Gotham Volleyball Governance Training for VPs & Committee Chairs

1. Gotham VolleyballGovernance Training for VPs & Committee Chairs By Seth D. Eichenholtz, Past President and director of strategic planning

2. The Roles of Vice Presidents • Member of the Board of Directors • Executive of Gotham Volleyball • Chairman of a Leadership Group (essentially a committee) • Advocate/Representative for that Leadership Group’s Activities • Scheduling • Resources • Presenting that perspective to the Board and membership • Manager of a major area (or areas) of Gotham’s programming • Organization • Troubleshooting • Coordination • Decision making • Policy development

3. The Roles of Committee Chairs • In addition to any other leadership duties (Board, LG members, etc.)… • Chair of a Board Committee • Manager of a major aspect of Gotham governance • Organization • Troubleshooting • Decision making • Policy Development

4. Duties of Board Members (Brief Refresher…) • Under our new structure, the Board of Directors sets the organizational direction, ensuring necessary resources, and providing oversight • Individual Board Members – • Owe Gotham a duty of care, loyalty obedience (Gotham’s priorities must be our priorities) • Are ambassadors for the organization • Oversee and enforce organization policies, employees/ICs, etc. • Must be proactive in their duties (ask questions, anticipate and prevent issues, promote the organization) • Operations specifics should be handled by LGs, committees, independent contractors, employees (when we have), etc. • YELLOW FLAG: VPs & Board members who are committee chairs wear other hats that are operational, sometimes causing blurring of operational and governance responsibilities

5. Wearing Two Hats – Board Member and LG/Committee Advocate • ADVOCATE HAT: As a VP or Committee Chair, you are expected to express the consensus view of your LG or Committee. You are also expected to look out for the needs of the area of programming (or governance) you oversee and make sure it receives sufficient attention/resources. • BOARD MEMBER HAT: As a member of Gotham’s Board, you are required to do what you believe is in the best interest of Gotham Volleyball, considering the organization and its mission as a whole. You are expected to be a leader and an ambassador for the organization and support (and enforce) the decisions of the Board

6. Leadership Groups & Board Committees Overview • Leadership Groups are mini-Boards that serve as the oversight and operational decisions and implementation for major aspects of Gotham programming • Board Committees are sub-groups of the Board of Directors, with similar responsibilities to Leadership Groups but having to do with major aspects of Gotham governance (with some exception) • Both LGs and Committees report their formal decisions to the Board, and the Board must confirm the decisions to make them official • Typically, this is done by the LG or Committee transmitting its minutes or a “report” to the Board, which is then presented at the next Board meeting • In most instances, it is inappropriate (and sometimes specifically not permitted) for the Board to just change the decision – if the Board has issues with the decision, it is usually remanded (sent back) to the LG or Committee for further discussion consistent with the Board’s concerns • Meetings of LGs & Committees are run less formally, but still have certain legal requirements such as quorum, minutes, recorded votes, etc. • Rules governing these bodies are (1) the Gotham Bylaws; (2) Gotham policies (ROLP, SAVP, etc.); and (3) Robert’s Rules of Order.

7. Interactions Between the LG/Committee & The Board • LGs/Committees are handled to make decisions about and manage important operational issues • LGs/Committees are subject to Board review – this occurs when you submit your report/minutes to the Board • In order to take a formal “action,” you should describe the motion and vote (even if unanimous) in your report and ask Board members whether there are any objections • Once the Board has had the opportunity to review the decisions, and either affirms it (or does not object), your group is then empowered to implement the decision

8. Serving as Chair of a Leadership Group or Committee • Chair is typically viewed as the leader of the committee • Leaders all bring different styles to the table • Chair sets the agenda, ideally with input from the group • The Chair can set the tone – tone, comments and behaviors are usually noticed by the group • Chair is responsible for proper management of the meetings and making sure that everything is done properly • Chair is responsible for managing the group and engaging its members

9. Meetings • How often to hold a meeting is up to you, as you are the best judge of your group and its mission • For example -- When the new structure was designed, it was envisioned that LGs would meet at least once a month, because the LGs were doing most of the work held by the Board under the old structure, and we strongly recommend VPs meet at least that often • On the other hand – Grievance or Elections/Nominations only meet on an “as needed” basis • In-person meetings • Opportunity to discuss, give input, brainstorm • Best ideas come from group discussions/consensus • E-mail meetings/off-line discussion • Can supplement or help prepare for meetings • Easier to miss out on others’ ideas or points of view – email may catch others at a bad time • Remember -- The greater the engagement with your group, the greater the ownership your group members will feel and it will increase the willingness of your group members to assist with the work of the group • Inform group members about respecting confidentiality and to protect sensitive information (Grievance Committee, Finance Committee)

10. Chair Checklist • The group is meeting as necessary, with sufficient engagement and participation from the group • If you find yourself making major decisions or handling huge amounts of work, you probably aren’t meeting enough. • Keep order over the meeting • Keep members focused • Ensure meeting is properly recorded (appoint a secretary, but, under Robert’s Rules, typically chairs act as secretary in small meetings) • Ensure votes are taken when required/important • Ensure everyone is able to express him/herself and the decisions reflect the consensus of the group • Support and advocate for the consensus of the group, even where there is personal disagreement • Report decisions back to the Board of Directors

11. Chair Checklist (Gotham edition) • In Gotham tradition: • the chair arranges for the location of the meeting and the notification of the members • The chair arranges for any food/beverages/other “incentives” for attendance • The chair clarifies with the President any Board-issued priorities for the group • The chair decides how many meetings are necessary, and schedules them, as necessary • The chair conducts other methods of discussion/voting including any e-mail debate/discussion • The chair forwards all reports to the Gotham Secretary

12. Meeting Styles – or, there’s no “wrong way” to chair a meeting • Formal – a proposal is put forward by a member and then discussed. Speakers list is taken, with people speaking pro/con/FYI. If changes need to be made, proposals are offered • Confirmatory – lots of offline discussion, followed by a formal proposal and minimal formal debate where members can express their approval or concerns • Brainstorming (very informal) – agendas contain vague or general topics, members are asked to present concerns within those topics, solutions are discussed in a freewheeling style. If a consensus is reached, a brief, confirmatory style vote happens only when necessary and usually by “acclamation” • Others? • Most leaders blend aspects of each of these (and other) styles. There are upsides and downsides to each. • Committees are typically run informally. Leadership Groups are intended to be run as formally as a Board meeting.

13. Ideas for Engaging Group Members • Delegate to members of your group (and not just the thankless stuff) • Delegating consequential tasks also helps members feel ownership over the group’s mission • Recognize contributions • Make sure members of your group are heard (especially if their contributions differ from the consensus) • Suggested technique – repeat back what you hear from the leader to demonstrate his/her contribution is important • Work to make sure people don’t get “cut off” during discussions • Reward leaders’ time with increased responsibility • Speak with leaders about those interests, and give them opportunities to do things that match those interests • Work to identify leaders’ strengths, use those strengths, and provide opportunity to develop weak areas • Identify leaders who want to positions with greater responsibility and encourage/mentor those leaders

14. Ideas for Handling Disengaged Group Members • One of the biggest leadership challenges • Signs • Lack of participation • Lack of reliability • Aggressive/argumentative/stubborn approach to discussion • Causes • Feeling disconnected from decision making/disrespected • Personality conflict with other leaders • Lack of designating the leader responsibilities meaningful to him/her • Personal work/life issues unrelated to Gotham • Re-engagement • Develop a solution based on the problem • Direct communication usually works best • When chairing meetings, make sure member is heard by others in the group • Identify the leader’s strengths, and try to give responsibilities that play to those strengths • If the member still needs to “prove” him/herself or has difficulty with responsibility, consider assigning a trusted mentor or “buddy” • Always try to re-engage before determining that a person lacks the strengths necessary to serve in the group

15. Ideas For Dealing With Problematic Leaders • Beyond simple disengagement – problematic leaders corrode the group environment or disrupt the successful completion of a group’s mission • Assuming attempts to correct/re-engage have failed, the ideal first step is to discuss your concerns with the leader. Consider involving a “neutral” who both you and the leader respect to moderate the discussion • When that fails, discuss the matter with the Gotham President or appropriate organizational leader • If necessary, where the leader insists on remaining, consider formal steps to remove the leader (we like to avoid this if at all possible) • In any event, the following should have occurred before asking any leader to resign/removed: • A straightforward discussion with the leader where she/he is made aware of concerns and is given an honest assessment as to whether the position (or leadership in general) is right for him • A reasonable attempt to correct any issues (usually, you’ll have tried this many times by the time it gets to this point) • Discussing the issues with an objective observer to confirm the issues and help prevent any unconscious bias • Providing the leader the opportunity to resign • Try to keep internal issues internal – respect everyone’s right to privacy

16. Getting Resources For Your Group • Advocating for Resources • Amount to spend at Meetings • Budget lines versus one time expenses

17. That’s all!!!! • Seth, Eric, and Lew are all great resources for procedural issues • Other information can be found in the resource list provided in this power point • For many of these things, it is about your style and there is no right answer, but we can all help each other by discussing what works and what doesn’t • Questions? Discussions?

18. General Reference Information

19. Resources • Bylaws and other policies: https://www.gothamvolleyball.org/policydocuments/ • Leadership Wiki: https://www.gothamvolleyball.org/board-wiki • Password: board • Board & LG Minutes and Gotham Budget: https://www.gothamvolleyball.org/board-meeting/ • Gotham Volleyball Org Chart: https://www.gothamvolleyball.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Gotham-Volleyball-Organizational-Structure.pdf • Robert’s Rules “Cheat Sheet”: http://diphi.web.unc.edu/files/2012/02/MSG-ROBERTS_RULES_CHEAT_SHEET.pdf

20. Current Leadership E-mail • Officers • President Trevor Cano – president@gothamvolleyball.org • Secretary Eric Eichenholtz – secretary@gothamvolleyball.org • Treasurer Mike Hess – treasurer@gothamvolleyball.org • Leadership Group Chairs • Vice President for Training Leah Hughey – training@gothamvolleyball.org • Vice President for Division Play Patrick So – divisionplay@gothamvolleyball.org • Vice President for Activities and Outreach Max Szadek – outreach@gothamvolleyball.org • Tournaments and Open Play Leadership Group Chair Joe Hemsing – joe.hemsing@gothamvolleyball.org • Committee Chairs • Elections and Nominations Chair Eric Eichenholtz – secretary@gothamvolleyball.org • Finance Chair Mike Hess – treasurer@gothamvolleyball.org • Grievance Chair Jacob Rossmer – grievance@gothamvolleyball.org • Operations Chair Lew Smith – Lew.Smith@gothamvolleyball.org • Communications Chair Mark Liu – communications@gothamvolleyball.org • Website Chair John Wetsell – webmaster@gothamvolleyball.org • Coaching Chair Kyle Williams – coaching@gothamvolleyball.org

21. Gotham Governance Groups • Board of Directors • President, Treasurer, Secretary & VPs • 5 Directors Elected by the Membership • Active Past Presidents (Up to 4 voting) • Grievance Officer (ex officio, non-voting) • Division Play Leadership Group • VP of Division Play • Division Representatives – Elected in October by each Division • Training Leadership Group • VP of Training • Power Technical Director (ex officio, non-voting) • Class Representatives – Elected in October by each Class • Activities and Outreach Leadership Group • VP of A&O (or designee) • 4-12 Appointed Members • Tournaments and Open Play • VP of A&O (or designee) • 4-12 Appointed Members • Tournament Directors (ex officio, non-voting)

22. Gotham Governance Groups (2) • Standing Board Committees (Required by the Bylaws) • Elections & Nominations – President, Secretary, 3 Board Members, 4 Non-Board Members • Finance – Treasurer, 1 representative from each LG, 4 Board Members, 2 Non-Board Members • Grievance – Grievance Officer, 3 Members from Division Play, 2 Members from Power, 1 Member At Large • Ad Hoc Board Committees (Created by Board, Appointed by Board/E&N) • Communications • Operations • Website • Coaching