The Tale of the Tail End. Organizational Democracy.

I tailed my older sister to school when I was young. We walked the few steps from my aunt's house to our school, crossing a busy street.

One time I got swiped by a bike while walking on a concrete sidewalk. We didn't tell our aunt about the incident. In the evening I got a fever.

Many years later while tailing a friend's car from the interior of a Bulacan town and out to a newly-opened  NLEX exit I was not familiar with, I overtook my friend's car at one point in the main expressway.

Months later during a casual conversation, my friend's mate related how discipline reigns in my friend's household that even in a simple family activity - driving in a convoy - my friend and his siblings did not dare overtake their father's car as a show of respect and discipline.

These two memories are pointless musings.

But being at a tail end of a decision making process is one that jugs sensibilities and is a difficult situation, especially if the ultimate decision impacts on an entire organization. Just look at the bigger picture where civilized nations operate on a consultative basis, with executive, legislative and judicial branches counter-checking each other.

"Organizational democracy" from dilbert.com

This consultative nature occurs at national and local levels where elected officials enact measures after going through numerous hearings and caucuses with representation from the various levels of government (local councils, congress, senate) before laws are finally approved by the executive (mayor, governor, president/prime minister),

In smaller organizations this same brand of democratic process should be adopted. An open discussion and planning must be made with the entire membership being included in the loop.

Leadership by patronage, which is illegal in politics, must likewise be non-existent in social, civic, and religious groupings because it encourages members to look for perks when choosing their leader.

Patronage may be likened to vote buying, "padulas, lagay," (grease money), and buying favors.

Another tale of a tail end happened to me in the streets of Ontario, Canada years ago. Turning left from a narrow street onto a three-lane avenue, a car tailing me closely almost hit my van as I turned and took the centre lane, while the other car took the outer lane.

Apparently the driver got pissed off because he went behind me again and tailed me until I made a right. Then he sped ahead of me.

At a stop sign, the driver went out of his car and was approaching my vehicle which was about four cars behind when the lights turned green and I drove off and he was left scampering back to his car.

Lesson of the story: When driving don't drive too closely to the next car, or simply don't tail gate. In decision making, don't let members be at the tail end of a decision.  Keeping members always in the loop makes for a healthy organization. This is what transparency is all about.