:Author:   Linda Nowakowski
:Date:     Fri, 02 May 2008 02:49:54 PDT

I am interested in assigning tasks in a collaboration.

Usually when ever anyone is assigning tasks in any structure of organization, consideration is given to their skills.  From the beginning John was totally out in the open that some of the tasks "assigned" to him were not things that he had any skills in.

   Last night Kasinja and I talked. He wanted to know what I was doing for the project. SPACE has assigned me these tasks:

       1. Promoting the organisations awareness in USA.
       2. Establishing and maintaining links with local government and non government agencies, international agencies in Canada.
       3. Organising fundraising events for the Organisation in USA.
       4. Recruiting Volunteers from USA.

    We'll see how it goes, I'm not sure I'm really the right person for all those duties.

ON top of that, that post was April 26th. Today is May 2.  That is less than 1 week and he is being called to task for having "failed to do his or her responsibility"?

Collaboration is about people plugging in to tasks that they are comfortable with and working as they can. John has used a term on a number of occasions that I really, REALLY like. HERDING CATS. 

This is not a business.  No one is getting paid.  No one has a boss. We come here to work together giving what we have. I have been really impressed with some of the people around here who are incredible cat herders. They can inspire a cat to mother a bird. The operational word there is inspire. You can't assign a cat the task of mothering a bird. 

A number of people have offered you guys advice. Good, sound, experienced advice. And sometimes it feels like you don't just ignore them but are rude to them when they offer.  That isn't the kind of behavior that inspires cats.

John is one of the finest cats we have around here.  I have never met a guy with more intellectual resources at his finger tips.  Of what I know of John though, I don't think I would have "assigned" him any of the tasks you did. (For starters, with all of the work I have done with all of the people in this community over the last 2+ years, I have never ever assigned anyone a task. Things got done though.  Incredible things.) 

Maybe we need a discussion on cat herding techniques?