improving your smro life how to build a stronger smro a.k.a. things you can help put into place to...

Improving YourSMRO Life

How to Build a Stronger SMRO

a.k.a. Things you can help put into place to reduce the strength of toxic members

Marlene R Bautch, ABATE of Wisconsin Recording Secretary

John Reblin, ABATE of Wisconsin Deputy Director

John Reblin and “The Little Flower”

Marlene Bautch and Twit

John Reblin (ABATE of Wisconsin Deputy Director) and Marlene Bautch (ABATE of Wisconsin Recording Secretary) are both 30 year members and have been around a little bit longer than dirt….

Becoming a

More Effective SMRO Leadership Team

What Does an Effective Leadership Team look like?

Marlene John

Are Leaders Born or Created?

Leaders possess a set of traits

which make them distinct from

followers.

Becoming a


Becoming a


What Does an Effective Leadership Team look like? Leadership refers to the ability of one individual to

influence others. The influence is exercised to change the behavior of

others. Change of behavior is caused with an objective of

achieving a shared goal. The person influencing others(leader) possesses a set of

qualities or characteristics with which they influence others.

Becoming a


How does your organization’s Leadership Team compare?

How can your Leadership Team become more effective? A strong desire for accomplishment. Creativity and intelligence. Initiative. High tolerance. Ability to influence others.

Treat people right Do the right thing for the right reason Put your ego aside Trust the Trustworthy Remember to say Thank You

Becoming a


ABATE of Wisconsin’s Theory of Leadership

Bikers’ Rights Theory

Every team needs a leader

Authority Communicator Trusted Perceptive Responsible Accept Diversity Delegate

Creating and Sustaining Collaborative Relationships

“Effective Team Building”

You can’t do it all alone… Bad news, you can't do everything yourself, sometimes you feel like you should but you can't. That's why you need to learn the art of delegation.

•Identify and Mentor talent•“the Art of Delegation”

•Don’t expect the “right person” to materialize out of thin air•Proactively define tasks or projects and actively recruit people with the skill set to accomplish them•Instructions must be crystal clear•You’re shooting for tasks somewhere in the middle that will assist in developing the officer for the next level•Allow everyone to make contributions to the effort – use lesser tasks for people with less-developed skills

Every team needs WORKERS

May need direction

Eager Willing Good Hearted Not necessarily

good at every job, proper placement is the key

Every team and every leader needs mid-level leaders

Committed to the Mission

Loves to learn & do new things

Self Starting Little or no

supervision Works well with

others Can step up and fill

in as needed

Committee ChairsProject LeadersTrusted Assistants

How do we get there?

Maybe the best “person” is a Committee?

YOU may have an idea but it’s not fleshed out enough to put it into place

YOU may have the idea, but you may not be the best Chair for the committee – who would be?



Brainstorm to determine all the changes necessary and who can do them or be affected by them

Committee should include all areas that will be affected by the proposal



Take advantage of experts – you probably have members with experience in just about any area

(might be outside of the organization)

TAKE NOTES and review those notes every step of the way – don’t expect one meeting to work miracles – pass the information on

Why are written rules important?

Because without them, you’ll be wasting all your time herding cats….


If your officers and members don’t have a clear statement to follow on the mission and conduct your organization expects –

how can they know if what they are doing is helping or

hurting the organization?



You have lost the most valuable tool for dealing with

toxic members/situations

Toxic People want to get their way and Attention

1) make sure they are trained and know the rules – make sure you are referencing the rules correctly

2) attempt correction by clearly and calmly reinforcing the rules - this is where it's helpful to have other volunteers calmly step in and say "yes, that's right. That's how it should be done...“


You have lost the most valuable tool for dealing with toxic members/situations

Toxic People want to get their way and Attention

3) never get in a screaming match – that’s what they want and they win

4) if a volunteer can not accept the rules, then they are in the wrong job and need to either remove themselves or risk being removed. They need to know that these options exist.



•You can distance yourself from the emotional chaos—by responding with and referring to only the facts (and you’ll have the facts if they’re written down.)

•Quit trying to beat them at their own game. Distance yourself from them emotionally and approach your interactions like they’re a science project



•When it comes to toxic people, fixating on how crazy and difficult they are gives them power over you.•Quit thinking about how troubling your difficult person is, and focus instead on how you're going to go about handling them. •This makes you more effective by putting you in control, and it will reduce the amount of stress you experience when interacting with them.



•A great way to set limits is to ask complainers how they intend to fix the problem.

•Most Toxic people hate to fail. Give them “a job” that involves solving the problem they identify

•staying within the written rules of the organization.



•To deal with toxic people, you need to recognize the weaknesses in your approach to them – and not think you need to do it alone.• Tapping into your support system to gain perspective on a challenging person.

•Something as simple as explaining the situation can lead to a newperspective. Most of the time, other people can see a solution that you can’t because they are not as emotionally invested in the situation.




Now let’s get back to those written rules…



WRITTEN RULES:

•Clear Mission/Project Statement•For the organization as a whole or just one project or division•Someone has to write it

•Your Board?•The Lead Officer?•A Committee?

If your officers and members don’t have a clear statement to follow on the mission and conduct your organization expects – how can they know if what they are doing is helping or hurting the organization?

Your Mission Statement is the most important document your organization has

•If it’s not covered by your Mission Statement it isn’t any of your organizational business

•It’s not public statements of any kind•It’s not on your agenda•It’s not your concern

•Who is trained/coached and authorized to speak for your organization?

•Everyone needs to know the difference between “speaking as a representative of the organization” and “speaking as a member of the organization”

•Tools need to be in place to limit/edit the content of all public statements and therefore limit damage control

•Newsletter, webpage, social media•Press Releases•Promotional materials•Officers sitting on outside boards or committees representing your organization

How do we get there?Mission Statement MISSION STATEMENT

Decide what cause your nonprofit will serve and establish a coherent mission statement. It's best to make this as clear as possible rather than use a lot of legal or professional jargon. Your mission statement should cover everything your organization does: if it’s not in your mission statement, you won’t be doing it

Example: To form a united motorcycle rider's association at the local, regional, and state level. To give the motorcyclists a united voice, in regard to their future, their way of life, and their dedication to freedom. To maintain a constant vigil against all discriminatory laws which infringe on the motorcyclist's rights or their basic freedoms. To educate the public on motorcycle safety.

How do we get there?Written Rules Bylaws are the legal operational document of

your organization. By laws cover the core conduct of the organization, it’s officers, and directors. In most membership organizations Bylaws can only be changed through a lengthy process involving both the board of directors and the membership.

Policy and Procedure Manuals are a more fluid document that in most membership organizations can be changed by simple majority vote of the board or directors and/or by a change directed by a responsible organizational officer.



WRITTEN RULES: Collaboration provides teachers (YOU) with a vehicle for sharing a common knowledge base and vision. Collaboration is what we are doing here this weekend…

•Training and Distribution of Materials

•Once it’s written and approved, how are you going to let people know about it?

•Formats for Manuals & Newsletter •Web, Social Media?•Meetings•Specific one-time or annual trainings

How do we get there?Making BIG CHANGES (SHUDDER)

What is the worst that could happen? Worth the risk?? On whom will this change impact? What do you need to do before making this change? Who can help with it (resources?) What will it cost us to not make the change? How will we make this work? How long will it take? What if I get scared along the way? Celebrate successes every stop of the way! Evaluate failures and find a new way towards progress

How do we get there?Complete Action Proposal page 5/6

An Action proposal is any proposal requiring approval of your board before it can be implemented. Does your idea really need board approval?

Is it already being done and you don’t know that? Could it be handled by committee or officer? Are the micro-management details already

decided? who/what/when/why should already be decided

Is it a real business concern or a soapbox?

How do we get there?The proposal is ready for the Board! What steps can the board take? Ask questions as needed. Someone from the

committee will need to be at the meeting. Right to modify proposals or send them back

to the committee for more work Right to approve a proposal as submitted Right and Responsibility to kill a proposal by

vote or inaction.

How do we get there?Written Agenda Who sets the agenda and how?

Evaluating proposals for agenda Give us examples to talk about please

Get the agenda out in advance if possible along with any supporting documents. Why?

Committees – do you use them? Good boards are a team sport – they are not

a pulpit or a monarchy

How do we get there?Record your progress Written Minutes of your board meetings

Are they done? Archived as the official documents of the corporation? Who keeps them? In what format? Are old meeting minutes at the meetings for reference?

How can you do that? Are the minutes distributed in a manner that keeps

other officers and members involved in the changes to come? Do they get the opportunity to provide input?

How do we get there?Record your progress – Vote Record

How do we get there?Are we there yet?

Maybe not, but YOU can DO IT!

Just look for help in the right places!

Marlene Bautch [email protected] John Reblin [email protected]

improving your smro life how to build a stronger smro a.k.a. things you can help put into place to...

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