Strategy I'm the guy who tried to run for the board, ask me anything

The club did not mail out the call for nominations. It was visible on the nmfc.com.au front page for less than 24 hours and was apparently in the Herald Sun but I can't confirm that.

Hi Winterlong, Can you put the Nominations Committee Charter on this forum or PM me a copy. As has been stated, we the members did approve this. However, it can be challenged to be changed.
 

Billy Not Really

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 7, 2018
6,593
17,321
Licking windows at the back of the bus.
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Not true at all of the younger generation, youth enrolment and participation are looking like being historically significant

Its out of obligation I'm sure, and they'd be too young and naive to understand why its not worth giving a s**t about if you're voting 2 party preferential as a dumb 18 year old.

And I'm saying this as a bloke in his early-mid 20s, me and everyone I know couldn't care less.
 

remfan101

Club Legend
Oct 23, 2015
2,533
8,294
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Its out of obligation I'm sure, and they'd be too young and naive to understand why its not worth giving a **** about if you're voting 2 party preferential as a dumb 18 year old.

And I'm saying this as a bloke in his early-mid 20s, me and everyone I know couldn't care less.
While I'm no fan of either major party (or the system in general), a cursory look at the difference between (/existence of) energy, tax, climate and housing policies would prove you wrong imo. I'd argue this is one of the most important elections in recent history, but this is definitely not the thread so I won't ;)
 

El Triggso

Foremost authority and leading expert
Sep 26, 2013
774
4,073
Club cafe
AFL Club
North Melbourne
You certainly can and I would. Whether he is an appropriate candidate or not the process for vetting that candidate should be open, transparent and with clear parameters outlined to all prospective candidates. A process that says, you failed, bad luck is completely undemocratic. I don't need to see James' bio to know that.
Shintemaster, we are in violent agreement about the ‘process’. But Mr Wangmann’s credentials are absolutely relevant. He claims to be shocked he was rejected.

I want to (try to) understand if this was a sloppy management process to reach the right outcome, or more scandalously, did we reject a credentialed guy who wasn’t one of the boys?
 
Shintemaster, we are in violent agreement about the ‘process’. But Mr Wangmann’s credentials are absolutely relevant. He claims to be shocked he was rejected.

I want to (try to) understand if this was a sloppy management process to reach the right outcome, or more scandalously, did we reject a credentialed guy who wasn’t one of the boys?

I get that. The point is - as far as we've been shown - he wasn't given any reason or clear direction why he was rejected. It is not a question of whether he is the right candidate or not - it is a question of whether the process is fair and proper. If an external candidate is never provided a proper and reasoned response and there are no clear guidelines prior then it is fundamentally a sloppy process. TLDR version - he and the members deserve to see the working out, not just the answer. Whether it is the right decision or not is pretty much irrelevant.
 
Personally I don't want just anyone to run for the board. An independent committee that vets proposed candidates is a necessity in a member based organisation such as ours. Could they be more transparent? Maybe. It would be interesting to see the responses to someone like De Rauch. On this occasion however it seems to be me that James was a little out of his league running for the board. Unless of course, James, you can provide some more info about your credentials?

Did you have any skeletons in the closet that may have triggered a clause or been reason to stop you from joining?

....

Conversely, however, I don’t know that I could criticise the club without being privy to the bio you shared with the club.

The company referenced in your letter to Ben was registered with ASIC only in August 2018, and I can’t see your bio on LinkedIn under James Wangmann. Your Argent Elections website seems to have said “full website coming soon” since December 2015. Finally, Google only brings up your name as the returning officer for a handful of Uni student council elections.

Apologies for being somewhat direct, but presumably you presented some much stronger credentials than what is publicly available?
 
Personally I don't want just anyone to run for the board. An independent committee that vets proposed candidates is a necessity in a member based organisation such as ours. Could they be more transparent? Maybe. It would be interesting to see the responses to someone like De Rauch. On this occasion however it seems to be me that James was a little out of his league running for the board. Unless of course, James, you can provide some more info about your credentials?

IMO it is not the place of the board or committee to make those calls. They should be be checking that the person is eligible to run with no particular concerns financially, ethically or politically that might compromise the club. Whether they are "out of their league" is up to the membership to decide upon.

This committee is not endorsing candidates or promoting them, it is only assessing their suitability. The current interpretation of their scope is way out of line of accepted democratic practice at a member based organisation.
 

Winterlong

Rookie
Jul 5, 2013
30
348
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Hi Winterlong, Can you put the Nominations Committee Charter on this forum or PM me a copy. As has been stated, we the members did approve this. However, it can be challenged to be changed.

Here you are.

I did ask the chair of this committee if the board had endorsed a skills matrix as outlined in 4.2 and was advised they had not.

If the club truely felt I did not meet these very broad criteria, why not put it in writing?
 

Attachments

  • Nominations Committee Charter.pdf
    65.3 KB · Views: 100

Themanbun

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 19, 2019
10,033
30,800
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Which leaves the question: what skills are they looking for that will complement the current board's skillset? They've refused to outline what type of person they are actually looking for. I can only presume that keeping it vague allows them to veto anyone who might shake things up.
 

big_e

Existential crisis management consultant
Apr 28, 2008
12,558
38,503
Back Pocket
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wycombe Wanderers
Personally I don't want just anyone to run for the board. An independent committee that vets proposed candidates is a necessity in a member based organisation such as ours. Could they be more transparent? Maybe. It would be interesting to see the responses to someone like De Rauch. On this occasion however it seems to be me that James was a little out of his league running for the board. Unless of course, James, you can provide some more info about your credentials?
If someone with a CV like James Brayshaw can be on the board, then anyone can.
 

big_e

Existential crisis management consultant
Apr 28, 2008
12,558
38,503
Back Pocket
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wycombe Wanderers
Here you are.

I did ask the chair of this committee if the board had endorsed a skills matrix as outlined in 4.2 and was advised they had not.

If the club truely felt I did not meet these very broad criteria, why not put it in writing?
They have to find the person they want, and then write the skills matrix to match.
 

Winterlong

Rookie
Jul 5, 2013
30
348
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Personally I don't want just anyone to run for the board. An independent committee that vets proposed candidates is a necessity in a member based organisation such as ours. Could they be more transparent? Maybe. It would be interesting to see the responses to someone like De Rauch. On this occasion however it seems to be me that James was a little out of his league running for the board. Unless of course, James, you can provide some more info about your credentials?
If the descison makers thought they had a rock solid case to knock me back, why refuse to provide written reasons?

Have a squiz at the charter. The categories are very broad.

As I have said earlier, I'm not here to canvass your vote. The club has decided you don't get one this year.
 

Winterlong

Rookie
Jul 5, 2013
30
348
AFL Club
North Melbourne
If I've missed any questions today, I apologise. I've been on the go all day and trying to hammer these answers out on the awful phone web browser interface. I'll get them all eventually.

Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere 😉
 

big_e

Existential crisis management consultant
Apr 28, 2008
12,558
38,503
Back Pocket
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wycombe Wanderers
Seriously? Brayshaw stepped up when we needed someone. He was the right person at the right time.
That's kind of what I was getting at. You suggested Winterlong was out of his depth, based only on his CV. But JB would have appeared even more out of his depth, and yet he turned out well. So to allow one and not allow the other to even face a vote seems odd.
 
If the descison makers thought they had a rock solid case to knock me back, why refuse to provide written reasons?

Have a squiz at the charter. The categories are very broad.

As I have said earlier, I'm not here to canvass your vote. The club has decided you don't get one this year.
Had a look and seems pretty clear to me. I haven't seen you provide any evidence that you can meet 4.1.(a) (i) and (ii).

Isn't the vacant position one that was created by Archer leaving? Do you think you have the skill sets that he provided to fill the gap in the matrix. With out knowing the matrix, it's not hard to determine what skills and competencies are missing from the current board. What skills can you provide that are not covered by the existing boa members?

Good on you for trying and I'm sure you are good at what you do but I'm sorry to say that realistically I just see it as a waste of every ones time.
 
That's kind of what I was getting at. You suggested Winterlong was out of his depth, based only on his CV. But JB would have appeared even more out of his depth, and yet he turned out well. So to allow one and not allow the other to even face a vote seems odd.
nope. At the time JB had the skill set required to do the job.
 
Back