What to do?

[moosetracker 132]

I have spent the morning in-between decisions of bringing the question to the forum, trying to write a tactful response, or giving the Course director a heads up.. (decided on forum)

 

I am not a Cub Master or Scout Master, because though I personally have 3 cats, I flunked cat herding..

 

I feel like now have one (only one) cat to herd on the new course.. I can't even figure out how to herd one cat, I am hopeless..

 

This is my second time on a Woodbadge course, I took under my wing the person who is doing the same position and the same presentation I did last year in the old position..

 

What can I say about the guy.. He is full of enthusiasm and big dreams and is as cute as a button.. But sometimes his big dreams kindof run amok..

 

Well he already did the practice run of the presentation, and it didn't go so well. Mainly because he had not practiced, and some of the concepts he really didn't understand, so if he didn't understand them, we couldn't.. But he was lively and animated, it was just his thought process was like trying to track all the bubbles coming out of a Bubble maker machine.. So I sat one evening with him, and gave him a breifing of logically connected the concepts so that it flowed as one logical idea building on itself..

 

A few days later I got email from him and he sounded like he had some good ideas,and was on track.. Today I get email and he is thinking of adding all sorts of video, that he may be able to tie in, but I fear he is now going down another slippery slope..

 

Also mid-way he had an idea to add an inside joke to the exiting video slide show.. I kinda steered it from inside joke to something that could involve the participants.. Course Direct killed the whole idea, although I was on a better track he feared "critter bashing"..

 

So now his thought is a video to promote woodbadge, but sort of on like a "Mr. Bill" type of concept.. OK.. let him do it, and no one uses it?? Nicely keep him from wasting his time?

 

Any ideas on how I can herd this cat?? He is such a nice cat!!

 

Fix it on my own? Alert the Course Director? Do both, with a tactful email from me, while still alerting the Course Director?

 

If I talk to the Course Director, and have him just give him a friendly "How are things going", rather then moosetracker says... Possibly I might alert him to trying to make room for at least some of the staff to relisten to and make suggestions for his new presentation??

(This message has been edited by moosetracker)(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[Eamonn 61]

You don't post what slot your filling? Or what he is doing?

 

We have a really super nice fellow in the Council, while there isn't supposed to be any real "Pecking Order" on who will be the next WB CD. This fellow was the guy who everyone thought was to be the CD when I was asked to do it.

I kinda, sorta felt that I owed him one. So when he asked if a ASM from his home Troop could be on staff, I said "OK".

Sadly this guy just didn't get it.

The idea of following the syllabus was just not in his realm of thinking and add to this he thought he was funny. Adding his own little tidbits into at all the wrong places.

I had our course ASM who was in charge of Troop Guides work with him. But it became clear that he just wasn't able to do the job.

I had no choice but to move him and use him as a member of the QM staff.

I'm not sure what I'd do in your position.

A lot would depend on what position it is that you hold?

I would say that the Course has to come first.

The participants deserve the best possible course presentation that is possible.

While this fellow might have his heart in the right place, if he can't get the job done? We owe it to the rest of the Staff and the participants to remove him.

As you have taken him under your wing, maybe it is time to sit him down have a face to face meeting and let him know that the syllabus is not to be messed with and if he doesn't get with the program he needs to talk with either the ASM for Troop Guides or the CD.

If you have the time and can manage it? You might offer to work with him, but you need to be firm and say things have to be the way the syllabus say they are.

You might want to let the ASM know that you are working with him and be open to ideas and suggestions.

Feedback is a gift.

Ea.

[oldisnewagain1 42]

A slippery slope for sure...

 

If it was me, I approach him with these questions and CC the course director;

 

Help me visualize the project. Would you explain it?

 

When will you begin the project?

 

How long will it take to complete?

 

Will you need others to help you prepare or help during the presentation?

 

What materials will you need to prepare and present the presentation?

 

What steps will you need to take before the presentation?

 

What is your backup plan? (Hey, projectors have been known to fail at the worst times.)

 

 

Who knows he might see some issues with his plan or have all the answers that will calm your fears.

 

 

[Scouter. 15]

If it were one of my staff members...I would say that we may consider using the material again and want to get the presentation in a "Written" form so we can review with him, adjust if needed, and make available for future use.

 

That has always worked for me at work.

 

Just my 2

 

S. (Fox C-52-03)

[moosetracker 132]

Last year I was Scribe, with the presentation "Leading Change" That is this fellow job. This time around I am a Troop Guide.. So I have no position like ASM of TG, orASM of program or whatever to push things in any direction..

 

I don't / can't / wouldn't even think of anyone being fired, the course was put together with a starting point of only 6 months to organize, The course will start one month from today.. And the guy really wants to do good, I think his problem is he is over-thinking rather then going with the flow..

 

Some of his off kilter may be my doing.. For us the syllabus is maybe not quite the syllabus?? Or I had to learn that though followed, you add your own personality or flare.. Last year I myself bombed on my practice run.. I bombed because I learned and regurgitated back the syllabus with no alterations.. First off too short, word for word that presentation is not 60 minutes long.. Second off CD said no, no, you must be pivitol (I guess I was not.. Though all was memorized, no note cards needed..) He made suggestions on where to add things (like with JFK, talk about some things from past presentations and video clips, and pull them in.. That which was in gray box is verbatim.. That which is not, is the subject lines and ideas needed to be discussed.. I also added two short things.. Rather then say the words from Alice in Wonderland, I had an audio clip of the disney movie stating the line, with the Disney movie picture of the Cheshire Cat & Alice on the power point.. I moved from there into Walt Disney and how he invoked his vision in other then empowered them to create their own small groups of creative talented people to carry out his vision in their own way.. That went into the JFK, MLK, Thatcher, Boy Scout series still showing the string of empowering people to create their own small groups to carry out a ultimate vision in their own unique ways.. Then into the Cathy Freeman (with the same flow of logic..) With permission from the course director, here I did add a very small clip (less then a minute) of Cathy carrying the flags around the course, and an annoucer stating one nation, two flags.. with a cheering audience.. So no longer regurgitating out word for word the syllabus.. And mine did have added video / audio.. But both were word for word what was to be said by me anyway.. Well with the added flare, and my own inturpretation of linking the logical flow betweenValue/Mission/Vison to JFK,MLK etc, through to Cathy Freeman.. I was praised as having nailed the presentation..

 

My apprentice is looking at adding a clip of Elvis Presely and similar clips.. Yes, someone who lead change... Ummmmmmmmm..... Well yes, I went off with Walt Disney also, but he sort of fell in line with the Alice & Wonderland Line in the presentation..

(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[Eamonn 61]

moosetracker,

As you might know each and every WB course pays to use the movies and movie clips that are used in the course. While adding more very well might make the course better? Doing so without permission is not the example that I'd want to set or as CD want my staff to set.

I've sat through the new course a fair number of times, seen it presented in different Councils with different staff and under different Directors, even with people sticking to the syllabus no two courses have ever been the same.

Like, dislike or hate this new course? One thing that really hit me as I read and re-read the material many times is that nothing in that course happens without a reason. -Just think about the pen!

When stuff is added this nothing happens without a reason is lost.

Of course no one expects a presenter to read from the book.

Your view of JFK might be very different then mine? I never had much time for Maggie, but I see where the presentation was going. Still I'll bet were I to do the presentation that just maybe, my very strong dislike for her might show a little bit?

Of course the final word lies with the CD.

He or she signed off saying that the course would be presented as is without any add ons or subtractions. But if he or she is OK with these add ons then the buck stops there.

Ea.