The Group Behind the Goal

By Sustainability Advocate and all around good guy, Charles Marxen

Members are a groups best resource – they provide its strength and power

Why Are We Here?-Free weekend at General Butler State Park?-Believe in finding ways to make a better tomorrow?

Find Commonalities in your Vision.

Not everyone will have the same reason for being there

Does each reason match up with the project goal?

How do you connect different visions to one project goal?

Wright Brothers: Passion, vision, and commitment (they had their why down pat).

What else can your members offer?

- Skills- Experience- Know-how

- Connections- Personality- Leadership- Good Coloring Ability

Group exercise: The why and the what

On the top ¼ of a sheet of paper write out:- Why you are part of your group (goals for yourself)- What skills, resources, etc. you bring to the table

Fold over the part you wrote on and pass it to the left. The next person will now answer the same questions based on how they know you.

Pass the sheets around, folding each time to hide the previous answers.

Share the results, what did you find? Do you know everyone like you thought you did?

Group Structure!

An artful arrangement of people using their own unique skills to work towards a common goal

Establish Clear Roles

X’s and O’s or XOXOXO

Establish Clear Communication

A lot of great people shy away from responsibility and commitment.

Build Leadership

Invite them into a contributing role:

- Base on skills/interest- Provide support- Collaborate

Make sure members are comfortable with the tasks they are taking on!

Group Project.

Think about structure: what’s yours going to be.

How will you populate this structure – what kind of people need to be in each position?

Strengths and Weaknesses

- Group- Manpower- Materials/resources- Student body- Community- Faculty- Time- What Else?

Opportunities and Threats- Student body perspective- Partner groups- Counter groups- PACES

- President Ono-The community- What else?