Organizational Crisis: Too Much Politics?

Friday night, I was asked to speak before a group of possible recruits to JCI. It is one of those orientation talks that regular members invite their prospects in order to fully convince them about the organization, and get them to sign up.. but more importantly... participate and be active in JCI. During the talk, I had asked each participant to share what it was about themselves they would like to change for the better, what it was in their community they would like to improve, and well same line of question in business and internationalism. There were a lot interesting ideas and exchanges, but there was one point raised by this lady who had worked as a .. was it supervisor or manager, I forget. But the thing is, she had over 400 people to handle in her department... and she was very specific at what she wanted... she wanted to know how to change employees attitudes, especially in the work setting... What it meant really was, how she could help her subordinates develop the right outlook, have the right attitude.. and I guess .. if I may assume .. how that sort of perspective leads to productivity and organizational efficiency. She had found it, and I am not sure if she realizes that yet since she is still new in the organization. But that exactly what we do in JCI. What.. you may ask. Well, I'll leave that to you to read about, that's a different blog for me to write. Anyways, I knew.. this could be what she was looking for. Where else can you develop the sort of leadership, the sort of positive influence you can use; but in an organization that keeps there members busy with projects and activities and who don't get a single cent for their time and efforts. The best way to develop this is in a voluntary organization. When you lead a group of volunteers, when you lead people who you don't pay a salary to, when you give instructions to those who are themselves managers - bosses - owners of their own companies; you develop that citical element in a leader, which is the ability to motivate people, in other ways more than just pay. Master that, take into the work setting - and you'll see how easy it is. Now why did I get into this in the first place. In the past month, I have been a witness to two organizational crises. One JCI related. The other at work. The JCI related crisis is similar to one I was also witness to in the first few months acting as Executive Vice President for JCI in the country. What made it so amusing was my pondering on, how similar organizations' problems are, how interesting the dynamics & actions of the people in it.. and how it was easier for me to handle today, how ready the advise i had to to give.. because lucky me, I had been through similar cases before. People blame it on politics, but actually it isnt politics but the practice of bad politics. Where there are people that are part of organizations, be it the the family or a group of friends... or bigger ones such as a company ... the corporate world ... or organizations.. there shall always be politics .. for this is the practice of relationships between people and therefore bad politics is simply poor relations and good relationships.. good politics. Politics isn't merely people elected into public office, nor is it negative as it is often used to imply dealing with people in an opportunistic, manipulative way. Politics is people & people affairs.

Do You Have TIME To Kill

Alright, I have to say it... knowing that there would be those who would disagree... but it is what I think right this very moment... blogging is not for the busy! And what a busy two months it has been... but I guess there is always that break-in period... stop me if I am talking about somthing you aren't aware about. Well, a little recap for those on their first finding of my space on the vast web. I am recently relocated, professionaly and geographically. The job is a dream, which probably explains why the days seem to fly by, i don't notice them going, the hours never seem to slack... and I am working over time trying to assimilate all that I could of this industry I have found myself in. An industry which hasn't been around for more than a decade and yet has made gazillions for a lot of people... and regrettable to recall I was already on it back in 95 when it first caught on but I never really took it seriously, I never really looked at the possibilities nor grabbed the opportunties. Oh yes, what a word... opportunity. I just used the hell out of that word last Friday. I was invited to speak to a bunch of JCI prospects. These are invited potential members joining the organization. Now which should I talk about first? Let me just clear my head a bit... aaahhh too much to say, too little time. Let me lay this out properly. What was I talking about? Being too busy to blog. Right. Unless you have plenty of spare time, or time you can kill despite being busy, I mean.. there is that commute maybe which takes a while. I did that once, a little shaky though, trying to keep your PDA still while you type. So maybe for you, there is that bus ride or that wait at the train station, or that line for a cab or pedi-cab. So, tonight I am trying to spend what little free time I have left of my Sunday night, before my go to bed DVD, writing this blog. I'm not even gonna fix the sheets on th bed right beside me, and its one mess you can't just ignore. Forget the bed.. the room is a disaster. Anyways.... moving on.... JCI and its Recruits. JCI is an international organization with members all over the world... and in our little nook we have some chapters who got together and had a little talk with possible new members. I say possible because I am not sure if anyone of them committed to getting in regular yet. It's a good thing I was talking about this, I just remembered I had another seminar to speak at on Saturday the 16th. Anyway. Opportunity. Friday night's seminar was an orientation for possible new members of JCI, where we talk about possibilities and experiences in the organization, the chances they get and the prospect of being better. Better in every aspect that anyone could ever be better. Incidentally Be Better happens to be the new world them of JCI. So in a nutshell I guess what was expected of me was to convince them to sign up. At the start, I askem them to write on a little sheet of paper, something that they had the chance of getting into, or doing or experiencing. Something that presented itself to them but because of misgivings or apprehension or whatever reason there be.. didnt pursue it - dint not grab it. Then I told them to have one long good look at what they wrote, remember how it felt, and focus on how they felt now, reading about that thing that they had missed out on. I told them to fold that little piece of paper and slip it into their back pocket and sit on it. This was an interesting mix of people who were creative, inquisitive... and at a certain level in life when hungry for something yet didnt know what it was. Kind of like that feeling you get when you know there's something you want, but dont know what it is, and yet would know when you found it. For women, thats called SHOPPING! But seriously, about half an hour later, after half an hour of finding out what they wanted for themselves, what they wanted to change, what they wanted to experience I came to the bottomline which simply is... Despite all the opportunities, discussed... all these exciting possibilities, they would simply remain at that... possbiblities, if they did'nt sign up. Did they remember how it felt to miss out on something that they regretted later? About that thing they wrote down and put in their back pocket... I hope they did. This post is getting a little long. My next blog is... a continuation of what I started to talk about earlier above, you remember.. that missed opportunity that I am trying to make up for now, as I have found myself in the industry. It is... The INTERNET On my next post.