this rubbish.

14 June: Squatter Camp settlement on Lonehill border! Roy Hamlyn reports: 'We became aware of a further threat to our security today. The establishment of a low cost/squatter settlement below Leukop prison on the Jukskei river - approx. 200 lc dwellings that has been allowed to slip through the consultation process undetected by design. This has serious implications for LH in that no infrastructure or employment opportunities exist.'

14 June: Lonehill Hardware shop ransacked! This I have heard on the grapevine and have no facts, but if it is true - where were the security guards??? Please get details for posting or squash this 'rumour'.

10 June: Lonehill Greengrocer shot dead in lottery heist attempt! I have received this disturbing information via email: "Hi Trevor - I have just heard that Jose` - the original owner of "Dinos" and the person who owns the Lonehill Fruit shop - was shot dead in his Pavilion Shop on Sat.(cor Rivonia Rd and Kelvin Drive). His wife is the pretty lady who runs the Lonehill Fruit shop. He was there the other day - we had a chat about the center. I cannot believe he is dead! They were residents of Lonehill Upper East. I hope I have all my facts right - I think so! Thanks for all the mail - always shocking but keeps us on our toes!"

Another Lonehill man dies!!! It's shocking and disgusting and criminal - it's a war on peaceful folk - and we have got to put a stop to it. I know those prayer chains are working overtime but please include this poor family as well.

Sandton Chronicle - Crime Watch (June 30) - Murdered for LOTTO Money Lotto machines claimed their first victim just before 5 pm on Saturday June 10, when popular greengrocer Jose Baptiste(40) was murdered for the money during a gang raid on the Pavilion Shopping Centre on Rivonia Road.

A gang of between five and six men simultaneously hit both the fruit shop and the cafe at the shopping centre. Customers at the fruit shop were ordered to lie on the floor. One of the robbers was posing as a customer, another was standing in the Lotto queue. When the feisty Jose` remonstrated with the robbers they shot him in cold blood. they made off in two cars, a red one and a white Polo.

Relatives had the added agony of having to wait with Jose`s body for hours until the mortuary van arrived. Virtually all the other shops in the Pavilion centre have been robbed, many of them more than once, but for nine years Jose`s shop was untouched - until he put in the Lotto machine. It has now been removed.

The funeral service for Jose` was held at the Catholic Church in Victory Park. He is deeply mourned by his wife Odette and two sons Keanu (3) and Dino (10)

09 June: Lonehill man DIES in attack by 3 ARMED thugs! From the little bit of info. I have been able to gather, this senseless, TRAGIC incident occurred on Friday evening - 9th June - at about 7 p.m. From what I hear, friends were visiting a Palmerton Road couple when they were accosted by three armed thugs who forced them all into the house and ransacked it. Not happy with their haul it appears that they forced resident - Chris (is all I have so far) - upstairs to empty out a safe. Chris pulled a gun out and killed two of the thugs but was in turn KILLED by the third, who got away in a small white vehicle.

Click here for latest update: Sunday Times - A Lonehill businessman - Chris van Klaveren, 36, - killed two robbers in his home before he was shot dead in a 19-bullet shootout in his bedroom on Friday night.

Again, this could be YOU or I, can you just imagine the devastation it would cause to your family. Let's find out who this shattered family are and rally around them as a community. Does ANYONE have any ideas on how we can help them through this tragic time - I am not skilled in such support, this needs to be coordinated by better people than me. Please help with guidance?
26 May: Lonehill Dispensary attacked by four ARMED terrorists! Just two weeks after Steve Parrymore was savagely attacked in his garage, another four armed gunmen attacked Gail Foxcroft and her team inside the Lonehill Dispensary.

As an indication of just how bad our Lonehill communication network is, I have only heard today - 6 days later - of the attack from the mother of a young girl who was caught in the fracas on Friday evening 26 May at 6:00 p.m. This only serves to highlight the importance of an active communication network to keep us aware of our challenge in Lonehill.

To add insult to injury I hear that this happened while '30 to 40' security guards were changing shift and boarding their vehicles - and they could do nothing because they were unarmed. So what good is the security at Lonehill Shopping Centre if it can't protect our kids and ourselves from these terrorists?????

12 May: Lonehill man critical after vicious AK47 attack! Last night I had the horrific, gory task of plugging up the gruesome gaping bullet wounds of my neighbor - Steve.

At 9 minutes past 7 p.m. I was sitting in my home office with some visitors when an almighty firefight broke out... seemingly on our doorstep! At least thirty shots were fired in a 90-second burst with the most chilling sound being the final deafening volley-burst of an AK47 and a car rushing off. Reminiscent of the very worst border-war experiences I have had in years gone by, I knew instantly that we had a REALLY serious situation on our hands. Click here for the full chilling story

Click here for 400kb picture of AK47 bullet-riddled car in Lonehill!

eMail Responses: Horror stories coming in from Lonehill residents!

Story 1: Just under a month (May 2000) ago a young chap, about 24 years old was involved in a hijacking in Sceales Road down near the golf course. He was driving a B.M.W 316, it was about 4.30pm on a Saturday afternoon, he had stopped to take a phone call, and was just pulling off when three young black guys between 18 / 24 stopped him with guns. They told him to get out of the car, as he was getting out, his shoe lace hooked on the pedals, they shot him in the chest through the windscreen, and ran off. Thank God he is alright now, and is leaving for the U.K. shortly - submitted by L.B.

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Regards
Trevor Nel - Lonehill Resident
011 - 705-2790

Lest We Forget AULD Acquaintance - 1

2008-01-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

The first few days of a New Year always find me turfing out old documents... some of which are always poignant. Take a look at these original communications that surfaced in my throw-out and which kickstarted our Lonehill Community Security Initiative:

Found on http://www.lonehillaction.co.za/lonehillattack.htm

Lonehill man critical after vicious AK47 attack!

Lonehill Village Terrorism!

Last night - Friday 12th May 2000 - I had the horrific, gory task of plugging up the gruesome gaping bullet wounds of my neighbor - Steve.

At 9 minutes past 7 p.m. I was sitting in my home office with some visitors when an almighty firefight broke out... seemingly on our doorstep! At least thirty shots were fired in a 90-second burst with the most chilling sound being the final deafening volley-burst of an AK47 and a car rushing off. Reminiscent of the very worst border-war experiences I have had in years gone by, I knew instantly that we had a REALLY serious situation on our hands.

As I nervously ran the 20 metres down the road I was met by the most frightening sight you could ever wish to see - and God-willing, you will never have to see what I saw! Behind the bullet-pierced windshield and shattered side-windows of Steve's car I saw his blood-spattered forehead slumped behind the steering wheel.

Click here for 400kb picture of AK47 bullet-riddled car in Lonehill!

Having a quick look at Steve and at the condition of the car I felt that his only chance was to get him to a hospital as quickly as possible. I rushed back to get my car to load him in and get going... but no such luck! Steve in his pain and shock had tried to climb out of the car and just slid onto the garage floor where the full extent of his injuries made it apparent that we could not risk moving him.

With 'rivers' of blood flowing from an exit-hole the size of a tennis ball on his right shoulder and a 'watermelon-pulp' wound on his left shin, I looked over the 26 or so AK 47- and makarov-pistol-like bullet-riddled bonnet of his car to see the horrified pale-white ashen-faced looks on the faces of his street-neighbours gathering in the road - some of whom I have not seen for months! And I couldn't help wondering what has happened to our community spirit to allow something like this to happen on our doorsteps! This is now a crime-induced war-zone, as bad as any terrorist violence I've ever witnessed - this is urban terrorism! And... what are we doing about it?

Helped by a very courageous resident/neighbour - Stacy - and a visitor friend Dave, we immediately began plugging and belt-tourniqueting the most critical flowing wounds and trying to keep an incredibly brave and shocked Steve in communication with us while we checked out the full extent of his injuries. It was all we could do to keep him with us. We could see two entry wounds in the lower bowel, the horrific holes in his shoulder and leg and an entry point in his thigh - he seemed to be hit by 5 or so bullets.

Stacy's husband - Brett - was doing a magnificent job on his cell phone organising the the paramedics and police - who I am told arrived within 10 to 15 minutes (to me it seemed like an age longer) - with a chopper arriving 5 to 10 minutes after that. I am told that the pilot made the most spectacular landing in a very tight landing area. A very competent group of doctors and medics took 30-odd minutes to stabilise Steve as he slipped into a morphine-induced coma right below me - having been roped in to hold the two drips (six replacement drips were used in this time) as they struggled to block his ruptured arteries in his shoulder/neck area. I cannot tell you the how horrific it was to witness the fountain of spurting blood as they sought to ventilate his lungs and restrict the flow of blood in his chest cavity. And.. I now know that this could be me... or YOU... in the near future... if we don't do something now!

I must mention that the paramedics, on arriving, had only one question for Steve on their arrival - not 'Where have you been hit?' or 'Where does it hurt?', but rather, 'ARE YOU ON A MEDICAL AID?' What the heck does that have to do with treating a critically- wounded human-being? After a choice little word or two from myself (for which I apologise), they called in the chopper and administered the morphine to reduce Steve's pain. But let this be a lesson to those who do not have medical aid. Heaven knows what would have happened if Steve had to have muttered, 'No'!

Understandably, my wife and I could not sleep after this horrific episode and we got to asking questions of our security in the Lonehill community... and why nothing is being done by the community at large to prevent this type of incident? It is now clear that our community is experiencing this type of violent-crime every two months or so... very soon it is going to be one of us!

Who do we blame? Do we just give up on the apathy of a community at large - where I think the biggest blame lies? Do we question the leadership of the LRA - who are just like us, people with families who give up their precious-little spare time to act on behalf of an unsupporting and apathetic community? Where is there a preventative SECURITY action program?

I don't think there is any way we can apportion blame... but now it is time to institute a MASSIVE ACTION program. Forget about little LRA newsletters that get hidden amongst the tons of junk mail proclaiming insignificant little Security issues - now is the time to hype up the Lonehill Community's emotions... as much as our neighbors are now hyped up! It is time for Lonehillers to face this urban terrorism head on!

Click here to join our Lonehill Residents Security ACTION email database - NOW! An active security communication network is vital email: (decommissioned)

It is time to employ shock tactics. Something like taking Steve's bullet-riddled car and parking it at our major entrances for a week or two with an invite to an LRA-organised Security CRISIS meeting - with a chilling slogan like: 'Are You DYING to stay in Lonehill?', or "With your luck... will you be next!" It is now time for our community and particularly it's part-time leadership to stop pussy-footing around! There are now many Lonehillers who have been directly affected by a tragedy of this nature in the past year and we can use these emotions now to great positive affect!

And.. if Lonehillers don't respond to a massive action program then I believe the LRA has every right to take what little monthly contributions they get from some of us and stick up notices that read... 'Welcome to Lonehill - the Village Community that doesn't give a damn!'

Sincerely
Trevor Nel

PS. If you are as nauseated as I am about this happening on our doorstep please print this out and distribute it to your neighbors - if they want to see action, get them to communicate with me on 705-2790 or send me an email so that I can put them onto our Lonehill email database. If you are on the LRA you'd better contact me while I am so riled up - perhaps you should ask Ian Bell (the best thing to ever happen to Lonehill) what type of action-man is communicating here! This is not the time to sit on our back-sides and do nothing.

Lonehill: Grateful Thanks & A Simple Christmas Wish

2007-12-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

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

Lonehill: LRA Oct. 2007 Public Meeting Feedback

2007-12-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

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.

Lonehill: How Bumbling Leadership BURSTS The Balloon

2007-11-03T02:33:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: WORLD CLASS Performance Uplifts An Entire Community

2007-10-28T03:47:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: Welcome Return To OPEN Security Meetings

2007-10-11T03:20:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: Another Stalwart Passes On - R.I.P. Tony Platt

2007-10-01T01:37:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: Beware - Apathy Is Fuelled By Lack Of Transparency

2007-09-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

George Joubert Writes: Well said! You are SOOOOO right!

2007-09-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: Fun Day - Pretty Impressive

2007-09-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: Time Moves Us ALL On - R.I.P. Sigrid Dreyer

2007-08-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: Uphold The Right To Comment, Critique, Disagree & Criticise

2007-08-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill - GOOD Thing, Bad Thing?

2007-07-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill - What A Difference A KNIGHT Makes

2007-07-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill - Security Ops. Manager Moves On

2007-07-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill Resident Responds: I Prefer What The Greek Brothers Have Built

2007-07-10T01:57:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill - A Story Of 'Greed & Stupidity'

2007-07-09T03:22:00.000-07:00

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

Neighbourly Crime Control - in Lonehill

2007-06-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

2007-06-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

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

Lonehill - At The Edge Of The CHASM, Once Again!

2007-06-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

I made two points in last week's post related to the LRA feedback meeting:

1. 'Am I thankful for these efforts? YES.'

2. 'Am I impressed with what I saw and experienced last night? NO!'

I wrote: 'To be fair, I am clearly of a very different mind-set to what makes for the type of leadership, quality of project, and commitment to excellence that I'd like to see in Lonehill.'

By way of explanation and positive input, in my opinion, a community feedback session should see the first 30 minutes showing how our money is being spent (identifying the primary recipients of our revenue flow and their vested interests), the results that have been achieved (critical numbers: e.g contributors, incidents, et al), and follow-up of decisions made from the last meeting (e.g. what happened to the past key-contributor recognition program, and the Junior Council follow-up with Crawford College?).

Short, sweet, to-the-point, open, transparent, effective.

Thereafter, the community should be encouraged to discuss issues that they consider important for leadership to take note of.

This neat graphic from - Crossing the Chasm Book Review - had me thinking that perhaps we are again approaching the edge of the chasm which seperates the unique and visionary community ideal we saw for ourselves back in 2000... as opposed to the typical apathetic residents association malaise that exists in most mediocre community-type associations.

As I play over in my mind the magnificent work put into establishing this Lonehill initiative back in 2000 (and as to why it set itself so clearly apart from any previous resident/community association projects going before it), I am convinced that it grew in an open, transparent, mass-collaborative mode to the lip of the chasm (at the time of the marketing tender debacle) where, in my opinion, an autocratic managerial-style adopted by the then LRA leaders made some silly behind-closed-doors ego-centric decisions that saw the entire project falling headlong into the chasm.

The depth of this fall was identified at the AGM debacle of last year and it has taken time for the 'new' LRA board of directors to re-climb all the way back up to the lip of the chasm once again.

Sadly, at last week's 'feedback' session, I detected many of the very same autocratic-style ego-centric warning signs surfacing that may again have our Lonehill Community Initiative slipping back into the chasm once again. My biggest concern was for the almost unilateral style of decision-making by the few on behalf of the community... without first asking the community for its input. As discovered last year, such unilateral decisions can lead to serious embarrassment for the instigators and can result in a considerable waste of time and money should the community want to undo and/or unravel them.

Now, please note, that this is not an attack on any one or more individual/s, it is one person's opinion of what he believes should be happening at leadership level to 'cross the chasm' to the type of community initiative that we are all looking for. In this opinion there is plenty of room for stakeholders with differing opinions and/or vested interests to be settled by means of mature debate, open & participative decision-making, and mutually-beneficial community solutions.

I will try to make it as simple as ..1 ..2 ..3:

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 in these two quotes from his slides as 'The Management Paradox':

"Ninety percent of what we call 'management' consists of making it difficult for people to get things done" - Peter Drucker

"There's a war on between the people who are trying to do something and the people who are trying to keep them from doing something wrong" - Bill Creech

Here's my concern, I don't believe that current leadership have yet bought into the above 3 simple factors.

Disciplined People, Disciplined Thought, Disciplined Action... three simple factors identified by one Jim Collins that can take the Lonehill Community Initiative from mediocre, to good... to GREAT. But it takes exceptional leadership to unlock and encourage these three simple factors. As another slide from Tom Peter's 2007 collection says: 'Leaders "SERVE’ people. Period.” - Anon

So whilst I am extremely thankful for the return to the basic levels of management over expected service-provider deliverables, I expect much more of our leadership who have a moral duty to override their own emotions, assumptions and pre-conceived notions to act in the very best interest of our entire community. This cannot be achieved without stimulating the widest, committed, participatory input of the most passionate and critical community stakeholders who WANT to provide input - and understanding that some may well be of VERY different mind-set and opinion to those currently on the LRA.

Leadership is simple... and, as mentioned in previous posts, our Priority No. 1 Strategy should be simple:

SECURITY ==> VISIBILITY & VIGILANCE ==> FUNDING

Security is a function of the quality of proactive Visibility & Vigilance of our security force on the ground which in turn is a function of the inflow of funds from local stakeholders and elsewhere.

Leadership's role should be to say: how can we stimulate and encourage people to develop concepts and ideas to underpin our strategy?

Let's face it, one of the BIGGEST successes in this community began with the step taken to initiate and drive the Lonehill Security Action Group in 2000 - which, through a process of openly-encouraged participation, attracted many contributors within the community to build the platform that we have today, having generated over R100 million in revenue flow through the LRA.

As one who has been there, done that and got all the T-shirts in the above community process as a volunteer for four-and-half years it is my firm opinion from my experience at the front-line that the process slips into the chasm when community-input is not sought, avoided and/or ignored, and when autocratic egos take unilateral decisions behind closed doors believing that 'they' know what's best for the community.

I'm a believer that the community is a lot smarter than such people give credit for. To repeat: "Leaders ‘SERVE’ people. Period.”

Regards

Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790

Lonehill Resident

Systematic RAPE Of Lonehill?

2007-06-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Tony Platt writes:

It is with growing concern that I witness the systematic rape, bySummercon, of our Lonehill environment , it's infrastructure and all they are bringing to our neighbourhood. For the residents of Lonehill, we have them to thank for increased traffic volumes, less than desirable tenants in some of their disgusting developments, and 'a couldn't care less attitude' to some of the other problems resulting from their building of monstrosities on previously open land.

Three residents, of long standing in Lonehill, and to the east of theirTinza, Lonehill Estate and No.17 on Forest developments have recently spent over R60000-00 to drain away excess water seepage, which we have had confirmed as a direct result of these developments, notwithstanding all the boardroom induced propaganda we have heard about 'attenuation'tanks etc.

The indigenous trees they are planting to help beautify Lonehill do nothing to replace the 15 trees we have lost in our gardens due to flooding. Summercon appear to have unlimited access to the powers that be in theCouncil, and my biggest fear is that will manage the clout necessary to cause the Council to redefine some of our open areas and start further development theron.

Their contribution to Lonehill is Nil, as they do their own garden maintainence, employ their own security and all the buyers of their units live off the fat of the land at our expence. It's time for the LRA to become very envolved, together with our Councillor to ensure that the beauty that was once Lonehill is not further ruined by Summercon. They have conned us sufficiently.

From: "Platt" <shaunant@telkomsa.net>

Lonehill Shopping Centre & NOISE Issues

2007-06-01T02:54:00.000-07:00

Writes Joei:

I would like to ask you if any of your stakeholders

1. are affected by the noise, drunken patrons, speeding cars etc, if so can they please provide an affidavit (I am available to assist).

2. would be interested in receiving progress updates regarding the noise. If so can they send their email addresses to me and I will update the database accordingly.

Thanking you
Joei Woodman - joei.orourke@businesslogicsystems.com
0829285966

Lonehill: When SMOKE Gets In Your Eyes

2007-06-01T02:11:00.000-07:00

Aaaaah shame... I couldn't stay to the end of the Lonehill feedback meeting as I couldn't breathe given the smoke engulfing the room, so I don't know how it ended.

Travelling home I wondered if the tears in my eyes were as a result of the smoke, or for being thankful that some basic management structure had at least been returned to restore our initiative, or for the opportunity once-again lost to show the required sensitivity for community strategic leadership that inspires us on to bigger things.

First, what was good.

+-150 to 200 people in the room to show that communication makes a difference. It's a start.

The announced return of Col. Mickey Ferreira to reinvigorate visibility and disciplines into our security personnel.

An attempt to make something happen to bolster the Environment Fund. The proof of this pudding will be in the eating.

'Come Home To Quality' as a byline has a neat ring to it.

Am I thankful for these efforts? YES.

My compliments again to LRA Chairman Rob Gillespie and his team for getting us back to where we were some 3 years ago.

Am I impressed with what I saw and experienced last night? NO!

To be fair, I am clearly of a very different mind-set to what makes for the type of leadership, quality of project, and passionate commitment to excellence that I'd like to see in Lonehill.

My biggest disappointment is that I last night witnessed a primarily prescriptive leadership attitude based on the apparent ASSUMPTIONS of a few (the very same attitude that led to last year's first AGM debacle) with very little sensitivity for open participative or consultative processess to include the input of interested, committed, passionate community stakeholders.

I believe that this community has so much collective intellectual property at its disposal that is so much bigger than any overly authoritarian ego needs of the few to prove themselves. This, sadly, was highlighted in the handling of the Shopping Centre issue. What we heard was one person's opinion and assumptions attempting to over-ride the mandate sought by passionately involved stakeholders. For me, it spoilt the promising potential of the evening.

Leadership should have no fear of allowing two antagonistic positions of clear community importance to be openly declared, debated and decided upon by consensus. It IS a community problem, and the community SHOULD have a very real say.

Perhaps it's just the arrogant nature of us as South Africans that has us each believing that we know what's good for others.

Despite this, it's not my aim to overly criticise those that are cleary trying and who need to be encouraged to continue their progress (see the complimentary comments letter below), and what I am going to do is recommend that the board follow-up on an advert running on 702 right now to attend a program by Dr. John Maxwell: 'Leadership Is Influence: Nothing More, Nothing Less'.

Maxwell clearly understands the critical difference between voluntary association leaders (being close friends with one of the best - Bill Hybels) and commercial enterprise leaders. He will probably quote Harry A. Overstreet who observed, "The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person to participate."

I believe this will be money well spent by this community to have our core leaders (those intending to remain on the Board for next year) attend this program.

This in from Laurette Jones (copied to myself), from a family I value highly in this community for courageously standing up to help stimulate last year's change of our disturbing decline, and who leaves the type of encouragement that the current Board will obviously like to hear:

Dear Rob,

Just wanted to congratulate you with an excellent feedback meeting.I am feeling advantaged having you as Chairman. Thank you for everything you have done so far and for everything you are still going to do. Please also know that my time and expertise is at your disposal should you require my help with whatever.

Our household will definitely support the ‘Environment Fund Campaign’ = R60 p.m. as we have done for the last 5 years and we also definitely support the Lonehill Shopping Centre ‘Stop The Noise Campaign’ = R60 p.m.

Thank you for committing the LRA to both campaigns equally in effort and energy. I look forward to read the reports on both campaigns.

Best regards, Laurette Jones

I can't end this post with better encouragement than that!

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

Residential Or Commercial FREEHOLD Rights?

2007-05-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

Anthony Wilson writes:

Trevor, I note that there is a degree of erosion of the community of Lonehill being allowed by local authorities as they permit, or ignore, the purchase of houses in the residential area to be used for entirely commercial purposes, like the latest I have noticed, the Babor Institute’s “building,” which was formerly a private residence in Concourse. This practice differs from the less blatant practice which probably started the rot, which was to allow people, initially, to run businesses from home, which then outgrew the homes from which they were run, and now many of those owners have purchased separate new homes, albeit, in some examples, right next door!

“Quo vadis?”

Apologies for diving headfirst into a new subject without taking the time to recognize the positive manner in which you have expressed, once again, the challenges facing us, and simultaneously & adroitly encouraged participation by the community. I did appreciate your headline, especially the pun! Bravo!

Regards
Anthony.

ANTHONY WILSON
+27 83.592.61.33

Promising SIGNS, Poor Execution

2007-05-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by again continuing to encourage the LRA executive (or whoever rightly deserves the kudos) for the promising signs of improvement in the management of our initiative. And perhaps most important, to share a thought and vote of thanks for our proactive guards who are out in the middle of the night in this freezing cold.

The general overall neat look of the estate, the masses of yellow posters to attract feedback from the community, the new LARGE signboards, email newsletters in print slipped under our doors, and new bibs on our proactive guards all confirm that leadership is taking notice of the need to improve communication and visibility and are attempting to do something about it.

I like people who at least TRY to make things happen!

What a marked change from last year. 'Nuff said. It may well be that we are close to getting back to where we were some three years ago with massive potential ahead of us as a community.

However, as positive as I am feeling about the revival efforts of new leadership, I still see highly annoying evidence of poor execution undermining the promising signs being displayed.

The worst being the hard-to-read, woefully-poorly laid-out, BOLD copy on the noticeboards (please learn some basic copy and lay-out skills or use a professional to do this), the rubbish literally lying under the noses of proactive guards, and illegal posters on poles (two highly visible white ones on one pole in Franschoek have been there for over 10 days) confirm for me that our support staff and managers don't manage by walking around with their eyes open and still don't really care for our community as we do.

Let's put it like this, I am a huge fan of the IDOLS concept (particularly American IDOLS) as a world-leading business phenomeon, which is quite simply a strategic decision to take something common - a talent show - and convert it into something totally uncommon and unique - the greatest source of undiscovered musical talent in the world, having vitually re-established multi-million album sales in a fast-ailing industry.

So what's different in taking a common apathetic residents association concept and turning it into the most uncommon and unique community initiative in the world? It's all about strategy and vision. And, about the quality of people around in staff/service provider functions... can you imagine Simon Cowell accepting the display on our noticeboards right now? No way!

We were well positioned to take the uncommon and unique road three years ago... and BLEW it!

It takes a long time to recover, especially to recover the trust that is abused by such lack of caring and forethought. Don't blow it again.

Received this in from a Lonehill resident who concurs with my last post and whose comment I include because I think he touches on something that I have seen slipping into the current leadership ethos that will undermine its effectiveness in the future.

Anthony Wilson writes: 'Hear. Hear. I note with interest your accurate description of the two-fold manner in which unprincipled leadership manifests itself. ''I would venture that another feature of this kind of dubious leadership is the delegation of responsibility to the community it purports to serve, so that culpability appears to move to those to whom it has been delegated. This leaves “leadership” with no work and no responsibility – a typical political “soft-shoe shuffle!” Regards Anthony.

Yes, Anthony, I have a huge problem with a supposed service-support function that doesn't bend over backwards to make it easy to be a resident in Lonehill. Example: being made to feel like a heel for reporting to the LRA about sewerage spill into the dam that may just choke it up with unwanted organisms and being harangued with ongoing messages to first report such instances to the authorities. Or leaving individual residents to stand up alone against unacceptable noise emanating from developments seemingly in contravention of local regulations. Load of bull..!

For goodness sake, in the 'Community IDOLS' challenge that I envisage, I would reward every such concerned caller to the LRA with a medal for being so community-conscious. 'How can I help you' from our LRA offices should really mean 'How can I HELP you'!

Anthony's perceptive comment identifies what I believe is a very dangerous precendent currently being set that will undermine any reason to call the LRA offices. Why call if they don't care?

And, as if to underline the point, in the last week someone was obviously told to put up new LRA/Fidelity signs in our street. Mine was plonked on patently skew in a slap-dash manner as if to say - 'we truly don't care for you or your home'. If I didn't know how important the LRA initiative was to our collective community security I would change my service provider immediately for this overtly disgraceful show of poor commitment to the basics of service excellence. I'm leaving it up for everyone to see... or for our local manager to arrive and show that he cares... ;-)

George Joubert shares this insight: 'Hi Trevor, I had an interesting comment made by a senior executive (a non-Lonehiller) to a friend of mine - “Hell! I would not buy a property in Lonehill when the Residents’ Association ‘advertises’ all the problems in the area. Rising crime! Polluted dam, etc., etc!” - It just goes to show how careful one has to be! Perception is Truth they say!' Regards, George

What I believe that George is pointing to is that marketing is the essence of getting out the right message at the right time. Perhaps it's time to convey: 'How The LRA Works To Protect Your Family & Grow Your Property Investment in Lonehill'.

Simple to say but always challenging to get across on a noticeboard, so here are some ideas:

Lonehill Residents Meeting
LRA Rules..OK!
Protect Your Family
Your Property
(date)
(venue)

Lonehill Residents Meeting
How LRA Protects
Your Family
Your Property
(date)
(venue)

Lonehill Residents Meeting
YOU Are The LRA
Protect Your Family
Your Property
(date)
(venue)

I can only re-iterate that the moment any leadership stands up with integrity behind a great vision and strategy and stimulates an ethos of service excellence in delivery to their publics, is the moment that their publics will believe the message.

Don't let the promising signs by leadership be undermined by poor execution on the ground.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

Hear! Hear!

2007-05-18T02:36:00.000-07:00

Anthony Wilson writes:

I note with interest your accurate description of the two-fold manner in which unprincipled leadership manifests itself.

I would venture that another feature of this kind of dubious leadership is the delegation of responsibility to the community it purports to serve, so that culpability appears to move to those to whom it has been delegated. This leaves “leadership” with no work and no responsibility – a typical political “soft-shoe shuffle!”

Regards

Anthony.
ANTHONY WILSON
+27 83.592.61.33

Tribunal To REZONE Lonehill Shopping Centre?

2007-05-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

As I am about to pen this post, I have just received a call from one of my INNER Circle Business Forum members to say that one of our member's elderly parents had been attacked in their home in Benoni last night. His mother was killed and his father is in surgery right now.

This sobering message is a chilling reminder why we all need to be constantly concerned about our Lonehill Community Initiative and to stimulate for the highest quality concern and commitment of its leadership.

Talking about community issues, a seriously harassed and frazzled resident tells me that there is an an upcoming rezoning tribunal concerning the Lonehill Shopping Centre scheduled for the 24th May. Given this resident's annoyance for noise levels apparently emanating from this centre, it was no surprise to hear the uncomplimentary perception of the LRA's apparent lack of interest on the matter. I know nothing about such tribunal, so I can't help much. Can anyone else?

The Lonehill Shopping Centre owners appeared in a recent news item: Sunday Times Metro - 29 April 2007 - The Battle of Lonehill Mall - 'A Joburg High Court judge has threatened to throw two wealthy property developers in jail if they continue to build on the Lonehill Shopping Mall without council permission'.

I suppose the question can be asked as to why the LRA does not make a clear announcement that such a serious tribunal is taking place over such a prominent Lonehill landmark and issue... and provide information for all parties, whether for or against, to lodge their views and opinions.

Hmmm... all of which introduces perfectly the topic I was going to lead with this week... that of the need for Principled Leadership in our Lonehill community.

Let's face it, leadership has been sorely tested and found desperately wanting in not only Lonehill's recent past, but also in the World Bank - see World Bank board majority want Wolfowitz to resign - and now once again in our own hallowed South African rugby halls of leadership shame - see Rugby bosses drop ball with impunity and further highlighted in this shocking interview - see Transcript of 702 Talk Radio presenter John Robbie's interview with Saru president Oregan Hoskins over the Luke Watson saga.

So where do leaders constantly get it wrong in today's society? Simply, in my opinion, they believe that their personal values can be imposed by their authoritarian decree on their community (note that deliberately ignoring problems is the other side of the same authoritarian leadership coin). When in actual fact, their community has a natural understanding of what rock-steady priniciples cannot and should not be violated. Non-principled leadership therefore undermines the very support and respect it desires from its followers.

What the Lonehill community needs desperately is to identify a set of PRINCIPLES by which the LRA leadership should be guided. This has not yet been done to date (hence my continued call for an indaba of all sector leaders and interested parties in Lonehill)... and therefore the community cannot expect to be led by anything other than the arbitrary whims and personal values of transient leaders. This oversight or lack of foresight will continue to hamper any 'leaders' efforts in Lonehill.

Principled leadership would see our community leaders (amongst all stakeholders, no matter who they are) maturely rising up above their personal values and openly-declared personal vested interests (which almost everyone must have in the community) to apply rock-steady principled decisions to solve issues such as raised in this post.

So what would Principled LRA Leadership do on the above Lonehill Shopping Centre issue... it would recognise that opposing stakeholders in the community have opposing values which are subject to an upcoming Tribunal Review. It would recognise that it needs to apply all its resources to giving maximum publicity to both stakeholders to represent their views and allow due process to take its course.

So the minimum that should be done is to make the community aware of the date of the tribunal and how the different interests can represent their opinions.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident

simplify, Simplify, SIMPLIFY ..1 ..2 ..3

2007-05-11T01:32:00.001-07:00

Trevor writes:

From this post - MAD 7. It Only Takes 'HALF-A-DOZEN' Things! (extract below) - I am reminded that it is all to easy to fall into the trap of adding unnecessary complexity to ideas, projects, strategies, et al, that should be as simple as ...1 ..2 ..3

Too many people look to make the simple things in life too complex to understand.

Yes, most often it takes only a few things... 1, 2, or 3 things... just a 'half-a-dozen' things to ensure success in most projects.

I am resolving to simplify every idea, project, strategy I have into a 'simple as ..1 ..2 ..3' graphic presentation.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

LRA Chairman Responds

2007-04-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

Pertinent extracts from LRA Chairman Rob Gillespie's response to latest post:

We are putting Fidelity under some huge pressure to show and prove their might and market position.
There is a current program and drive in place to recruit at least 5 decent sales people just for Lonehill.
New products are being made available at very decent pricing – to address the much changed Lonehill segment from 6 years ago.
The crime stats are as low as they can be at present given the resource that we have at hand.
The co-operation tactics with SAPS and Metro are streets ahead of anyone anywhere in SA, but we want it better still. That is a Fidelity plus.
The new door to door campaign and the fund raising campaign along with the benefits module and the increased visibility will go a long way to re-energising and growth.
The problem that we had was a lot larger than any of us thought, and the rectification process was/is a lot more difficult than you can imagine. But, we are getting there, albeit slowly.

The DANGER Of Divide & Rule Security Co. Tactics

2007-04-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

First, hot off the press news link: See latest news item Sunday Times Metro - 29 April 2007 - The Battle of Lonehill Mall - 'A Joburg High Court judge has threatened to throw two wealthy property developers in jail if they continue to build on the Lonehill Shopping Mall without council permission'.

Now to this post:

Following highly visible promotions by security companies looking to break into the Lonehill area, George Joubert writes (extract):

Hi Trevor, Are we not back in a "siege" situation like LSAG were seven year's ago i.e. between the security companies and the robbers -- a rock and a hard place? I wondered what your comments are as the founder of the greatest security initiative this country has ever known?'

My comment:

To be fair, after just returning from my Sunday Morning jog/walk around Lonehill, my impression is that Lonehill is looking relatively neat (and I read that the dam is to be attended to - albeit an overly-delayed response to finding a solution). So I am pretty thankful for those responsible for the 'chalk & cheese' changes that have gone into stabilising our initiative from the 'disarray & mismanagement' debacles of last year. That said:

The danger of not having the LRA as the dominant decision-making body in the delivery of security and other initiatives in Lonehill will probably revert us back to the underlying conditions for urban TERRORISM (I remember the headlines well) that we we faced when six security providers were fighting over the divide-and-rule scraps of our disparate funds - costing us lives in the process, and a fortune in over-payment for piddle-poor service delivery.

If we have learnt anything over the period of this LRA initiative, it should be that MASS-CONSUMERISM (working together) can extract far more value for our collective rand than any individual spend can.

It may be that the 'competition' feels that the LRA Security Initiative is weak and devoid of strategy and therefore ready for the taking. This competition clearly employs traditional VISIBLE promotion techniques, and they seem to understand that VISUAL presence in the security game leads to market dominance in a dog-fight for territory.

Some questions to ask are:

1. Is the LRA/Fidelity service provider out COMPETING and 'baring their fangs' on the street corners to show that they really want our community's business?

2. Does the LRA/Fidelity demonstrate a willingness to display either the bark or the bite to SERIOUSLY capture the imagination of its publics?

I am afraid that I find it difficult to comment much further on current LRA strategy as there is little clear indication that one exists. This apart from my being at pains to COMPLIMENT the LRA's housekeeping stabilisation efforts which I feel have been commendable - given what had to be cleaned up.

Clearly, the Lonehill Community Initiative is dependent on the corporate governance - strategy, implementation, action/delivery, accountability & responsibility - of the people entrusted to manage those resources.

'Disarray & mismanagement' can cause almost irreparable long-lasting damage to the very foundations of such an initiative.

That's the challenge for the current LRA - to recapture the trust of its publics and to demonstrate that there is a credible strategy going forward (I believe it needs a BIG WOW statement to eradicate any negative feelings towards the LRA's impact in this community). The longer this doesn't happen, the more difficult it will be to launch any new community concept in the future.

I must say that I believe that the conditions and situation existing at the time that we launched this initiative back in 2000 are VERY DIFFERENT to the conditions and situation that present themselves today. This means that very different inputs will need to impact very different decisions needed to be taken for the future strategy roll-out of this initiative. Maybe the "siege" that G.J. warns of (and he is right to warn of it) can be avoided with some astute decisions taking into account today's situation in Lonehill.

This will take COLLECTIVE savvy, which clearly exists in this community. The danger, as has already been seen in our recent past, is when the 'few' take 'groupthink' decisions behind closed doors on the pretense of being 'open' and 'in the best interests of the community'. What bull..! It is ego and arrogance at its worst and leads to a collapse of confidence in leadership every time.

Certainly, I have proposed on this forum that the LRA call for all interested stakeholders to attend a strategy indaba meeting to ensure that the widest inputs are gained openly. I cannot see how it can be done with credibility in any other manner than an OPEN consultative process.

I repeat my comment made in the post dated Tuesday, March 27, 2007 - Re-Building Lonehill Community In The Streets :

I'm looking for inspiring LRA leadership that includes an open understanding of questions like:

1. What is the LRA's proposed long-term strategy, objectives and time-related targets?

2. What do the individual LRA directors hold themselves accountable to (i.e. measurable performance targets)?

3. What are the personal feelings of the individual LRA directors towards this community's challenges?

4. Where is The BHAG - the BIG Hairy Audacious Goal for our community?

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 705-2790
Lonehill Resident