Download Leadership and Succession Planning

Rotary District Conference 2005
Leadership and
Succession Planning
AGENDA
•
The Challenges of Volunteerism
•
Overcoming the Challenges - Leadership
•
Recognizing & Recruiting tomorrow’s leaders today
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Preparing for Leadership
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Succession Planning: Simple Things – Big Difference
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New Innovations with Rotary Leadership
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I + M = S²
CHALLENGES OF VOLUNTEERISM
You’re Not Alone
Volunteer Alberta recently conducted a study called
“Assessing the Capacity to Support Volunteerism” – here are
some of the issues that were significant:
• Age – inability to engage young volunteers; looking at “paid”
volunteers; 30-50 years old was the most serious shortage
• Awareness – everyone doing their own thing – hard to get
noticed, convincing people they would be good volunteers, public
perception of the organization
• Other Resources – retain volunteers through appreciation and
challenging roles
You’re Not Alone
• Volunteer Burnout – same people end up doing everything,
asked to do too much by too many organizations
• Retention / Recruitment – high profile gets more attention,
unable (unwilling) to travel, fulfill mandatory requirements, lack
of interest even if they thought the cause worthwhile
• Lack of Time - “The most significant challenge reported by 49%
of organizations with recruitment issues was potential volunteers’
lack of time. With today’s busy lifestyle, an increase in dualincome families and child-rearing activities, people are more likely
to value any amount of spare time they have and prefer not to
spend it in volunteer activities.”
Overcoming the Challenges
• Recognizing, Recruiting, Training, and Supporting
Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
• The Evolution of Leadership
• Doing Simple Things Make a Big Difference
• I + M = S²
…You Might be a Good Leader
 If you talk to people in a way that they “get it”…
 If you’re focused, yet flexible in your decision-making…
 If you say you’ll do something, then actually do it…
 If you deal with conflict NOW, yet don’t rush to judgement…
 If you’re visible – actually out there with the troops…
 If you create a culture of fun by celebrating successes…
 If you inspire your people with positive messages…
 If you look and act like a leader…
Identifying & Recruiting
• As in any organization, “promotion” from within
comes from experience in many different areas. In
order to identify and recruit tomorrow’s leaders today,
they need exposure to the club’s avenues of service,
district conferences, club events and activities, etc.
• “Behaviour reinforced is behaviour repeated”
• If they have a positive experience in their role, and
continue to see the benefit of being involved, a natural
evolution of more involvement will take place
Identifying & Recruiting
• How do we inject new blood into leadership roles?
• ASK them! Not always the President that has to do
the asking – utilize others in their capacity to recruit
within their area.
• When do we ask them? 2 years out is not too far.
• If they have a positive experience and want to take on
more leadership roles, it behoves us to insure they are
prepared to do it!
Leadership Training
Rotary has so many support mechanisms in place to help
leaders fulfill their duties, but not every club or every
member takes advantage of this assistance:
• District Leadership Training (subsidize costs)
• District Conference (subsidize costs)
• Assistant District Governors
• District Chairs of Avenues of Service
• Past Presidents / Past Chairs
Evolution of Leadership
“Behaviour reinforced is behaviour repeated”
If club members have a positive experience in their leadership
role, the likelihood of their advancing to higher levels of
leadership is very strong – District, Zone, International.
It is our responsibility to ensure they have a positive experience!
So how do we do that? Preparation & Succession Planning!
Simple Things – Big Difference
• Elections – hold them in December to select new
Board for upcoming Rotary year in July
• Invite all new Board members to attend Board
meetings for six months prior to taking over their
portfolio – seamless transition
• Delegate – If one person (President) is doing it all,
leads to volunteer burnout – spread the work around
• Mentorship – Being available for advice
Relevance
Rotary must have relevance in our lives. If there is no relevance
to us or our families, we will not grant it our time and energy.
Relevance Investment = Socialization
“People like to be involved with people they like”
If we do not deem it relevant, we will never “find” the time.
If we do deem it relevant, we will “make” the time.
Are we having fun yet?
More Than Mechanics
Inspiration + Motivation = Successful Succession
• Challenge
others to do better than you did
• Urge them to answer a calling – a special project
• Use the words of others to motivate
• Be the living example of the 4-way test
• Be bold – challenge the status quo
• Be inspired by others
Motivation
I urge you to:
• Go back and DO something you said you were going to do
• Deal with any outstanding conflicts you have NOW, being fair
to hear both sides of the story before drawing conclusions
• Make time for people – you can’t lead from the bleachers
• Inspire others by your words and actions – deliver positive
messages
• Put up a sign on your bathroom mirror that says
“If not now, when?”
Inspired by Others
“Can you imagine
what I could do –
if I would do –
all that I can?”
The musician formerly (and again) known as Prince