Subordinate Lodge Officer Training 22 September 2001

Roger M. Firestone, PM—Education Officer, District Four and James D. Hawkins, PM

Agenda

0845 Breakfast (fund raiser for Fair fax Assembly #3 IORG) and fell owsh ip 0930 Manage ment concep ts as appli ed to the Masonic Lodge (R. M. Fir estone, DEO ) 1015 Perspective and expe rience of the small busines s man (J. D. Hawk ins, PM) 1045 Open discussion, que stion-and -answer, Masonic educa tion 1130 (and no later!) Departure…or lunch at a nea rby restaur ant if anyone wishes to form a group 22 Sep 2001 2

Who is the Audience?

• The Junior Warden, most of all – It’s too late for the Master – And almost too late for the Sr. Warden • It’s not too soon for the Sr. Deacon – And we’ll see that the Jr. Deacon should be a part of the process from early on • The Secretary—everyone knows who runs the Lodge!

• And anyone else who wants to earn wages!

22 Sep 2001 3

Elements of management

• Planning • Organizing • Staffing • Directing • Controlling 22 Sep 2001 4

Planning

• You’ve heard about this

ad infinitum ad nauseam

!

and • But how do you do it?

• Important question not asked: Is it

your

plan or a

Lodge

plan?

• Where to start?

22 Sep 2001 5

Your Plan or a Lodge Plan?

• Some (many? most?) Masters have a plan for their year • A Lodge plan is a plan for

multiple

years – Must co-ordinate with your predecessors and your successors – Must also satisfy the 95% of Lodge members who are

not

officers 22 Sep 2001 6

The Lodge Plan

• Begin by reaching an agreement among Lodge leadership to create a Lodge plan – Line officers + Secretary + Treasurer – Any others who show desire to lead (LEO, LIW, etc.) • Work towards unified long-term plan that accommodates short-term needs – All line officers incorporate Lodge plan for their years 22 Sep 2001 7

Plans Begin With Ideas

• Anyone can have an idea – Be open and welcoming; listen!

– Newest Master Mason may have much to offer – Take advantage of special abilities of members • Share ideas—communicate!

• Ideas become goals – Although some ideas are methods...

What’s unique about

your

Lodge?

22 Sep 2001 8

Goals

• Goals are concrete objectives – Earn the James Noah Hillman Award – Increase Lodge endowment by $10,000 – Hold programs on each of 7 LA&S • Goals must be achievable, under the control of those who are to do the work – “10 new petitions” is not a good goal 22 Sep 2001 9

From Goals to Plans

• Once you have set your goals, work backward to your starting point – Five M’s approach: Men, materials, money, machines, methods • Identify any sub-goals – Also called milestones, these can help by giving a sense of accomplishment to the workers as things proceed— and let you know if you’re off track!

22 Sep 2001 10

Plan Around a Mission

• An overall plan may be seen as composed of a number of

missions

• A mission has a defined objective (what/when), but not necessarily every detail specified • Leave room for initiative and innovation – People want to feel that they have contributed 22 Sep 2001 11

Adopting the Plan

• Are your Five M’s available? Discard a plan that is not feasible (the earlier, the better) • Be sure your plan isn’t in conflict with Masonic law (Methodical Digest) • Be sure your plan has “buy-in” – From the leadership team – From the Lodge members (95% of the Lodge) 22 Sep 2001 12

Organizing

• Organizing is creating a structure to accomplish the plan – EA’s in quarry, FC’s at building site, each MM oversees work of 50 craftsmen… • The Lodge has a defined organization – The Master’s tool to augment this for a specific purpose is the

committee

22 Sep 2001 13

Committees

• Most Lodges have standing committees – Work, funerals, sick & distressed, etc.

– Be sure you have the ones you need—and only those! Don’t waste time on pointless committees • Committees must have at least three members in most Masonic jurisdictions – The Master is

ex officio

committees a member of all 22 Sep 2001 14

Committees (cont.)

• If a standing committee (by By-law or custom) doesn’t fit the need, the Master should appoint an

ad hoc

committee – Give a definite purpose or mission – Appoint those apposite to the task • Don’t let it become a perpetuity – But if its job is > 1 year, the SW/JW/etc. should agree to re-appoint to carry on the task 22 Sep 2001 15

Committees (cont.)

• Rt \ Wor \ Bro \ against committees Allen Roberts inveighed • He preferred “teams” – Call them teams or task forces, they are the same thing – What’s important is to make sure that they

act

• You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink – You can, however, put salt in his oats...

22 Sep 2001 16

Staffing

• Masonry is a volunteer organization – Men volunteer to join (“own free will and accord”) – Men volunteer to participate after they become Master Masons – In these times, far fewer men volunteer than used to • Must work with what staff is available 22 Sep 2001 17

Staffing (cont.)

• Don’t be afraid to ask!

– Many Brothers are too shy to offer, really!

– Fear of rejection, of doing the wrong thing, etc.

• Ask early—men have many commitments • Know your Brothers – Know what skills are available – Pick the right man for the task 22 Sep 2001 18

Longer-term Staffing

• Identify candidates for Jr. Deacon more than just six weeks before annual elections – Perhaps two or three years ahead—build a strong line – Consider a seven- or eight-year line, even • Identify what

you

will do for the Lodge as a Past Master – Keep the PMs involved – Prepare for replacement of Sec’y, Treasurer,...

22 Sep 2001 19

Staffing Problems Challenges

• What everyone says is our biggest problem: membership • But also participation – King Solomon had 153,302 people helping him – People don’t want to do all the work themselves – If everyone pitched in, there would be fewer big jobs!

– It’s

amazing

what can be accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit...

22 Sep 2001 20

Directing

• Directing is the process of seeing that the details of the task are carried out • Directing is not solely giving orders and watching others do the work • It is also a matter of giving reinforcement— compliments and corrections • And it is vital to know what the parts of the task are 22 Sep 2001 21

Coaching

• If “directing” were called

coaching

, there would be a lot less bossing people around • The optimum leader is a coach – A coach’s job is to get the best from his people – A coach need not be able to than the subordinate

do

the job better – A coach should probably

know

the job better than the subordinate, to give useful instruction 22 Sep 2001 22

Getting the Best From People

• Training (skills) • Instruction (task-related) • Positive reinforcement • Team-building – “A box of donuts: Two bucks.

Team bonding: Priceless” 22 Sep 2001 23

Controlling

Actual Plan

• Controlling is the process of comparing actual performance to the plan • The purpose of controlling is to correct deviations and reward success – Note that deviations are

corrected

, not punished • Must know what is expected – That’s why plan goals are specific and there are milestones along the way 22 Sep 2001 24

Controlling (cont.)

• “Management by walking around” • Keep an eye on your leaders (committee chairs) • Look for the important things, right or wrong • Quantifiable milestones are best, but not always possible • Know who’s responsible for what 22 Sep 2001 25

Other Management Functions

• Marketing and communications – Make your Lodge visible! • to its members • to other Lodges • to the community • Finance (remember the long term!—Lodge Plan, right?) • Facilities and maintenance, security – Nothing uniquely Masonic here...

22 Sep 2001 26

What’s a Lodge Meeting About?

• Ritual (not covered further in this course) • Necessary business – Avoid unnecessary business!

– Do

whatever it takes

to make it brief!

• Program • Fellowship 22 Sep 2001 27

Business

• Don’t have to read

everything

! Summarize!

• Have an annual budget approved – Only have to vote on off-budget expenses • Reports only from committees having some info useful to the Lodge as a whole • Have an agenda and follow it • Let Brothers have reasonable opportunity for input, but cut off rambling, repetition 22 Sep 2001 28

Programs

• Too many programs come from outside the Lodge these days – Some have been seen over and over...

• The L.E.O. is not the answer to the above • Need to have individual Brothers participate in the work – This may take some jump starting – Is the L.E.O. a committee head? Or just one man?

22 Sep 2001 29

Fellowship

• This is why many men become Masons • If your stated communication ends at 10:15 PM, there is no time for this afterwards • Plan (Lodge Plan, remember?) social activities – Involve families; involve youth groups, involve EA’s and FC’s—and some just for MM’s, too – Address age range of members (softball vs. cribbage tournament) 22 Sep 2001 30

The Most Important Point

• Masonry is not a business or a religion • Men become Masons without knowing very much about it and may be easily disappointed • Masonry is a pastime – People want to

enjoy

their pastimes – Even serious hobbies must provide satisfaction • Therefore: HAVE FUN!!!!

22 Sep 2001 31

Congratulations!!!

You have now received your Worshipful Master of Business Administration degree!

More light...

22 Sep 2001 And now...

From Wor. Bro.

James D. Hawkins 33