A Turning Point in Rota Vicentina’s Governance

Three years ago, I returned from a congress in Brazil with a mix of enthusiasm and disillusionment. It was hard to untangle my emotions, and I remember struggling to “land” for weeks after the plane had touched down.

Today I look back and understand clearly what happened: our Brazilian hosts admired Rota Vicentina for the professionalism of its team and work, for the involvement of businesses and the economic dimension. But I was impacted by the quality of that event, pulled off in record time by some partner team members, many volunteers, and a huge dose of goodwill.

At that same time, I came across the work of Orla Design and the Community Catalysts and began a learning journey focused more on processes than on results. I realized I lacked training in managing enthusiasm, frustration, pressure, leadership, and creative force. And even less was I able to motivate my colleagues to go through the same process.

Over these past three years, we invested what we could – funding, but above all time – in equipping the team with social technology tools that would value, facilitate, and enhance our individual and collective work. And that would also help us to be human at work, with all the vulnerabilities and strengths that don’t always find fertile ground to emerge. The result was a revolution! In many of our lives and, I believe, in the future of Rota Vicentina.

Eighteen months ago, I realized the time had come to hand over leadership of Rota Vicentina, and right after making that decision, I went into deep burnout. As is often the case with these processes, I had time to regenerate and gain clearer and more mature awareness, but the image that colleagues and partners had of me and my role also became more defined. That turned out to be an accelerator, a catalyst for change. All the autonomy that the team had gained through Sociocracy 3.0 training came to light in my absence. Everything worked – except leadership.

Six months ago – knowing elections were approaching – the team and the Board began working on a new Governance system: more collaborative, participatory, and realistic. On one hand, to distribute technical coordination within the team; on the other, to equip a new volunteer Board of Members with the tools to make the role viable, attractive, and rewarding.

A key change was the launch of thematic Working Groups, which will complement the dynamic already in place through the team and the Board. These Working Groups will expand our ability to act and finally engage members based on their specific motivations.

Cultivating a spirit of community, volunteerism, and collaboration is, at this stage, a serious commitment of the Association – in the name of its resilience, vitality, and impact on a territory that, whether we like it or not, has an undeniable tourism vocation.

We must join forces, more and better, to guide the paths of tourism in the Southwest toward a reality of community, landscape, ecological, and socio-economic integration. The paradigm shift that the world increasingly demands only reinforces the importance of this journey — one deeply rooted in people, their vision, and collective movement.

The dice have been rolled once again. Let’s see who steps into the game.