New Year Post - Note to AUGI Board

The AUGI board will be welcoming a new member, Shaun Bryant of the UK, as today is his first day on the job. Welcome and good luck! In light of the recent web site and forum issues I thought I'd share, as the basis for a note to the new Board, links to six posts by Seth Godin. These all appeared on his blog in the several days following the arrival of the new AUGI web site at the beginning of last month.

• World's Worst Boss
• The Open Road
• Where's Your Platform
• The Appearance of Impropriety
• You Will be Misunderstood
• The Answer is Simple

I find that Seth has the uncanny nack for writing and posting something that resonates with something occurring in my life or things around me. When I put new Board in italics earlier I did so because this note isn't just for Shaun. The other members are returning but some are in new roles, for example David Harrington is now the President of AUGI (congrats!).

I include the "World's Worst Boss" because being part of the Board of Directors requires a lot of self-motivation and dedication. It tends to come after everything else going on in your life and that means very often the organization gets "less" of you.

"The Open Road" is where you are now. Will you slow down and become ineffectual or maintain your speed and direction? Do you rely on competition around you to stay motivated? Who is your "competition"?

"Where's your platform" is meant to inspire bigger thinking. Where could AUGI be, because you are there in "that seat"? Do you hope to maintain AUGI as a caretaker (important too) or do you dream a bit as well?

It is perhaps a bit more obvious why I include "The Appearance of Impropriety". In this role your actions always take on larger implications. The things you used to be able to write in a forum response and get a chuckle may now incite anger because you are not who you were anymore. This takes some getting used to, at least it did for me. You feel the same but somehow people see you differently. You are a leader now and the rules have changed for you, how you act, what you mean when you write/say something. Leading to...

Amen, "You Will be Misunderstood". No matter how you write it or say it or show it...it's going to happen. Expect it and be gracious when it happens, and try again.

No the "Answer isn't Simple" but that's usually what someone really wants from you. Explaining difficult things, simply, takes effort and some talent. The recent situation regarding the web site and forums is a good example of not either explaining things well or explaining things at all.

And a bonus one that appeared today! Insurgents and Incumbents.

I encourage you all to be better this year than last, better than previous Boards were, raise the bar for future Boards.

All the best, Happy New Year and Good luck!