This article caught my eye because I get frustrated when I see just a few people with all the power make decisions that they know nothing about, and don't care to listen to those who do know. It can be so detremental to thousands, all because of the uninformed decision of a few.
I have just experienced a similar but very downscaled version of people in power making decisions with out asking the people who know, and it's adverse affects. The chapel we attend in downtown Brussels is too small to accomodate all the people now in attendance. So the buildings and facilities people in France, over our region, decided that we could make more seating room for the ward, by bringing in the podium area and shrinking it's size, leaving more room for seating in the front. They drew up the plans and gave the Bishop barely a weeks notice that they would have to have church at the other building for a few weeks while the "remodeled" the podium area. They didn't ask for his or the ward's feed back, and how they could make the changes to better meet the needs of the meetings etc. So when we came back to church after it was complete, they made drastic changes that don't meet our needs. They removed all the extra seating we had for the choir seats, they removed the organ (it wasn't functioning anyway) and left room for one row of seating and the sacrament desk. They forgot about leaving room for the remaining piano. So, they put the piano up against the wall, so that the piano player'sback (that would be mine)would be toward the audiance and all the music from the piano is being obsorbed into the wall. Neither can I see the music leader as I face the back wall and she faces the audiance. So, the problems are: the congregation can't hear the piano well, I can't see the music leader, and the music leader can't see me. I told my Bishopric that I refused to play with my back toward the audiance...that's a muscian no-no, and that if I can't even see the music leader, we may as well not have one because then it is really me, the pianist deciding when we stop or go, or sing fast or slow, not the music leader. So I asked them to bring the piano to floor since it won't fit any other way on the podium. The Bishop agreed with me and wanted to comply, but the building and maintenance people in Paris said...."no...the piano stays on the podium, as we made the changes to accomodate more seating, and that is the way it must be." Ok....so the few people with the power and the money, decided that we the people in Brussels needed a solution to our space problem, and made a decision how to fix it without consulting with we the people. Now we are stuck with their uninformed, and disfunctional remedy. It's like deciding to build a gourmet kitchen for restaurant and not asking a shef who knows what it would need and the best set up for the design for his input.
What a waste of church funds...and a slap in the face to the musicians who have to try and support our meetings with music. If they would have met with the people who have to use the facilities before they make changes to it, we could have told them of our needs before they made the changes.....it just makes me crazy! It just really, really, really makes me crazy!
Any way...it looks like thousands in Egypt are dealing with a trash crisis because a few at the top, thought it would be a good idea to slaughter all the pigs in Egypt so that they wouldn't get swine flue. They were warned not to do it as the pigs eat their organic waste and it was a natural part of their environment to have the pigs there to do that. Now they don't have the pigs and the organic waste is making a mess of their city and is a hazard to the people. All due to the fact that the few in power made uninformed decisions for the masses, with out really checking with those in the know. It just makes me crazy!
6 comments:
I am sorry to hear of your troubles. This kind of thing happens all the time in large organizations. Two years ago at BYU I arrived at my office to find all my books, teaching materials, pens, pencils, and every last paper clip sitting in boxes in the hallway. I checked with the secretary and she was surprised that no one had told me that I was moved to another office to be shared among four other instructors. To say the least, I was quite dismayed that I was tossed out on my ear without the slightest warning in advance or the slightest apology after the fact. One just has to accept certain things and not kick against the pricks (Acts 9:5, 26:14)
I understand and Alan is so right, decisions like these are so easy to make without input, more difficult to make with input because of the time it takes, but better once formulated!
Having worked for the Church, I can attest to the fact that there is the Church business and the Church doctrine. You need to make sure you understand that there is a difference. You have just experienced the business end. you should hear what happened when I worked for the church and they decided that we needed cars...then vans...then customized vans...etc. instead of paying us mileage for travel. It was a nightmare but in every big corporation there is red tape and things get out of hand. that is why government should NEVER be BIG!
Too late, Deric. The government is already humongous, and it gets larger every time congress is in session.
At least their heads do.
Thus the phrase, "it's easier to obtain forgiveness than permission."
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