“So what are the issues we need to discuss at the Town Hall this week? Strangely enough, it’s a little more complex than it first appears.
1. What progress, if any, has been made since the last Town Hall meeting? Judging by the announcement, “management and leadership” seem like they think they have everything under control. Strange that TWG2 seems to have been left out. That’s scary: these are the people that got us into this mess in the first place, and it’s highly unlikely that they possess the wherewithal to get us out. We need to make sure that they understand the deep concern that many members have about the future of the Club, and the best way to make sure that happens is that you come along and make your feelings known.
2. What has happened to TWG2? We have all heard here and there about the recommendations they have made so far, but the consensus around the Club is that – at best – they’re being sidelined, and at worst ignored. That’s not a comment on the individuals involved, but rather a reflection on the way that the status quo makes every possible effort to protect itself. The Town Hall should offer us the chance to hear what they have to say, without censorship and self-serving obfuscation by BoG and management.
3. What’s happening with management? Rumors abound that some contracts are being renewed, and others thrown out the window through inaction. By any stretch of even the most fevered imagination, 10 executives on high salaries with no accountability for results means we’re paying too much for way too little. At the very least, the BoG should use the Town Hall to present a series of options for a way forward. Otherwise we’ll have to make our opinions known via the upcoming elections! We should also be asking for a complete review of staffing (how about showing an org chart?) and an objective look at outsourcing.
4. Talking about outsourcing, where are we at with proposals to outsource certain functions like IT, Engineering, F&B etc? The Traders Bar Tattletale says that management reckons they’ve “looked at this before, and it doesn’t make sense”. Sure it doesn’t, if you’re trying to protect your job! But the market realities say something completely different, and many of our companies have already done BPO and Service outsourcing succussfully. If you have some experience in this area, why don’t you come along and share your view on how to do it right!
5. What’s the story on Governance? The gossip mill is running hot that the BoG is working on a new governance set-up … it beggars belief that it chooses (1) to do this behind closed doors, and (2) doesn’t take advantage of technology to make sure that it interacts with the membership to get consensus rather than act by fiat. The Town Hall represents your chance to tell people that you are interested in the results of these discussions, that you’re “mad as hell”, and that you demand a more contemporary way of making decisions at our Club.
6. What about that loan? If you’ve ever gotten a loan in Japan, you would wonder why the club is borrowing money at 4+% interest rates from a foreign lender. Japan is the land of 1% loans. We need to see action on renegotiating this loan for the new club immediately. We hear that after 20 years TAC will still have not paid down the principle of the loan. Put aside the tommyrot and let’s get this fixed.
7. Finally, what’s happening on branding, and marketing the Club to new members? Those in the know say that this effort has been deliberately railroaded as well, and pushed off to a committee (sigh!) that has met a grand total of … one time. Let’s face it, competition for recreation dollars is pretty tough in Tokyo and it needs a real professional effort if we’re going to attract new members and customers for the banqueting facilities. Your voice is absolutely necessary if we are going to be successful in convincing management and BoG that enough is enough!
Get along to the meeting and make your opinions known. You don’t necessarily need to stand up and make an eloquent speech – often applause or the lack of it is enough to let people know what you think. And with elections coming up, that might just be enough to scare some people into taking action.
