I Need a Co-Leader, but I'm Too Busy to Work with an Applicant!
Karin Gausman
Billings, Montana, USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 37 No. 3, June-July 2001, p. 57
It's been a long time since
there has been an Applicant in your Group. At last your efforts have
paid off, and a mother is interested in LLL leadership and ready to
apply. Hooray! Now you are wondering how you will do all you want to
do. You know the Applicant deserves and counts on your help with her
preparation, and you already feel stretched to your limit. You know
her accreditation will lighten your workload, but that is in the future.
How will you ever find time now?
You might begin by prioritizing
your LLL work. Could you cut back on extra Leader work, such as participating
in outside speaking, organizing fundraisers, or leading Toddler Meetings?
Going back to basics is a good recommendation for the Leader who feels
overwhelmed. One of the basics (LEADER'S HANDBOOK, p. 4) is "helping
other mothers... prepare to become LLL Leaders."
Perhaps you've taken on
outside commitments. Some Leaders, recognizing that their expertise
is unique and that others can help at school or in the community, have
decided to focus on their LLL work for now. They plan to volunteer outside
LLL in the future, when they have more time.
Do you have a co-Leader
already? The two of you might take turns meeting with the Applicant.
Perhaps each of you could take responsibility for different topics on
the checklist in the LEADER'S HANDBOOK (pages 243-44). Maybe one of
you would like to focus on discussions while the other helps more with
"hands-on" preparation, such as planning a meeting, ordering
from LLLI, and role-playing phone calls. You and your co-Leader will
want to let your expertise and individual interests guide you in deciding
how to divide the topics for discussion and practice. Collaborating
this way can give the Applicant opportunities to observe different ways
to organize materials and present information, and can contribute to
her future co-leading relationship with each of you.
"But wait," you
say. "My co-Leader is about to have a baby, has just accepted full-time
employment, has five children, is going to move ... (You fill in the
blank)...Maybe you feel like (or are) an overburdened lone Leader right
now. How about finding ways to do more than one thing at a time? Could
you meet at a park or playground or at a restaurant that has a children's
play area? Combining an outing you've promised your children with a
Leader Applicant meeting can be an efficient use of your time.
Is travel a problem for
you? Perhaps you and the Applicant can "meet" by phone, or
the Applicant might be able to come to your home. This could be a good
opportunity to demonstrate how you organize your LLL materials and weave
Leader responsibilities into your life. Showing something can be more
efficient and effective than describing it. For your meeting day, you
might plan a special children's activity that doesn't need your direct
involvement. When your children are entertained, you can focus on your
discussions about leadership preparation.
Perhaps more than one woman
has applied and the prospect of double the meetings is daunting. One
way to streamline is to meet with both Applicants at the same time.
This will also provide an opportunity for them to learn from each other.
Enthusiasm can be contagious!
You might find Evaluation/Enrichment
Meetings a good time and place to combine your Leader work with helping
the Applicant. You can explain relevant aspects of Group management
while you conduct Group business. You could ask the Applicant to fill
out the meeting report for the District Advisor. Group workers could
explain how they do their jobs. Perhaps you and the Applicant could
also arrive early or stay after others have left to discuss relevant
topics.
Leader Applicant Workshops
can be a wonderful place for Applicants to do some of the necessary
learning, as well as to meet other Applicants in your area. One Leader
can discuss a checklist topic with a number of Applicants, and working
together can help keep enthusiasm high. District Workshops and Area
Conferences can also help your future co-Leader to stay enthusiastic
and focused on her preparation for leadership. When you receive a conference
brochure, go over it with the Applicant, pointing out sessions that
could most benefit her now or as a new Leader. Suggest that you carpool
to a workshop, or ride the bus or train together. You can put travel
time to good use talking about subjects that will benefit leadership
preparation.
The Associate/Coordinator
of Leader Accreditation (A/CLA) can be a great resource for you. She
can suggest a variety of activities and exercises for you and the Applicant
to choose from. The two of you can decide which will best fit with your
schedules and available time as well as which will be most beneficial.
The time and efforts you
make show the Applicant that you place high importance on her preparation.
That message can inspire her. Before long you may be introducing a new
Leader to your Group! You can be confident in her ability to help you
manage and lead the Group because you know that with your help, she
has prepared herself well for this new role.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:17 UTC 2007.
