The Student Affairs Blog

Officer Transition... it's coming!

Our campus is working on expanding our support for student organization transition as a result of a recent "Aha" moment.  During some expense of brain power about the frustrating and negative impact of weak officer transition, I realized how little support we offered to the bulk of our student organizations to assist them in successful officer transition.  Of course, for those groups that our staff directly advises we try to focus a lot of energy on supporting that changeover.  My moment of clarity, however, was more about the rest of the groups and what we should be doing differently.  It only makes sense - the groups that are further "outside" the circle need more ability to exist on their own and therefore more support.

We have some things in mind for a new program and I want to share the details...

First Phase:  Deadline for Elections through end of classes

• For the first time, we have established a deadline for student organization officer elections.  By April 3, clubs need to file a form with us that informs us of their newly identified e-board. 

• We will be developing a Wiki site about Officer Transition, presenting sample outlines for meetings, checklists, and other tips.

• We will be sponsoring a "Fall Event Calendar Party" to organize fall semester planning. Through establishing a deadline for elections, we will make sure that we have the right students in the room when we are making commitments to the fall calendar.

• We will sponsor a New Officer Welcome Reception in our office where the new officers can meet each other and meet our staff before the end of the semester.

Second Phase:  Summer

• We don't have many students around or in contact over the summer, so we will offer web-based resources (podcasts, tip sheets, etc.) and focus on the issues of "I'm in charge, so now what?"  This phase will focus on completely optional content, but topics such as Vision, Goal setting, and "Membership Management" topics to respond to an expressed need for students to get better at managing their peers. 

• Anyone with events during the first six weeks of school will be invited to attend "Open Houses" that we will sponsor at various points in July.  Our goal is to foster earlier event planning and more frequent contact with our office to prepare to host effective events during the opening of school.

Third Phase:  August 15 - end of September

We will focus on student organization registration, preparation for our Involvement Fair and host a leadership conference at the end of September with a focus on hands-on, practical topics that will be useful for the leader just starting out.

Any thoughts on this plan?  Does anyone out there in Blogging land have similar types of efforts and can share stories of success?

Have a great week!!

Gone FISHing!

We just completed the first of four half-day mini retreats for our peer leaders. These students will be facilitating our first-year seminar course in the fall and they spend this semester building team relationships and studying student development in preparation for their work. A favorite concept that we utilize is the FISH! Philosophy. We introduce the unit early and refer back to it throughout the year. FISH! includes four simple interconnected practices that are easy to remember and fun for activity transitions.

Be There is being emotionally present for others. It's the idea that respect and engagement improves communication and strengthens relationships. For our peer leaders, this means setting personal issues aside so that they may focus on issues and challenges facing their students whenever needed.

Play emphasizes that being creative and enthusiastic, whatever the job before you, can make work and tasks more enjoyable. Our first-year seminar focuses on college transition and exposure to campus resources. We encourage peer leaders to try new instructional methods and not be afraid to step outside the box or the classroom. Play-doh, crayons, and an occasional set of Guitar Hero all have potential for Play application.

Make Their Day is about finding simple ways to serve those around you in a way that is memorable and has meaning. It's about contributions and service to others, without expectation that it will be returned. Peer Leaders are encouraged to learn student names right away to help ease early transition. Many leaders bring class treats or host surprise field trips to the ice cream shop.

Choose Your Attitude is about taking responsibility for whatever your day or life brings to you. It's about how your demeanor and mood impacts others around you. Does your attitude help people around you? Grumpy moods contribute little to our program goals. We focus on accepting life's obstacles, then getting on with the day. This concept is particularly handy in our 8:00 a.m. class.

We borrow the FISH! video from the campus resource library and purchase supplemental materials when needed. FISH! is a simple, fun method for generating a service philosophy with new student leaders and is great practice for our staff as well.

Create your Cover Story!

In need of a fun, interactive "getting to know you" icebreaker or class energizer? Barbara Nixon offers this gem for getting to know a new group of students: create a magazine cover! Nixon, an assistant professor at Georgia Southern, utilizes her blog to share assignments in her Public Relations courses. She shares a virtual file cabinet of creative ideas for integrating social media into the classroom which are applicable in a variety of student development arenas.

I am considering using the magazine concept to introduce our peer leaders to new first-year students in the fall, or as a catchy promotional piece for our new scholarship students. I may also use this in our next staff development. 

What's your cover story?

Dream Big

When it comes to goals, we’ve had the S.M.A.R.T. mantra pounded into us.  You know, your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable,  Realistic and Time-based.  It’s a handy rule of thumb when it comes to setting those organizational and personal goals each year.

That’s a useful tool.  But let me offer you another tool. Dream Big. Set an extraordinary goal, something that’s not “smart.”  Set a goal that’s a real long shot, something that’s not easily attainable or realistic.  Companies sometimes call them “BHAGs”-- big, hairy audacious goals.

Why would you want to set an impractical goal?  For one simple reason:  big goals are inspiring.

It might be difficult to make that 8 a.m. Organic Chemistry class if your only goal is to pass.  You might be more inspired to get up early and study if your goal is to be a great heart surgeon.  Sure, medical school could be years away from now, and practicing medicine even further way if you plan to specialize in cardiac surgery.

But having that big goal may make the difference between actually getting up and going to class or sleeping in and just barely passing (or flunking).  It helps to be inspired. 

When I was in graduate school, my fellow grad students had an expression to deal with all the tedious busy work we got assigned: “anything not worth doing is not worth doing well.”  But when we were inspired by a big goal, we would come in early and work latedoing all the little things it took to achieve it.   

Come up with that organizational goal that will inspire your members.  Having that big dream can make the mundane chores seem more important.  Think of the difference it makes to have a big goal.  Could you get your members to participate in a fund raising car wash if the goal was to take all of the members to see a movie? 

Now, imagine if the goal was to take all of the members to the national convention in New York. 

See the difference a goal makes?  Inspire your members with a big goal.  You just might attain it.

Mission Impossible? Making a Statement

Earlier this summer Del Suggs challenged us to create contemporary mission statements that address why we do things. Sure enough, upon examining the missions of my scholarship and exchange programs, I found dusty and tired lists of the services provided, but not much about the benefit. The statements were certainly not representative of the active, evolving organizations or the students in them.

I struggled for weeks with rewriting why we do things in order to convey a new message of the vibrant nature of our students and goals. I found the best inspiration at a summer staff retreat. The homework exercise required writing a personal mission statement. And BAM. That's what it took. My struggle to define program mission statements had been hampered because I needed to define myself.

Helpful resources were found here and here to point me in a new direction for crafting a personal statement. By redefining self and the values that shape my work in student affairs, my program mission statements found new life and purpose.

Facing mission statement impossible? Try looking within.

Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't. --Richard Bach

Do you have a personal mission statement? How does it enhance the work that you do?

Using the Five Whys

"The Five Whys" is a method of distilling the true cause/effect of an issue.  Simply put, it involves asking the question "why?," and then asking "why?" of the answer.  The pretense is that if asked five times, that simple question will take you to the heart of the matter.

When I first heard of the Five Whys, I was told it was an ancient Chinese technique.  Later I learned it was neither ancient nor Chinese-- it had been developed by  Sakichi Toyoda at his automobile company to aid problem solving.  Whatever the source, it's a useful tool.

A quick example:  My car won't start.  Why?  Because the battery is dead.  Why? Because the alternator isn't working.  Why?  Because the belt broke.   Why?  Because it was worn out.  Why?  Because I didn't follow the maintenance schedule. 

So the root cause of my car failing to start is my own neglect of the required maintenance.

The concept is to peel back the layers of an issue, and get down to the true problem or concern.  But is also works in helping to determine a purpose.  I like to use it to analyze a situation, condition, proposal, or issue.

It's especially useful in developing a purpose or mission statement.  While assisting an SGA to create a mission statement, I began by asking them why the SGA existed.  "To be the voice of the students" they replied.  Why?  "So the administration will know the students' opinion on important school issues."  Why?  "So the school can better meet the students' needs."  Why?  "So more students can get an education."  Why?  "So they can become successful productive citizens."

So the SGA's real purpose is to help students become successful graduates.  That's a totally different idea and more powerful purpose that just being the "voice of the students."

While it may seem a little hokey, and the number five is pretty arbitrary (could be three, could be six), it does seem to work.  Maybe looking at the path we've come will make the path ahead seem more clear.

The next time you're faced with a decision, issue, or question try the Five Whys.  You might just get down to the "heart of the matter."    

MBTI: Type in Student Development

As I prepare for my student leader retreat next month, I appreciate utilizing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for program development.  As a Type practitioner, I have long used the MBTI to facilitate the transition to college in my first-year seminar.  I reintroduce Type in my leadership courses for comprehension of differences and strengths development.

Understanding new methods of instruction in the college or university can be challenging for any new student and is especially so for my students from small, rural high schools.  Type assessment in the first-year seminar helps students understand their preferences for learning and methods that will enhance individual learning.  Reviewing the principles of Type for my student leaders promotes understanding of diversity and differing work styles.  These skills become important as they engage in event planning and classroom activities for different learners.

Breanne Potter describes one of my favorite MBTI activities, the Living Type Table (LTT).  The LTT is a great practical exercise that gets students on their feet while demonstrating that learning and work style differences are real.  The activity shows that Type is systematic by sorting participants based on responses to Type specific questions.  For example:

When learning something new, do you like to:  Talk out your thoughts?  -OR-  Keep your thoughts inside?

When learning something new, do your prefer:  Solid facts? -OR- Intriguing Concepts?

Building the grid and moving into the 16 areas of the LTT is a fun activity that helps students define personal preferences in work and learning styles.  Check with your Human Resources office to partner with a trained MBTI facilitator on your campus or seek a referral from the Association for Psychological Type.

Creating A Contemporary Mission Statement

Every organization on campus needs a Mission Statement.  As a matter of fact, every department and office on campus should have a Mission Statement.  While it sounds like a pretty simple matter to create a mission, it's more difficult and requires more thought than you might initially consider.

The modern mission statement is far different than it's predecessor.  How can that be?  Isn't a mission statement just the purpose for an organization?  Shouldn't it be simple to capture your purpose in a few words?

Here's the difference in the modern Mission Statement:  it explains why. 

Old school mission statements defined what an organization did.  Contemporary mission statements define why an organization does what it does.

See, it's really the why we do things that matters.

Let me give you an example.  I worked with a history and natural science museum to create a new mission statement.  Their old mission was typical.  It explained what the museum did:  maintained a collection of native plants, animals, and historic buildings and presented programs to the public.

I started out the rewrite by asking everyone why the museum was important.  I talked with staff, volunteers, board members, visitors, any one who had an opinion.  Why was all the stuff the museum did important?

I discovered that the museum had a higher mission than just collecting artifacts.  All of the collections were simple tools serving a bigger goal.   

In the end, this became the new Mission Statement:  "The Museum promotes knowledge and understanding of the area's cultural history and natural environment, inspiring people to enrich their lives and build a better community."

The real mission of the organization was to inspire people to enrich their lives, and to thereby create a better community.  That was why volunteers gave their time.  That was why staff members worked long hours without complaint.  That was why donors provided funding.  Collecting artifacts and presenting exhibits just assisted in reaching that end goal.

Think about applying that lesson to your organization and office.  Take a look at your mission statement.  Does it define what you do?  Redevelop it so that it explains why you do what you do.  What is your ultimate purpose?

An Alternative to Robert's Rules

Mention "Robert's Rules of Order" to any assembled group, and you will get a collective groan.  "Robert's Rules" is a part of our lives as leaders-- it's even written into the bylaws of most organizations.  When presenting my leadership development program "Recreating Your Organization," I'm often asked if there is an alternative to "Roberts Rules."

Yes, there is.

Many organizations across the country are adopting a meeting process called "Consensus."  It's effective and efficient for most groups, and it doesn't require the learning curve of "Robert's Rules" for new members.

"Robert's Rules" was first published in 1870, and incorporated the so-called parliamentary procedure as used by Congress.  It was presented as the best way to run a meeting.  Perhaps it is the best way to run large meetings, conventions, Congress, and other rowdy assemblies.  But for smaller groups, it's rather confusing with it's formal motions, debates, precedence of some motions over others, and more.

Consensus is a simplified method of discussing an issue and reaching an agreement.  It is important to understand that consensus doesn't mean that  everyone be in agreement.  It does mean that everyone has to be willing to accept the agreement that is reached.

It works like this:  an idea is brought to the floor.  It doesn't have to be a motion, or even a formal proposal-- just an idea.  The idea is discussed, and likely it will be improved from the input of others.  When a general agreement appears, you test for consensus by stating the current version of the idea.  If everyone agrees, you've reached consensus.  If there is dissension, then you can continue the discussion until a more acceptable version is reached.  When you've reached consensus, or when there is a willingness to accept the current proposal, then-- in those familiar parliamentary terms-- the "motion is approved."

In reality, this may likely be the way your organization already operates.  And, after you've already reached consensus, you revert back to parliamentary rules, asking for someone to make a formal motion, a second, and then calling for a vote to make it "official."  If you were using Consensus, it would already be done.

Mark Shepard has an excellent introduction to Consensus here.  Then, if you like the concept, there is another, more formalized guidelines available here.

Check this out, and see this alternative to "Robert's Rules Of Order" doesn't make more sense for your organization.   

Leadership...

When asked “what’s leadership?” all of us most likely have our own mental image and list of characteristics of what we equate with a successful leader.  Recently, when meeting one-on-one for our monthly “updates” session, I had the opportunity to ask several students, who are each officers in campus organizations, what leadership is to them. I had no expectation of what type of responses I would get, but was curious to hear the answers.

In as much length and detail that they felt would answer the question, I asked each to finish the statement “In campus activities, student leadership is…”.

I have listed demographic facts about the respondent as a reference point.

Here are several responses I received:

“…an experience that will profoundly impact your life, if you attack it with gusto!” (Senior, Female, Bio Major)

“…a chance to have a diverse resume.” (Sophomore, Male, History Major)

“…like playing in a sandbox. You have great toys, that sometimes you share, but you just love playing. If someone comes in your sandbox and poos in it, you get angry – immediately booting them out of the area, but accepting them back in when you think they’ve learned.” (Junior, Female, Legal Studies Major)

“…better than working at McDonald’s.” (Senior, Female, Business Major)

“…like Frogger. To succeed, you have to cross a very busy road, missing obstacles and choosing a path that works out for you. Sometimes, you don’t make it – but at least you stepped out into traffic.” (Freshman, Female, Undeclared)

Personally, I relate strongly with the Frogger answer. The object of the video game referenced is for a frog to cross a multi-lane highway of traffic approaching at various speeds. The frog gets a couple of lives, with the best case scenario (winning maximum points) being to cross the street without incident.

Reflecting this example to leadership…isn’t that our best case as well – to succeed in reaching our goal without too many setbacks? When we make it to the other side, we’re probably grinning just like the frog – celebrating a job well done. The end of the statement “but at least you stepped out into traffic” confirms a student leader’s mind frame – as student leaders are often those who are willing to step in front of the crowd even when the challenge ahead could be win or lose.

I thank all of my students for allowing me the privilege to share your insight. I learn so much from each of you every day. 

If you were asked to complete the statement, what would your answer be?