Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Crippled Leadership

During the first semester of this school year, the Sanggunian has done nothing substantial or worthy of praise, except for the "Dress Code Buzz" if you call that note-worthy.

It's ironic how "men and women for others" can show more concern on their "right to self-expression a.k.a. right to choose what to wear in school" than on the rights of Filipinos to truth, good governance, and democracy in its true sense.

The Sanggunian, as of now, lacks the capability to move the student body towards "nation-building." Even some people from the inside are saying the same thing.

Tips for you guys:
1- Bridge leadership. Connect with different organizations and institutions (departments, etc). Create a strong network.

2- Show progress. Make yourself visible. E-mail updates to the student body or create your own website that posts updates on what you have been doing or what each of your committee/branch has been doing.

Suggested Breakdown:
Sanggunian
- Central Board
  • Committee 1
  • Committee 2
  • Committee 3
  • Committee 4
- School Board
  • SOM
    • Seniors
    • Juniors
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen
  • SOH
    • Seniors
    • Juniors
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen
  • SOSS
    • Seniors
    • Juniors
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen
  • SOSE
    • Seniors
    • Juniors
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen
* You can add extra pages for message from the President or whoever.

3- Utilize all directions of communication: Top-down, Bottom-up, Lateral. Have an email address or tagboard where students can give you comments or suggestions. Have regular peer evaluations among the officers. Have your course reps evaluate you and the entire organization. Etc.


Good luck, Sanggu!

~ Dimasalang

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Gadflies,

Oh dear! It seems there has been a misunderstanding. The Sanggunian does not determine what gets a “buzz.” We don’t determine what is popular. The student body does! We’re not nearly popular ourselves to decide what’s going to be popular with the majority! As a matter of fact, some of us are closeted geeks! (Gasp!) We put as much effort (more, actually) into boring things like the primer on the Human Security Act and the support for the Sumilao farmers, but did they cause a “buzz?”

Sigh. The masses are fickle, dear gadflies. It’s tough to reach hearts and minds – and that’s with our names and reputations on the line! It must be even harder for you, who do not have the benefit of public identities to throw behind your convictions. But that’s for another post.

By the way, since you all seem to know so much about organizational networking and communications, could you please run for office and get elected and help us out? We seriously need more man (and woman) power over here! In fact, most of us are just ordinary folks with no formal training in managing big organizations with robust networking needs, who signed up because we wanted to make a difference. HELP!!!

Yours in haggardness,

Carlo Antonio R. Rivera IV
042720
IV – AB Literature (English)

Anonymous said...

P.S. Yes, I am an elected member of the Sanggunian – a humble course representative, in fact! :-) The reason I don’t attach it to my name is because this is not an official Sanggu statement, these statements are my own and no one else’s, and the higher-ups have no idea I’m doing this in the middle of the night! (Please don’t impeach me, guys!) :-D