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BSA: The POLARIS Method


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Direct from the National Commissioner Service Office

My comments:
Buzzword bingo. 

This is language straight from a business school. 

KISMIF. We have a host of educational attainment levels in our unit serving Scouter corps. If the language flies over them, they will blow it off. 

There should be only one goal for every Scouter above the unit serving level:  UNLOAD THE leader and committee chair time backpack. Their time needs to be with youth, or being provided tools FOR youth. Every other item in their time/task backpack needs to be thrown away. 

YIS. 
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https://www.facebook.com/513826472015701/posts/2062117233853276/

Edited by John-in-KC
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Yes, I wonder why they did not use "stripper" meaning to reduce or strip layers?

I appreciate the optimism.  😊  My personal observation and experience -- especially with Scouters -- is that when a local, solvable problem is identified, there are always folks with creative solution

That is a good description, based on what I've read on the BSA Polaris Method website and the content of the videos.  The fundamental weakness is "the expectation that those employees and volunteers a

1 hour ago, DuctTape said:

when all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. the problem is too many businesspeople trying to run non-businesses like a business.

 

Or lawyers and safety people thinking everything a young person does is a liability suit awaiting filing. 

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49 minutes ago, Setonfan said:

Or maybe National is serious about making life easier for volunteers and reducing some of the huge infrastructure that’s been built up.  Everything might not always have a hidden evil agenda.

Fair point. A lot of us are really jaded. Including myself. I saw the other day the BSA newsroom post about YPT applying to digital conversations between adults and scouts. It was three years old. All the comments were gloom and doom. Today, that rule is rarely complained about. 

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I wouldn't read too much into the Polaris idea.  It's not that it's bad, but there is a lot of instituonal momentum built around trying the make the BSA work.   Truthfully, I see very little BSA overhead that we deal with in our unit.

I am in favor of the larger goal - improving Roundtable.  Roundtable is our district is a wasted resource today.  I'd love to see some attention on making it more relevant.

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Those high-up with little field hands-on experience often conceptualize, create new buzzwords or , and seek advice from outside consultants. 

The Polaris Method  scouting website states the "Polaris Method Elevator Pitch" (so Peter Drucker) which got me thinking. Are there any elevators  in tents,  scout camps, council buildings? I suspect there are at Irving but anywhere else?

A theory :confused:...Someone at a National meeting must have said  "I read on scouter.com that the Girl Scouts are working with an outside  (Meaning REI) consultant" which was misunderstood Say that a great idea lets bring in an outside consultant guru. My brother-in-law's company brought in this Lean Manufacturing consultant. ... can't get more outside of scouting than manufacturing.  

Will the Polaris Method become a polarizing method between National and employees,  pro's and volunteers?

My $0.02, 

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15 hours ago, Sentinel947 said:

Fair point. A lot of us are really jaded. Including myself. I saw the other day the BSA newsroom post about YPT applying to digital conversations between adults and scouts. It was three years old. All the comments were gloom and doom. Today, that rule is rarely complained about. 

It's not complained about because it's widely ignored.

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"Today, all these layers feel burdensome and people are prioritizing their time, ignoring some parts and under-supporting others."

But surely, once we unveil the One Layer, the Layer to rule all other Layers, THAT will make Scouters listen.

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They can call it Polaris or whatever they wish.

At the end of the day, it's nothing more than another series of committee meetings.  Because scouting really doesn't have enough of those.

Results:

- Low hanging fruit--small changes that could have easily been made before all of those meetings and flip charts--will be heralded as proof of the BSA's new-found flexibility and concern for scouters.

- Big annoyances, the true morale breakers, the things that really need to change--these will remain the same.  Sure, the Polaris teams may delve into some "problem admiration" regarding these items but nothing significant will come of it.

I see that round tables are one of the first items up for dissection.   Low hanging fruit.  If RT works for your district, great.  If not, scrap them and don't look back.  You're welcome :)

 

 

Edited by desertrat77
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