Head Tale

I've already written about how impressed I've been with Ryan Meili's use of technology
(today's the last day of the “money bomb” so if you haven't donated
yet, do it!  And if you've donated already, why not donate again?) 
Something that's closely related to technology is the idea of openness
and Ryan has demonstrated this in a number of ways.



The openness doesn't just refer to technology but how Ryan utilizes it.  As a personal example, when I first expressed interest in
volunteering for his campaign, I was given access to his online project
management software, Basecamp (which I know all of my techie friends swear by.) 



I don't think I'm peeling back the curtain too far if I reveal that
this software has sections where authorized users can collaborate on documents,
exchange messages, leave comments and collaborate in various other ways.  Ryan's site has sections
dedicated to Policy & Platform, Membership & Fundraising, Event
Planning, Communications and a general area for everything else called
The Lounge.  There are sections for To Do lists, Calendars and
Milestones and much more. 

Using that platform, the entire Meili team – from lowly volunteers like myself to the candidate himself – are able to work
collaboratively on documents including the development of policy
and platform.  Instead of using a traditional hierarchical top-down
management style which I suspect is what some of the other candidates
are using, Ryan uses a much flatter, equitable structure.  (And guess
what?  This shift in how organizations are run isn't just about Meili vs. Lingenfelter – it's
becoming a reality throughout the world.  Toyota famously has four
levels of reporting between the shop floor and the CEO.  I'm only
speculating but I would guess that Dwain Lingenfelter's campaign has
more intermediaries between volunteers and the candidate in some
cases!  For the Saskatchewan NDP to be successful in the 21st Century, they'll need to make this transition as well.) 



As I said, Ryan's openness isn't just about technology or his
organizational structure – it comes through in numerous other ways.  His openness in how
he speaks (and listens) to people.  His openness to some of the most
disenfranchised people in our society, both within Saskatchewan and
beyond our borders.  His openness in his blog posts and his writings about his experiences as a medical student and while doing international development work.  His openness also extends to his acceptance of what I (and other supportive bloggers) write without giving us either any direction or criticism whether he may agree with what we're writing or not.  The Accidental Jurist speculated in a post I can't find now that Ryan may have included endorsements from “common folk” rather than party elites as a way to pad his list of endorsements but I don't think that's the case – I think that's just Ryan showing his openness in another way with a strong statement that the average person should have just as much of a voice as someone who's an “elite” due to their connections or their position or whatever.  (And in what's truly the sign of a leader as far as I'm concerned, the fact that the front runner has recently begun copying this practice of Ryan's shows just how good Ryan is at convincing others of the merits of his ideas.  I would expect a “Loonies for Link” Money Bomb to be announced any day now!)

#3 – Ryan's Commitment to Saskatchewan