Zone Chairperson Training For District 12 L What Is Expected Of Me?

Welcome Zone Chairperson You are the link between the clubs in the zone and the district team. Your First and Primary Responsibility is to Help the Clubs in your Zone in anyway you can.

Before You Begin Establish a Trusting Relationship with the President of each of your clubs Know your presidents and let them know you, before you visit them. Call, etc. and learn about each clubs perceived needs and know their main projects and priorities.

Communication Your are the link between the District Council and these clubs. Communicate the International Presidents program to each club. Communicate the Districts Goals and Theme to each club.

Districts Theme For the year The Theme for Our District is: E=MC 2 Excitement = Measured Change Squared (Keep whats working. Change what isnt working.) This will create excitement if you stir the pot just a little.

Four Prime Responsibilities 1st Help each of your clubs to grow membership by a minimum of 3 new members per club between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014 Ask for help from the District GMT Lion Lisa Vinson and use her resources. Make her aware of any information you may find while visiting clubs, that may indicate a possible new club site.

2 nd Responsibility Make sure each of your clubs know the four different Lions Menus and what is each item on the menu. Make sure you know them first. The next four slides give an example of each menu. These may not be all inclusive. Remember that we only encourage ordering off the menu, but each club is free to make their choice of items ordered.

International Menu of Projects LCIF A. Melvin Jones Award B. Disaster Relief Fund C. Grant Programs Sight Programs A. Sight First B. Eye Banks C. KidSight D. Eye Glass Recycling E. Leader Dog F. Companion Dogs Health Programs A. Sight Screenings B. Hearing Screenings C. Diabetes Awareness Youth and Contest Programs A. LEO Clubs B. Lions Quest C. Peace Poster Contest D. Essay Contest E. Literacy Programs F. Photography Contest

International Menu….. Environmental Programs A. Plant Trees B. Recycling

MD12 State Menu TN Lions Charities, Inc.(funds KidSight among other things) TN Lions Eye Center Outreach Program TN School for Blind TN School for Deaf World Services for The Blind Leader Dog Learning Ally

12 L District Menu Lion Mobile Eye Clinic and Charities of District 12 L, Inc. (Vision Van) Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service West TN Lions Foundation Inc. Ed Lindsey Industries for the Blind, Inc. Virginia Lindsey Leadership Award West TN Special Technology Resource KidSight

Each Clubs Local Menu Whats on your menu?

3 rd Responsibility Club Visitations vs. Zone meeting The old way of doing this was to ask each zone chair to hold 3 zone meetings during the year. But with the world changing and everyone on the go, many zones call meetings and very few attend. As District Governor, I ask that you visit each club of your zone twice during the year. Try and visit once very soon after July 1 and once more before District Convention. If you establish those good relationships and feel certain that your Presidents will attend, face to face Zone meetings are best.

Club Visitations This is the time that you fulfill those 4 Prime Responsibilities. This is the time you encourage attendance at Lions District and State Functions. This is the time you encourage membership growth. This is the time you explain the menus. Believe it or not, many of our members dont know what those items really are.

4 th Responsibility Officer and Leadership Training Educate and make sure that each of the officers in each of your clubs have attended a club officer training by the GLT Chair at the organizational meeting in July or meet with the officers of you clubs before or after the club visit to administer that training. You should use your visits to identify and train your replacement for next year. The GLT Chair can help you with this, by training you on what to give each officer.

4 th Responsibility….. Being Zone Chair should not become a career. Your experience as the Zone Chair helps prepare you for future District Leadership Positions. However in order to best serve the District, find and train your replacement and help identify future leaders for the district.

Other Zone Chairperson Responsibilities We will try and budget an expense account for you to pay you mileage to visit clubs and attend trainings. We would like for you to make plans to attend the TN Leadership Learning Retreat in Manchester next January. Participate in the meetings as a member of the district cabinet. Try and make sure at least one member from each of your clubs is in attendance at each district meeting.

Zone Chairperson Responsibilities (continued p. 2) During officer training make sure you encourage each club secretary to file a monthly membership report online and what and why the activity reports are important to LCI. There is a Secretary training presentation on our District Website that explains this in detail. Make sure officer elections and PU 101 forms for your clubs are in my April 15.

Zone Chairperson Responsibilities (continued) Suggest and implement methods to assist all the clubs within the zone Facilitate exchange of ideas about programs, projects, activities, and fund raising methods among clubs in the zone. This is the E=MC2 part of our program. Ensure every club follows its constitution & by-laws. Make sure they have one first.

In Partnership with the District GMT & GLT Coordinators, you may Organize a new club Conduct new member orientation Promote Club Excellence Process Implement a member recruitment plan Nurture current and future leaders Promote use of leadership development resources and programs

Club Excellence Award This award recognizes a club that is effective, pays its bills, and is filing reports on time Recognizes club members who are motivated to fulfill their duties in a timely manner The Club Excellence Award Application must be submitted to the district governor

The GMT & GLT Structure

Further Leadership Training The following slides are techniques you can use to make you a more successful zone chair. If at the end of this presentation, you are still confused your district governor. Read your constitution. Research and know how to navigate around the International Lions Clubs Website: lionsclubs.org

The Art of Recognition Recognition should be suited to the individual, timely in presentation and appropriate for the accomplishment The publication, Art of Recognition, provides more information about recognitionArt of Recognition

Informal Awards Informal awards are given at the time of an achievement during the year An award should be tailored to an individual, such as a sports game ticket if the person is a fan of baseball More specific ideas are given in the Art of Recognition publication

Summary There are many ways to motivate a person, however the most important thing to remember is that motivation is unique to each individual. You now know about many resources; use them appropriately for each Lion.

Communication - An Important Skill for a Zone Chairperson How will you communicate with clubs: Provide information Communicate regularly Offer assistance Compliment on club success

Communicate Regularly Frequent communication is easy with , phone or fax – determine preferred method of each club president Clubs may not call you with a problem, so you should contact them Reminders can be given each month

Problem Solving How can you resolve this problem?

Definition A problem is an obstacle which makes it difficult to achieve a desired goal, objective or purpose. It can refer to a situation, condition, or issue that is yet unresolved.

Problem Solving Process Problem solving is a higher-order thought process used when a person or group does not know how to proceed from a given state to a desired state. A five step process can be followed to solve problems.

Step 1- Define the problem State what is preventing you from reaching your goal Is that the problem or a symptom of a larger problem? Is the problem worth solving? What conditions should the solution satisfy?

Step 2 – Gather information Talk to stakeholders that are affected by the problem Ask for details of observed events Review results of prior solutions or studies Ask officials, committees or decision makers for their opinions Interview experts for their advice

Step 3 – Develop alternative solutions Look at the problem in a different way, from a different perspective Brainstorm and generate many alternatives, listing them for consideration Review alternatives to seek new or exciting solutions, and ideas that can be combined Eliminate ideas that will be met with high level opposition

Step 4.1 – Consider alternatives Consider the following characteristics of each alternative: Suitability: ethical and practical Feasibility: affordable and probability of solving the problem Flexibility: ability to respond to unexpected results, to new possibilities and the amount of control you have once you begin your solution

Step 4.2 – Select the best alternative Select the best solution (there is not a perfect solution) Ask your expert for an opinion on your chosen solution Consider your intuition about the solution Consider a compromise solution if needed

Step 5 – Implement decision Without implementing your chosen alternative, you have not solved the problem. Develop an action step plan Inform stakeholders Monitor progress (results and process) Compromise or adapt plans if needed

Empower your club officers Teach them the 5 step process Build their confidence Encourage them to solve their problems independent of you Provide feedback regarding their results

Deal with problems sooner, not later Problems do not go away Delayed problems grow in challenge and in the number of people involved Ignoring a problem may create relationship conflicts among fellow Lions

District resource people Other zone chairpersons Region chairperson District GMT and GLT coordinators 2 nd vice district governor 1 st vice district governor District governor

LCI resources Dispute resolution procedures for club Dispute resolution procedures for district Dispute resolution procedures for multiple district

Summary Problem solving is an essential skill for a Zone Chairperson. Remember to solve a problem as soon as possible using the five step process. Ask for assistance from your district resources if you need it.

Goal Setting How will you achieve that by the end of the year?

Goals A goal is an outcome that you want to achieve by a specific point in time. It is the end result towards which your efforts are directed.

Benefits of Goals Research shows that people who consistently set goals have high levels of achievement. By deciding what is important to you and what you want to achieve, you are outlining your path to success.

Benefits of Goals (cont.) When you achieve some of your goals, you will become more confident in yourself and your abilities. Once you know what you want to achieve, you will not be distracted by things that are irrelevant.

Smart Goals Smart goals describes goals that are written so everyone can understand what the goal result will be and when it will be completed. The goals are: specific measurable actionable realistic time bound

Example Goal Statement The club will recruit 12 women members by February 1 of the current Lions year If a local club has and will not recruit lady members, is there enough interest to form a companion club in the community of women.

Types of Club Goals Membership recruitment Public relations/press coverage Leadership development Retention of members Fund raising for community needs Support of LCIF

Sample Club Goal 1 Recruit 10 new members by November 30 Click to view related action plan

Sample Club Goal 2 Retain 95% of club members by the end of the current Lions year Click to view related action plan

Sample Club Goal 3 Become a 100% LCIF Supporting Club by the end of March Click to view related action plan

Action Plans Action Who will do Deadline date Results What to include in each action plan: Click here for a document you can use for action plans

Action Plan 1 Members invite prospective members to help with September service project Membership committee organizes an open house informational social in October and invites prospective members to meet club members Member sponsors invite prospects to become members in November back

Action Plan 2 In July membership committee discusses club involvement with all members Membership Committee surveys member satisfaction in November Club conducts a planning retreat in May for the next years club activities and projects back

Action Plan 3 District LCIF Coordinator is invited to present an informational program at Oct. club meeting Another club presents a slide program about an eyeglass/vision screening project at a November club meeting Club officers ask each club member for $20 support of LCIF at January meeting back

Summary Goal – specific measurable statement of desired result by a specific time Action Plan – details of how and who will achieve specific results by a specific time Wish – a goal without any action plan

Summary Now you have reviewed possible club goals What goals do you have as Zone Chairperson? Write a few goal statements for yourself Be sure they are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time bound

Summary For more training on setting goals, take the online Goal Setting course on the LCI website.Goal Setting course

Coaching Your behavior affects the whole team

Definition Coaching is the process you use to empower individuals to put forth their best efforts to accomplish specific goals.

Benefits of Coaching It helps my club presidents if they know I can support them in overcoming any gaps in their knowledge of recruitment and retention programs and how to implement them. It can mean recognizing and reinforcing good performance so that it continues, or supporting and guiding when performance is lacking in some way and the opportunity to improve exists.

Characteristics of Effective Coaches Provide a safe comfortable environment Build on strengths to affect improvement and individuals satisfaction Communicate to develop understanding and respect Follow- up to achieve mutually agreed upon goals

Coaching - A 5 Step Process 1.Identify the behavior 2.Describe the implications 3.Reinforce or correct 4.Agree upon a plan 5.Follow up

1. Identify the behavior Focus on behaviors or actions, not on the person Consider both positive behaviors and those that offer improvement opportunities Be specific

2. Describe the implications Explain what happens when the person performs in this way Explain who and what is directly impacted Explain how this may affect overall performance

3. Reinforce or correct Focus on performance Reinforce specific positive performance to motivate Provide examples of desired performance when necessary to correct

4. Agree upon a plan Agree upon the cause of the problem or reason for success Jointly discuss a solution Create an action plan for change together Obtain a commitment and offer encouragement

5. Follow up Make notes of the results of the session Contact regularly for updates per the agreed upon plan Establish a new plan when necessary

Coaching is Coaching can mean recognizing and reinforcing good performance so that it continues, or supporting and guiding when performance is lacking in some way and the opportunity to improve exists.

Coaching is not Telling people what to do Punishing someone for poor work Done without input from the person being coached Done once and then forgotten

Conclusion Coaching benefits everyone involved; the person being coached, the club and district, the community being served, the association and the coach.

Reports & Resources Do you have it when you need to submit it or use it?

Reports You Submit Club visit reports provide valuable information to the district governor Review and summary of club status and health (club visit report) Report of District Governors Advisory Committee meetings in your zone

Reports You Receive or Access Monthly MMR report of club membership including membership changes Copy of club newsletters Club Activities report

Club Related Reports that the District Governor Receives Monthly Club Health Assessment Monthly Recap of Club Accounts – summary of past due bills and latest MMR filed with LCI Club cancellations

Club Ledger of Account Can be requested to resolve a billing or payment disagreement A list of credits and debits for the club account Contact

Other There may be other reports related to a membership campaign or a fund development campaign You may be asked to nominate Lions for district awards

LCI Zone Chairperson Resources LCI publications on website Club Officers Manual (LA-15) Zone Chairperson Manual (DA-100) Standard Club Constitution & By-Laws (LA-2)

LCI Lionism Resources LCI history Melvin Jones Helen Keller Women as members 1987 Lions Clubs in the 21 st Century (book)Lions Clubs in the 21 st Century

LCI Resources Membership Orientation Series (ME 13a-f) Club Retention Chairperson Guide (PRC 7) Presidents Retention Campaign (PRC 1) How Are Your Ratings (ME 15B & ME 15) Club Excellence Process Lions Leadership Resource Center (LCI web site)

LCI Membership Resources I Am a Lion (ME 37)I Am a Lion Lions Make a Difference (ME 40)Lions Make a Difference Club Membership Chairperson Guide (ME 44)Club Membership Chairperson Guide Induction Ceremony Suggestions (ME 22)Induction Ceremony Suggestions Membership Application (ME 6b)Membership Application

LCI Membership Resources (Cont.) Three Person Membership Committee (ME 29) Sponsorship is an Important Responsibility (ME21)Sponsorship is an Important Responsibility Membership Orientation Series (ME 13a-e)Membership Orientation Series Membership Register reports Membership & Leadership Development Resources (LCI website)

LCI Organization Resources District Constitution & By-Laws (LA-4)District Constitution & By-Laws International Constitution & By-Laws (LA-1)International Constitution & By-Laws Board Policy Manual

Conclusion You, the zone chairperson, have many responsibilities and are a key member of the district cabinet. You provide information on the strengths and weaknesses of the clubs in your zone. Your communication, coaching and motivation skills can impact the future of your district. Thank you for accepting the challenge.