Order of the Arrow Boy Scouts of America

The participants should realize that change is not a bad thing but rather that change offers the opportunity to improve our situations, whether personal or as a group.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SESSION

• The participants will understand why people often resist even the most minute change.

• The participants will understand how to approach change in such a way as to effect change in the most beneficial way for the individual and the group.

• The participants will understand the importance of (i) recognizing and understanding the need for change in a particular situation(s), (ii) commitment to that change once it is deemed needed, and (iii) focus on effecting the change positively.

For this session, the guide will need the following:

• chalkboard
• flip chart or dry erase board with markers
• overhead projector
• masking tape
• TV/VCR

While a conference table format is preferred, a standard classroom setting is workable.

Prior to the arrival of the participants, the guide should print the following on a chalk board or flip chart:

Why change? Don't we all ask this question each time we are confronted with something new or different. This is because we are all wed to that which we have always done and the way we have gone about doing it. As humans, we generally live by the mantra: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But that is poor leadership and an almost sure recipe for stagnation..... and failure.

One of my longtime OA advisers always told his officers, "If it ain't broke, then fix it." In other words, as leaders, as arrowmen, you should always strive to make things better than they are. The status quo is almost never good enough. Virtually everything can be improved upon. But this requires change, that dreaded concept.

So again, we come back to "Why change?"

Today, we are going to answer this question. We are going to explore the concept of change and why people generally avoid change unless forced to accept it. We are also going to examine how as leaders we can effect change to maximize its benefits. And, finally, we are going to figure out that--contrary to popular belief--CHANGE IS GOOD!!

Even though change as a general matter is good, it is, however, rarely easy, so we are going to examine how to maximize the benefits that can be realized by change.

[Ask the participants to offer some situations where people are forced to confront change.]

Examples of forced change:

• parental correction/admonition
• supervisor revisions
• coach's instructions
• institutional changes, e.g., mergers
• new coach, teacher, adviser or supervisor
• new scoutmaster or lodge chief

Each situation represents different types of change, but all create the same general types of problems.

In each situation, you will hear:

• If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
• We have always done it this way, and it has worked well in the past.
• I cannot do that. It's different.

How many times have you heard these statements? Dozens of times? Hundreds? More?

While not all changes are for the better, many, if not most, are. However, there is one thing that is certain: you will never know until you try.

Even in the case of the best ideas for change, there will always be resistance, perhaps even outright revolt. BUT an effective leader knows the way to bridge gap between proponents and opponents of change.

A leader must understand the reasons underlying the need for change and must be committed to effecting the proposed change. At the same time, however, the leader must understand the needs and desires of the group he is leading to ensure the change is effected in a long-term beneficial way.

[Cite examples of the leadership of various "change" movements. For example, consider George Washington and the rag tag Continental Army taking on the most powerful military regime in the world.... and winning. Consider the commitment of the common people who stormed the Bastille igniting the French Revolution in an effort to secure that to which they were entitled as humans: freedom from tyranny and oppression. Consider Martin Luther King, Jr. and the other leaders of the 1960s civil rights movement. Consider also Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and the current leaders of the women's rights movement and their commitment. Consider the boldness and revolutionary character of Franklin Roosevelt as he implemented his New Deal at the height of the Great Depression.]

What do leaders who effect great change have in common? They understood the need for change. They were committed to effecting change in a way that changed the circumstances of their group for the better in the long term; they were willing to sacrifice greatly to improve their group's situation. They were able to focus on effecting positive change even in the midst of harsh and constant criticism and even physical danger.

Sometimes it takes a bold stroke, a sweeping gesture to effect change. At other times, only incremental steps are appropriate. An effective leader will consult with the group before, during, and after any transition to determine which paths are best.

Chinese proverb:

In order to effect beneficial change, it is important that leaders be trusted or respected by the group they are leading through transition. We are all more willing to accept advice from those whom we trust, admire or respect, e.g., parents, teachers, coaches, scoutmasters, etc. The more trust and respect a leader has earned, the more easily he will be able to effect positive change.

One way to earn the trust and respect of those you are trying to lead through change is to demonstrate your own resolve and commitment to any proposed change.

What is commitment?

Webster's Dictionary defines commitment as an agreement or pledge to do something in the future; something pledged; the act of committing; to put into charge or trust, entrust; to consign or record for preservation (e.g., into memory); to obligate or pledge oneself.

A committed leader is more easily distinguished from the pack and more quickly trusted than others. Commitment breeds trust, which in turn yields success.

A committed leader believes in what he is guiding his group to, and it shows. His belief, his commitment encourages that of others. John Adams once said, "There are only two creatures of value on the face of this earth: those with a commitment and those who encourage and require the commitment of others."

One of the principle ways a leader can demonstrate his unflagging commitment to effecting positive change is to be ever focused on the task at hand. His focus inspires confidence in others and enables them better to deal with the changes they are confronting.

In order to be an effective and convincing leader, a leader must be directed toward the goals of the group himself, or it will be impossible for him to effectively direct others toward accomplishment. A good leader must be, in a phrase, a "man with a mission."

First, a leader who is going to be effective in helping the group overcome and maximize change will be deeply committed to the aims and goals of the group he has set both for the group and for himself.

Second, a leader must always keep the goals of the group foremost in his mind. He or she must remain focused on the ultimate objective: positive change.

George Bernard Shaw once said,

In sum then, we must recognize as leaders, as arrowmen, that while change is often difficult, it is frequently the only way to make a negative or stagnant situation better. Improvement invariably involves change. Once we recognize this, we have to work through that change both individually and with the group. Once we (the group) have decided the path it will take, the leadership function is to understand, remain committed, and ever focused on the great benefits that lie beyond the wall of resistance that inevitably confronts proposed change.

Remember, as the philosopher Plutarch put it,