I know it's a physical impossibility but Sri Lanka is a game of 3 halves at the moment. The first half is being here; I'm loving it. The second is working with the 18 permanent staff at the Chamber; they're untrained but keen to learn and I'm making (slow) progress with them both individually and as a team. The third half, however, is working with the Board of Directors; I'm tearing my hair out!!
The Galle Chamber of Commerce and Industry is focused on developing the capabilities of the small and medium entrepreneurs in the Galle District - a very worthy vision. To do this they have a 30 Directors who join the Board on a voluntary basis whilst managing their own businesses. The Board meets once a month on a Saturday night at 7.30pm (which turns into 8.15pm Sri Lankan time). Unfortunately it is a total boys club; I was told no self-respecting husband would let his wife attend as a director (a) because it's so late, and (b) because everyone retires to a nearby watering-hole afterwards and gets plastered on Arrack, the local hooch. Women here are not supposed to drink. My first Board meeting went fairly smoothly. They all start with a formal welcome speech, followed by a Buddhist prayer, and then a moments silence. A very random agenda of topics is then followed with the things you think should receive the focus, getting only scant appraisal. After my first meeting, I thought my issue would be cutting through the hierarchy of the Board. People are seated in order of seniority and the level of interaction is virtually nil. How wrong I was...
The second board meeting was a disaster. I turned up on time and, after hanging around for 45 mins for everyone to arrive, and after the prayer, welcome speech and moment's silence, Mr Lakshman, the Chairman said: "Miss Jules, we'd like to invite you to give a short speech after which you can leave because we're concerned about you getting home late at night." I, of course replied: "Don't worry, I'm fine to get home at the end of the meeting". Suri, the Director General (and the power behind the Chamber) then said: "You're welcome to do a 10 minute speech but then you must leave as this is a meeting for Directors and you're not a Director." I was flabbergasted. I tried not to make it show and did a small speech about why I was at the Chamber and then made my exit. I cycled home absolutely furious and probably made all those who saw me laugh as I was talking to myself all the way back!
On the Monday I found out that after I left, some of the newer Directors had said that it was inappropriate that I had been asked to leave and the Board then proceeded to discuss me for a further 90mins. 5 Directors vehemently opposed me being involved but the balance voted that I be allowed to be involved in everything, warts and all. So, the situation has actually worked in my favour. After digging further and approaching Suri directly, the instigator of my dismissal, I think the reason I was asked to leave is that Suri didn't want to be embarrassed in front of me. I know some of the other Board members were going to take him to task over his inappropriate behaviour and, I guess, he didn't want me witnessing that. Suri is both a former Captain in the Sri Lankan Army as well as a former Chairman of the Chamber. He treats the staff as if they're his battalion and it is appalling to watch. I think he also thought that Mr Lakshman, the current Chairman, could be his puppet but Mr L has a little more spine than that so they're now clashing on almost every decision. I need to get Suri on side because with him I'll get things done but without him I'll have an uphill battle. As they say: "better the devil you know"!
Anyway, the task ahead of me is huge. I need to get the Board to agree to a clear objective and set of strategies to follow; I need to improve their decision making capacity by setting up effective sub-committees to manage key projects; I need to refocus them onto their vision of developing the small to medium entrepreneurs in the District; etc. The list is very long. I know what I need to do but how I'm going to do is still a bit foggy when you're herding cats! I've asked Mr L for a series of workshops with the Directors but, based on my first experience and his advice, no one will show because their own business take priority (understandably so). He's therefore agreed the sum total of 30mins per board meeting for me to run various sessions. The next one is on the 22nd May so I've got to make it a humdinger of a session and try to convince a smaller group to then work with me on the Chamber strategy. I think I know what it should be but if I don't create it with them it will just gather dust in a drawer somewhere. The other thing I'm doing is visiting each Director one by one at his business to try to build up more of a relationship with them. They're businesses are pretty varied. Today I met with Mr Manamperi who runs a Funeral Parlour. He kindly showed me all around the business including where they embalm the bodies. Fortunately there wasn't anyone on the slab when I visited. He is keen, though, to investigate Cardboard coffins so if anyone out there has any links to the Cardboard Coffin industry, please let me know!!
After a particularly frustrating day at work today, I headed to the Lighthouse Hotel (a very plush hotel with 2 pools and a gym that I've become a member of), to pound up and down the pool to try to work through some of my angst. It worked especially as I was lucky enough to witness one of the best sunsets so far here in Sri Lanka. So, it's not all bad here.....!
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