Finding Time to Talk To Unit Leaders

[SeattlePioneer 144]

As Cubmaster, I've recruited all the other pack and den leaders within the past year. Now I'm trying to encourage people to do their jobs and plan for the future.

 

I have a couple of excellent den leaders, but I'd like to know if they plan on continuing as den leaders next year --- or perhaps they would like to do another job. My job as Cubmaster is open, and perhaps there are other parents in the den who would make good den leaders.

 

I've e-mailed them congratulating them on den activities and invited them out for coffee to chat -- no takers.

 

I have a new Committee Chair who I think would do good things, but I'd like to talk about where the pack should go and how to get there. In particular, she likes the "Journey to Excellence" and the idea of using it as a planning tool. But nothing concrete has been done to review our strong and weak points under that and plan where we want to improve.

 

I'm a retiree so I have time to do these things, and no doubt these folks are busy. Still, a little face-to-face chat would be very helpful in my view.

 

I can't do that during den and pack activities, and our monthly Committee meetings have enough people there that this kind of personal chat isn't appropriate either, in my view.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

[moosetracker 132]

Rather then email, at the Pack meeting or Committee meeting individually take the people you want to talk to aside, and ask them face to face if there is a time that they would be willing to go out for coffee, and to discuss what they did last year and where they have intrest in going in either their current position, or where they would like to move to in the unit.

 

I do email too to see who of my normal training group are willing to be at a future training.. I get no one to respond with "Sorry, I can't make it".. And those willing to train come back with an answer in a week or two.. Wish they would respond with a definate.. "Sorry" so that I then know to plan around them rather then guess that no comment means "No"..

 

Then I get on the phone and call those who are occasional trainers.. If it was within a unit I would talk to them in person, but they are spread out to far with district training requests.

[Stosh 3452]

It is always more difficult to say "No" when you're looking the person in the eyes. In this day and age, a click of the delete key is rather easy to do, especially if the email is addressed to a dozen others.

 

Stosh

[kari_cardi 10]

I'm in the process of confirming den leaders for next year, and looking for some new people too. While I agree it can be hard to talk to individuals during meetings, I find that I can often catch them before or better yet after meetings. Seldom do I get to have a full discussion at that moment, but it's ok because I've started the process, made myself available for questions, and can follow-up by phone, email, or another short talk later. The people who say no, say no right away. The people who want to say yes often need some time to think about it, talk to spouses, etc., so it all works out.

 

For long-term planning for the pack, we use our planning meeting. I will also talk to individuals during our family camp outing at the beginning of the summer, when the pack leaders have some down time to talk without carving out time for another meeting.

[SeattlePioneer 144]

You describe what I would like to do. But I tend to be too involved for the degree of detachment that would require. I just hacven't been able to manage it, so far anyway.

 

We had discussions before on not chaining Den leaders into the job year after year. I have excellent Bear and Tiger Cub Den Leaders. If they are interested in doing something else in the pack, irt would be nice to have them look for another adult in their den to be den leader next time, expanding the number of leaders available and hopefully not burning out fine den leaders.

 

Also, we will be forming a Webelos den in June, which is a different kind of program and needs to involve an active camping program. So we need to be looking for ways to transition into that as well. Any guidance on how to do that would be welcome as well.