Delegation, Empowerment, and Follow-Up

The Goal


In order to improve the five core dimensions of empowerment, I will provide support by consistently, thoughtfully, and sincerely offering praise, giving encouragement, and expressing confidence in those who lead me, those I lead, and those I serve. While there are many ways to provide support for for those we serve and those that serve us, this is the specific action that I would like to focus on.

The Method

In order to do this, intend to incorporate it into my current weekly planning and goal setting methodology. Which I am currently re-working in order to incorporate principles taught in 7 Habits of Highly effective people. I will incorporate this action item into my current system by:

• I will set and record smart goals that align with overarching action item mentioned above during my weekly planning session. I will occasionally share these goals with Brittanie and Brother Ward.
• I will make specific plans to implement these goals and align them with my role as ED and goals during my weekly planning
• I will personally asses my efforts on these goals daily during my personal daily accounting to the Lord and weekly during my personal weekly review
• I will ask for feedback and assessment of my efforts in stewardships with Brittanie and and in conversation with Brother Ward.

The Honor Code

1. From your experience, why has the Lord required an honor code at BYU?

The Bible refers to members of Christ's church as a peculiar people. Peculiar is defined as: Strange or odd; unusual. In other words, members of Christ's church are supposed to be different from the world and its ways. As a University owned and operated by the LDS Church, not only should BYU offer a different university experience, its students should also be peculiar and set themselves to a higher standard than that of the world. I believe that the lord requires an honor code to make this ideal a reality.

2. What blessings have come into your life because of your obedience to the honor code? 

There are too many to enumerate. I would say that one of the greatest blessings that has come to my life as a result of the honor is the simple fact that I am at BYU. Prior to my mission, I attended a private college in LA. Though I enjoyed my experience there, on my mission I realized that I simply did not want the remainder of my college experience to be in an environment where I was constantly surrounded by drugs, drinking, and promiscuity. It was this desire for a wholesome, clean environment that made BYU so appealing and erased my other qualms of attending BYU. I can therefore say with sincerity that it is because of the honor code that I am at BYU. Coming to BYU has changed my life in unestimable ways and I am eternally grateful for the experiene that I have had hear.

3. Through your role in BYUSA, in what ways can you 'inspire and educate' other students about the Honor Code?

I can inspire others to live the honor code and other educate others about it by:

• Always living my life as a sterling example of adherence to the honor code.
• Encourage others to live the honor code in all manner of settings, whether it be in the office or in my apartment at 11:59PM.
• By sharing my story about how the honor code has been a shining blessing in my life in contrast to some of my more xxx experinces at Occidental

Being a Divine-Centered Leader of Leaders

In what ways am I a leader of leaders?


Leadership has been defined as “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task." However, I don't believe that this definition fully encapsulates what exactly it means to be a leader. To me, leadership is more all encompassing. It is not simply the to get people to do things but it is any influence one exerts over others that helps them become something. 


Therefore, in a very real sense, everyone with even a modicum of social influence is a leader with his or her own sphere. 


By taking this definition of leadership, it is obvious that we, as executive directors are leaders of leaders. Not only do we directly influence our program directors, we have influence of other executive directors, committee members and and volunteers.

How can the love which I reflect, reflect to volunteers?


President Thomas S. Monson is a prime, modern-day example of letting the love he reflects reflect to those he leads. Using Thomas S. Monson as a model, there are three ways in which President Monson accomplishes this:

1. He demonstrates moral authority: It is very apparent to all that know President Monson that he lives that he teaches. He is an example in word and deed of the love that he so eloquently teaches, advocates, and inspires us to have.
2. The organization which he leads is closely aligned with the values he espouses: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints not only teaches love but it puts it into action in many different ways. If this were not the case, it would be difficult for us to truly know that President Monson loved us. But because the organization he leads embodies the principles that he declares, it is apparent and transparent that love is the guiding motivation of President Monson. This criterion is also directly applicable to BYUSA.
3. He has the image of Christ in his countenance: I love the words of Alma that speak of the importance of having the image of Christ in your coutencance. Christ taught a similar concept when he taught "he light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness." It is often easy to see someone's heart by the look of their countenance. 

As I seek to emulate these three things, I believe that the love I have will be reflected to the volunteers within BYUSA.

How can I be more divine centered leader of leaders?


There are many ways in which I can become a better divine centered leader of leaders but I will focus on three:

• By studying the life of Christ--the supreme example, in fact, the very essence of divine centered leadership--in the holy scriptures.
• By supplicating the Lord for direction from the Spirit in my leadership decisions and for divine assistance in my capacities.
• By consistently evaluating my progress and making SMART goals to improve in areas where it is deemed that I am not performing to the standards that I have set for myself.

While these are three specific actions that I can do to become a better divine centered leader, the most important thing is having the desire to become a divine centered leader and having the Faith that I can, with the Lord's help, become one.

Conflict Resolution

Courtesy of bestteambuilding.com

Prepare


There are many crucial skills that dictate the effectiveness of conflict resolution. Among these, timing is one that is easy to study and implement.


There is an maxim that goes: Praise in public, criticize in private. I am not sure who attributed but I believe that it conveys an important principle of conflict resolution. I think it is important to resolve conflict to a private situation in which those parties directly involved in the conflict are the only that are involved in its resolution--except in the case when a third party moderator is needed.


Consider the following as another aspect of the importance of time in conflict resolution:

"While most studies on peaceful settlement of disputes see the substance of the proposals for a solution as the key to a successful resolution of conflict, a growing focus of attention shows that a second and equally necessary key lies in the timing of efforts for resolution."

It is important to view conflict resolution as one that must occur at a "ripe" time. Some aspects that may constitute a "ripe" time are:

• When passions have died down
• After both sides have had time to more fully consider their situation
• When there is adequate time to fully address the issue. Attempting to come to a hasty resolutions can often exacerbate the situation at hand.
• Awaiting a time when the discussion can occur in private
• Allowing time for both sides to collect their thoughts and truly understand the position, attitudes, thoughts, and ideas that they want to convey
• In cases when one party is at fault, allowing time for the spirit to work on the individual can make a huge difference

There are likely more situations that can help time be "ripe" for conflict resolution but I think the principle skill that needs to be developed is a) being able to identify when a ripe time for conflict resolution is and b) being able to have the self control to wait for that time.

Pounce

I practiced and applied the principle of proper timing in conflict resolution with my little sister this past week. The details of the situation are somewhat personal but essentially, there was a minor conflict within my family. Allowing tension to remain unresolved in family relationships is extremely difficult for me so I wanted to immediately "fix" the problem but I had to use restraint and wait for the "ripe" moment in order to resolve the situation. Currently, the situation in only partially resolved by the timing is not right yet so I will continue to excercise control, patience, and try to be sensitive for the right time to completely resolve this conflict.

Present

I taught what I had learned about this principle to Rachel Smith and explained to her the situation in which I implemented this skill.