Stuart,
Apologies that I didn't get back to you last night - I already stayed up later than I should, and can assure you that my body regretted it when my alarm went off this morning.
At no point during this discussion do I feel that you need to apologise for being straightforward or describing how you feel. In fact, I would ask that you be as straightforward and open as you can be (and as you have been). I hope that in turn I can be as straightforward and honest with you, and that we both can communicate without reading attack or defence in each other's comments.
I appreciate you commenting that you will have a better attitude in future, but honestly I don't think that your attitude is a problem, or what we should be trying to fix. As I have mentioned, the most important thing for me is to understand your frustrations and enact positive change so that they are reduced in future, and you telling it how it is will only help us on that path. I want to understand and fix the problems, rather that you continuing to feel that the league is not operating effectively and bottling up your frustration. I do not see that as a sustainable solution, and I seek a sustainable solution for both you and for the wider league.
It is clear that you are not alone in having concerns about the management of the league. I know that it is not a job you volunteered for, and almost certainly not a job that you want, but I would also appreciate if you could make us aware of concerns of others (where you know them) so that we can try to address them too. It may be that they do not have your strength or confidence to present them to us as you are doing in this thread.
I have no desire to know which specific league colleagues are feeling dishearted by the way the league is currently run (I don't think it relevant, and there is no benefit in making anything personal), but it is important to me that we make this a better environment for everyone.
To that end, I'm trying to work through your responses here to isolate what it is about the league which has a negative influence on our owners' enjoyment.
As a generalisation, I'm a very black-and-white kind of guy. I think that shows in how I conduct myself on our boards, both in my capacity as a Commissioner and as a team owner. Coming from a league where the rules were barely written and rarely enforced, I am absolutely wedded to having a rulebook that is specific, complete and enforceable. I see this as vital so that Adam and I can perform an administrative role without requiring subjectivity (which could lead to suspicions of favouritism or inequality). I understand that in my role as an administrator (and often, as has been suggested, as the "bad cop") I have to present bad news or identify rule infractions, and this can make me unpopular. Whilst some of this comes with the job and to some extent is unavoidable, I believe that you are of the view that I could improve in this respect. I will add this to the list (although I request your guidance to clarify the exact behaviours which should be improved).
As a trader, I feel I also suffer from my black and white behaviour. As a team I am trying to build a sustained period of competitiveness, and in an attempt to maintain this I favour stability over risk. This means that I need a high level of certainty to complete a deal else I fear having an immediate negative impact on my goal - if I was a rebuilding team I would undoubtedly be more open to less guaranteed agreements that might make me perceived to be easier to deal with. This need for certainty manifests itself in me often asking a high price, and whilst I still believe the majority of my trades benefit both sides, I am not at a point in the 'win curve' where I'm looking to make a sideways move unless I have confidence that I can benefit from it soon. I am certainly guilty at times of asking too much or trying to engineer an expected negotiation from an unrealistic starting point, but I always like to think of myself as good-natured in all trade talks as long as I feel respected by my potential trading partner and don't feel like they have wasted my time. Despite my opinions of myself, I will add this to the list as I appreciate that I am not best placed to appreciate how I behave with others.
You also raise concerns with TC. I think these can be classified as: TC favouritism in response times and TC inconsistency with voting and voting philosophies. I will add these to the list.
To summarise, the problems I believe that we have identifed are:
1) Stephen's management style (in terms of tone when communicating as a Commissioner)
2) Stephen's management style (in terms of enforcing league rules accurately and fairly) - I'm not sure on this one?
3) Stephen's ownership style (in terms of personal trade valuations)
4) TC voting on each other's trades quicker than non-TC trades
5) TC nepotism when approving/vetoing potentially contentious trades
5) TC inconsistency of approach when it comes to determining how to vote (sometimes asking for more information, other times offering comment, other times just vetoing)
To your mind, does this distill the problems that we should look to address as a long-term solution that would make the league a better place to play? Is the list complete - if not, what have I overlooked or what else could/should be added?
I apologise if this seems simplistic, or comes across as condescending in any way. That is not my intent. As I have mentioned a couple of times, I think the most important first step is understanding exactly what there is here which we could improve, and we can then move on to what actions could be taken to treat these points. Your assistance with clarifying this list, and adding to it if necessary, is to me vital in shaping our sustainable future.
I very much appreciate the time and faith that you are investing in us as we try to find a better future.
Stephen