Help for a new Committee Chair

[pchadbo]

Here is the situation from my point of view:

 

I am fairly new and currently our packs ACM. I have been asked and accepted the positon of CC for the new year (read July 2011). Our current CC is from the "I will do everything and make sure it is done the way I want it done and I will know it is done right" school of thought. He currently fills the roles of CC, Secretary, Advancement, outdoor activities, membership/registration, FOS, pack trainer, webmaster and publisher of our newsletter.

I on the other hand believe that many hands make light work so am looking to include moer people (so I don't have to do it all.) Have some of the people ready to fill in, and have ideas for the others, here is the issue though. He has recently stated that he may not be stepping all the way back as he initially indicated when we talked. I seem to have inadvertently stepped on toes by talking to people about taking positions in the new year (July) and beginning to organizing things. I had also talked with the current CC about transitioning the roles through the yearso he could ease out and I would ease in but this doesn't seem to be happening.

So my dilemma is do I just wait and see or talk to the CC again?

And to add to the issue the COR is a title only, not a bad thing as they don't meddle but again there is no support for issues either.

Thanks for the advice!

Paul

 

[Lisabob]

It sounds like your current CC might benefit from setting up a defined role for himself in the coming year. He may be having trouble handing off to you and so he's having second thoughts about leaving at all. If you don't address this in some way, there will likely be continued lack of clarity about what your role is, and how you plan to do this job.

 

So - pick out one or (maybe) two things that you think he does really well, and that you want him to continue doing. Then have a conversation with him about how you know he will be very supportive of you by giving you the chance to try some new things and incorporate some new people, but that you're grateful that he's still helping with just that one thing.

 

Something like this might help: "I'm really hoping that you will be willing to channel your limited volunteer time into __activity X___. Won't it be nice to have just the one task/activity to focus on, instead of having to do it all? I'll be sure to check in with you from time to time to see how _activity X_ is going and if you need anything from me as CC."

 

And then keep making your own plans for the following year in everything other than that one activity.

 

One other thought - I've been part of a couple of volunteer organizations for a long time. One has a new president elected annually (generally, whoever doesn't say "not it" quick enough!), and sometimes I have found myself wondering how on earth the newbie will do the job. Yet they all survive and most manage to do pretty well. What I have learned from this is that everyone brings some kind of strength to the job, and it is better to focus on maximizing their strengths, than on comparing them (often critically) to their predecessor or worrying about their weaknesses too much.

 

How did I learn this? Partly experience of course, and partly an off-hand comment somebody made to me about one of these newbie leaders. It was something to the effect that everybody might define the position and their priorities differently, but that each of our recent newbie presidents had brought an unexpected skill to the position, and had therefore been able to address problems that the previous leaders hadn't even really seen, let alone been prepared to handle.

 

While I'm not exactly a fan of the "warm body" school of volunteer staffing, this did give me pause to think about how I interact with new folks in the organization - and as someone who tends to do a lot myself in order to make sure it is done right, this was valuable to me. It helped me feel ok about stepping back. Maybe the same kind of thing could happen for your current CC.

[pchadbo]

Thanks LisaBob, but I thought that was covered as he will be the Web 2 leader next year. . .

I will talk to him and see what his plans are and adjust or reassert as appropriate

[moosetracker]

You got the right of it in dividing the work up in so many ways then just to keep you from going crazy with to much to do.. The best CC's are the ones whose main function is to delegate, delegate, delegate then just organize the monthly meeting so everyone knows what they need to do based on what others are doing.. Then the only other thing is dealing with the parents & adult leaders with complaints, the boys are the Pack and Den leaders issues, the adults yours..

 

The more adults involved in the program the less complaints you will get about the program.. No matter how good you are at juggling 90 balls, if people are not part of the solution they have the time to sit back and point out the faults.. When they are part of the team, they are happier with the program they feel a part of..

 

How to get them involved is another matter, usually the hard part is getting them to wade in. You really don't want to kill any positive move you make with anyone to have the current CC tell them to get out of the pool, because it is still his pool..

 

So how to get a guy who never knew how to let go of the ball, when he has never been able too... I am sorta with Lisabob (if the position was yours officially and he was still butting in and complicating the issue of you taking over).. But where the position is still officially his you have to get him to give you one or two items at a time, to learn and delegate out..

 

Is he giving up the position for a different position in the pack, or because his youngest so is moving on to the troop, so that is now where he should be headed. Some people do stay with the pack in order to allow their son a chance to find their own way with the troop.. Usually though not people with a control issue.

 

So from that perspective, the sit down meeting should go more like.. First finding out if he is still planning to do , is he still planning on resigning or not.. If he does plan on you taking over for him, find out what he does want to continue with and let him have those positions. Then, let him know that you need this time to learn the job slowly and would love his help and guidence while you learn the job.. Let him in on why you need to divide all he did to different people, play on his ego of how well he did it all by himself, that you are glad he will continue to do A & B because it is something you now don't have to worry about, but even so, you could never do as incredable a job as he did and want to get others involved in helping. Then ask if you can take over one or two things now and start getting others involved as it will take time to get alot of people to take on positions. Take those one or two things, organize it, and when you feel good about it, go back and ask him for one or two things more.

 

Make him feel that he is helping you learn the job and you are very thankful.. Not that you are jumping in (before his body is even cold) and changing everything to be different.. He is probably feeling the same thing others may feel when selling a home and strangers come into the home you loved for years and start talking about ripping out walls and painting the outside of the house a color you would have never painted it..

[pchadbo]

Thanks Moose!

 

He WILL be staying with the pack as his youngest will be a Tiger after his oldest crosses over, and yes he said he wants to be the Tiger leader when that comes around.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head:

 

"He is probably feeling the same thing others may feel when selling a home and strangers come into the home you loved for years and start talking about ripping out walls and painting the outside of the house a color you would have never painted it..."

 

So for now I will take the slower approach and let things settle and keep on keeping on.

 

 

[Lisabob]

"The more adults involved in the program the less complaints you will get about the program.. No matter how good you are at juggling 90 balls, if people are not part of the solution they have the time to sit back and point out the faults.. When they are part of the team, they are happier with the program they feel a part of.. "

 

That's a really good point, and one that can be used without challenging anybody's egos. Increased "ownership" of the program by other parents will be a net win for the pack. Good luck!