Hydro Junkie

With modern printing tech, a change can actually be made in a few minutes. Not quite as fast as a webpage, nor as cheap, but still a viable option.

speedracerntrixie

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Hydro Junkie

I understand that. The reason everything is delayed is that the magazines have to wait for the articles to come in. To allow everyone that wants to have their event in the publication, the publications set a deadline as to when they must receive the information. Atter that, they can lay out and print in in few days. After that, it's a matter of shipping the printed materials to the distributors who then deliver it the the vendors. All that said, the fastest part of the whole process is actually the laying out and printing.

speedracerntrixie

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Hydro Junkie

And how long ago was that? Times and tech have changed

speedracerntrixie

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Hydro Junkie

Sounds like the AVP's reports were late if it took them three months to get them in. There's no reason it couldn't have been done within a week, if the person really is doing his/her job

speedracerntrixie

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Hydro Junkie

I've been an officer in several organizations and every one REQUIRED that any reports or minutes had to be out within 5 working days. To read that events didn't get reported for THREE MONTHS has me wondering why someone would hold an office if the work didn't get done in a timely manner. I've also dealt with publishers and know what they required and how they operated.

Appowner

Seen many threads in several forums discussing the Muncie staff and their lack of timely notifications, publishing, etc.

My MBA is in Organizational Management. I have been employed at management levels by companies with names like General Dynamics. So I think I have the background to say, one or more of the AMA upper management are utterly incompetent. They should be found out and fired!

speedracerntrixie

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Appowner

So you're saying the basic goals of a small non-profit with maybe a staff of 12-14 people is not the same as any other business?
That doing ones best is for the other guy?
Why does this not surprise me?

If someone hasn't been trained? Then train them.
If someone is over tasked? Then hire help.
But when someone is no longer doing their job to the same standards as before? Fix it! Even if it means firing a long standing employee.
When a job has been done for years and the product suddenly changes? (And yes, delivery time is part of the product.) Then Fix It!

For my entire military career my performance could directly impact peoples lives. Aircraft navigation systems, aircraft load and balance, and the nuclear codes in the Presidents football........ Think about it!

Granted, the vast majority of people haven't come close to some of the responsibilities I have. So they don't think lives depend on their actions. But in fact lives do depend on their actions. Their own lives and those of their friends and family. What happens when you lose your job? Who's affected? Isn't that alone worthy of doing your best every time?

But it seems someone in Muncie isn't doing their best. And maybe never have. And you want to give them a pass on it all.

No need to interview that candidate!

fliers1

The main problem I have with the folks at Muncie is they seem to not want to converse with the average member Submit suggestions and they refuse to reply. Got any ideas that might help, you won't hear a peep from them?
It's like we are not worthy of their attention, that is unless you are part of their inner circle. When I worked for GM, some engineers appreciated our input. They said that the average worker knew more about their job than anyone. Then again, some feared losing their jobs as a result of our suggestions. On the other hand, considering that it's up to membership to do the leg work in attracting new blood, I can't think of anything more AMA could do. Safety in numbers.

speedracerntrixie

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Appowner

To not accept half baked excuses and poor performance for the new norm like so many others seem willing to do.

The purpose of management is to Manage the organization towards the goals of the stock holders or in this case, the membership. To position the organization in a way it can deal with a changing environment.

Calling all non-AMA members rouges in violation of the law who should be prosecuted was probably a tactical move on the part of Hanson to attract more members and ease their cash issue.

Hydro Junkie

You say your talk to your AVP often. How much actual influence does he have with Muncie? He's nothing more than mid level management that can be ignored or listened to by the upper level management and admin staff as they see fit. While he does have more influence than a member or leader member, in the overall big picture, he's still what amounts to a "nobody". As far as the rest of your post, l see many so called facts that appear to be somewhat twisted. Let's go over some of the things that don't add up:
1) It was posted, very recently, that the AMA recently hired another person to help with admin. It was also stated that the newly hired person was totally inept in how to do their job. If funding is an issue, how can this be afforded?
2) The issues with the FAA and trying to push the AMA's membership plans wouldn't affect the performance of the AVPs or, for that matter, the people that publish for the AMA
3) If the AMA is short staffed in regards to dealing with the FAA, where they would be short staffed is in their legal department. No other areas would be affected
4) If the admin or legal department is short staffed, which I doubt with declining membership numbers and a newly hired staffer, delete other unneeded positions and hire where the shortage really is.
I'd start by deleting positions that are not needed, such as most of the grounds keepers, webpage, retail and history/archive staffs. I can't see how it wouldn't be more cost effective to hire a company to come out and maintain the grounds every so often than to pay a crew to spend most of the time sitting. It's obvious the people that are supposed to be keeping the webpage aren't doing their job since the webpage is rarely updated with timely information as it is
5) If the legal department is overmatched, find new people and replace those that are unable to get results.


Sounds like serious "no brainer" solutions to issues that didn't need to be issues to begin with. By getting rid of dead wood and hiring effective staffing placed where they would be effective would eliminate the need to come up with excuses for lack of performance or incompetence

franklin_m

Why is firing people for incompetence not an option? Are you saying we should continue paying people who clearly aren't doing their jobs? Or continue to pay for mediocrity? Based on the IRS 990's, the ED is earning a salary that puts him in the top couple percent of salaries in the Muncie area. Are you saying we shouldn't expect top couple percent performance for a top couple percent salary? If so, no wonder AMA is so poorly managed.

The multitude of problems we see, late information, non-delivery of renewals, non listing of events, incorrect information, pooly timed website rollouts, non funtioning websites, etc. are all symptoms. They're symptoms of a staff that is not held accountable for doing their jobs. And lack of accountability produces ... drum roll please ... MORE OF THE SAME!

Which circles back to the ED. Ultimately it lands back on his desk. Failure to hold people accountable.

franklin_m

Then you start making VERTICAL cuts. Stop performing functions entirely. And then either put those folks in the place of others not doing their jobs or cut them loose and harvest the saving to hire people who can do the job. Really basic management. But it all starts with a willingness to hold people accountable. And therein lies the real root cause....

Appowner

The "Good Ol' Boys Club" doesn't need no stinkin' accountability!

franklin_m

They'll be accountable eventually, to a declining bank account if nothing else.

Appowner

I think they're already seeing it. I'm just not sure they recognize what it is they're seeing. From browsing these and other forums, I'm convinced a large part of the membership doesn't recognize or understand what they're seeing.

Hydro Junkie

I think it's obvious that they see what's happening and that is why they are trying to push the requirement of membership. The problem is that, unlike the rest of us, they either can't or won't make the hard choices the rest of us have to make when money gets tight. Let me put out some places where cuts wouldn't affect the real operations that need to be maintained(at least for now):
1) delete the retail sales staff. With a modern retail accounting system, a volunteer could handle sales during reduced hours while the system could be used to set up orders for restocking.
2) as I stated in my last post, delete the grounds staff. It would be much more cost effective to have a crew come in once a month to maintain the grounds and the flying field.
3) delete the web site staff and outsource it to someone that can actually do the job.
4) cut or delete the publication staff and outsource printing. Another way to make things more efficient would be to require ads and articles to be "print ready" and in an electronic format so they can be inserted into a preset framework quickly and easily.
5) FIRE THE LEGAL STAFF AND HIRE NEW THAT CAN GET PAST THE "SAME OL SAME OL". The present staff had gotten too comfortable in their positions and figure they don't have to do as much to keep getting their paychecks
6) FIRE THE EXECUTIVE STAFF AND REPLACE IT WITH PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE THE HARD CHOICES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come to think about it, I put this stuff in the wrong order. The last two should have been the first two, just in reverse order. By firing the Executive and legal staffs and the rest of the people that are just doing the minimum might find a bit more of a fire under their desk chairs and have a bit more motivation to do more, thus taking their heads off the chopping block