Question: Some bureaucracratic entities have technical roles (eg Root Server Advisory) while others have sociopolitical (eg At-Large). What isthe Board's role in pursing the organization's overall mission -- its role in the decision-making process? What personal quality would best enable a director to pursue the organization's mission?

Nominee Replies

Barbara Simons - posted on 2000-10-05 15:36:22 If I am elected to the Board, my charter will be to represent the interests of the at large membership. These interests are best satisfied by making ICANN more democratic and more responsive to the needs and concerns of Internet users. The personal qualities that I feel are most important for achieving these goals are dedication, ability to listen, political skills, and an understanding of when to compromise and when to refuse to do so. Harris Miller - posted on 2000-10-02 12:54:11 As a Director, I believe that my roles would be shared -- an external function, to be in open and complete communication with the user community, and the internal decision-maker as one of many Directors. In this latter case, I would bring my extensive experience serving on the Boards of Directors of several non-profit and for-profit entities to ICANN. Pursuing consensus is important and a major goal for ICANN, yet also at the end of the day, ICANN must also be able to make decisions. I think it is the twin skills of being able to build consensus/dialogue and the ability to encourage crisp decision-making that will characterize a successful Director for ICANN. Emerson Tiller, J.D., Ph.D. - posted on 2000-10-01 21:03:23 The director needs to have a keen sense of when he/she should engage in role behavior (strong advocate for his/her constituency) and when to be a collaborative decisionmaker (making compromises and engaging in problem solving across the multiple dimensions of any issue) for the good of all the interests represented in the organization. ICANN is designed to allow for both types of behavior (role advocacy through a checks and balance system of supporting organization board seats and at large seats; compromise and collaboration through bottom-up decision processes). A director needs to know how and when to effectively use each. Lawrence Lessig - posted on 2000-10-01 20:09:12 I think the board's job is assure the organization stays focused on its charter, and does not become captured by special interests. Being skeptical, and critical, are useful for this. Donald Langenberg - posted on 2000-10-01 19:15:46 I presume you mean by bureaucratic entities committees, panels, or boards. The ICANN Board is a governing board (as distinguished from an advisory board, a coordinating board, etc.) and as such bears the ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of the organization. Governing boards set policy and hold their executives and staff accountable for implementing it. The usual role for an effective board member is Nose in, fingers out! Probably the most valuable personal quality is also the hardest to find -- wisdom.