What advantages are there in working with volunteers?
There are many advantages to working with volunteers. In general volunteers are excited, passionate, and whole-hearted. Most of all, I love the pure motive that volunteers have. In general, a volunteer is much more willing to serve because they believe in the cause they are working toward. This is why I love BYUSA so much. I almost always encounter volunteers who are excited about the prospect of serving in BYUSA because it is fun, enjoyable, and even more so, the BYUSA vision inspires those who serve with us.
What disadvantages are there in working with volunteers?
Volunteers sometimes lack commitment, expertise, and dependability. These problems only seem to exist when the volunteer does not have the proper motive.
How will you select and place volunteers?
I plan to select and place volunteers by first establishing detailed job descriptions so the volunteer will know exactly what they are getting themselves into. I will then seek out volunteers and get them set up with certain volunteer opportunities that match their interests and passions. Upon finding the perfect match, we will begin!
How will you train volunteers?
I plan to train my volunteers on a schedule. First, I will focus on the vision. By understanding the vision, we will be able to encourage that students be excited about service and the opportunities that BYUSA gives them to bless lives. I will then work to unify my team. After finishing those two duties, I will strive to teach the principles behind what we do in our area.
How will we reward and retain volunteers?
I really like rewarding volunteers with sincere thanks. I am a note-writing girl. I like to write notes and let individual's know of my love for them that way. I want to be better this year at finding out what I can do to recognize my team in the ways that they most like to be appreciated. I'm not sure what those ways are, but I am soon to find out. :)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Situational Leadership - Adrian Klemme
Identify your own unique capabilities (as was explained in class) that will help you to identify what specific leadership style to use when in different situations. Explain how those inherent capabilities will benefit you and your leadership responsibilities for this upcoming year of service.
My unique capabilities? Good question... I think I am able to accurately perceive what the needs of others are. I am able to judge their responses to my behavior and make an appropriate decision from there. This has really helped me to see what I can do for others. Since I am grounded in my own life, I am not swayed as much by the actions of others and I am able to expect certain principles. As a leader, I will need to remember to be forgiving when I need to be forgiving, but stern when life calls for stern actions.
Identify in your roles some of the Directive Behaviors and Selective Behaviors you will implement as you work with your ED teams. Categorize them into specific situations where you will use these behaviors and provide a brief explanation about how and why each behavior will be used in that capacity (example: Selective Behavior – Listening, Stewardship Meetings, to let my ED know that I value their feedback and input on matters relating to ……). You can do this in a list or matrix format.
Directive Behavior - Authoritative - Conducting Meetings - I will choose the format of our area meetings and expect that the executive directors follow my outlined structure. That way, our meetings will always be productive and they will stay consistent in their content as a meeting.
Directive Behavior - Driven - Delegation - I am determined about my ambitions and where I want to see them go, so I will ensure that when the actions of my EDs aren't moving in the right direction, I will help them to change.
Selective Behavior - Motivation - Middle of Fall - I feel the like the middle of fall is going to be the next time that I will really need to be the motivating leader on our team to help them be excited about what they are doing.
Selective Behavior - Listening - stewardships - I will listen to my EDs during stewardships because I really do want to know how they are feeling about life and what they are striving to accomplish.
Selective Behavior - Delegating - programs - I will trust my executive directors with the day to day decisions on their programs because that is how they will be able to grow as leaders.
Take a current assessment of the development level of your incoming ED team and identify which leadership style they will initially require from you when they begin in a few weeks. Provide a brief explanation of specific things you will do to help them know you are "relating" to and understanding their development level.
Josh - I don't know if this is possible, but I feel like Josh is currently in the Directing area, but somewhat in the delegating area. Josh has a very high level of commitment, but his competency is very high in somethings and low in other things. I am going to have to work to ensure that he is kept in check to know that he is not always right. Maybe humble him a little bit. :) I know there will be times that I will need to let him go with his ideas, but other times that I will need to ensure that he is properly following the vision.
Christina - I would trust this girl with my life. She is extremely competent and committed! I am so excited to see her as a part of my area. I would expect her to be similar to Josh in her levels of leadership needs. She is very competent in some programs, but less so in some other programs. I will need to be sure to let Christina know that I do love and appreciate her. She will probably need some coaching to feel like she is making a significant impact on SAC.
Amber - Amber needs a friend. I would say that she is probably in the same stages as the others as well, but my actions will probably be a little different. My hope is that I can be her support in life, but remember that I need to be the leader who can hold her accountable as an ED. The cool thing with Amber is that we have a certain level of trust already, so I am just going to let her fly and remember to keep her guided toward the group vision.
Jeff - He is probably the least competent coming into this position. I want to help Jeff to understand that he can make a significant impact on BYUSA by being diligent with his learning curve. I need to be sure to educate him on the proper ways to carry out his programs, and keep his motivation high!
My unique capabilities? Good question... I think I am able to accurately perceive what the needs of others are. I am able to judge their responses to my behavior and make an appropriate decision from there. This has really helped me to see what I can do for others. Since I am grounded in my own life, I am not swayed as much by the actions of others and I am able to expect certain principles. As a leader, I will need to remember to be forgiving when I need to be forgiving, but stern when life calls for stern actions.
Identify in your roles some of the Directive Behaviors and Selective Behaviors you will implement as you work with your ED teams. Categorize them into specific situations where you will use these behaviors and provide a brief explanation about how and why each behavior will be used in that capacity (example: Selective Behavior – Listening, Stewardship Meetings, to let my ED know that I value their feedback and input on matters relating to ……). You can do this in a list or matrix format.
Directive Behavior - Authoritative - Conducting Meetings - I will choose the format of our area meetings and expect that the executive directors follow my outlined structure. That way, our meetings will always be productive and they will stay consistent in their content as a meeting.
Directive Behavior - Driven - Delegation - I am determined about my ambitions and where I want to see them go, so I will ensure that when the actions of my EDs aren't moving in the right direction, I will help them to change.
Selective Behavior - Motivation - Middle of Fall - I feel the like the middle of fall is going to be the next time that I will really need to be the motivating leader on our team to help them be excited about what they are doing.
Selective Behavior - Listening - stewardships - I will listen to my EDs during stewardships because I really do want to know how they are feeling about life and what they are striving to accomplish.
Selective Behavior - Delegating - programs - I will trust my executive directors with the day to day decisions on their programs because that is how they will be able to grow as leaders.
Take a current assessment of the development level of your incoming ED team and identify which leadership style they will initially require from you when they begin in a few weeks. Provide a brief explanation of specific things you will do to help them know you are "relating" to and understanding their development level.
Josh - I don't know if this is possible, but I feel like Josh is currently in the Directing area, but somewhat in the delegating area. Josh has a very high level of commitment, but his competency is very high in somethings and low in other things. I am going to have to work to ensure that he is kept in check to know that he is not always right. Maybe humble him a little bit. :) I know there will be times that I will need to let him go with his ideas, but other times that I will need to ensure that he is properly following the vision.
Christina - I would trust this girl with my life. She is extremely competent and committed! I am so excited to see her as a part of my area. I would expect her to be similar to Josh in her levels of leadership needs. She is very competent in some programs, but less so in some other programs. I will need to be sure to let Christina know that I do love and appreciate her. She will probably need some coaching to feel like she is making a significant impact on SAC.
Amber - Amber needs a friend. I would say that she is probably in the same stages as the others as well, but my actions will probably be a little different. My hope is that I can be her support in life, but remember that I need to be the leader who can hold her accountable as an ED. The cool thing with Amber is that we have a certain level of trust already, so I am just going to let her fly and remember to keep her guided toward the group vision.
Jeff - He is probably the least competent coming into this position. I want to help Jeff to understand that he can make a significant impact on BYUSA by being diligent with his learning curve. I need to be sure to educate him on the proper ways to carry out his programs, and keep his motivation high!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Team - Logan Mann
Where in the cycle do you feel the presidency currently is?
Honestly, this kind of feels like a hard question. Since our presidency has been somewhat dysfunctional lately with so many people gone, it is kind of hard to put a title on our presidency as a whole. I guess with that analysis, I would say our presidency is currently somewhere in the storming ... or maybe that's not giving us enough credit. As a whole, that is where we are, but as the current presidency in the office, we belong more in the norming stage. I think that is fairly normal for the time of year we are at. We are starting to get our bearings and see where we are going forward to. I am so thankful for the opportunities this office can give us to progress as a group!
How can you help make the presidency perform?
Honestly, I think I need to begin by being more charitable. I need to be more willing to accept the presidency members for who they are and understand that I need to be a situational leader. Sometimes, I get too caught up in the rules of the game, and forget that there are people on our team. I could learn a lot from remembering Brother Cox's example in my life.
I also need to be better at following up with the presidency members on their areas and how they are individually progressing. If I can accomplish this, I will help to increase my trust in them as I see their competence. I will also be able to help them to trust me as their leader.
I need to be a friend. I need to have fun and laugh with them. If I can accomplish these things, we will have a better relationship base and be able to remember the joy of the 'norming' stage.
I want to hold people accountable, with love. I really need to focus on holding them accountable, but having increased love afterward, as the scripture teaches.
Describe your plan to get you area team to performing stage.
I am so excited for my area to get here!! Seriously, my E.D.s are amazing and I am excited to see their contagious passion and where it is going to lead them. I want to first help them through the forming stage on adventure experience. I have a number of getting to know you activities that I want to help them out with. I then want to study a book together during summer term. I'm not sure yet what that book is going to be, but I know it is going to be great. :) By establishing a vision upfront together, I think we can be prepared to effectively make it through the storming stage. Throughout summer term, I will be training them on the 'norms' of SAC and how I expect things to go. Hopefully, this preparation will effectively get us to the performing stage.
Honestly, this kind of feels like a hard question. Since our presidency has been somewhat dysfunctional lately with so many people gone, it is kind of hard to put a title on our presidency as a whole. I guess with that analysis, I would say our presidency is currently somewhere in the storming ... or maybe that's not giving us enough credit. As a whole, that is where we are, but as the current presidency in the office, we belong more in the norming stage. I think that is fairly normal for the time of year we are at. We are starting to get our bearings and see where we are going forward to. I am so thankful for the opportunities this office can give us to progress as a group!
How can you help make the presidency perform?
Honestly, I think I need to begin by being more charitable. I need to be more willing to accept the presidency members for who they are and understand that I need to be a situational leader. Sometimes, I get too caught up in the rules of the game, and forget that there are people on our team. I could learn a lot from remembering Brother Cox's example in my life.
I also need to be better at following up with the presidency members on their areas and how they are individually progressing. If I can accomplish this, I will help to increase my trust in them as I see their competence. I will also be able to help them to trust me as their leader.
I need to be a friend. I need to have fun and laugh with them. If I can accomplish these things, we will have a better relationship base and be able to remember the joy of the 'norming' stage.
I want to hold people accountable, with love. I really need to focus on holding them accountable, but having increased love afterward, as the scripture teaches.
Describe your plan to get you area team to performing stage.
I am so excited for my area to get here!! Seriously, my E.D.s are amazing and I am excited to see their contagious passion and where it is going to lead them. I want to first help them through the forming stage on adventure experience. I have a number of getting to know you activities that I want to help them out with. I then want to study a book together during summer term. I'm not sure yet what that book is going to be, but I know it is going to be great. :) By establishing a vision upfront together, I think we can be prepared to effectively make it through the storming stage. Throughout summer term, I will be training them on the 'norms' of SAC and how I expect things to go. Hopefully, this preparation will effectively get us to the performing stage.
Conflict Resolution - Nathan Ward
Describe an experience with conflict. How did you resolve this conflict?
I feel like I encounter conflict all the time. I guess it is the resolution of this conflict that is so important. While at ULA, I encountered a pretty significant conflict with one of the VPs on our Presidency. I felt that it was my role to solve this problem and help them to change their behavior so it would be better in line with our presidency's goals. So, I addressed the problem right then. I decided to talk to the person and honestly, it did not go over well. I am the kind of person that likes someone to just come out and confront conflict right away, but apparently this was not the right response in this instance...
Why is it important to recognize conflict and how can healthy conflict improve your organization?
It is crucial for us to recognize conflict right away. The more promptly I can recognize conflict, the better I will be able to stop a problem when it come up. I have realized over the years how important it is to have healthy conflict to improve our organization. Healthy conflict makes a world of difference. I am so grateful for the conflict that helped my teams in the past grow together and come to understand one another better. Conflict seems to be one of the major instruments in encouraging trust. When a team is full of trust, there seems to be more healthy conflict. When a team is lacking in trust, the conflict isn't quite as healthy. I reflect often on my Clubs team from last year. It was so rough sometimes, but when we finally got to a certain level of trust, the conflict with so much easier to handle. For that, I am very grateful!
I feel like I encounter conflict all the time. I guess it is the resolution of this conflict that is so important. While at ULA, I encountered a pretty significant conflict with one of the VPs on our Presidency. I felt that it was my role to solve this problem and help them to change their behavior so it would be better in line with our presidency's goals. So, I addressed the problem right then. I decided to talk to the person and honestly, it did not go over well. I am the kind of person that likes someone to just come out and confront conflict right away, but apparently this was not the right response in this instance...
Why is it important to recognize conflict and how can healthy conflict improve your organization?
It is crucial for us to recognize conflict right away. The more promptly I can recognize conflict, the better I will be able to stop a problem when it come up. I have realized over the years how important it is to have healthy conflict to improve our organization. Healthy conflict makes a world of difference. I am so grateful for the conflict that helped my teams in the past grow together and come to understand one another better. Conflict seems to be one of the major instruments in encouraging trust. When a team is full of trust, there seems to be more healthy conflict. When a team is lacking in trust, the conflict isn't quite as healthy. I reflect often on my Clubs team from last year. It was so rough sometimes, but when we finally got to a certain level of trust, the conflict with so much easier to handle. For that, I am very grateful!
BYUSA Finances - Angela Blomquist
Why are financial resources sacred and important to me?
The financial resources are sacred to me because they are the means by which we are able to serve students. Whenever contemplating a major decision about the money we are going to allocate to a certain program, it is essential that we do the proper research to find out what we can accomplish with the funding that we have and how many students we can serve that way. The more effectively we are able to use our resources, the better off we will be. I need to be sure to instruct my executive directors on the proper use of money in BYUSA and how important it is to remember that this is a sacred task we are charged with. I am so grateful that we are blessed to have the resources we need in this office. Now we just need to allocate them well and serve many students and help them to all have a significant leadership experience!
The financial resources are sacred to me because they are the means by which we are able to serve students. Whenever contemplating a major decision about the money we are going to allocate to a certain program, it is essential that we do the proper research to find out what we can accomplish with the funding that we have and how many students we can serve that way. The more effectively we are able to use our resources, the better off we will be. I need to be sure to instruct my executive directors on the proper use of money in BYUSA and how important it is to remember that this is a sacred task we are charged with. I am so grateful that we are blessed to have the resources we need in this office. Now we just need to allocate them well and serve many students and help them to all have a significant leadership experience!
Divine-Centered Leadership - Tommy Montoya
Explore you real motives and how they will impact your service.
I feel like I am often contemplating my real motive and how it fits into the big picture. I am motivated by my desire to serve. I have benefited so much by others and their effort to give, so I need to give back. I realized the other day how blessed I really am. I know I am a capable individual and I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Because of my talents, I think I am held to a higher standard and expectation that I will use them for good. I am motivated because I want to be more like my Savior, Jesus Christ. Service is one of the best ways I know how to do that. I am motivated by the people we see come through the doors of the BYUSA office. I want to help improve lives and better the people here in BYUSA.
After reading "You are my Hands," relate it's principles to leadership in your area.
One of my favorite lines from this talk was where Elder Uchtdorf said, "True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”" I feel like I am really good at being a leader who speaks love, but I don't feel like I am very good at living love towards everyone. Some people yes, but 'everyone' is a hard group to conquer. I really want to focus on my actions this year and be better at openly loving those around me. Maybe it's just a tough day, but I need to be the Savior's hands way better. That is the only way I will be able to truly love those around me and give them what they need. My Savior was a perfect leader because he was able to recognize the needs of individuals and be a leader full of charity to all of them. Why is it that I struggle to show charity toward everyone around me? I want to manifest my love in actions way better than I have been.
Most of all, I think I struggle to act in this way with Ryan and having him as my leader. I want to be better at looking toward him and treating him with love. Mostly, I need to gain more trust in him as my leaders, so we can work together as the Savior's hands. This is my goal and my resolve. I will improve my relationship with Ryan so I can be on the same page as him as his friend and as his follower. I know I will become stronger as I seek to love those around me.
Create a "To-Be" list for you year in office.
I loved creating this "To-Be" list. Sam and I are actually meeting to create a weekly goal toward one of our "To-Be" list items. We can do it!!
I want to become... prayerful
diligent
forgiving
happy
charitable
friendly
confident
fun
adventurous
dedicated
driven
founded in faith
make people feel invaluable
organized
timely
good sister
good leader
disciple of Christ
missionary
I feel like I am often contemplating my real motive and how it fits into the big picture. I am motivated by my desire to serve. I have benefited so much by others and their effort to give, so I need to give back. I realized the other day how blessed I really am. I know I am a capable individual and I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Because of my talents, I think I am held to a higher standard and expectation that I will use them for good. I am motivated because I want to be more like my Savior, Jesus Christ. Service is one of the best ways I know how to do that. I am motivated by the people we see come through the doors of the BYUSA office. I want to help improve lives and better the people here in BYUSA.
After reading "You are my Hands," relate it's principles to leadership in your area.
One of my favorite lines from this talk was where Elder Uchtdorf said, "True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”" I feel like I am really good at being a leader who speaks love, but I don't feel like I am very good at living love towards everyone. Some people yes, but 'everyone' is a hard group to conquer. I really want to focus on my actions this year and be better at openly loving those around me. Maybe it's just a tough day, but I need to be the Savior's hands way better. That is the only way I will be able to truly love those around me and give them what they need. My Savior was a perfect leader because he was able to recognize the needs of individuals and be a leader full of charity to all of them. Why is it that I struggle to show charity toward everyone around me? I want to manifest my love in actions way better than I have been.
Most of all, I think I struggle to act in this way with Ryan and having him as my leader. I want to be better at looking toward him and treating him with love. Mostly, I need to gain more trust in him as my leaders, so we can work together as the Savior's hands. This is my goal and my resolve. I will improve my relationship with Ryan so I can be on the same page as him as his friend and as his follower. I know I will become stronger as I seek to love those around me.
Create a "To-Be" list for you year in office.
I loved creating this "To-Be" list. Sam and I are actually meeting to create a weekly goal toward one of our "To-Be" list items. We can do it!!
I want to become... prayerful
diligent
forgiving
happy
charitable
friendly
confident
fun
adventurous
dedicated
driven
founded in faith
make people feel invaluable
organized
timely
good sister
good leader
disciple of Christ
missionary
RACE - Logan Mann
What did I learn today?
I feel like I have often learned about the RACE model, so today I want to just reflect on the new things I have learned. I loved the emphasis that Logan placed on Mosiah 4:27, "All things are done in order." It gives me so much comfort to think that our Heavenly Father has a plan to help us accomplish things. In the church, all things are done in order. We are baptized before we are sealed. Everything has a proper order. I need to remember this principle in BYUSA as well. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming to look at a task to be done and wonder how I will possibly accomplish it. I am so grateful for the reminder that we just have to take one bite at a time.
I want to try to remember this concept when it comes to people as well. We should never jump into a situation and assume that we will know what to do and how to react to those around us without doing the research first. When we know where people are coming from, we will be able help them to become their best selves. I am so grateful for the people that have taken the time to get to know me and help me to grow. I know this was kind of an interesting take on the RACE technique, and I probably won't be analyzing people exactly like this anytime soon, but somehow, I think it still applies. Isaac Newton said, "The reason I could see further is because I stood on the shoulder of giants." I am grateful for the giants I been able to use over the years. BYUSA is full of them!
I feel like I have often learned about the RACE model, so today I want to just reflect on the new things I have learned. I loved the emphasis that Logan placed on Mosiah 4:27, "All things are done in order." It gives me so much comfort to think that our Heavenly Father has a plan to help us accomplish things. In the church, all things are done in order. We are baptized before we are sealed. Everything has a proper order. I need to remember this principle in BYUSA as well. Sometimes it can be so overwhelming to look at a task to be done and wonder how I will possibly accomplish it. I am so grateful for the reminder that we just have to take one bite at a time.
I want to try to remember this concept when it comes to people as well. We should never jump into a situation and assume that we will know what to do and how to react to those around us without doing the research first. When we know where people are coming from, we will be able help them to become their best selves. I am so grateful for the people that have taken the time to get to know me and help me to grow. I know this was kind of an interesting take on the RACE technique, and I probably won't be analyzing people exactly like this anytime soon, but somehow, I think it still applies. Isaac Newton said, "The reason I could see further is because I stood on the shoulder of giants." I am grateful for the giants I been able to use over the years. BYUSA is full of them!
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