Saturday, April 3, 2004
5:46:00 AM EST Yes, Delete Entry

May Chess Life Statement

 

I believe the study and knowledge of chess is of benefit to people and society. I am a manager for a Fortune 500 company and am volunteering to bring new thoughts and experiences to the USCF. Our financial recovery will be my priority. I will also work towards:

 

Service on a nonprofit board exists to represent and to speak for you -- the membership. Together we can create a better USCF.

 

Sunday, May 2, 2004
3:28:00 AM EDT Yes, Delete Entry

June Chess Life Statement

 

Wayne Praeder,

the Professional from Pennsylvania

 

 

I focused my May Chess Life statement on what I would work towards if elected. I’d like to use this statement to put those proposed actions into context and to give you a perspective of how that fits into an overall approach. Simply put, to get back on track we must stop losing money, look for talent, listen to the membership, and have a plan for the future.

 

Focus on Core Mission: We must tighten our focus on core activities that are central to our mission and do them as well as possible -- quality is what will matter in our services and programs. Now is the time to prioritize our activities and to focus on core programs. From there we should rebuild our services consistent with the mission and consistent with what you the membership feels is of value. We need to take a hard look at our revenue as well as expenses and plan for the most likely and worst-case scenarios for our organization, and develop strategies to deal with each one. The organization must show results within its budget.

 

Engage Diverse Skills: We must look for ways to increase the skills of our current board or make changes in board membership so that we have the right sets of skills and commitment required for today’s uncertain environment. The board needs to hire a competent and professional chief executive to run daily operations. The chief executives performance affects the performance of the entire organization. Clear objectives and limitations combined with regular evaluation of the chief executive’s performance is critical to produce useful results and to improve corporate performance.

 

Communicate Regularly: I believe our most valuable resource is our membership. We must communicate both formally and informally with the membership on a regular basis about what's happening with the organization, and keep the lines of communications open with the members. Better disclosure of corporate information will help with this communication. Communications must be a two way street. There should be few activities as important as finding out what the membership thinks and wants for outcomes, products, and services.

 

Renew the Strategic Plan: Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, why it does it, and with a focus on the future. Any merger considerations must be part of this planning process to properly determine that it is the right solution for the organization’s restructuring needs. We must reassess and develop an organizational strategy that everyone understands. We must clearly establish the roadmap for our future.

 

Your Vote Counts: This is your organization. You now have the opportunity to vote and make a difference. I’d like to be part of that difference. As a business professional I believe I can bring something useful to the USCF. I hope you do too. Together we can create a better USCF.