[council] Theresa Swinehart on the Creation of the President's Global Advisory Groups

[Mike O'Connor]

this goes in the “no kidding?” department.  i had no idea Grace Hopper was the originator.  here’s the quote:

	If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.
		- Admiral Grace Hopper

as a person who spends a fair amount of time in the five stages of Oops, i’m very interested in seeing the draft versions of the theory.


On Mar 1, 2014, at 3:01 AM, Avri Doria <avri at acm.org> wrote:

> 
> Hi,
> 
> The reason I did not quote directly and used the paraphrased construction I did, is because I do not believe they yet gotten to the stage of asking forgiveness though in time they may.
> 
> Just as there are five stage of grief, there may be five stages of Oops! (Theory to Be Developed)
> 
> Might be better phrased as:
> 
> "It is better to give an excuse later than ask permission"
> 
> (-;
> An aside: the original quote is attributed to Grace Murray Hopper, a most distinguished woman in our field, and not from the Junior Space-Rangers. Unfortunately I do not have the specific reference at hand.
> )
> 
> cheers from Geneva,
> land of juxtaposed words and ambiguous phrases, signifying nothing.
> 
> avri
> 
> 
> On 26-Feb-14 13:50, Mike O'Connor wrote:
>> hi all,
>> 
>> i believe the official phrase from the Junior Space-Rangers Management
>> Handbook is "it’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission” and i
>> agree with Avri and Maria — that’s an approach that only works once in a
>> while.  another phrase from that same Handbook reads “the beatings will
>> continue until morale improves.”
>> 
>> on a more serious note, i think one way to make sense out of what is
>> going on is to compare the tension between the community and the
>> administration with the tension that exists between the faculty and the
>> administration of an institution of higher education.  i still have
>> lumps in my head from when i learned these lessons the hard way.
>> 
>> - faculty (community) should be careful not to run the institutional
>> infrastructure
>> 
>> - administration should be careful not to deliver the core mission
>> 
>> - talk in advance when it is not clear who should be taking the lead
>> 
>> - everybody should know whether the Board is active or passive and react
>> appropriately
>> 
>> we’re pretty seriously out of tolerances on all four of these right now,
>> in my view.  and we appear to be in a runaway positive feedback loop
>> that’s amplifying the problem rather than damping it down.
>> 
>> mikey
>> 
>> 
>> On Feb 26, 2014, at 3:15 AM, Maria Farrell <maria.farrell at gmail.com
>> <mailto:maria.farrell at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Thanks for the note, Marika.
>>> 
>>> I share Avri's concern, not least because "acting first and explaining
>>> later" too often becomes "acting first and thinking later", as the
>>> perspectives of those kept outside the clique turn out to have been
>>> essential to include to form a balanced and comprehensive picture.
>>> 
>>> And no amount of post hoc rationalising ever wins you back hearts and
>>> minds.
>>> 
>>> Maria
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 26 February 2014 09:06, Avri Doria <avri at acm.org
>>> <mailto:avri at acm.org>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>>    Hi,
>>> 
>>>    I can only say that I wish this had all been done before the
>>>    groups were formed as opposed to after, and that the support and
>>>    advice of the SO/AC had been obtained before they were created and
>>>    they began their work. This would have given them a degree of
>>>    legitimacy, I for one, do not believe they can acquire through
>>>    post-facto explanation.
>>> 
>>>    I know there is theory in management of acting first and
>>>    explaining later, and in emergencies this is can be an appropriate
>>>    method. However as it becomes standard in ICANN management, it
>>>    becomes less and less acceptable as a method.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>    Thanks
>>> 
>>>    avri
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>    On 26-Feb-14 09:56, Marika Konings wrote:
>>> 
>>>        Dear All,
>>> 
>>>        For your information, you can find a video with Theresa
>>>        Swinehart, Sr
>>>        Advisor to the President on Strategy, on the creation of the
>>>        President's
>>>        Global Advisory Groups which provides some further information
>>>        on the
>>>        background and objective of these groups at
>>>        http://www.icann.org/en/news/__press/kits/video-__globalization-advisory-groups-__25feb14-en.htm
>>>        <http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/kits/video-globalization-advisory-groups-25feb14-en.htm>.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>        Best regards,
>>> 
>>>        Marika
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> 


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