TO:   All Interested Onliners                                                     FROM: Jim Bramer. Retired Auditor-CPA
                                                                                                                                         FILE:  0931-05/fwi

                                 RE:  Polling via E-Mail                                                               Originated:  November 2005

"Ax to Grind"  --  PERSPECTIVE

        The appropriate Ministry people obviously need to work together for decision making purposes.   As we all know "In-Person" meetings have their social and relationship merit, but they also all too often require a inordinate amount of time and energy into building consensus or reaching group decisions --- often a challenge exacerbated by poor communication skills,  getting volunteers together, information overload and related issues.  Rather than technology being part of the information overload problem, let's make it part of the solution by maximizing the use of the Internet as you apply social networking concepts via peer-to-peer collaboration.   Make full use of cutting edge business productivity tools that make work environments more efficient and productive.  As of December 2008 please Click Here for a possible option.

        I am impressed that so many Ministries are now effectively using E-Mail  --- especially for internal communication purposes   ..   and it makes me wonder how ineffective we were before this resource was available.  It kind of goes along with these "Old Fashioned"  matters.  When you  Click Here  you might also find, within context, this part of a recent edition of  JIMs JRNL.

        REMINDER: The purposes/objectives of Ministry "In Person" meetings include:

    1>      To appropriately function as leaders in respective areas of the organization so its goals
            and purposes can be communicated and accomplished

    2>      Meetings should  include a certain amount of human relations and fellowship, as the
            organization needs to emphasize/enhance teamwork and build on one another's
            strengths.

    3>      Meetings should enhance your knowledge/understanding of what is going on within
               the organization so that needs in assigned areas can be known/addressed and met.

    4>      This includes making maximum use of good advance research that enables appropriate
               action.

        At one Church that I deal with, for example, all of a certain Board members have Email and we find it to be extremely helpful .... especially since one of the important members is virtually deaf.  In my view, the merits of the use of  Email includes at least the following:

    A>    In most Ministries, especially Churches, off-campus volunteers are essential to the work of the Ministry.
    B>    Since the communication is in writing, the parties involved can more carefully think through the topic in advance and can word things more carefully than what we might do when we simply speak out.
    C>    You are writing and responding without interrupting someone in their daily tasks;  you can write and the other person can respond within their time-frame or schedule.
    D>    Unlike snail, or ordinary,  mail, you seldom need a printed out (hard) copy and the written communication can be distributed and received usually within the hour.
    E>    You can readily involve more than one person in this written communication process; or you can selectively send a copy to some and not to others, etc.
    F>    There are "thread" aspects, or all written info on the topic can be included within a piece of E-Mail.  Plus you can attach other material --- or link to relevant stuff out on the Internet

One Proposed Process 

        With all of this in mind, here is what I mean when I say "Polling via E-Mail."  First and foremost, please note that this is not a "Discussion via Email"  as the discussion probably should take place "face to face."  The idea is for Board/Committee members to utilize a "Polling via E-Mail" process as they come up with new agenda items; rather than spend a lot of time on such a new topic within a meeting itself.  This also allows a member to do the desirable topical research before proceeding further on such a matter.   In some cases the topic does not go beyond this proposed "Polling via E-Mail"  process, but if applicable, the final action will be documented at the next Board/Committee meeting itself.  Let me share a possible scenario:

Email is sent to fellow Board/Committee members within context of the following:

 1>   This Email poll is done within the context of this 0931-05 link content   

 2>   Some of you will prefer to write your originating initial message within a Word doc and
        attach it to the Email,  but the preferred method is to simply include it within the body
        of their Email.

 3>   The intent of this process is to get "one-word" responses below as we would have future
         in-person more detailed discussions on this topic.  Some of you will want to respond
         in some detail, but as mentioned above, the intent of this proposed process is
         a  succinct  response with potentially later details.

 4>   The Sender's Email  would conclude by saying something like: 

    "By or before xx/xx/xx (one week later), please Email me back any one of the following "one-word" responses to this subject.  I will let you know the poll results and will take it from there."

     >>  Agree =  "I agree so let's begin its implementation at the next meeting"
     >>  More  =  "I need more verbal information at the next Board or Committee meeting"
    >>   Defer =  "This has possibilities, but let's defer it for now."
    >>   Disagree =  "I believe this should NOT be pursued at this time by this group"-

  5>   Of course, the responder will ideally simply answer by clicking on Outlook's "Reply" and inserting this  "one-word" in the "subject" area of their reply  Email.
 

K E E P   L O O K I N G   U P !!

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UPTD: December 16, 2010

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