24 Mar 2004

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Advising the future of Feds

A new set of leaders will take over the Federation of Students in several weeks and with their normally brief involvements it is important for them to benefit from the knowledge of those that came before them. Soon a new executive, board, and council will take office, many of them will be new to the organization and what it is they should do in their positions. The first thing to do in a new situation should be to collect information and advice.

When I became editor of the Iron Warrior after it had been shutdown I asked some old guy for advice. "Don't listen to anyone," he told me. I replied that I would listen to everyone, but not necessarily heed anyone. Listen to what everyone has to say and heed what is reasonable. That was the first piece of advice for you; here is some more.

Time management
When asked by a reporter what can steer a government off course, Harold Macmillan, who became prime minister of Britain the year UW was founded, replied, "Events." Various incidents, events, and situationswill vie for your attention. They will be both major and minor ranging from the telephone ringing during a meeting to an assault after a New Year's Party. You must allocate you time according to your priorities.

A few years ago when I asked Larry Smith for important advice, he told me that it was time management. He said that he even allocates time for thinking.

It is easy to get sidetracked and distracted by events of apparent urgency but low importance. Some will be worthy of your attention and other will not. Be concious of your choices.

Overcome the separation with students
Feds restructured in 1996 to move from three executive positions to four and abolished the senior officer positions. There is often a significant separation between the executives and the students whom they are supposed to serve and of whose ranks they were once a part.

It is easy enough position to fall into when working full time, largely sequestered from student life. It is vital to overcome this to know who it is you serve and what they need.

Benefit from others
Some executives in the past distance themselves from others because of feelings of self-importance, fear of failure, and being overwhelmed. The greatest potential to do good resides with the students themselves.

Feds could benefit more from harnessing the energy, entusiasm and good will of students. Not just from the the work we can do, but from our knowledge and ideas.

Councillors can be the start of this. Students' Council as an institution predates even the Federation of Students, having been formed by the students societies in 1960, seven years before Feds was incorporated. Showing up to meetings is only the first responsibility of councillors. Though we know that many do not fulfil even that, councillors must also work to develop and improve our organization.

This advice is certainly not comprehensive. You should seek more from me and others and remember what the purpose of Feds is. While they may mostly overlap there are times when what is good for Feds isn't good for students. Don't confuse the federation with the students.