Web
Analytics Made Easy - StatCounter
Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Europeia!
So what the heck is Europeia anyways?

Can I join?

So, I came here representing another region? I do not want to become a citizen. Where should I go?

What offices are there for people to be elected into?

What is there for me to do in Europeia?

That answers most of my immediate questions. What if I have any more?


Username:   Password:
The Why of the Why; Why our platforms need improvement [A mixlr supplement of Notty Talk 004]
Topic Started: Feb 19 2015, 01:55 AM (226 Views)
hyanygo



Posted Image

The Why of the Why
A mixlr supplement of Notty Talk 004




I'm sitting here, palms all sweaty and a swallow caught in the throat. I'm just about to be told that I'm not good enough. Not good enough at planning that is. A while back when I first started teaching I was doing a lot and spun the wheel of doing furiously, but without proper planning I remained stuck in one place like the class hamster, Buddy.

Posted Image

The elections for a post-Mousebumples President are barely a day old and we have fourteen questions about how the candidates will achieve their goals. Europeians are itching for plans and strategy, demonstrations of competency and vision.

This, I believe, is not the right question to ask at this stage. The time for how comes later; first and foremost the question is 'why?'.

Commander's intent
Military planners use Commander's Intent to ensure a plan that is effective even in the most unpredictable and chaotic of scenes. Commander's Intent is the vision of the end, the purpose and the key tasks. Summed up it's:
1) “A concise expression of the purpose of the operation.”
2) “Must be understood two echelons below the issuing commander.”
3) “Focus subordinates on what has to be accomplished even when the plan and concept of operations no longer apply.”

Source

“No plan survives contact with the enemy.” a German strategist once said, and the way you ease that inveitablity is for a strong Commander's Intent.

The Way of the Why
Let's ground this IRNS (in-real-nation-states, the game as she is played), if you're going to ask writers to write more, why? If you're going to start an audio endeavour, you have to ask why? If you're going to start an interregional paper, the first thing is why? We spend far too little time on the why. As Notolecta remarked in his vivisection that:

Quote:
 
On the EON specifically you have convincing to do. It needs to be well defined and explained what exactly the EON will be, what the goal is and how exactly you plan to get there. This has not been defined thus far in detail and has caused people to be on different pages, causing the program to fail.


Posted Image
Notolecta burns the EON in Notty Talk 004 (45 Seconds, Youtube)

Subtitles available. Select "English".
A coherent, powerful why is not readily apparent with the EON. Looking back in the archives I tried to find the why for the EON, and here it is:

Europeian Overseas Network
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
...allowing all regions that participate in the Network to draw closer together and know each other better...


That's a why, but does it resonate with you? Are the steps leading to increased domestic activity clear? And, is it, the more times you look at it, really what will get you out of bed?

If your Directors and Assistant Ministers, those two echelons, don't understand the why clearly then you'll need up with your own EON mess. The EON, and the many different pages.

Conversely, if you understand the why the more effective you are. I recently had a conversation with the Minister above me (Minister of Communications Notolecta) and he said that the,“Images in sig advertisements,” had to go. I knew they had to go. My plan, in all of its detail, was shot at first sunlight on signatures. My battleplan did not survive contact with the reality of the situation: graphics take time to make, they require the broadcaster so on the ball that he'd put in a request early and some people are running out of signature space. I was annoyed and frustrated. But then I remembered why I wanted them. The reason was that no matter where you were, you saw signatures. It is pervasive and effective advertising. Nothing in the why implied I had to use an image, so I used text instead. Understanding on a deep conceptual level, the why means that your Directors and Assistant Ministers can react faster and without your micromanagement.

You can't, as a President, as a Minister or a Director, do all the work yourself. You can't centralise it all. You must then empower through the Commander's Intent. But Commander's Intent is more than this.

The Context of Why
After Napeloen stormed across Europe, the Germans came up with the concept of Aftragstaktik- a philosophy rooted in the uncertainty of battle. We'd do well to acknowledge, as a region, the uncertainity of executive action. The philosophy was less of an 'I am in control of my soldiers' and more of an 'I trust my soliders to make decisions'. In the face of uncertainity, in the face of the caphocany of NationStates you need to trust your soliders --- your Ministers, Directors and Assistants (MDAs). The President utterly confident that the MDAs will act to the why.

The why isn't just the written intent. It's a philosophy and way of doing.

That is the way, nay, the why of the why.

By hyanygo
Edited by Writinglegend and Cassy Styles Anumia


A mixlr supplement of Notty Talk 004

Edited by hyanygo, Feb 19 2015, 02:20 AM.
off  Quote
 
Calvin Coolidge
Member Avatar
☆Kawaii Panda☆

I really like the inclusion of audio into our text articles.
Posted ImagePosted ImageThe Panda's Pen is a newspaper I write. Posted ImageAll hail Swift.
off  Quote
 
Common-Sense Politics
Member Avatar
Incapable of Bullshit

Definitely something to think about. Thanks for writing this.
The Venerable Imperator Common-Sense Politics, ER ESE EBS EOB EC ES OR1-4
Father to McEntire

Chancellory Decorations

Presidential Decorations

Resume

References
off  Quote
 
Malashaan
Member Avatar
Supreme Malassimo

This is really well put. I've been thinking along these lines for quite a while but could never find the right words. You hot the nail squarely on the head.
Posted Image
Posted Image
Decorations
Awards
Resume
Cerian Quilor
 
I personally look forward to the Maltatorship in the Speakership..
off  Quote
 
Lethen
Member Avatar
Remember when I was famous? Neither do I.

This is very nice, and you're inclusion of the youtube/supplementary material was excellent.
me, basically (click)

A letter to a friend

By the Prophetical Blessing of Nethel, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic of Europeia and the states within, Destined Overseer of His rightful yet forgotten realms of Estalcia and Old Europe and Crystal Falls, Defender of the Faith and New Jersey, and Heir to the concept of Sarcasm
off  Quote
 
Writinglegend
Member Avatar
Sleepy Gleg.

This was very well said, hy. The incorporation of Notty Talk was beautiful, and really kept my attention through the whole article. Great job. :gentleman:
Click Me!
off  Quote
 
Vinage Vinage
Member Avatar
Gave Up Being Cool To Be Here

Interesting article, would also be interesting to see something of a... scale perhaps? How various Presidents have handled their cabinet, different techniques they've used etc

I remember the term I was in for CSP, I think it was - it might have been Skizzy's or NES' - where they posted a to do list that was expected to be done by the end of the week. Totally stole that idea
The Venerable, Vinage Vinage. ER, EOB, EIN, ED, EEN, OR 1-4
2 Consecutive Term President
Longest Serving World Assembly Delegate
Survivor of 3 Political Scandals

Posted ImagePosted Image Posted Image

"You're like that coffee machine, you know: from bean to cup, you f-k up."
off  Quote
 
Lethen
Member Avatar
Remember when I was famous? Neither do I.

I know I served under some Presidents who loved "to-do" lists, and some who gave me broader goals to accomplish by the end of the term. I did okay under both, but that's probably because I always kept my own personal to-do list.
me, basically (click)

A letter to a friend

By the Prophetical Blessing of Nethel, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic of Europeia and the states within, Destined Overseer of His rightful yet forgotten realms of Estalcia and Old Europe and Crystal Falls, Defender of the Faith and New Jersey, and Heir to the concept of Sarcasm
off  Quote
 
hyanygo


Are we clamouring for a "This Is How I Work" series? eyebrowsface

I can certainly sort that out if we're interested (I know it's not exactly what Vinage was looking for but if I can get enough former Presidents...)
off  Quote
 
hyanygo


Just generally, Vinage, how did you act in your presidency? What do you think a good president should do to make the why explicit?

Who has the better why: Sopo or Calvin?
off  Quote
 
Vinage Vinage
Member Avatar
Gave Up Being Cool To Be Here

Both questions for me, or just the first? If so, I'd be happy to do some sort of mixlr on it. If you wanted, that is
The Venerable, Vinage Vinage. ER, EOB, EIN, ED, EEN, OR 1-4
2 Consecutive Term President
Longest Serving World Assembly Delegate
Survivor of 3 Political Scandals

Posted ImagePosted Image Posted Image

"You're like that coffee machine, you know: from bean to cup, you f-k up."
off  Quote
 
hyanygo


Both, why not have both?
off  Quote
 
Vinage Vinage
Member Avatar
Gave Up Being Cool To Be Here

We'll chat later
The Venerable, Vinage Vinage. ER, EOB, EIN, ED, EEN, OR 1-4
2 Consecutive Term President
Longest Serving World Assembly Delegate
Survivor of 3 Political Scandals

Posted ImagePosted Image Posted Image

"You're like that coffee machine, you know: from bean to cup, you f-k up."
off  Quote
 
hyanygo


I'd prefer it if it were typed. I don't mind having a recorded audio segment but then I will have to do something with it and im tired right nao.
off  Quote
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Europeian Broadcasting Corporation · Next Topic »