Communication

Concerning the communication within the Westfinder community: It deeply troubles me that people have created a disconnection between WSF community and WSF staff. Some people think that there is a major problem with our communication, so much that they feel uncomfortable speaking to the community about their concerns. While our communication is far from perfect, I believe that both sides need to work together to create a sort of harmony where people will feel able to voice concerns. I do not think that a blog like this would help that process. It seems to be inspiring conflict within the community.

The WSF staff are not separate from the community, nor are they a "force" to be reckoned with, or people who have more power. The community is the most powerful thing in Westfinder, and should be its driving force. Ideally, the staff should be a small group of individuals within the community who organize events, take care of the boring details and logistics, and sometimes make tough decisions. At the same time, Wayfinder is not the enemy. Sure, they have set us back recently, something that I'm sure the community regrets. But if we think of them as an opposition, we will be working to stifle our communication and relationship with them.

Here are a few simple keys to opening communication between a body of people, or a specific person:

--When opening communication, open your mind. Be willing to accept comments and criticisms from the other party without feeling obliged to defend yourself.
--Listen to questions others have of you, take a moment to think about your reaction to the question, and then respond in a constructive way.
--If you are offended by something someone says, pause a moment. Ask yourself "are they trying to contribute to our communication?" If the answer is yes, try to understand why you are offended. This might be a good time to end the conversation, letting the other side know that you are offended and want to continue talking later. If you do not think they are trying to communicate constructively, excuse yourself from the conversation. Arguments are easy to begin but hard to end.
-- Talk.
-- Speak your mind, even if you are unsure or nervous. Someone always needs to make the first step in communicating, and it might as well be you.
-- Ask all your questions for the purpose of asking them, not necessarily getting the answer you want.
-- Ask for other people's opinions.
-- Listen and try to understand alternate views and opinions.
-- If you are still unsure about saying what you want to, tell someone that you trust what is on your mind. Ask them if they think it is a productive concern/comment/question. If it is not, maybe you just need to let off some steam.
-- Remember that these people are your friends, and they want to create this communication as much as you do.

If people in Westfinder need to speak their concerns anonymously, or are afraid to raise these concerns at all, then there is something very wrong with our community. Please, let us all help to fix this distance between us.

-Anonymous