My ideal of a Listserv is captured in a posting by Jeff O'Brien to the
Archives List in 2002 (
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0203C&L=ARCHIVES&P=R9649&I=-3
or
http://shrinkster.com/gfk )
I recognize, however, that different people look for different things. Some
see a List as a room with many corners, where different people congregate, as
Jeff does. Others take a narrower view of a List's function. There is no
right way to do it, although it is considerate to take into account what the
majority wants. While I look for a place where I can take off the mask I wear in
the office, and let my hair down and chat freely, others look for something
closer to the impersonal character of their workplace. And tolerate some
ritualistic deviations (the Friday postings) but not much beyond that. Others among
you seem to welcome a wide variety of styles and personality types.
An off list discussion that I had with someone yesterday left me feeling I
could follow one of three options: stop turning to the List with my postings;
put on a mask and adopt an impersonal business-like style; or continue on the
course I've followed since joining the List a little over a year ago. I got a
hint of what one List subscriber prefers a year ago, when, soon after I
started posting here, he suggested I look through the List archives to see how
people post messages. The implication, of course, was that there was a preferred
way of speaking up and it was up to newcomers to learn how to conform to that.
While one usually learns to conform to community standards within an office,
faking it along the way in order to get along with the powers that be and to
succeed, I hadn't given much thought to the fact that some Lists, too, might
require that. Of course, what is a mask for some is a natural style for others.
In reading through List messages, I sometimes seem to sense who among you is
putting on that mask and adopting styles or rituals and who has them as
inherent in their nature. Whether the style is natural or adopted, and I think for
many of you it is natural, most of you seem comfortable with the List. Of
course, there also is the possibility that records management as a profession
calls for certain aptitudes, while history calls for others.
I largely think my style doesn't work here. For the benefit of newer
listmembers, let me explain why. I posted to the List a year ago, explaining that I
saw some latitude in the way people approach the List. (See
http://www.lists.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0507a&L=recmgmt-l&D=0&T=0&P=1543
or
http://shrinkster.com/gfl )
I later posted a follow up about argument culture, gender differences in
conversation and how there are different approaches to building rapport in mixed
groupos, etc. at
http://www.lists.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0602C&L=RECMGMT-L&P=R2754&I=-3
or
http://shrinkster.com/gfm
in which I specifically offered this for consideration:
http://shrinkster.com/gfn
While I've made some good friends here, some of whom I heard from privately
yesterday, I've lost the sense of optimism with which I joined the List in
February 2005. You're all busy people. While I was looking for intellectual
stimulation from lively debates, many of you just want to see short messages
along the lines of "I'm looking for X, please post links to it if you know of any.
Thanks." I understand that. I mesh well with some personality types here
and don't mesh at all with others. Most of you see messages on the List during
the course of the workday. I had hoped those who didn't mesh with me simply
would delete my postings unopened or set up a rule to send them to a trash
folder. I've changed my mind. Now, I tend to think that my greatest obligation
is to ease the stress for those of you who prefer the impersonal,
business-like approach. If adapting to that approach is too much of a reminder of the
workplace for me, and I don't want to fake it, then I should step back. I'm the
intruder here.
I guess it's kind of like dating someone or being married. Either both of
you work at understanding your differences and styles of communication, or one
or both decide, this is not going to work out, let's split up. The first
option (working together to understand differences) doesn't seem applicable here.
I have found it useful to read the List to understand more about the
psychology of the people who are drawn to records management. And why they look at
things the way they do. It isn't always the way I look at things. But the
bottom line is, this is your List. It isn't a Records, Archives and History List.
It's a records management list. I don't see any particular advantage to any
of you in learning more about people who are drawn to history. (Although we
often are your end users, all you really need to know is how to preserve the
records we and other end users will need, You don't need to understand what
makes us tick, LOL.)
Most of you probably work with people of various Myers-Briggs types in
differing functions and have to do enough adaption to irritating people during your
workday, probably with some quiet gnashing of teeth. Since I don't enjoy
having people gnash their teeth about me, I'll just say, sorry it didn't work out,
no harm intended, I hope that is understood. My errors, such as they were,
were not done with ill intent or a desire to harm anyone. I respect most for
you for your knowledge, and urge you to keep in mind your strengths and good
qualities. Quiet, sturdy confidence (although, of course, not arrogance) will
take most of you a long way, I am sure! Newcomers or veters, may you find the
success you deserve.
Take care, all!
Maarja
List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
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