From our Chaparral Survey (thank you for filling it out), we learned that you want to know more about how our leaders work and process; not just what happens but how they make it happen. Here we are in conversation with Guild President Richard Kamei about just that.
Chaparral: Tell us about how you do your work as Guild President. What are some skills and resources you use to work effectively in your position? How have they helped you succeed? And if you tried any skills and resources that ultimately didn't work for you, what were they and why didn't they work for you?
Richard: In order to work effectively in my position as Guild president, it is important to know our collective bargaining agreement (CBA), constitution, and by-laws, or at the very least know where to find the information. One must also be organized, detail oriented, and plan strategically and work systematically to achieve our goals. What I enjoy most about serving as Guild president is working with hard working and intelligent people committed to making a positive difference in our members’ lives. In that regard, for me, the most important resources are people.
Many days out of the week are spent communicating with the Guild officers, especially the grievance officer and the chief negotiator. I feel incredibly fortunate to have wonderful Guild officers with whom I work.
In my role, it is important to know people’s strengths and areas of expertise and seek assistance when needed. Having a brain trust to bounce ideas off of is essential. I feel extremely fortunate to have colleagues and friends currently employed at GCC as well as retired who I can count on to discuss a variety of issues. A crucial aspect of the brain trust is to ensure that newer generations of Guild leaders benefit from the institutional memory and perspectives of those who have dedicated decades (in some cases nearly half a century) of their lives to the Guild and GCC.
Relationships based on trust and mutual respect must also be built and maintained with all areas of the College from faculty to classified professionals to the administration and the Board of Trustees. We must also develop and maintain effective relationships with our leadership in the CFT as well as other organizations.
When the relationships are strong and we are all working towards the common good, with the focus on being of service, it is a great feeling. Moreover, with the relationships in place, quite often we achieve our goals, even if at times it takes longer than we would like or we needed to adapt to changing circumstances.
Chaparral: What is one skill, resource, practice, even mindset about your work that might surprise someone unfamiliar with your day-to-day?
Richard: One important practice is meditation. It is very important to stay centered despite the often stressful issues that come my way. Meditation helps me to stay calm so that I am able to not allow emotions to cloud my judgement. In this way, I can work more effectively with others to come up with solutions. This position also requires tough skin. Meditation helps in this regard as it helps me to reflect and flow so that I do not take things personally.
Chaparral: What is one concern you have about your work that you wish others knew about or knew more about?
Richard: I understand that when members bring their concerns to the Guild, it is very important to them. We, in the Guild leadership, take each member’s concerns very seriously. Unfortunately, at any given time, we are working on several issues that often are strategically prioritized, so a specific concern may not be addressed immediately, although they usually are. Moreover, some issues that are brought to us are non-contractual and outside of our purview. Even then, the Guild still often does what it can to assist our members.
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