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   Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 03:17:04 JST Paul Cantrell

   • NNN

   “Listening sessions” have become the scourge of Minnesota politics.

   Re this from @NewNordicNormal: https://c.im/@NewNordicNormal/112633294249579821

   • Embed this notice
     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 03:22:23 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • NNN

     @NewNordicNormal Heat pump rebates? Minneapolis Public Schools district reorg? What to do with the Mpls police 3rd precinct site? Reimagining I-94? All tend toward a similar pattern:

     - Initial energy
     - Long silence
     - Unhelpful survey
     - “Listening sessions” in which options with strong support already seem to be off the table
     - Public outcry about flawed process
     - Shuffling the furniture
     - ????
     - Further silence
     - Oh look, they made a decision already, it kind of sucks

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 03:25:51 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     There are complicating factors in every one of these cases, and none of these are easy questions. These “listening sessions” that don’t actually involve useful listening are not a root cause here. They do appear, however, to have become a tool of choice for propping up bad process.

   • Embed this notice
     Jen (jetlagjen@geekdom.social)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 03:55:04 JST Jen

     in reply to

     @inthehands I recently came across the phrase "accountability sink" which I think applies here.

     It's a process, person, body, etc that accepts feedback but has limited to no power to act on it or pass it on in meaningful ways. A Customer Service Desk is the classic example.

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 03:58:21 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • Jen

     @JetlagJen
     Thanks! I’d also heard that term recently, and I think even boosted it maybe, yet somehow couldn’t get it back. You rescued me!

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 05:50:17 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • Jen
     • Ryan McCuaig

     @rgm @JetlagJen
     Already on my list, now more urgent!

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     Ryan McCuaig (rgm@cosocial.ca)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 05:50:19 JST Ryan McCuaig

     in reply to

     • Jen

     @inthehands @JetlagJen not sure if this is the original source but accountability sinks are in this book and I can confirm so far the first 25% feels like it clearly describes <gestures vaguely> the overall situation

     https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

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     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 06:58:11 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • Jen
     • cognitively accessible math

     @JetlagJen @geonz
     All that, plus appearances: seems like (in my limited understanding) an accountability sink •looks like• actual listening until you examine the results.

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     Jen (jetlagjen@geekdom.social)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 06:58:13 JST Jen

     in reply to

     • cognitively accessible math

     @geonz @inthehands yeah, very similar.

     I'd say the key difference is intention. Giving someone the runaround implies a deliberate intention on the part of the actors. In an accountability sink, all the individuals involved may have good intentions and be doing their best, but the result is the same because of systemic problems / intentions.

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     cognitively accessible math (geonz@mathstodon.xyz)'s status on Tuesday, 18-Jun-2024 06:58:14 JST cognitively accessible math

     in reply to

     • Jen

     @JetlagJen @inthehands yea, it's similar to the old fashioned "runaround."