Yesterday I didn’t go insane I just spoke to someone who duplicated my thoughts. He was an individual who started an organization with great enthusiasm and support only to see it collapse like a bridge made of sticks. His story was my story as I’ve experienced the same situation with various groups that I’ve started and just like him I blamed myself for their collapse. Yet that isn’t the whole story.
The truth is, this is a situation many in the Executive Department find themselves in at one point or another, for many reasons. First of all people expect the world when a club starts up but then reality of the work involved makes them think twice. Peoples’ schedules whether personal or business can also interfere with who actually shows up at meetings. Politics and power struggles can also make individuals uncomfortable with attending meetings. Finally the cost involved in making a club or organization actually work might scare individuals from further commitments. My experience though has led me to the following techniques (below) that have made me a bit more successful in these endeavors.
(1) Let different individuals be in charge of different activities.
(2) The leader must be positive or put the best face forward when events may not have met expectations and be ready and willing to accept criticism.
(3) Allow those who complain the most to be in charge of an activity that they felt was run poorly.
(4) Have low expectations of events but be ready if those expectations are exceeded.
(5) Give yourself a hand even if nobody else does because it takes a great deal of courage and effort to start a club. If for some reason it fails just remember the positive experiences and note that these experiences were shared with others in your group.