| David Hall |
I think there are various ways in which existing communication can be enhanced from the website through to the matchday presence, internet chatrooms, email and postal communications.
It is important to try to continue to get feedback on both day to day and key strategic issues (eg by questionnaires) - but we have to be careful not to go into consultation overload. A lot of the fans just want to come to the games and enjoy the football and the matchday experience.
I haven't spent a lot of time looking at how communications work at present at the DT. However having spent a lot of my working career assisting local authorities and housing associations helping with their communications with their tenants and other stakeholders I have picked up some thoughts on how best to engage with different audiences and would hope to bring that experience to the Board.
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| Mark Davis |
I would suggest:
" A report to members early in the New Year (after the election) on the Board's priorities for the year (we used to do this);
" A report, as part of the AGM papers, on the extent to which those priorities have been met;
" Rejig SGMs - for instance, more of an open meeting style for discussing particular topics, with formal business compressed into a tighter slot in a way that doesn't turn everyone else off;
" A rota for DTB members to man the DT table in the back bar;
" Making sure that the DT section of the club's website is kept up to date - including posting Board minutes on a timely basis;
" Using the matchday programme to feature DT issues (but actually some efforts have been made in this direction recently).
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| Nicole Hammond |
Not everybody reads the programme. Do we need a newsletter? I'm not sure that's the answer. I would start by simply improving the communications that already do go out from the board - it was widely accepted at the last AGM that a bit of proof-reading would have cleared up a lot of confusion. Speaking personally, I think a lot of people know me and I'm always available to chat to at games. |
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| Kate Terriere |
I think communication needs to be more open and different methods should be explored. As mentioned in question 7 above, communication should be more regular and more informal - short snippets of useful info / key issues / actions from meetings etc. The use of social networking could also be explored to reach younger fans and encourage participation and debate. Board members should also be more visible - perhaps take it in turns to answer questions on match days. |
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| Kris Stewart |
I will try to encourage others to come up with ideas to improve our communications, and encourage them to put them into practice as well. In all discussions on the subject, I will remind people that a variety of methods of communication are needed for the board and members to communicate effectively. |
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| Lee Willett |
I would like to take some time, if elected, to think more about how to do this to maximum effect. The Trust has a stall at the ground plus regular information in the programme, but I do feel that finding ways to make its work more accessible to all fans (and not just Trust members) would be important. |
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| Stephen Cooles |
I think a mixture of getting the basics right, and adding new communications channels would go a long way to improving communications. Practical steps would include
- Ensuring the Board minutes are published quickly and consistently
- Reviewing the Dons Trust section of the OS and seeing if its fit for purpose
- Prioritising the DT Questionnaire the club is currently working on, and making this an annual survey of all members
- Investigating the most effective and cost efficient channels of communicating with the membership. At present these consist of email, direct mail, the OS and the match day programme. There are many other channels we could consider, but we can also review those we already use to make the best use of them.
- Look to assign the role of communication to 1 (or 2) of the 9 board members. Such an important task should not be left to "the willing".
My professional role is strongly concerned with implementing communications best practice, and I would relish the opportunity to bring these skills to the Board.
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| Tom Adam |
I dealt with this in my answer to question 7. Last June we promised the Members that we would consult them on the certain specific parts of the strategy review and several Board Members, including me, have pushed for action on this but it hasn’t happened.
When we make a promise like this, we should appoint someone on the Board to be responsible for doing it and then monitor their progress, which wasn’t done. We should also publish the results of the communications review that the Board commissioned and what has been done about it.
When we have held the consultation about the strategy we should decide whether the approach we used might be an appropriate method for more communication. If it isn’t, we should take professional advice.
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| Simon Bath |
Firstly, having board members visible and approachable to fans, is something that needs to happen. As a fan's club, the concept of society is paramount. People must understand that the ongoings of the board are of upmost importance and the role of asking questions is a necessity
Secondly, the resurrection of the quaterly newsletter would be a wonderful thing, this should be planned out so that some sub-communities within the club should be represented ie. Youth
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| David Growns |
Here is what I have said in my manifesto:
In my view, communication - with our fans, with our Trust members and with the local communities - is an ongoing problem:
" The official website, which has served us well, is now creaking at the seams. Many of the Dons Trust pages have not been updated for years. The website publishing system must be replaced and it should be staffed by a volunteer group of editors, with clear agreements to publish items in a timely manner.
" If elected I will be guided by the members' opinions, and so I will hold a regular monthly surgery in the back bar where I will listen to what members have to say and report to the Board on their behalf, and use it to inform my decisions.
I strongly believe that communication should be at the heart of everything you do and that it is often tacked on as an afterthought. It is also a two away street and I don't see enough effort being made to elicit opinions.
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| Damian Woodward |
For me this is a good example where we need to invest. We can hope and wish for volunteers with the right professional skills to make it happen, but for me that is not good enough. If we speak to more people, more professionally, more of the time, we will make the investment we put into it back and more. We need to treat communication as a forethought, not a must do better. I think there is mileage in also linking this back much more with the club so as to get the best efficiencies in terms of spend and peoples’ attention. |
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Christopher Gibbs |
Use email more, posting monthly bullet point updates to members. Give updates of upcoming tasks and funding projects (discussed earlier) where help is needed and also recent tasks/goals that have been met. |
