Maria: "Chaotic" might be giving them too much credit... I think they could have benefitted from a dose of chaotic energy. And I'm not conviced that "crisis mode" sums it up either... a lot of commited people and organizations operate reasonably effectively in crisis mode. Rather, I think there was a combination of disinterested or uncommited people on the board, or people who just didn't have much value to add. Sure, it might have been nice if Laurel could have given the board a crash course in financial issues, but I think you're giving her too much credit. Laurel didn't understand the financials any better than anybody else, and likely didn't see the current crisis as primarily a financial one.

I kind of see this board meeting like a bunch of children, brothers, and sisters crowded around an old man's bed. The man is dying. The people around the bed have a vague sense of that, but don't really have a reason to admit it to themselves. Then, when a turn comes, people have to confront what's before them. "Get him medicine!" shouts one. "Call an ambulance!" shouts another. But a few other voices say "No, he's had a good run. His decisions and twists and turns in life have brought us to this moment. Let's approach it with dignity." And those voices prevail. And rather than blaming the man and how he lived his life, or blaming his doctors, or blaming themselves, they just hold his hand as he passes on.

Mark