The Student Affairs Blog

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.

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."    

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.   

Have Trouble Getting a Hold of Groups? Here's a Fix!

Tom K. discovered a great new Web 2.0 service the other day and I think it would be a terrific addition to the toolset for advisors and their student leaders.

In short, it allows you to set up one number that rings on many phones (cell or office) simultaneously. Each user can pick it up or ignore it. If all ignore it, the call goes to voicemail which gets e-mailed where ever you want. There are lots of other cool features, bells and whistles which you might find creative uses for.

Great way to make everyone accessible.

Best of all (ready for this?) it's free! Ahhh the internet.

I see student groups skipping office hours all the time. Especially in that critical logistics moment right before events, where everyone is at the event and no one is in the actual office to answer that critical question . . .

This would solve it.

Check it out, it's called Grand Central:

(It took Tom about 10 minutes to set up Swift Kick.)

Effective Program Board Meetings

Posted by: Del Suggs - Saltwatermusic.com

“I hate meetings!”  Does that sound like your board members?  Unfortunately, meetings are a necessity.  It’s how we get things done.  It’s how we make things happen.  It’s how we consolidate our individual efforts into a more powerful force.  If your campus activity board members hate to meet, then it’s time to do something altogether different. 

Most people get put in charge of an organization with very little training other than their own personal experience.  That means it’s hard to be a good chair yourself, even if you’ve experienced meetings with an effective chair.  Meeting management skills must be developed and practiced.  This month, I thought I would share with you a number of techniques for more effective meetings. 

Before the Meeting

Begin by “defining” the meeting.  There are basically five purposes for any meeting:

1.  To Exchange Information
2.  To Make Decisions
3.  To Solve Problems
4.  To Explain Issues
5.  To Share Concerns

Note that these are all “action” statements.  Meetings are for action. 

It is important for your members to know why they are meeting.  If they don’t know the purpose of the meeting, then they may skip it.  Or, they may attend because they are required, but not really participate.  Make sure your meeting has a purpose, and explain that purpose to your members.

Schedule the best time and place for the meeting.  If you’re in charge, it can be tempting to set the meeting time when it’s the most convenient for you.  But one major function of any meeting is to bring your members together.  So make sure that it’s a time and place that is best for the majority.  If there is not a single convenient time for every one, then rotate meetings so that the most members can attend the most meetings.

Set the beginning and ending time for your meeting.  Your members are busy people. Their time is important.  You will have more success with both attendance and participation if your members know how long the meeting will be.  And here’s a hint-- if you keep your meetings to one hour or less, you’ll find them both more efficient and better attended.

Create and distribute your agenda in advance.  Everyone attending should have a copy of the agenda well before the meeting.  If you are handing out agendas to members when they arrive, you’ve missed any opportunity for any real preparation.

Have a “consent agenda.”  Reports from standing committees, minutes from previous meetings, treasurers’ reports, and should be included in the consent agenda.  Then, for the sake of brevity, you can simply move and second the consent agenda.  There is rarely a reason to read the previous minutes aloud, or to present a verbal  financial report, when the members can be expected to review the material in advance.  Of course, members can ask that an item be removed from the consent agenda for discussion, if necessary.  Then you can move on to the important items on the agenda.

List an anticipated action for each agenda item.  That explains why the item is on the agenda, and what you expect from your board members.  For example, don’t just list an agenda item as “Spring Formal.”  State the action you expect:  “Spring Formal:  form committee of 5 members.”  Or, “Spring Fling Band:  make final selection.”  You can have discussion or information items:  “Create new Coffeehouse Program for Fall Semester: information and discussion.”  Having an anticipated action explains why these items are on the agenda.

During the Meeting

Take useful and pertinent minutes.  Don’t get sidetracked trying to document every single word spoken at your meetings.  Make sure your secretary, recording secretary, staff member, or whoever is in charge of minutes captures the main ideas and tangents that occur.  You must also record any actions (such as motions, seconds, and votes) to demonstrate that proper procedures were followed.  It’s also important to include any items which will be discussed or resolved at a future meeting, and any assignments that are made.

Follow your agenda strictly.  Don’t allow new business to supersede the original reasons for the meeting.  Don’t let members interrupt the meeting with questions or information that is unrelated to the item at hand.  Your members all received the agenda in advance. They should be familiar with the business to be accomplished.  Therefore, you can move forward and call for the anticipated action with each item.  Adjourn on time, or agree to stay later. For example, twenty minutes before the scheduled end of the meeting, the Chair might say: “If continue to discuss the bands we are considering for the Spring Fling, we will need to stay an additional fifteen minutes to select the CAB members to attend the APCA National Convention.  Can everyone stay that long, or should we end this discussion and move to that one immediately?”

Make sure that each member says at least one thing at every board meeting. While this is primarily the Chair’s responsibility, everyone can help make this happen.  For example: “Brittany,  you haven’t said a word on this. Who do you think should be the first performer in the new coffeehouse?” 

Encourage “dumb” questions, respectful dissent, and authentic disagreements.  We gain more from defending our positions than we do from simple agreement.  Find a chance  to be encouraging at every meeting: “Chip, that’s not a dumb question-- I didn’t know the answer, either.”  Remember, too,  that compromise is important, and that you will generally get a better program by combining ideas from different sources than just accepting the first concept on the table.

Set the time and place for the next meeting.  If your organization doesn’t meet regularly, then you’ll need to set each subsequent meeting at the current one.  While selecting the day, time and place for your next meeting, don’t forget the members who are absent at this meeting.  If some members can’t meet on certain days and times, then find a way to include them at the next meeting.   

After The Meeting

Prepare the minutes promptly.  It is important to capture both the facts and the spirit of the meeting as quickly as possible.  That way, if the secretary has a question it will still be fresh in the minds of others who attended.  It the minutes aren’t written immediately you run the chance of missing not only the essence of the business, but the actions that were taken as well.

Review and evaluate the meeting.  How did it go?  Did certain members dominate the discussion?  If so, you may need to find a way to limit their input.  Were there distractions from the agenda?  Then find a way to keep your members focused and on task.  Did the meeting run too long?  Pacing is vital to keeping a meeting flowing, but remember to keep your agenda realistic.  Trying to force too much content into a meeting can be a recipe for disaster.

Meeting Etiquette

There is more to an effective meeting than just the above items.  Those attending the meeting must demonstrate civility and consideration.  Showing respect and courtesy is vital in today’s world.  As our actions rub against each other, manners serve as a social lubricant to smooth the friction of our lives.

Let me offer these suggestions to those who attend meetings.  They are simple and obvious-- and therefore frequently overlooked.

Be prompt.  That means arrive early or on time, but don’t be late.  Latecomers delay the meeting, create confusion and interfere with the flow of business.  Make it a point to be on time.

Avoid interruptions.  Turn off your cell phone or pager, don’t log on and check your email, put away the gameboy.  You need to be paying attention to the business before you.

Be cognizant of time.  You should certainly say what you want, and participate in the meeting, but not to the extent that others can’t get the floor.  Don’t dominate the discussion.

Refrain from distractions.  Avoid whispering those humorous or obnoxious comments to your neighbor.  Don’t shuffle your papers, or use the meeting to sort your files and clean out your notebook.  Don’t pass notes and giggle.

Stay for the entire meeting.  Don’t slip out early.  Important information is often announced during the last few minutes of a meeting.  In fact, holding some items until last can be a good strategy by the Chair to keep members focused and present. 

Show courtesy and respect for your fellow members, for the Chair, and for the organization you represent.  And, while not everyone can learn to love a meeting, you can certainly make them more efficient and more effective.  What’s not to love about that?

Being a Better Leader for your Campus Activities Board

Posted by: Del Suggs - Saltwatermusic.com

Coming into the new academic year is a lot like New Year’s Day.  Fall is a great time to set new goals for yourself and your campus activity board.  Let your “New Year’s Resolution” for this new academic year be to do a better job leading your board.  Here are some great ideas for improving your leadership skills, and improving the effectiveness of your Program Board.

Communication

Resolve to do a better job communicating this year.  In today’s world, we have access to incredible communication technology, yet we seem to be even more out of touch.  Use your email, your cell phone, and your IM to maintain keep your program board better informed about upcoming events and meetings.

  Set up a list serv or simply an email list for all of your board members.  Keep everyone informed of ongoing discussions, upcoming deadlines, and the constant concerns of your student leaders.  It is so much easier to make decisions when your executive committee and your general members are keep in the loop.  Communicate!

Office Hours

Before about five or six years ago,  committee chairpersons had to physically be in the program board office to make phone calls and conduct business.  Today, we can do business from anywhere-- which is why it even more important to maintain office hours.

  You should designate regular hours each week when you will be in your office.  Use that time to focus on board business, return phone calls, reply to emails, read your mail, and all that other boring stuff that is so easy to put off.  By setting and keeping office hours, you’ll be more productive, more informed, and a better leader for your program board. Your office hours are not the time for doing homework, surfing the Internet, or text messaging your friends.  Use the office hours as an excuse to concentrate on your job of leading the program board.  Take care of board business during office hours, and you’ll be amazed at how efficient you can be.

Meetings

There are many ways to improve your meetings, and make them more effective for your and your board (Click here for More Effective Meetings). Some very simple actions can lead to big results.  Set up a regular meeting schedule, such as every Tuesday at 7 p.m.  Set a beginning and ending time for each meeting, and stick to it!  Your board members are far more likely to attend your meeting if they know it will only last for one hour. 

Email out the meeting agenda in advance, so your board will be informed and ready to act.  And, have an anticipated action for each agenda item.  For example, don’t just list “Fall Festival” as an agenda item.  Include the action you plan to take:  “Select the band for Fall Festival.” 

Finally, keep accurate minutes of each meeting, and send them out with the agenda in advance of each meeting.  That will keep everyone informed about board business, and upcoming decisions.

Appreciation

Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and your committee or board members are no different.  Effective leaders express their gratitude strongly and openly.  Think about the ways you express your thanks to your committee members.  Does it really reflect your thankfulness for their work?  Come up with new ways to say “thank you.” 

Write thank you notes.  Everyone appreciates a handwritten note.  How about a thank you gift?  It doesn’t have to be expensive to show appreciation.  Buy some movie tickets (sometimes you can even get them at a discount from AAA or your credit union!) or a meal card from a local restaurant.  How about a nice fountain pen, for those fancy signatures?  Go browse through the local Dollar Store-- you’ll be surprised and the cool stuff you can get for a buck.

Try something clever and creative.  Thank your members for completing a major assignment by giving them a giftwrapped bottle of aspirin and antacid tablets, and thank them for eliminating your headache and ulcers!  They will know you appreciate their work, and who doesn’t need some aspirin at some time?

Ceremony

Add some ritual to your activity board.  Think about great organizations, and how effectively they use ceremony, pomp and circumstance.  If you’ve ever pledged a fraternity or sorority, you know all about ritual.  But it’s really used everyday and every where for positive effect, whether we’re inaugurating a new President or singing the National Anthem at a ball game.

When I was president of the Tallahassee Museum, I began every board meeting with a group recitation of the organization’s Mission Statement.  It was vital for the board to be familiar with the mission of the Museum, and that ritual guaranteed that they said it at least once a month.  Plus, I had it printed at the very top of the meeting agenda, to symbolize that it was the first thing to consider at every meeting.  It was a very effective ritual!

Start by creating a ceremony to induct new members to your board.  It can be as elaborate or as simple as you want, but do something more than just introducing new members at their first meeting.  Have a pledge or swearing in ceremony.  Have a secret handshake or sign.  Do something to make your organizational membership seem as special as it is.

How about a ritual for changes in leadership?  It should be more than just having a new chairperson run the meeting.  Create a “pass the gavel” ceremony, when power actually changes hands.  Recognize new leaders with a special event or dinner.  Great them with a chant (huzzah!!) or cheer when they take over.

  Eliminate Committees

Can you hear the cheering from your Program Board when you announce that you’ve abolished committees this year?  Nobody likes to serve on committees.  They meet too often, for too long, they never get anything done, and once you get on one you can’t ever seem to get off the committee.  Well, bid committees goodbye!

This year, institute a “Task Force” system to meet your goals.  How is it different from a committee?  To begin with, a task force has a specific goal-- such as produce Spring Fling-- as opposed to the music committee which might have to produce numerous events.  Second, it has a clear completion date.  Your Spring Fling task force is over the day after Spring Fling!

You’ll find it much easier to recruit members for a task force than for a committee.  The assignment is clear, with a beginning and an ending, for a specific length of time.  When the task is finished, then you can recruit good task force members to another new task. Give it a try!

Training

Make this the year that you begin some formal training for your board members (Click here for Retreat Ideas).  Plan a retreat at the beginning of the year to do some team building and to learn the skills they need to serve on the board.

If it’s too late to plan a retreat at the beginning of the year, then do a retreat at mid-year. There is no better time for training, because you will have already uncovered their weaknesses as a board.  You may find board members who don’t cooperate;  here’s the need for team building.  You may find poor attendance at your events; here’s your need to teach promotion and publicity techniques.  By the middle of the year, you will plainly see what your board needs in order to be more successful. You may need to schedule your retreat at the end of the year.  That is also an excellent time for training.  Just make sure that you’ve already selected your new officers for the coming year.  Then you can really take the lead in training them to do the very best possible job on the program board.  Just remember, there is no wrong time to do training.

Lead By Example

Let your final “New Year’s Resolution” for the new academic year be to lead by example. We all seek two things from our leaders:  Vision and Integrity.  Demonstrate your vision clearly to your activities board.  Let them know your goals for the board, and how you intend to achieve those goals.  Demonstrate your integrity by the way you live your life everyday.  That’s what great leaders do.

Building a High Powered Program Board, Part Three

Posted by: Del Suggs - Saltwatermusic.com

Last time I discussed time management tools, and conflict resolution.  Even if your board is functioning well, there is nearly always room for improvement. 

In this column, I’ll deal with some exciting concepts called Branding and Marketing.  Perhaps you’ll get some ideas here that you can use to take your board to the next level.  It’s all part of building a High-Powered Program Board.

You may already be familiar with the topic of marketing.  Sometimes we use other terms, such as advertising, publicity, or public relations. However, this time we’re not dealing with marketing your board’s events (concerts, comedians, films, etc.). We’ll be looking at ways to publicize your programming board.  And that all begins with Branding.

 

Heat Up The Branding Iron

Branding comes from the old West, as you might guess.  You’ve seen cowboy movies where the branding iron is heated red-hot, and then applied to a steer.  The scar, like a tattoo, identifies the steer as belonging to a particular ranch.  That way, when the cattle were all together in a herd, it was obvious who owned each steer.

In contemporary marketing, branding uses that same concept as a metaphor.  By creating a brand, you will allow the public (your customers) to identify your company.  And likewise, when your campus events happen (like a herd), it will be obvious who “owns” each event.

 

Creating Your Brand

We tend to think of a brand as something as simple as a logo or symbol.  It’s actually much more complex than that.  Branding is a kind of shorthand, or abbreviation. It’s a summation of your “product” and all that your product embodies.

Let me give you a simple example. We all know McDonald’s, the famous hamburger chain.  You might think of their brand as the famous “Golden Arches.”  But that’s really just their logo.  Their brand is much more.

Ray Kroc, the developer of the modern McDonald’s enterprise had a number of corporate goals:  good food, fast service, and consistent flavor at every restaurant.  So that’s what he created.  You know at every McDonald’s the food will be reasonably good, prepared reasonably fast, and that it will taste exactly the same at every McDonald’s. 

How about Nike?  You probably think of the “Nike Swoosh”, that reverse check mark they use as a logo.  Or maybe you remember their famous tagline:  “Just Do It.”

Again, the Nike brand  is far more than that.  It includes the athletes who wear their shoes on the field and court.  It includes the promise of enhanced athletic performance, comfort and foot protection, and durability. 

See-- it’s that consistency of the product that is the “brand.”  It’s not just the logo.  A brand is like a deal that a company strikes with it’s customers.  It says “this is who we are, and this is what we do.”  Brands are important because they convey a lot of information very quickly. 

 

Why Is It Important?

You may be thinking “what does this have to do with my programming board?”  Branding is essential to creating a High Powered Programming Board.  Let me give you a few reasons.

First, it creates an image for your program board.  It makes your board stand out from the other organizations on campus.

Second, it creates more campus awareness for your board.  That means more students at your events.

Third, it helps you recruit and retain members.  Does your board have too many volunteers?  I didn’t think so.

Fourth, it improves your “product”-- the events you produce on campus.

Finally, it strikes a deal with your students.  Your brand will say: “this is a quality program” to everyone involved.

 

Creating A Brand

The first step is creating your brand. Pull together a committee to establish what your brand will be. Begin by creating your organizational mission statement.  Why does your organization exist?  What do you do?  For whom do you do it? 

Then look outside your organization. How do your students perceive your organization?  How about the faculty, administration, and staff?  Are you unknown?  Do you have a negative image to overcome?   Do you have a positive reputation you can build on?

The idea is to create a perceived, unique image for your board. Answering all these questions will help you to create a more vibrant and improved image for your organization.

By determining what you are supposed to do, how you are supposed to do it, and what you want your “customers” to think of you, all of this information will help you to create your brand.  Sum it up as briefly as you can.  This will be your brand.

 

Searing The Flanks

Once you’ve defined your purpose and image-- your brand-- then you can begin to market it.  Again, learn from the professionals on Madison Avenue (that’s where the big advertising agencies are located in New York, by the way).

Create a brand “message” complete with a name and logo.  Maybe today you’re just the Campus Program Board.  With your new brand, tomorrow you could be “CPB-- We Rock Your World!”  Perhaps you’d develop a logo with a globe and the letters CPB, while “Campus Program Board” is in a circle around the globe.  Get the idea?  Something new, unique, and exciting.

 

Consistency In Your Brand

Once you’ve created your brand-- your perceived image and your logo-- then create a “style sheet” for use.  All major corporations have a predetermined style for every aspect of their marketing. 

  Using our Campus Program Board example:  is it abbreviated as “CPB” or is it “C.P.B.”?  Is it always upper case, or sometimes “cpb”?  How about the font?  Is it a serif, a sans serif, or something totally unique? How about the tagline “We Rock Your World!”?  Is it always used with “CPB”?  Is it all caps, or just the first word, or the first letter of each word?

I’m not just trying to be picky.  In your Style sheet, you should standardize your name, abbreviation, spelling, font, case-- everything that deals with your brand.  Look at other famous brands. You’ll never see Coca-Cola spell “Coke” as all caps.  You’ll never see Coca-Cola written without the hyphen. 

It’s that consistency of style that helps to establish your brand, your image.  First you create a standard style, then you use it consistently.  It really works.  Just ask KFC, or IBM, or McDonald’s.

 

Use Your Brand

When you have created and standardized your brand, then it’s time to use it.  Put your brand on everything you do!  It goes on your T-shirts.  It goes on your office door. Have it tattooed on your advisor (just kidding...).  It goes everywhere your organization goes.

Make sure all of your board members are knowledgeable supportive of your new brand.  If you’ve changed names, stop using the old name.  So what if it used to be called the “Campus Committee on Cocurricular Activities.”  Now you’re “CPB-- We Rock Your World!” Use that, and forget about the old name that nobody knew anyway.

Use your brand when you market your events.  When you run an advertisement about Spring Fling in the newspaper, make sure your standardized brand is a part of the ad.  Even when you put up posters and flyers on campus for an upcoming concert, include your brand on the publicity material.

It’s that consistency of use that really establishes your brand.  Earlier I said that brands are really a type of shorthand.  When you use your brand consistently, and produce outstanding events consistently, then your brand will become synonymous with what you do. 

Again, it’s like Coca-Cola.  They produced a high quality soft drink, standardized their brand style, and used it in all their marketing. Now people will order a “Coke” (meaning a cola drink) while they’re standing in front a Pepsi sign.  That’s branding and marketing!

If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you. Just drop me an email, and I’ll get back to you.

Building a High Powered Program Board, Part Two

Posted by: Del Suggs - Saltwatermusic.com

Last month I discussed organizational matters (officers, titles, responsibilities, and membership) to improve efficiency, performance, and diversity.   I also covered office hours, and the need for structure to improve your program board.  Even if your board is functioning well, there is nearly always room for improvement. 

In this column, I’ll deal with time management tools, and conflict resolution.  Perhaps you’ll get some ideas here that you can use to take your board to the next level.  It’s all part of building a High-Powered Program Board.

 

Time Management Tools

There never seems to be enough time to do everything.  And yet, some folks get much more work done than others.  A lot of productive people use good time management tools.  Such tools enable you to do more work in less time, and assist you in doing a better job.  While it’s important to work quickly, it’s even more important to do the best job you can.

First of all, have a good scheduling system.  It doesn’t matter if you use a Blackberry or another PDA, a Day Planner, a plain old calendar, or a pad of sticky notes.  What does matter is that it work for you, and that tasks don’t go uncompleted or forgotten.

Everything you do in programming, from scheduling events to promotion to election of members, has a deadline and a timeline.  A deadline, of course, is when something needs to be completed.  A timeline is a list of actions that must be completed-- and when they must be complete-- in order to meet the deadline.   

 

Timelines Matter

Create a timeline for your events by listing everything that needs to be done, starting at the end.  Do it like a David Letterman “Top Ten List.” 

Let’s use my concert for an example.  Take a page and have two vertical columns labeled “Date” and “Action.”  List the concert as the at the bottom of the page:  “Del Suggs Concert.”  Then list the date of the event to the “Date” side:  let’s say “February 14.” Above concert write:  “put up posters, and start publicity blitz.”  Since you want to do that a week before the show, count back seven days, and write “February 7” in the date column.  Say the campus newspaper comes out on the first of the month.  Write “Newspaper story” as an action.  Then find out the deadline for that issue of the paper-- it may be five to seven days before publication.  When your find out, fill in that date: “January 21.”

When you’ve finished this action and date list, you’ll have a timeline for everything that needs to be done for the event.  Try this for your programs.  It’s like an old school “To Do List” only with the deadlines for each item.  It’s a great way to both break down the big event into smaller tasks, and to make sure that the tasks are completed at the proper time.

 

Using a Form

Schedules and forms are excellent ways to manage the myriad of tasks involved in activities programming.  I’ve drafted a “Campus Event Form” and posted it at my website for your use.  Go to www.SaltwaterMusic.com, and click on the “Ed Resources” link in the menu bar.  Near the bottom of the page is the form (it is a PDF, so you’ll view it with Adobe Acrobat Reader).

This form covers most of the steps involved in presenting an event on campus.  Each item (such as “Request Contracts” or “Reserve Venue”) has a line for you to date and initial upon completion.  The idea is to have a list of everything that needs to be done, and to keep a record of when it gets done.  Feel free to change it in any way to fit your own program board needs.  I really believe you’ll find it helpful.

You can always create your own forms, too, for completing frequent yet complex tasks. For example, I have a personal form I created for tracking every single concert or lecture I present.  At the top, I have blanks for the school, date, showtime, topic, and all those little details about the actual event.  Then I have a date and checklist of business matters, such as “Contracts Sent,” “Contracts Returned,” “Promotional Material Sent,” and more.  At the bottom is pertinent information such as “Accommodations,” “Directions to Campus,” and a general “Remarks.”  I even have a blank for “Thanks to:” that I complete immediately after the show, so I don’t forget the people who helped me out when I was visiting your campus. 

 

All That?

Do I have to have a form for all of this?  Probably not, because after more than 750 college appearances I know what needs to be done.  But you and your student programmers probably don’t have that depth of experience.  In fact, some of your board members won’t even know everything that must be done, much less when it should be done.  That’s why a form can be so helpful.

And, it makes things simple because I can look at the form and see exactly when I send posters to a campus, rather than having to go to my computer database and search.  I generally apply Occam’s Razor to my use of technology.  In Latin, “entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem,” which translates to “entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”  To paraphrase-- simpler is better!

 

Resolving Conflicts

Let’s look briefly at conflict resolution.  Every program board has conflicts and disagreements between members.  Why are there conflicts?  Let me give you five quick causes of conflict:

 

• Interdependence:  Every member of the board depends on other members for help and support.
• Differences of Values, Goals, or Beliefs: Board members can be diverse, and have widely varying assumptions of worth, what is important, and even basic ideas.
• Stress: Program board members have an important job to do in producing major events on campus. Sometimes they actually have to take exams and write papers, too!
• Scarce Resources: Imagine a program board meeting when the homecoming budget just got slashed after the planning was completed. Who gets their event cut?
• Uncertainty:  Not knowing the outcome of an issue, problem, or concern.

It can be difficult to resolve conflicts.  One reason is the concept of winning and losing.  If you feel strongly about something, then stepping back from that conviction might make you feel like you lost the conflict.  Nobody likes to lose.

Another reason is sometimes referred to as “zero-sum.”  That’s like a balanced budget, where in order have one thing you have to eliminate something else.  So, in order for the conflict to be resolved, some one has to give up something.

The last reason conflicts can difficult to resolve can be the famous divorce term: “irreconcilable differences.”  Some times the sides just can’t be resolved.  In that case, you have to agree to disagree and move on.  But when that happens, you can count on conflict recurring.

 

Conflict Management and Strategies

Here are some ways to handle conflict.  See which strategy works best for you and your program board.

 

• Competition: Essentially, having each side compete against each other. You might see this as a discussion and vote on the matter.
• Accommodation:  This means finding a way to have both sides win.  It can be tough to do.
• Compromise:  Basically, each side gets part of what they want, while giving up something they want, like a negotiation.
• Collaboration: Having both sides work together, and come up with a mutually agreeable outcome. This can be the ultimate team building experience.
• Avoidance:  Just ignore the conflict.  This is a bad choice, because it won’t go away by itself.

Negotiation to Resolution

If you are faced with a dispute among your board members, you may need to take action. Here are some important things to keep in mind when your resolving conflicts.

First, prepare for the negotiation.  Just because you will be the mediator doesn’t mean you can enter the negotiation without adequate preparation.  Learn as much as you can about the issue, what is involved, and who is involved.  It’s important to be ready when you face the two sides.

Second, focus on the process.  You do this by keeping the people separate from the problem.  If it’s a budget matter, that means looking at the budget process and the outcome of that process, not “Brandi wants this much money, and Billy wants this much.” Try to take the people-- and the personalities-- out of the problem.

Third, deal with the actual issue or interest, not the position.  That means look at the Big Picture.  for example, it’s less important what program each of the opposing sides wants to present than it is to consider whether  the entire event matters.

Ultimately, you want to seek a balanced solution.  You may have to pick one side as the winner on occasion.  You may find a way to have both sides win sometimes.  But true long-term conflict resolution involves compromise and collaboration.  The sense that you are fair to both parties in resolving the conflict will go far in reducing future problems on your board.  Plus, it’s the right thing to do.

Next time I’ll deal with some exciting concepts called Branding and Marketing. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you.  Just drop me an email, and I’ll get back to you.

Building a High Powered Program Board, Part One

Posted by: Del Suggs - Saltwatermusic.com

For the next several columns, I want to address developing your program board.  Even if your board is functioning well, there is nearly always room for improvement.  Perhaps you’ll get some ideas here that you can use to take your board to the next level.  Strive to be a High-Powered Program Board.

 

Plain Vanilla Organizational Structure

Let’s begin by looking at the organizational structure of program boards.  Most of them follow the “SGA” Model.  You know what I mean-- there is a President or Chair, Vice-president, secretary, and treasurer.  Maybe committee chairs, “at-large seats,” or otherwise designated additional members of the Executive Committee.

Why do we organize like this?  Because it’s what we know.  It’s familiar.  Is it the best way to organize a Program Board?  Maybe, or maybe not.  Let’s consider some other options.

Every organization needs a Presiding Officer.  You can call it President, Chair, or Grand PooBah, but it simply identifies the person who chairs meetings and heads the organization.  You also need a Vice President or Vice Chair, to take care of business when the President is absent or unable.

Next, you must have a historian or archivist to capture all the important actions that take place during meetings.  It can be the Secretary, or Recording Secretary, or General Note Taker.  But you must-- you must-- maintain accurate records of your meetings.  These are called the “minutes.”

There may also be an officer responsible for keeping tabs on the budget.  This can be the Treasurer, the Financial Officer, the Budget Director, or some other title.  Often Program Boards skip this officer, because the budget is kept mostly by the Advisor and so the Treasurer’s job is unnecessary.

How about the members who actually do the work, who are in charge of specific areas or events?  They are generally known as Chairs, a non-gender specific form of Chairman or Chairwoman.

 

What’s In A Name?

Does all this sound familiar?  It also sounds dull.  Why should a High-Powered Program Board-- in charge of FUN on campus-- be this boring?  After all, you’re not passing legislation.  You’re creating exciting co-curricular events on campus!

Look at some alternative structures and titles.  Consider borrowing a page from Corporate America.  Change your “president” to “Chief Executive Officer”.  Make your vice president the “Chief Operating Officer.”  The treasurer becomes the Chief Financial Officer, and so on.  The executive committee becomes the Board of Directors.

Perhaps you could borrow the structure from the entertainment industry.  Name your president the “Executive Producer.”  Name your committee chairs “Producers,” who then answer to the Executive Producer.  Call your members “Directors” or members of the Creative Team.

  Don’t just change the titles.  Consider the entire “chain of command,” who answers to whom.  Keep the levels as simple as possible.  You don’t want too much confusion. Information gets filtered by each person as it’s passed along.  Keep the command structure as simple as possible.

 

Members and Officers

One major, recurring problem with program boards is recruitment.  Either you can’t get enough members, or they are all from the same clique.  The current members recruit their friends, who recruit their friends.  Often, program boards consist of a group of 19-21 year old students, programming for themselves.

Diversity is vital, and I don’t just mean ethnic diversity.  Certainly, you want the ethnic make up of your board to mirror the campus.  But does your program board really represent your campus?  Are there freshmen and sophomores, or just juniors and seniors? Are there non-traditional students and traditional students, both younger and older students?

  You can solve the need to diversify by actually creating positions in your bylaws or constitution that must be filled .  For example, amend your bylaws to require four members of the freshman class on your board.  That will make you recruit freshmen.  Or you could call for the Freshman Class President to appoint a certain number of members.

Consider reaching out to other organizations to help you broaden your Program Board. You could stipulate in your bylaws that you have a representative from each active club on your campus-- whether it’s the Chess Club, the Black Student Union, or the Spirit Squad. It’s always a good idea to bring in new people and new ideas to your program board.  If you can’t just find them, create a structure that will bring them to you!

 

Who’s Responsible?

Define the duties and responsibilities of your officers.  Spell them out clearly, and make sure that everyone is aware of their obligations.  And not just for your officers and executive committee.  Make sure the regular members are also aware of their commitment.

But take it a step further.  Draft a contract for your officers and members to sign.  If “contract” sounds too legal and scary, then call it an “agreement.”   List the responsibilities for each officer.  For example, the President must preside over meetings, appoint committee chairs, and more.  A general member of the program board might be required to attend meetings, serve on a committee, assist at events, and the like.

Having a signed agreement serves a multiple purpose.  It will define the duties for each member.  It will make each member aware of their duties.  It will also add a sense of obligation, even though it’s not legally enforceable.  You obviously won’t be able to force a board member to come to meetings or help with events.  But if he or she signs an agreement that lists attendance as a duty, then you know that they are aware of that obligation.  It does take things a little more seriously.

 

Office Time

Back in the day, Program Board members actually had to physically be in an office to answer the telephone and reply to correspondence.  Today, with cellphones, computers and the Internet, you can do all of that work and more without ever setting foot in the office. 

But you still need to set office hours. 

The problem with working away from the office is simple:  procrastination.  It’s too easy to avoid doing your job if you’re away from the office.  Most successful professionals such as writers, composers, and other artists, have offices and studios other than their home.  It is more conducive to doing productive work.

If you set hours for the officers on your program board, then they will have to be in the office taking care of business.  It’s not a time to do homework or surf the Internet or play video games.  It’s the time to review CDs and DVDs of new artists, to create promotional materials, and respond to program board emails.  Setting aside just a couple of hours each week to focus on your program board duties in the office-- and nothing else-- will result in an enormous increase in efficiency.

Next, we’ll deal with time management tools, conflict resolution, and some branding and marketing ideas.  If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you. Just drop me an email, and I’ll get back to you.