[Lnc-business] LNC Goal for the 2014-16 LNC term

Mon Sep 15 18:44:18 EDT 2014

So if I'm following you, it's not that the things I listed don't count as
strategic goals, but that there isn't consensus on them? In that case, I
agree, and I agree it's a problem.

Now, where did that cheese go? It's probably on its way to Abilene now.

Joshua Katz
On Sep 15, 2014 4:01 PM, "Brett Bittner" <brett at brettbittner.com> wrote:

> Joshua,
>
> There is still debate about the reason our party exists, 43 years after
> its founding.
>
> There is no clearly defined vision, nor is there a plan to achieve it, and
> arguments about both abound in our discussions. There are no defined goals
> that support a plan or a vision that are more than Dr. Lieberman's (and
> others) suggestions via e-mail.
>
> My apologies for using the S.M.A.R.T. terminology. We can build goals that
> are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely to support a
> defined vision and plan.
>
> Or we can continue to fight about the reason our party exists, and the
> 4908 visions our membership has for it, and the 9816 plans for achieving
> those visions.
>
> Personally, I'd like to see some strategic planning, rather than the "by
> the seat of our pants" method it seems is the status quo.
>
> Brett C. Bittner
>
> brett at brettbittner.com
> 404.492.6524
>
> "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much
> liberty than those attending too small a degree of it." -- Thomas Jefferson
>
> On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 3:47 PM, Joshua Katz <planning4liberty at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Not having gone to business school (well, having stopped after a term) I
>> am having trouble understanding what is being said.  How are "having as
>> many Libertarians in office as possible" or "40 state ballot access in
>> December 2016" not strategic goals?  I agree about the need for both a plan
>> and a vision.  In my years as EMS Chief, then as Department Head, and even
>> now as an Emergency Planning consultant, I think that my main work as a
>> leader is to have and transmit a vision - and if I can fire up the people
>> around me to buy into my vision, and then assign each a part of achieving
>> it, they will then do what they need to do to actualize their piece - so
>> breaking it up is the plan, and firing them up is far better than requiring
>> them to do it.  If my employees - direct reports all the way down - aren't
>> fired up about what we're doing, that's my fault, not theirs.  I get that.
>>  What I don't get is how the things being proposed don't fit that.
>>
>> Anyway, I will say this.  Having, again, spent one term in business
>> school, and having a reason to leave, I will not participate in any
>> discussion using terms like SMART, SWOT, Sigma, 6th Degree Black Belt,
>> Moving My Cheese, Road to Abilene, or whatever else is floating around in
>> business terminology nowadays.  It was banned from the administrative
>> office when I was EMS Chief, and it was banned from my department when I
>> was Department Head.  It is currently banned in any Health and Safety
>> meeting I am asked to consult for (especially the one where I am an
>> external chair.)  I don't mind if you want to use these things, but I'll
>> put my head down.  I just can't take this stuff.  Seriously.  I can't.  I'm
>> sorry.
>>
>> Accounting, on the other hand, uses terminology I love.
>>
>> Joshua Katz
>>
>> Joshua A. Katz
>> Westbrook CT Planning Commission (L in R seat)
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 3:38 PM, Brett Bittner <brett at brettbittner.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Colleagues,
>>>
>>> As we are discussing goals, I see a glaring failure among libertarian
>>> groups, whether political, social, or otherwise. We are not setting
>>> strategic goals, period. Full stop.
>>>
>>> This is something that I shared during my tenure as the Executive
>>> Director in Georgia. I've edited a few things to make it pertinent to our
>>> discussions here.
>>>
>>> It's my belief that the Libertarian Party needs a *VISION* for our
>>> existence. In my opinion, that vision should be optimistic. We have yet to
>>> define what we are doing, and why we are doing it.
>>>
>>> We also need a *PLAN* to attain that optimistic vision. That plan
>>> should be strategic and broad,  yet focused enough to achieve that vision.
>>>
>>> To supplement that plan we need *GOALS* that are aligned with the
>>> S.M.A.R.T. goal philosophy ( http://topachievement.com/smart.html ), so
>>> that there is no question about their focus, achievement (or lack thereof),
>>> and position on the path to success.
>>>
>>> These goals should have action plans that assign *TASKS* designed to
>>> achieve them. They should be assigned to individuals or roles within our
>>> organization with defined timelines for completion with actionable
>>> consequences for failure.
>>>
>>> I believe once we've defined these items, we will be on a path TOWARD
>>> success, and I believe that we can then move to focus on the standards by
>>> which we  operate.
>>>
>>> As I believe we have discussed, it is my belief that the LNC should be
>>> working toward defining the "*big picture*" for our organization, our
>>> members, and our progress. All of which can be accomplished via the items
>>> I've outlined above.
>>>
>>> During my tenure as Executive Director in Georgia, I saw the body float
>>> in between "fires" in need of extinguishing without any true, singular
>>> vision or even general direction goals. This makes accountability
>>> impossible. It also makes misunderstandings about roles, responsibilities,
>>> and actions much easier to bubble up. We've seen them turn into "fires,"
>>> burning those who are genuinely loyal to our Party's success.
>>>
>>> For me personally, it made the position stressful and tenuous at times,
>>> while being reassured that things are "going well." Often, I felt as though
>>> I was rowing a boat in a fog without a map or GPS and no idea if the people
>>> in that boat are rowing in the same direction, or if they even have paddles
>>> or are in the boat with me.
>>>
>>> I share these sentiments to provide you with some feedback that I feel
>>> is important to our success and a continued relationship working for
>>> liberty.
>>>
>>> Thanks for taking a bit of time to read this, and I look forward to your
>>> response.
>>>
>>> Brett C. Bittner
>>>
>>> brett at brettbittner.com
>>> 404.492.6524
>>>
>>> "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much
>>> liberty than those attending too small a degree of it." -- Thomas Jefferson
>>>
>>> On Sun, Sep 14, 2014 at 9:53 PM, Scott L. <scott73 at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From the minutes of the Nov 2010 LNC Session:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> “the main motion became that the LNC adopt the following goals for the
>>>> 2010-2012 LNC term:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 1. Membership: 20,000 sustaining members by April 15, 2012
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 2. Organization: Operational affiliates in 48 states (out of 51
>>>> “states”). Defined as...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> a. Runs at least 2 candidates for non-partisan or partisan office every
>>>> 2 year election cycle
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> b. Has a REAL web site (not a Meetup Group or Blog) that is updated
>>>> with news or
>>>>
>>>> meeting info at least once per month
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> c. Has a Chair or Contact Person who responds to most inquires within 2
>>>> business days
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> d. Place candidates on the ballot and attempt to maintain ballot
>>>> access.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> e. The affiliate will provide the latest copy of their bylaws and
>>>> constitution to the national
>>>>
>>>> office or post the same on their state website.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 3. Fundraising: $1,400,000 gross revenue for calendar year 2011.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 4. Training : Several seminars around the country in 2011 to include
>>>> training on winnable and party-building campaigns, and training that
>>>> teaches affiliate development
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 5. Political:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> a. 200 U.S. House of Representative candidates in 2012
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> b. 200 elected Libertarians by Apr 15, 2012 (for the purpose of this
>>>> goal, Inspectors and Judges of Elections in Pennsylvania only count as
>>>> 1/3 of an elected Libertarian)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> c. 30 state ballot access by Apr 15, 2012 (that means actually
>>>> certified by the SOS or equivalent), which puts us in position for 45 or
>>>> more state ballot access by Election
>>>>
>>>> Day 2012”
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Somehow I ended up moving the motion above, but most of the original
>>>> wording was suggested by Dr. Lark.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Now, here is my handy-dandy ballot access chart:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Number of states where the LP had ballot access
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dec 2000      25
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dec 2004      26
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dec 2008      27
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dec 2012      31
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> As you can see, this chart shows how well the LP retained ballot access
>>>> after each of the last 4 presidential elections.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The noticeable bump after the Johnson campaign was not because Gov.
>>>> Johnson himself did well enough to retain ballot access in a bunch of
>>>> states, but more likely because his coattails were able to boost a few more
>>>> statewide candidates past the ballot access retention threshold.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I will let other LNC members come up with scorecards that detail how
>>>> well that LNC did with respect to the above goals.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Here is the problem – after being in existence for 42 years, we are
>>>> *STILL* a $1,000,000 per year organization, with fewer than 15,000
>>>> dues-paying members.  Yet, we keep coming up with long lists of goals, but
>>>> no realistic way to accomplish them.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> So – the BHAG:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From Wikipedia:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A *Big Hairy Audacious Goal* (BHAG) is a strategic
>>>> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_planning> business statement
>>>> similar to a vision statement
>>>> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_statement> which is created to
>>>> focus an organization on a single medium-long term organization-wide goal
>>>> which is audacious, likely to be externally questionable, but not
>>>> internally regarded as impossible.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I would like to suggest that we *partially* put aside our unofficial
>>>> Mission Statement, and have just one BHAG
>>>>
>>>> for the next 2 ¼ years.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Yes – I really mean it.  One goal.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *40 in 16*
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> That means the goal of this LNC would be to provide our affiliates with
>>>> 40 state ballot access on December 1, 2016.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> If we accomplish that, and we can at least maintain that number in the
>>>> 2018 mid-term election, that means we would go into the 2020 Presidential
>>>> year with only 10 states where we would need to petition. That would be a
>>>> huge psychological boost to our members, and it might attract some
>>>> presidential candidates who don’t want to gamble on the LP achieving 50
>>>> state ballot access for them in Nov 2020 if we go into January 2020 with
>>>> only 31 state ballot access.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The neat thing is – this goal is achievable.  I have some ideas on how
>>>> to accomplish this goal without gigantic amounts of money, but before I
>>>> divulge that part, I would like to see some feedback from the rest of the
>>>> LNC regarding this idea.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>     Scott Lieberman
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
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>>
>
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