We come to value things in our lives based upon the inspiration we feel towards them through personal interaction. I know that is one of the most vague/cheesy statements one can make, but everyone is different and has come to value different things in life based on what has made an impact on them. Moreover, this is a lifelong process and one's values change as they experience more that matters to them. I feel like this is an important addition to merely experiencing something because many people experience similar things, but have different beliefs. For example many people are raised in privileged environments and some come to appreciate the things around them, while others don't and take everything for granted. The cause behind this phenomena bewilders me, but someday I hope to do the right things with my children that will encourage them to respect and appreciate their surroundings.
I feel that much of what we value comes from what our family has taught us. Fortunately, I had great parents who loved, cared, and taught me moral values. However, others are not as lucky and must look elsewhere for "family". These mentoring figures can range from mostly positive influences such as church groups and athletic coaches to gangs, where values taught are bad (for lack of a better word). Values can change over time, but they are first learned at a young age.
The best way to ensure that we are spending times on the things we value is to write down our ideal actions that are congruent with the things that we value in our planner or google calendar. For example, physically seeing "call parents" once a week in my planner is that extra reminder that forces me to take action. Albeit, sometimes just for the satisfaction of checking it off but in the end I am always happy that I did. It is also important to reflect back on your actions and see if your values have changed as a result of them.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Change Agents
I think the most important C to keep in mind when acting as a change agent is Collaboration. This is with the assumption that a change agent already has the commitment necessary to make social happen occur. Simply put, relationships and networks are vital to success in the real world, especially when striving to achieve social change which is so vast in it's nature. As a change agent, focusing on collaboration puts you in win-win scenarios and allows others to become personally vested in your common goal because you have put personal agendas aside and people will recognize that. Collaboration also implies openness and trusting relationships, which are again important for others to buy into the common purpose. Last, collaboration creates an environment where a diverse set of ideas are discussed and implemented.
I also believe that Commitment is the biggest challenge to becoming a change agent. By definition of "doing what you say you will do", it sounds like the simplest C in nature to perform, but is most often not upheld. This fact of life is true because commitment takes a devotion of time and energy, which are a limited resource especially in the life of a college student. We are constantly bombarded by friends, professors, parents, and classmates with new plans, ideas, and demands. And as someone who strives to be a change agent, it is often hard to say "no", but sometimes it is beneficial to step back and think about what commitments you have made so far and how you can manage them. It is important to note that this is a fine line though because sometimes you have to fail and learn from of it. One should never be afraid to take on new challenges, but they just need to make sure that they stay committed to goals already made.
I believe that anyone can become a change agent as long as they commit to lifelong learning of the social change model.
I also believe that Commitment is the biggest challenge to becoming a change agent. By definition of "doing what you say you will do", it sounds like the simplest C in nature to perform, but is most often not upheld. This fact of life is true because commitment takes a devotion of time and energy, which are a limited resource especially in the life of a college student. We are constantly bombarded by friends, professors, parents, and classmates with new plans, ideas, and demands. And as someone who strives to be a change agent, it is often hard to say "no", but sometimes it is beneficial to step back and think about what commitments you have made so far and how you can manage them. It is important to note that this is a fine line though because sometimes you have to fail and learn from of it. One should never be afraid to take on new challenges, but they just need to make sure that they stay committed to goals already made.
I believe that anyone can become a change agent as long as they commit to lifelong learning of the social change model.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Personal Vision Statement
When I first tried to write this week's blog, I sat in front on my computer for about 15 minutes and realized I had written nothing. I was surprised because I view myself as a pretty reflective person, but thinking of a personal vision statement required much deeper thinking. I found it easiest to simply reflect on my own experiences, background, strengths and weaknesses, as well as how I've actively applied them to deal with complex situations. I'm not going to lie...I sort of ripped off a saying that is familiar to many of you actively involved on campus to create my personal vision statement.
"I strive to lead, learn from, and serve my peers and community"
It sounds and looks simple in writing, which is partially a reflection of personality, but truly living this ideal is a challenge that I look forward to everyday.
I will begin by discussing the second part of my vision statement because I feel that this is a prerequisite for the other two things to occur. Learning from your peers and community is a lifelong process, but it especially important when you encounter new situations, people, or co-workers. It is vital to gather input on how things function, the history behind a community, and why things are viewed the way that they are. Only then can you truly understand the root causes behind issues, which is necessary for social change. The last leg of my personal vision statement, "serve", can take place simultaneously or after learning. Serving your community is two-fold because it directly impacts the community positively, and it shows your commitment to others. You will develop a mutual respect with your peers that will create a trusting environment. The last step is to lead, which is the most important step because now you can implement social change. In closing, I wish this entire process was as easy as me writing this blog, but it is not. The process is complex, multi-dimensional, and takes an immense amount of commitment. But in the end, the indescribable feeling of "reward" that comes from helping others and being happy trumps all of the exhausting work.
"I strive to lead, learn from, and serve my peers and community"
It sounds and looks simple in writing, which is partially a reflection of personality, but truly living this ideal is a challenge that I look forward to everyday.
I will begin by discussing the second part of my vision statement because I feel that this is a prerequisite for the other two things to occur. Learning from your peers and community is a lifelong process, but it especially important when you encounter new situations, people, or co-workers. It is vital to gather input on how things function, the history behind a community, and why things are viewed the way that they are. Only then can you truly understand the root causes behind issues, which is necessary for social change. The last leg of my personal vision statement, "serve", can take place simultaneously or after learning. Serving your community is two-fold because it directly impacts the community positively, and it shows your commitment to others. You will develop a mutual respect with your peers that will create a trusting environment. The last step is to lead, which is the most important step because now you can implement social change. In closing, I wish this entire process was as easy as me writing this blog, but it is not. The process is complex, multi-dimensional, and takes an immense amount of commitment. But in the end, the indescribable feeling of "reward" that comes from helping others and being happy trumps all of the exhausting work.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Collaboration
Simply put, collaboration is difficult because we are human. At the root of much decision making lies our primal instinct of survival and self-advancement. This leads to competition being the primary means or working with and motivating others; competition is embedded in Western culture throughout our schools, sports teams, and work. Competition brings out many positive results in people including ambition and perseverance, but in turn it makes collaboration difficult because there must be a winner and a loser. I believe that competition is healthy and certainly has it's place in society, but there are some arenas where cooperation, comprising, and collaboration are needed.
As discussed in class, collaboration is synonomous co-creation. This means that neither party enters the meeting with ideas or agenda on how to specifically achieve the shared goal. Each party should think about the common purpose behind the effort and focus on how they want the end game to look like. It may be a simple question, but asking "What do we want it to look like" is very important because it encourages members to think about common purpose and nudges them toward collaboration rather than compromise. The issue is that achieving true collaboration is much easier said than done. Most of us think strategically and
have been culturally trained to debate and argue one's point. However, the real world isn't black and white; in many disagreements both parties are correct on some points and have legitimate facts to back them up. We need to learn to put ourselves in the other person's shoes and allow ourselves to think "win-win"
As discussed in class, collaboration is synonomous co-creation. This means that neither party enters the meeting with ideas or agenda on how to specifically achieve the shared goal. Each party should think about the common purpose behind the effort and focus on how they want the end game to look like. It may be a simple question, but asking "What do we want it to look like" is very important because it encourages members to think about common purpose and nudges them toward collaboration rather than compromise. The issue is that achieving true collaboration is much easier said than done. Most of us think strategically and
have been culturally trained to debate and argue one's point. However, the real world isn't black and white; in many disagreements both parties are correct on some points and have legitimate facts to back them up. We need to learn to put ourselves in the other person's shoes and allow ourselves to think "win-win"
Citizenship
According to the dictionary, citizenship is the the character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of the duties, obligations, and functions of a citizen. Most people assume that in this definition, society means only the broader society as whole (i.e. city, state, or country); however, a society can be represented by any community of people (however large or small). This leads to an importantly different connotation of citizenship that implies that it is active engagement of an individual to serve the community.
Before reading this chapter, I thought that citizenship was achieved solely by physically helping other people. I had no idea that civic engagement (a synonym for citizenship) could be achieved through a myriad of ways including community research, advocacy and education, and capacity building. It is important to recognize these "indirect" means of being a good citizen because they involve empowering other members of the community to stand up and make a difference.
Citizenship and civic engagement is unique within Evans Scholars because we are a hybrid of the bonding and bridging dimensions of social capital. In one aspect, our organization bridges because our members are not chosen by the chapter and are diverse with respect to majors, interests, backgrounds, gender, and ethnicity. On the other hand, we bond over the fact that we are all caddies from modest backgrounds. My job as chapter president entails constantly urging members to evaluate the different communities that they're involved in and and to find ways to get involved. I use this as a mechanism to get members excited to help support our chapter community. For example, we held our annual Stephanie Hummer Memorial Golf Tournament last weekend and raised over $5500 for off-campus safety projects. I was very proud of the way our chapter came together to hold this extremely successful and fun event.
Before reading this chapter, I thought that citizenship was achieved solely by physically helping other people. I had no idea that civic engagement (a synonym for citizenship) could be achieved through a myriad of ways including community research, advocacy and education, and capacity building. It is important to recognize these "indirect" means of being a good citizen because they involve empowering other members of the community to stand up and make a difference.
Citizenship and civic engagement is unique within Evans Scholars because we are a hybrid of the bonding and bridging dimensions of social capital. In one aspect, our organization bridges because our members are not chosen by the chapter and are diverse with respect to majors, interests, backgrounds, gender, and ethnicity. On the other hand, we bond over the fact that we are all caddies from modest backgrounds. My job as chapter president entails constantly urging members to evaluate the different communities that they're involved in and and to find ways to get involved. I use this as a mechanism to get members excited to help support our chapter community. For example, we held our annual Stephanie Hummer Memorial Golf Tournament last weekend and raised over $5500 for off-campus safety projects. I was very proud of the way our chapter came together to hold this extremely successful and fun event.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Blog #3
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." -Barack Obama
Individuals can contribute to group change in 3 main capacities:
I recently experienced individuals contributing to change through recent chapter events. As I mentioned in class, our chapter had the worst academic quarter in a few years. It was not terrible by any means, but it was below our personal expectations of scholarship excellence. We met as an Executive Board to discuss possible causes and concluded that our culture of excellence in scholarship was slowly diminishing. We were tempted to institute some of the new policies that we discussed and announce "these are the rules" at the house meeting that night, but we knew that change is much better received when it is organic. At the house meeting, we stated our concern for lack of scholarship and allowed for an open forum of potential positive changes. The chapter responded well and came up with several first order changes including: quiet hours after 10 PM Sunday-Thursday, a study buddy system with prizes at the end of the quarter, and designated group vs. quiet study space. It has only been 2 weeks, but I can already see these first order changes being embraced by individuals, which is what makes second order change possible. There is always resistance to change, but in this case the guiding coalition was large and strong enough to outnumber the negative nancy's (for lack of a better term).
Since I began with a quote, I feel like it's only right to end with one as well. This one's from my room mate, Jeremy Saham, who has incredible self-taught leadership skills.
"People don't like being managed. They respond when they recognize a great idea and have the ability to choose whether or not to follow it. That's leadership." -Jeremy Saham
Individuals can contribute to group change in 3 main capacities:
- Suggesting a change and helping form the strategic vision
- Leading by example (be the guiding coalition)
- Staying positive
I recently experienced individuals contributing to change through recent chapter events. As I mentioned in class, our chapter had the worst academic quarter in a few years. It was not terrible by any means, but it was below our personal expectations of scholarship excellence. We met as an Executive Board to discuss possible causes and concluded that our culture of excellence in scholarship was slowly diminishing. We were tempted to institute some of the new policies that we discussed and announce "these are the rules" at the house meeting that night, but we knew that change is much better received when it is organic. At the house meeting, we stated our concern for lack of scholarship and allowed for an open forum of potential positive changes. The chapter responded well and came up with several first order changes including: quiet hours after 10 PM Sunday-Thursday, a study buddy system with prizes at the end of the quarter, and designated group vs. quiet study space. It has only been 2 weeks, but I can already see these first order changes being embraced by individuals, which is what makes second order change possible. There is always resistance to change, but in this case the guiding coalition was large and strong enough to outnumber the negative nancy's (for lack of a better term).
Since I began with a quote, I feel like it's only right to end with one as well. This one's from my room mate, Jeremy Saham, who has incredible self-taught leadership skills.
"People don't like being managed. They respond when they recognize a great idea and have the ability to choose whether or not to follow it. That's leadership." -Jeremy Saham
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Social Change in Action
As I reflect on experiences involving social change, one set of experiences regarding our New Scholar Program keeps coming to mind. Here's a little background on the way our organization functions. You are awarded the scholarship as a senior in high school and live-in the house all four years, while on scholarship. However, you are not an "active" Evans Scholars until you complete the comprehensive New Scholar Program, which spans the length of Fall quarter. The program can be compared to a pledging process that occurs at most fraternities and sororities. We set high expectations for the New Scholars, but also provide immense support and structure to help ease their transition to college life. The program includes names tests, national manual tests, paddle signatures, study tables, skits, team building activities, a white water rafting trip, and a retreat weekend. We have all gone through the program and understand the rigor and amount of hard work that goes into it, but it provides a sense of achievement, bonding, and group unity that is indescribable and the foundation for your success throughout the next 3 and a half years. So now we have a background, let's get to the good stuff.
My personal involvement with the New Scholar Program is unique because I have experienced the entire spectrum of perspectives; first as a new scholar myself, then as a member of the New Scholar Committee, next as a member of the Executive Board, then on internship completely removed from the program, and now as President with my best friend as the New Scholar Educator. I also know a good deal of history about the New Scholar Program and how it got to be the successful program that it is today.
Before my time (from the days of Animal House and unfortunately many years after that), many undesirable activities took place that would be considered hazing. Our past faculty adviser, Don Denny, worked with the leadership team to create second order change, which means "changing the organization's fundamental values and assumptions" (our book pg. 103). Mr. Denny passed away last year, but I had the opportunity to work with him on my first stint on the Executive Board. I didn't realize this at the time, but he had an incredible way of inspiring us to create sustainable change using all of the things that we're reading about now in the book. He recognized that the best way to do this was through organic change. He could do this because as an adviser, he had a much more broad and longer view of our program (wet sand), whereas students sometimes fall into the trap of trying to do too much first order change at once.
My personal involvement with the New Scholar Program is unique because I have experienced the entire spectrum of perspectives; first as a new scholar myself, then as a member of the New Scholar Committee, next as a member of the Executive Board, then on internship completely removed from the program, and now as President with my best friend as the New Scholar Educator. I also know a good deal of history about the New Scholar Program and how it got to be the successful program that it is today.
Before my time (from the days of Animal House and unfortunately many years after that), many undesirable activities took place that would be considered hazing. Our past faculty adviser, Don Denny, worked with the leadership team to create second order change, which means "changing the organization's fundamental values and assumptions" (our book pg. 103). Mr. Denny passed away last year, but I had the opportunity to work with him on my first stint on the Executive Board. I didn't realize this at the time, but he had an incredible way of inspiring us to create sustainable change using all of the things that we're reading about now in the book. He recognized that the best way to do this was through organic change. He could do this because as an adviser, he had a much more broad and longer view of our program (wet sand), whereas students sometimes fall into the trap of trying to do too much first order change at once.
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