Training as a Motivating Factor for Volunteer Driven Organizations

Recently I was involved in a weekend training retreat for volunteer leaders of my religious denomination. These volunteers, called Elders, were invited to attend a weekend training retreat at the expense of the association of churches in their region. The recognition of their efforts on behalf of the church and its members by making this retreat possible was appreciated by most of those polled. The motivational effect of this event is yet to be seen. However it was discussed by several of those who attended. These volunteers felt motivated by the recognition and also the equipping received. It has been argued by many in the leadership development field that training events are high on the list of motivatiing factors for volunteers to continue serving an organization.

In what ways are you motivated by training and equipping opportunities? I find them to be stimulating and rewarding for the opportunity to learn new skills and conmcepts which I can then incorporate in my work. As equippers of leaders we add value to the organizations we serve through the service of education. Our reward is often the renewed enrgy seen in the volunteer force upon their return to the filed from whence they came.

AVATAR and the world of Corporate Social Responsability

What was upposed to be an entertaining afternoon with my kids tirned out to be a gut wrenching encounter with Hollywood doing a number on CSR (Corporate Social Responsability) and the mining industry. Living and working in a mining community such as Wyoming I was struck by the utterly simplistic approach to the question of how to do minning in a way that does the least harm to the natural environment and its human inhabitants.

In the film both the mining company and the native peoples are simplified down to bad and good in extreme. No middle ground allowed here. The scientific NGO that uses the avatars to gain contact with the natives is depicted at the same time as heroic yet ineffective in settling the disputes. Sadly in the real world in which we all have to live with eachother and give and take is the way we get things done, these oversimplifications just get in the way.

The public has little or no contact with the communities from whence they derrive their energy resources. Minneapolis could care less about Gillette, Wyoming. They want their energy and that's final.

But let's face it. Hollywood has always been about simplicity for the sake of a good guy bad guy film. The viewer continues to see mining as the bad guy and the native ecology movement as the goodguy. Sadly without some form of economic development the native peoples around the minning industry will be used and abused and cast aside once their raw material has been mined. Corporations are not totally heartless and native peoples are not completely naive and innocent as depicted by the film.

We need middle ground here. Native people have a right to their own destiny but they also have a need to wortk in the world that surrounds them to some degree. Hunger and disease will continue to plague them as well as poachers and drug traffickers if they do not receive the education and health benefits that minning companies often bring as a part of their efforts to be socially responsable.

These secondary benefits to native peoples have been used in the past as payoffs for using and abusing themselves and their land. But in the 21st century we are seeing a more savy corporate world develop with a heart as well as a pocketbook. What does it take to make that heart work better? Dialogue! Encounter with and understanding of both sides of the coin are crucial to the peaceful development of the mineral wealth of such countries as Peru. The recent tragedies in 2009 were caused by third partiess with alterior motives.

Simpathy for the views of these parties is subtly felt in the Avatar film with references to the marines military actions in Venezuela alluding to a belief that the US will attack the Bolivarian Socialist Regime of Hugo Chavez so as to attain its need for energy and minerals. Hollywood needs to get its story straight and realize that there is middle ground where all can benefit. By their continued oversimplification of issues such as climate change and social justice they fan the flames of reactionary forces that are taken advantage of by the left and right elites.

Dialogue will enhance the probabilities of reaching middle ground where the native population can barter its wealth for the services they need and the mining industry can extract in efficient and safe ways the mineral wealth that is used fuel the ec onomies of the people who pay $12.00 US dollars to sit in a theater and watch such things as Avatar.

2010 New Year New Opportunities

As the old year wains and the new one begins we often think of the future. As leaders our job is to see the future as it can be and lead our organizations toward it. I sit at my window today and look out at the future of leadership development. In the age of cyber-communication with social networking all around us we will see many offerings in the area of leadership development on line. Facebook and My Space will be great places to share your knowledge and experience. I want to encourage all of those who are involved in leadership to share. As we are generous with our understandings of leadership and its practice we will all benefit. Networking is the key to improvement as we use it to increase our understanding.

In the marketplace where competition is king, it can be seen as a danger to share your knowledge. But in the area of leadership development which is a knowledge and experience based business it is key to our success. So open communication amongst colleagues will enhance our industry as it improves our effectiveness in the marketplace. Lets make 2010 the year of sharing the wealth of knowledge we have as leadership developers.

Pink's "A Whole New Mind" and the Challenges of Communication in the 21st Century

Daniel H Pink proposes in his book A WHOLE NEW MIND that the right brained people of the world will ultimately be the ones who make it in the Western Economies. His thesis is that the west has gone from the information society to the conception society where ideas are king. I for one would love that since the world of ideas is my world. But in all sincerity I am not quite ready to indulge in thinking that it is the right minded's time to attain status in the business world. What I did catch from his writing was the concept that both the left and the right sides of the brain are important but one will dominate. Thus the whole in whole new brain. Both the right and the left working in symphony will find true meaning and how to communicate it to others. Accepting the need for both sides of the brain to achieve a new reality where words and pictures play an equally important role in communication is not new. We have known for years that the learner will retain more of what is both audio and visual. The abstract and the concrete can compliment each other. Dialectic thinking in the resolving of problems and the communicating of ideas will be the key to success in a world where we watch 5 sports games at the same time with the music blasting in the background from some other source all the while engaging in conversation and texting someone else in another city or country. We are the multitask generation and we will have it all. Therefor "A Whole New Mind" is a genius of a book that helps leaders understand the keys to communicating their ideas to a new generation.

Great Reading

I recently finished reading the new book from Leader to Leader Institute, "THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FUTURE 2" Frances Hesselbein and Marshall Goldsmith editors. (Jossey-Bass 2009) This is definitely the book to read for organizational leadership concepts that are on the cutting edge. Several authors with great ideas. Very practical and thought provoking.


Another good one is GOD IS BACK by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge (Penguin Press 2009) These two writers are well known to readers of THE ECONOMIST a publication I highly recommend. The insights on the surge in religious belief in the world is challenging to the western postmodern mindset and yet it is supported by very good documentation. How do faith based organizations play a role in this resurgence? Read the book and find out for your self. It is definitely a great read!

The Four E's of Leadership Development

As the present generation of leaders transition up the ladder into higher levels of responsibility who are they leaving behind them? How are they developing the leaders around and below themselves? The key to continued success in any organization is effective leadership at all levels. Where this does not occur I have found that organizations lose their effectiveness and efficiency. So how do we go about equipping the next generation of leaders? I would like to propose four steps. Encounter, Empowerment, Equipping, and Encouraging.

Encounter:
It is crucial that we begin developing relationships with coworkers that will allow us to see who can step up to leadership positions that will become available in the future. Observation is the first step. Always keep an eye out for that individual who shows potential as an influencer of others. Conversation is the next step. By talking together you can get better acquainted with the coworker as a person and discover those areas that need polishing for the future. Listening to coworkers as they discuss issues on teams or even in the break room or "after-meetings" in the parking lot. Soon you will find people who have basic talents that can be honed for leadership.

Empowerment:
Most people do not think of themselves as leaders. By giving them opportunities to explore leadership roles on a low level they may begin to have confidence in themselves and their ability to be people of influence. Start out with small tasks but always look for ways to empower the person through dialogue and positive feedback. Public praise for a job well done is a very empowering experience for many people. This also lets others know that you have entrusted these individuals with the power and authority to carry out specific tasks and have seen that they are qualified to lead.

Equipping:
Along with empowerment comes equipping. This can be in a formal setting such as a seminar or workshop. It may take place as on the job training. Apprenticeships or fellowships are other ways to equip developing leaders. Both theory and practice should be a part of the equipping experience along with opportunity to ask questions and get advice. Without proper equipping the future leader is going to have to learn in the school of hard knocks and the organization will suffer because of it.

Encouragement:
Mentoring and coaching relationships build up the person who is developing into a leader. As they go into new experiences new leaders will need someone to coach them through the difficult times and help them discover how to deal with the various circumstances and issues that face leaders everyday. Experienced leaders need encouragement as well through an organized system of coaching or mentoring within the organization. This should be a formal relationship and yet it can grow into a lifelong friendship that goes beyond the original time and place where the relationship began.

Developing the leaders that surround us will enable us to leave the place where we currently lead to new and more responsible positions knowing that the hard work and dedication we have devoted to that department will not fall apart upon our departure. Organizations should place someone in charge of leadership development who can carry out some of these elements on a regular basis.

I have found that over the years my successes have come as I have helped others to succeed. That is why I see encountering, empowering, equipping, and encouraging leaders as the key to the success of any organization.