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Is
your club ticked off at a neighboring club? Are you
drifting away from your club because of the behavior
of a few folks? Do you find yourself attending fewer
club/group meetings these days? Do you feel like your
opinion does not count? Are you tired of the politics
and clicks in your club? In other words, do personalities
rule your recreation?
In
my travels around the country helping folks to get organized
and keep trails open, I have seen too much of the above
problems. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great
clubs that are doing just fine. But I've seen my share
of personalities driving folks away from organized recreation.
There are ways to fix that.
I
am convinced that our future lies in folks joining and
staying active in organized recreation. The more we
band together and stay tuned into what's happening with
our trails, the better our chances of having a sport
in the future. The more we separate or alienate from
each other, the less chance we have of surviving as
a recreational pursuit. We must be together at every
opportunity.
This
means that our local clubs/groups must be viable and
effective. I am always reminded of the anti-access (radical
environmental groups) slogan of *think globally; act
locally.* They've got it figured out. They preach keeping
the big picture in mind, while taking baby steps at
the local level towards achieving the big picture. It
works!
In
large business corporations and management, there's
a concept called the *Swiss cheese* approach. Swiss
cheese has a lot of holes in it to make the cheese what
it is. When a manager is faced with a tremendously complex
task, the Swiss cheese approach is to make one hole
at a time until you have your block of cheese done.
In other words, like a long hike in the back country,
it's just one step at a time until you reach your destination.
This
is where the local level involvement is so important.
If we're all taking baby steps, punching holes in the
big block of Swiss cheese, eventually we'll achieve
the big picture -- responsible access for all!
It
starts with your local club or group. It starts with
a few folks deciding to get past personalities and get
something done for the greater good. It starts with
a commitment to not let someone else control how you
feel about your sport or your club.
If
you have personality issues in your club or group, I
suggest that before you give up, you confront them head
on. Let folks know how you feel and what you expect.
Only then can a group or club decide if they want to
make changes to accommodate your wishes. But to me,
it is such a shame to see someone drop out of a group
without letting folks know what's up. It's similar to
telling a boss at work what's wrong from your perspective
so the problem can be fixed. Many times bosses don't
know what the employees know. So by letting someone
know there's a problem, at least you give them a chance
to fix it.
There's
an old saying I use a lot: *A complaint is never legitimate
until it's voiced to someone who can fix it.* If personalities
are ruling your recreation, then I suggest you speak
up and clear the air. Get to the *peace table* and talk
it out. Find solutions or compromises that all the parties
can live with. But whatever you do, give it a shot before
you give up.
When
I help folks get past personalities issues, I always
remind them that we are not out to change who someone
is, only how they behave in our group. If a certain
behavior is alienating other club members, then we need
to find a way to change that behavior. It can be done,
but only through communications that are pretty open
and honest.
In
the leadership training I give folks, I drive home the
point that we must let folks know our expectations --
those things that make us smile and enjoy our sport
(or our job or anything else). The same holds true for
a club. If you have expectations that are not being
fulfilled, then let someone know. By doing so you increase
your chances of staying in the game and helping us to
punch holes in that big block of cheese.
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