For any large organization to function efficiently, certain goals, standards, and protocols must be in place. An army can’t function if some senior officers decide they know best and choose to operate outside the chain of command. A major corporation can’t compete in the marketplace if some managers issue directives that are inconsistent with the overall goals of the business organization.

There will always be differences of opinion in any organization. There will always be those who sincerely believe they have the better approach or a superior plan to move an organization forward. However, there also comes a time when differences of opinion must be put aside to ensure unit cohesion and commonality of purpose.

Anyone who has been involved in organized amateur radio has undoubtedly witnessed occasions in which someone has decided he or she knows best and, instead of working within the existing system to promote their “better idea,” they simply disrupt or fracture the entire process. Sometimes, they may go so far as to involve public officials in petty internal squabbles that damage the reputation of the Amateur Radio Service.

The National Traffic System, like any organization, cannot function efficiently if a Section Traffic Manager, Net Manager, or other Field Service official promulgates policies that are inconsistent with those of the broader organization. We sometimes see this when a net or even an entire Section unilaterally decides they won’t accept a certain class of message traffic or they won’t coordinate with other regions or areas. Sometimes, it’s as simple as an individual radio operator deciding a message he received is “not worth delivering.”

Without unified standards, those originating message traffic cannot be assured a message will reach its destination. Without unified standards, we have no assurance that emergency traffic will be handled consistently and according to peer-reviewed protocols.

Disagreement can be healthy, but only to the extent that it doesn’t become toxic. Whereas children often act out to “get their way,” reasonable adults understand that mission success comes first. They try to work within the system to effect change, they advocate for their position, but if unsuccessful, they set aside their differences to achieve mission success.

NTS, like any organization created by human beings, is not perfect. There will always be disagreements and there will always be room for improvement. We should all advocate for positive change. However, we must also accept the fact that a complex system of layered networks cannot function if one or more nets or Sections refuse to work in harmony with the broader organization.

No individual, no net, no Section or state is an island. We need to work in harmony even when disagreements arise. As Rudyard Kipling wrote, “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."

Mission success is largely predicated on the willingness to play nicely in the sandbox with one’s peers. -- James Wades, WB8SIW