Leadership Training for the Orient

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LeadershipTraining forthe Orient
By Robert F. Hannon, 33, SGIG in Arizona,
William R. Miller, 33, SGIG in Washington, and
Hoyt O. Samples, 33, SGIG in Tennessee
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The Strategic Plan

• Strategic Objective IV
• Provide a framework for effective leadershipto
  ensure the stabilityand long-term success of the
  Fraternity

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Key Strategies

• Review entire organizational structure of the
  Scottish Rite and evaluate its effectiveness,
  efficiency and utility for providing a platform
  for stability and long-term success.
• Establish formal (and required) training programs
  for all levels of Organization from Supreme
  Council to local Valleys to establish standard
  expectations for each position and provide
  training and skill development necessary to
  successfully hold the position.

4
Defining Leadership

• The ultimate job of a leaderis to serve the
  team.
• Jack Kahl, CEO Manco Corp.
• Everything rises and falls on leadership.
• True or False?

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Training Equipping

• Training for the Job
• Sense of common vision or purpose for overall
  advancement of the organization
• Structured training is preferable
• clearly define expectations
• provide performance evaluations
• develop specific how to training materials for
  each key office e.g., Valley Secretarys manual
• Orient-wide workshops
• Valley specific workshops

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Specifics of an Orient Workshop

• Conduct Annual or Semi-Annually in a Central
  Location
• Coordinated by SGIG/Deputy
• Invite Key Leaders (PR, Secretary, Ex Cmttee
  members Chairmen of Key Committees
  (Membership, Mentoring, etc.), Directors of Work)
• Invite spouses to Friday evening social time
• Promotes Bonding on an Orient-wide Basis
• Permits sharing of key concepts
• Opportunity to discuss what worksand what doesnt

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The Orient Workshop

• Pre distribute the agenda
• Solicit topics of interest from Valleys
• Utilize the Strategic Plan as framework for
  discussion
• Utilize outside resources
• Supreme Council Staff
• Non-Masonic Speakers
• Assign Action items follow-up

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Training Equipping

• Training for the Job
• Require all new key leaders to attend a formal
  training session
• develops sense of unity and purpose
• allows development of team concept
• Use leaders who have been effective in their
  positions as trainers
• Discuss what works what doesnt work

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Specifics of a Valley Workshop

• Coordinated by SGIG/Deputy
• Invite Key Leadership in Valley including Board
  Members, Degree Masters, Committee Chairmen, etc.
• Develop and Distribute Agenda Prior to Meeting
• Utilize Strategic Plan to Organize Discussion
• Brainstorm - time to stretch think outside the
  box
• Refine ideas and discuss what isdoable and what
  is not

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The Valley Workshop

• Identify Programs that Need to be Refined or
  Discarded
• Identify New Programs to be Implemented
• Discuss staffing, budget, and accountability of
  issues
• Does program enhance or conflict with
  organizational goals?
• Assign Specific People toAccomplish Specific
  Tasks

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Training Equipping

• Leadership Training Should Include Short-term and
  Long-term goals
• Strategic planning is critical to ultimate
  success of an organization
• Every leader should be thinking about the future

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Training Equipping

• Learn to Delegate!
• Avoid thinking that you are the only person who
  can do the jobyou are not!
• Be task specific when delegating as to task,
  time, budget, result, and accountability

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Volunteers

• Enlisting Others for a Common Purpose
• What Motivates a Volunteer?
• Sense of purpose and fulfillment
• Recognition
• Rewards or awards

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Volunteers

• True Volunteers vs. Recruited Volunteers
• Make sure that a volunteer, recruited or not, has
  the skills and temperament to be effective for
  the desired task
• If not, channel the volunteer to a position where
  he will be effective
• Dont quench a volunteers excitement!

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Volunteers

• When Recruiting for a Position, Make Sure the
  Person is Qualified or Will Be Qualified to
  Progress if the Job is in a Progressive Line
• Someone might make a fine Junior Warden but does
  not have the skill set to be Venerable Master
• Avoid future embarrassment tothe individual

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Volunteers

• Volunteers Need Positive Feedback
• Give person needed authority to do his job
• Monitor progress and give constructive comments
  when appropriate

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Volunteers

• Ensure That Every Proposed Officer and Committee
  Member has been Recruited
• Has the task been discussed with the person?
• Is the person committed to serve?
• Do not take anyone for granted
• Recognize What Volunteers Expect of Their Leaders

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Communications Skills

• Listening Skills are Essential
• 98 of what we learn we acquire through our eyes
  and ears
• Almost 70 of a typical day is spent
  communicating
• Little Formal Education is Devoted to Development
  of Listening Skills

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Communications Skills

• Characteristics of a Poor Listener
• Quickly decides a topic is boring or useless
• Listens primarily to detect flaws in presentation
  so speaker can be criticized
• Does not perceive or understand non-verbal
  communication
• Has pre-set agenda
• Is closed-minded

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Communications Skills

• Characteristics of a Good Listener
• Takes genuine interest in topic and speaker
• Wants to acquire information
• Seeks to obtain balanced viewpoints
• Does not arrive at a final conclusion without
  input from appropriate sources

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Communications Skills

• Characteristics of a Good Listener
• Asks questions to obtain more information rather
  than to advance a point of view
• Acknowledges validity of other viewpoints even
  when disagreeing with such viewpoints

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Recognition Feedback

• People Crave Recognition and Feedback
• Recognitions
• Publicly praise, privately critique
• Letters and postcards
• Bulletin boards
• Valley publications
• Bring volunteers accomplishments to the
  attention of other leadership
• Celebrate all accomplishmentslarge small

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Recognition Feedback

• Feedback
• Provide timely and appropriate feedback
• Be specific in comments
• If there is a shortcoming, provide positive
  comments on how to overcome
• Give volunteers opportunities to ask questions
• Actively seek advice from volunteers where
  appropriate
• Ask how they would accomplishthe task

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Is This Statement Correct?

• The leader must find a way to communicate the
  vision in a way that attracts and excites members
  of the organization.

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Assignments

• Develop a formal leadership training program for
  each key office or job.
• Have all members of any nominating committee
  trained in the identification and training of
  leaders.
• Implement a formal recognition program for
  leaders and volunteers.

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Questions? Or Comments?Contact Us

• Bob Hannon
• mbhannon_at_qwest.net
• Bill Miller
• wasgig_at_comcast.net
• Hoyt Samples
• hsamples_at_sampleslaw.com

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LeadershipTraining forthe Orient
By Robert F. Hannon, 33, SGIG in Arizona,
William R. Miller, 33, SGIG in Washington, and
Hoyt O. Samples, 33, SGIG in Tennessee