Will the present board learn from past?

To the Editor,

I read, with amusement, the Aug. 18 article (Page 8, The Community Journal) about the Forbush Board of Library Trustees and their search for a new library director.

However, I was not laughing. As a former trainer of managers, I recognized a trait that often occurs with poor leadership. That is, blame the front-line workers when things do not go right. That appears to be the modus operandi of the Library's Board of Trustees. Have any of the previous directors complained about the library staff? If there have been such reports, why haven't they been made public?

I had a negative experience with one of the directors and made it known to the Board of Trustees. I never received a reply or an acknowledgement. In all fairness, I did not ask for one. However, in my opinion, good management practice should have dictated one.

Chairman Walter Haney states, "We've clearly had some management and organizational issues."

What does that mean and did the Board address them?

In another article, Trustee Cynthia Hastings-Brutvan states, "We're really looking for a strong person to come in and manage the operation and personnel."

Isn't that what they were suppose to be looking for several directors ago? Hopefully, the present Board of Trustees will learn from the mistakes of the past.

How does the Board justify blaming the employees for their hiring mistakes? A weak board that hires people in its own image will always be looking for that "right one" and will always be blaming the employees for problems.

Roy Hughes,

Westminster