Time to be thankful

At your next meeting, start off with something different. Go around the room, and ask each member to share something for which they are thankful. Whether it's a friendship in the room, something your group has achieved this year, something in their personal life, the approach of basketball season, whatever.

Have your officers go first to set the tone. Sure, there will be a couple of sarcastic, maybe even inappropriate answers as you go around the room, but that's OK. The idea is to focus on the good stuff your members get from being a part of your organization.

If people don't know what to say, they can simply be thankful for being a member, or being alive, or for the opportunity to attend college, or for our men and women serving overseas. Let people know that they can be as personal as they want to be, or not personal at all.

Want to make it even better? After going around the room, have everyone write the thing they are thankful for on an index card, and then post those cards somewhere visible. If your group is a housed fraternity or sorority, post them by the front door. If you're a student government, post them in the student activities office. Athletic teams might post them in the locker room, or perhaps post their own card on the outside of their locker. If you're a student life staff member, post them in your break area or on your office doors. Keep that positive energy of thanks and appreciation going.

Today, our intern, Ryan, took a bulletin board and cut out a bunch of turkeys, putting the name of a staff member on each one. He then distributed five paper "feathers" to each staff member and asked them to write something they were thankful for on each feather. Staff members are busy right now putting their feathers on their birds. It was a really nice way to end our week here.

Sometimes, we get so bogged down by the challenges in our organization or in our workplace that we forget to note the simple things that make being in college and being a student leader wonderful. Give your members the opportunity to express what your organization means to them, and how the relationships they make there affect them.

Time to deliver

Someone emailed me a question this week: "What is the best advice you can give to student organizations and student life people during this time of recession, slashed budgets, and depressing economics." My first reaction was to advise that people should keep their chins up and be optimistic. But, after more thought, here's my answer.

"It's time to deliver."

No one cares about what you meant to do. No one wants to hear excuses. No one has any patience for people who whine, and under-perform.

Shut up, put in the work, and deliver something. In a current economic climate where people are three months behind on house payments, no one cares about tiny, whiny problems.

I heard this morning on the news that satisfaction with Congress is at a 12-year low in the polls right now. I'm of the opinion (and you may disagree, that's fine) that Congress is actually getting quite a bit done this session. But, I understand why the poll is showing dissatisfaction among regular Americans. When the public is pissed, worried and impatient for progress, the regular machinations of debate and deal-making annoy the public more.

When the environment is worrisome, it's also impatient and demanding. It's time to deliver.

Same thing when it comes to your organization. People (your members and your constituents) are looking for results. They don't want politics, posturing, excuses or lengthy explanations of why you can't get something done. They don't care if it's hard, or if your budget is slashed, or if you're having to work more hours. They don't want big, flashy impressive events. They want you to do your job and produce something of value.

My best advice to student organizations right now? Buckle down, and produce. Don't aim to impress. Don't take on wild new projects. Fix what's broken, focus on getting the job done. Get rid of leaders who aren't stepping up and doing their jobs. Make sure your finances are in order, and make sure you have a plan in case your dollars decline. Find economies, and say goodbye to the partnerships, the events, and the processes that drain away resources.

To student life people: appreciate the fact that you have a job, make yourself invaluable to everyone counting on you, and guide people to the other side of this mess. You need to deliver, also. Make sure your time is spent on efforts that yield visible results.

Right now, three strong achievements beat the hell out of wild plans and promises.

When you can't get anyone to run

If you hold an election, and no one runs for anything, does it make a noise?

It's not uncommon for student organizations to struggle getting qualified candidates to run for offices. Perhaps your group's morale is low. Perhaps you don't have enough members to fill the positions. Maybe this year's officers alienated everyone. Or, maybe the position is perceived by your members as a thankless one.

Here are a couple of steps for coping with the "empty chair" situation. First, the option I like the least...
• Coerce someone into taking the position. This is my least favorite solution, because someone who you beg to do a position is unlikely to take a strong personal interest in the position. If you go this route, you're better off going to someone who was an officer a year ago and is still around.

All of the following options are better, in my opinion...

• Remove all prerequisites. If your organization has counter-productive requirements – such as "all officers must have been a member of the organization for two years" – drop them. Recruit in a young, eager leader looking for a way to prove himself.

• Recruit a new member for the specific purpose of assuming the role. It's kind of fun to become a member and an officer the same day. Go out and find someone who has the skills and motivation and who is looking for a place to use them.

• Consider making it a jointly held position. Why can't you have two people serving as secretary and alternating tasks? Not ideal, but if you have members who worry about the time commitment, this might be an option.

• Eliminate the position. Divide the tasks among other officers and committee chairs.

• Let the position sit empty for a while. Maybe someone will step up a little later, and you can fill the position by appointment.

• Beef up the position. Maybe no one wants the position because it's seen as lame. Un-lame it by adding some additional responsibilities and powers.

If you're having trouble filling offices, you have options. Don't be afraid to try something new and unexpected. It could liven things up.

"Approaches to Creating a Veteran-Friendly Campus"

Following up on my posting last week about programs for veterans on your campus...

Here is a webinar called "Approaches to Creating a Veteran-Friendly Campus."

http://www.naspa.org/programs/veterans.cfm

In my mind, this is a critical issue for student affairs professionals. I know no one involved in the webinar. It's $79 for students and $179 for professionals who are members of NASPA, ASCA, or ACUHO-I.

A Powerful Lesson

Mark Sterner is not a guy you would immediately peg as one of the busiest college speakers in the country. He never set out to be a speaker, and given the choice to roll back time and change his history, he'd probably rather be selling insurance like his brother.

But, that's not the way his history unfolded. He ended up with a tragic story that has taken him to more than 1,200 colleges, universities and high schools since I first met him in 1999.

Several years ago, Mark was getting ready to graduate college. It was his senior year, and like many kids from blue-collar circumstances, he was about to become the first person in his family to graduate college. It was a time of celebration. Graduation was in sight. Mark and four of his fraternity brothers made plans to spend their Spring Break in Sanibel Island, Florida, where one of their parents had a condo.

Sanibel Island wasn't much of a Spring Break location, so each night they'd pile into the Lincoln Town Car they had rented and they would drive to the nearest bar, looking for a little fun. Each night, they'd designate a sober driver, and for the first five nights, the system worked fine.

Their Spring Break was fairly typical – maybe even a little dull compared to those of their friends who had gone to Daytona or Panama City Beach. They drank too much in the evenings, and they got sunburned from falling asleep in the sun during the days. Personal video cameras were the new, cool thing at the time, and the men taped their exploits – from shots on the condo patio to lame dancing at half-empty bars. They were all incredibly bad dancers, and the alcohol didn't help.

This story plays out every year for thousands of young college students. They safely return to the final weeks of college, their livers recovering, with memories that will last a lifetime. That's not how the story ended for Mark and his brothers.

The final night of Spring Break, no one wanted to be the designated driver a second time. It was the final night, after all, and they wanted it to be memorable. Unwisely, they decided that the least drunk among them would take the wheel on the way home. That person was Mark.

After taping their exploits in a local bar, they headed home along the dark, two-lane Florida roads that led back to their condo. The alcohol and the young male bravado took over. Mark drove too fast, eager to see what the Town Car could do.

The next thing Mark remembers is waking up in a hospital, several days later. His body was badly damaged. Three of his fraternity brothers were dead. Police waited outside his hospital room to charge him with three counts of felony manslaughter. Instead of being the first in his family to graduate college, he would be the first in his family to go to prison.

Mark's story is the ultimate example of how one bad decision can alter the entire course of a person's life. Now a felon, Mark found himself grieving his friends, coping with guilt, and pondering his destroyed life from the sterile surroundings of a minimum security prison in Florida.

For many of us, we hear Mark's story and realize that it could have happened as easily to us. But for the grace of God...

Approximately 45 nights each semester, Mark gets up in front of audiences nationwide and shares his story. I've watched from the back of the room at least a dozen times. He shows video the men took during their trip. He shows pictures of the mangled Town Car and pictures of the brothers he lost. He doesn't preach, he doesn't give motivational messages like many who have picked up the shattered pieces of their lives. He simply tells students that they need to stay vigilant and consistently make good decisions. It's a simple, straightforward message. This happened to me, and there's no reason it couldn't happen to you if you aren't smart.

Each year, we get the most passionate emails and letters from students who have been touched by Mark's story. They talk about friends they have lost to impaired driving. They tell Mark that later that year they had a night where they thought about getting behind the wheel impaired, remembered his program, and made a better decision.

It's been a long, weird journey for Mark. Frankly, I don't know how he manages to get up each evening and share the worst experience of his life. I don't know how he deals with the occasional crazy who asks him how it felt to kill his friends. I don't know why he hasn't retired his suitcases and moved on to some other, more normal way of making a living. He certainly has other opportunities. It's not as if looking at the pictures of his dead friends every night is his only option. Most in his position would have done everything possible to distance themselves.

This coming week begins National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW). I thought of writing something about why you, as a student leader, should still care about promoting awareness and prevention of alcohol abuse. The tragedies caused by alcohol and poor judgment are real.

Instead, I decided to celebrate Mark. After a decade, he's still our busiest speaker, and probably the one on our roster I admire the most. The number of lives he's saved is countless.

He will be busy this NCAAW speaking to audiences in Texas, D.C., Alabama, Pennsylvania, and New York. Like Mark, we need to stay vigilant in helping young people understand the power of good personal choices. History need not repeat itself.

Make changes now to avoid endless elections

If you are that rare and beautiful student organization that has an efficient and effective elections process, then skip this entry. If you're one of the majority of student organizations that has an elections process that's as much fun as a root canal, this is for you.

If it takes you longer than a 2-hour meeting to elect new officers, you should start working now to implement some changes to improve your process. Some people love a long and drawn-out election meeting, but the rest of us (with a life) think it's dreadful. Dreadful. Dreadful.

First, a note. I hate the concept of "slating" officers. I think it's unfair and suggests that a small group of people know better than the entire group being led. I am a fan, however, of having qualifications for those running for office (grade point averages, first and foremost), and having a process by which people become candidates. But, if four people want to run for Treasurer, I think all four should be given a chance to throw their hats in.

Here are my suggestions. Your advisor might have many more.

1. Make people register their candidacy at least two weeks in advance. Knowing who is running for offices allows the necessary conversations to happen before the election meeting. A little campaigning is a good thing. Maybe even offer some informal gatherings where people can ask the candidates questions. The two-week registration forces people to be thoughtful about running, but it also allows people to approach each candidate to ask questions. Better that they do that informally, person-to-person, than during an 8 hour elections marathon meeting. I think a group organically vetting its candidates is more fair than a slating process which is almost always biased.

2. If people want to run for multiple offices, let them file candidacies for all of those positions. Chances are, someone who puts his name in the hat for multiple offices won't be elected to any of them. You'll need to decide on a process for how you'll handle it if a person wins more than one office. For example, letting the person choose which office she wants then having a run-off for the other office she won. This might require a bylaw change, so think it through.

3. Allow the candidates to submit a written statement (200 words or less) that outlines their qualifications, their motivations for running, and their priorities if elected. Or, do it as a 3-5 point questionnaire that each candidate can fill out with brief answers. Then, distribute these to all members via website or some other means at least a week in advance of the meeting.

4. At the elections meeting, allow each candidate to nominate someone to speak on their behalf for 2 minutes. Or, allow the candidate him/herself to speak for 2 minutes. You do not need to allow time for people to speak "against" candidates. That's counter-productive. All the negatives will have circulated informally in the two weeks proceeding. Your elections should not be a vehicle for ripping people down or discrediting their leadership talents or motives.

5. If you have more than 8 officers, elect them in two batches: your top four officers at the first elections meeting, then the others at the subsequent meeting. This beats one long, draining meeting.

6. Knowing your candidates in advance allows you to do ballots which can be done at the conclusion of your elections meeting. You don't need to do voting for each office independently – that's a giant time suck.

There are probably lots of other ideas people have on how to streamline elections. If you have one, email it to me, and I'll feature it in a future posting.

My main point, however, is that if your elections are a draining, monotonous, exhausting process, then you need to start laying some groundwork NOW to make it better. If you need to make changes to your constitution or bylaws to improve the process, now is the time to do it.

Elections for many organizations are a month or so away, so take the initiative immediately to improve your process.

Soldier Send-offs, a great program idea

While at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point last week, I had the opportunity to speak to the president of their Veterans Club. I haven't come across many of these groups, but I imagine that after nearly a decade of wars in both Iraq and Afganistan, we're going to be seeing many more on campuses across the country.

I asked him what sort of events his group does, and he told me that their most successful event of the year was a Soldier Send-off. Basically, they gathered a bunch of the men and women who were soon to ship off for the Middle East and they did a big celebration event for them. They invited local veterans, families with loved ones serving, and the families of those about to be deployed. Then, they invited other groups on campus to come support their student soldiers. He said that turn-out was fantastic.

As part of the event, they also gave out lists of students who were currently serving in the military and several organizations "adopted" a student soldier. Presumably, the groups would then send care packages and notes of encouragement and support to their fellow students serving overseas.

I know an amazing idea when I hear one. How wonderful it would be if campuses all around the country held similar events to honor the men and women in their student body who have served, are preparing to serve, and who are away from campus, serving currently. It's an event that every organization on campus could get behind.

Wednesday, November 11 is Veterans Day, and a perfect opportunity to plan something of this nature. You might also check with your athletic department to see if they will be doing any sort of veteran-focused half-time observance the Saturday before or after Veterans Day (many do) and see if you can add something to that event.

Merging student organizations?

Do you follow business news? Consolidations and mergers are commonplace. Delta Airlines absorbs Northwest. Whole Foods digests Wild Oats. Television's WB and UPN networks merge to become the CW.

It's not an easy game, merging cultures from different companies. The big goal is to form one larger, more powerful company that can make more money and achieve more in the marketplace. It's not easy, and success is not guaranteed, but the potential is enormous.

Does consolidation make sense sometimes in the world of student organizations?

I was at one campus recently that had four tiny organizations, all trying to serve international students. All four groups had tiny budgets and were cannibalizing each other with competing events aimed at the same small, specific campus population. I asked them why they didn't just merge into one bigger International Student Organization and streamline their leadership, events, and meetings. By merging their budgets and becoming the singular organization representing international students on their campus, they'd have more clout when lobbying for campus activity funding.

As we discussed it, they were skeptical. The Asian students don't necessarily mix with the Latin students, they said. When I suggested that the new organization could have different groups within the same umbrella (still have events for the Asian students, other events for the Latin students, and new events for the African students, etc.), they seemed puzzled. We've somehow accepted that every mission in student activities calls for an independent student organization. This is not the only option.

I recently chatted with an acquaintance about how two struggling fraternities could merge on his campus. The two small fraternities in question got along well, and were very similar in make-up and values. But the groups were struggling because they had a hard time maintaining their respective houses. Why not merge, I asked? Either have two groups sharing one house, or do a true merger and give up one of the charters. Wouldn't it be better to have one fraternity that is able to compete than two that are constantly hovering near demise?

Certainly, merging groups can be a challenge. Some members will never endorse such a move, and they will drop off. There will be leadership challenges. Whose traditions and events survive? How do we put past differences behind us? Do we retain one of the groups' name, or do we come up with something entirely new?

The only way to figure out if it would work would be to begin the "what if" conversation. It can happen confidentially, and it should include key leaders and their advisors. It's important during these discussions to focus on the new possibilities the merger presents. More money, more members, a chance to build a new, stronger organization that can do exciting things.

For advisors reading this blog: is consolidation something we should be encouraging more often? Would it be more productive (and easier?) to advise one effective group rather than four ineffective ones? As advisors, why don't we suggest this idea to struggling groups, then help them figure out how to do it?

It's time to check your progress and momentum

Welcome to Week Five. Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the end of the honeymoon.

This is typically the week when everyone's academic reality comes crashing down after a brutal set of exams. The freshmen start missing home and those boyfriends and girlfriends they left there. The student activities folks are exhausted from the last month and a half of constant work.

Maybe, if you're lucky, you have Homecoming or some other fall festival weekend to ease the pain, but the weather is turning colder, sunset is coming earlier, and all that beautiful "start of the year momentum" has waned.

By now, you have a pretty good idea how your football team is doing, and the majority of you realize that your record is going to be pretty much like last year's. You'll probably notice people starting to blow off the games this weekend or next.

I don't mean to be depressing, but dear student leaders, now is when you need to start cranking up the motivation machine. You've coasted as far as the start of the year will take you, and now you should be getting some real work done. Your group should be knee deep in projects, events and the routines of achieving your mission.

Check in with your fellow officers. See how they are doing – or if they are actually DOING anything. It's a good time to gather opinions, check back on those goals you set at your retreat. Have plans been finalized? Have some first steps been taken? Any early successes we can celebrate? Any leaders not stepping up?

It's a good time to have that executive board meeting around a few plates of sliders at the local Denny's. Leave the agenda behind and just talk. What can we realistically accomplish in the next two months before we elect new officers? What's working, and what isn't?

Name three things that your members can be looking forward to. If you can't think of three obvious things, do something about it.