This weekend we have seen tensions rise as a conflict within the HA group rose to the level where one part of the group decided they couldn’t work with another part of the group and started an on-chain proposal to eliminate the other group. Then additional proposals were exchanged back and forth. There is a lot of heat back and forth and personal outrage. I imagine there is room for further escalation.
On many levels, this is a very disappointing and shocking situation. The first thought of many when encountering it is that this is a flawed program, and drastic measures need to be taken. This proposal referenced above is an example of a drastic measure. Emotions are high within the community and within the Head Ambassadors and have been for some time.
However, I would like to postulate:
This is actually a normal part of team development.
“The concept of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing (FSNP) describes the four stages of psychological development a team goes through as they work on a project. Teams move through each stage as they overcome challenges, learn to work together and eventually focus on accomplishing a shared goal.” (link)
From the article:
“Storming: This is the most dangerous phase in terms of team success. Team leaders establish roles for each team member. This often brings out many negative aspects of group behavior. For example, it can lead to interpersonal conflict and “turf wars” as people stake out the parts of the project they want to control. It can lead to members of the team not appreciating the perspective of others. Some people may even resist joining the team at all. This is a point where the team is most likely to fall apart.”
Right now we are in the storming phase:
- Previous disagreements have not come to a resolution
- Members feel like they can’t work together
- 1 hour weekly meetings feel like they don’t lead to resolution on issues
- The same disagreements came up over and over again
- This is amplified by the pressure cooker of the community (whales included) making comments on the illegitimacy of the program
- This is amplified by many voices in the community proposing alternate ambassador program structures
- And obviously what has happened this weekend, which is infighting.
If you see this as a “natural” phase in team development, then you realize it’s important to do what it takes to get through the conflict and come out on the other side. I believe our best chance at doing this is by forgiving temporary flare ups and coming together as a group of 20 in person. The idea of an in-person offsite was recently discussed by HAs at Web 3 Summit and Token as something we should do in the future, but it was not yet pursued. Now seems like the right time.
There is a promised land, and that is: if we can get past this phase, we will have a well performing team that has surmounted its difficulties and is ready to take on the challenge of scaling out the program. Imagine 21 Head Ambassadors with diverse experiences and skill sets working together to bring Polkadot forward. That was the vision of the program, and the Polkadot community owes it to themselves to push for this to become a reality.
Suggestion for how this would happen (open to feedback):
- Make this a #1 priority and clear our calendars for seven calendar days, ASAP (e.g. the second week of October)
- Meet in person in a central location (Europe?)
- Get to know each other on a personal level
- Work through founding documents & processes for the ambassador program (vision, manifesto, 100 day plan, 1 year goals/okrs, onboarding, workgroup, etc.)
- Discuss how the program may evolve in the future (including to Tomi’s vision, Shawn’s vision, Tom’s vision, and any other community input)
If we can find the right person, then there should be a professional coach helping out the group.
Success isn’t guaranteed, but I would argue this should be pursued before more drastic actions which are already on the board. After a week of honest effort, we will figure out whether or not we can work together for the benefit of Polkadot. I believe we are all motivated internally to bring Polkadot to the recognition it deserves.
We need to break the cycle of distrust, hate and the use of power to get things done. This leads to an unhealthy culture which kills productivity and the ability to execute as a group. We need to solve problems and learn to work together and bridge differences.
In order for Polkadot to reach its future vision, it needs us to execute as a DAO and prove that a DAO is stronger than a centralized entity. This has never been done before, but we are all here because we believe it should be possible. But we need to put in the hard work to make it happen. The ambassador program can lead the way in that.