Risk Management Coming to the Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP

by:   Mary Glass

Train wrecks in organizations happen every day.  Our news media make a living on same when talking about personal affairs, personalities, leaders, politicians, celebrities, wealthy individuals, etc.  However, business professionals and those who want to protect the IMAGE and/or BRAND of the organization seek logical steps/processes/approaches to minimize and/or eliminate risk that may be associated with:

Ø  Compliance.........Mission, Vision, Bylaws, U.S. law and Constitution

Ø  Customer Care....Membership, Perspective Members, Donors, Public

Ø  Financial..............Membership, Donors (public and private) and Public support

Ø  Investment..........Staff, Time and Programs

Ø  Market.................Member-Public-Neighborhood-City/State/Region/National

Ø  Operation............Officers (8), Executive Committee, Staff and Volunteers

Milwaukee Branch

The Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP has gone too far and stayed too long.  Therefore, it will take significant overhaul to “get the house in order”.  

From the initial review, there is plenty of blame to spread around.  Blame due to lack of knowledge (officers, executive committee, membership, state and national staff-officers).

Blame due to knowledge of; but, failed to call for accountability (officers, executive committee, membership, state and national staff-officers).

Blame due to lack of communication (officers, executive committee, membership, state and national staff-officers)

Blame due to lack of training, transparency, best practices, truth-telling, accountability and following bylaws, mission, vision and ethical conduct.

NOW, it is at a crescendo – massive train wreck stage and lacking in defense with core values in place.  Strategies of the business model is badly flawed and those who knew OR should have known are into “cover-up”, misrepresenting the truth, complicity in bullying and bias Code of Conduct, denial, massive fear; and paralysis.

Whereas, the initial instinct is to squash and do damage control, Risk Management must begin here.  Yes. It will mean identifying the threats, strengths, opportunities and weaknesses in the exposure.  It is to simultaneously adopt a winning hand of support of the membership to reduce some of the damage now and long-term that can abuse the growth of membership, branch and organization.

It is your MOVE President Ben Jealous and Chairwoman Roslyn Brock.  Here’s where you earn your title, strength, positive reputation and delivering the NAACP over a difficult time. 

A time that if you continue to exhibit a Code of Conduct that is “risky” and appear deceptive, arrogant, disrespectful, lacking in transparency, lacking in best practices, lacking in sensitivity for concerns given to you by the Milwaukee Branch membership, appearing bias with bullying as a solution, lacking in principle-centered leadership, failing to respond timely to inquiries will yield an avoidable Big train wreck in the public domain.

Risk Management can be an extremely complicated endeavor by failing to do the basics in collaborations, communication – TALKING for solution-building and building TRUST.  We can turn this unfortunate situation into a HUGE opportunity for the Milwaukee Branch and our entire NAACP organization.