Self-evaluation tough to share with others

Considering the apparent but largely concealed turmoil on the Ocean Pines Board of Directors, it’s no wonder that two members have declined to participate in the self-analysis exercise proposed and developed by another director, Dr. Collette Horn.

Regardless of how good her intentions might be — the goal is to improve communications between members and to smooth out the rough spots in board deliberations — being asked to dish on oneself to counterparts and potential competitors for board seats is a difficult order to fill.

In addition, being asked to reveal critical information in closed session as a personnel matter makes the exercise even more disconcerting, given the penchant of some members to tell stories out of school.

Most people would be disinclined to share much of anything about themselves with people they do not trust implicitly, no matter how worthwhile the goal might be.

After all, if a subject is so sensitive that it needs to be discussed behind closed doors, chances are it’s equally risky from a political standpoint to talk about it among acquaintances whose interests do not necessarily coincide with one’s own.

Besides, if the board has somehow gotten away from what was an all-too-brief era of good feeling a couple of years back, the most important question is what changed to cause this disruption in the smooth function of government?

Maybe it didn’t change at all, and Dr. Horn simply feels that improvement is always possible. Or the board is doing its best to keep its disagreements out of the public eye as much as possible.

Regardless, the key to getting along for all governing bodies at the local level is to keep things in perspective and egos in check by realizing that the issues before them aren’t that critical in the overall scheme of things.