Important Leadership Dates
A Message from the Chief Executive Officer
Register Now for Leadership Summit
Nominating Committee Requests Your Suggestions for Board Candidates
Documents Deadline for January Board Meeting
Scholarship Interviews

Important Leadership Dates

A Message from the Chief Executive Officer - Building Rapport with Different Personalities
As you step into your new role of chairing a unit board or committee, you may realize that not everyone's personality gels with yours. You will meet people with a wide range of personalities, including several that push your buttons. To work effectively, efficiently, and enjoyably, consider how to create positive or neutral interactions with personalities that would otherwise drive you crazy.

There are three types with whom many people have a tough time and here are a few specific tools to increase understanding and build rapport.

The Power Junkie tries to wrestle control and power from others she perceives as threatening to her stature. Wanting to be seen as the most knowledgeable, the power junkie will interrupt, squelch ideas, intimidate others, and dole out tasks - even if her role isn't to assign responsibility. Generally, the power junkie just wants recognition for her talents and acts out based on insecurity. By acknowledging this person's expertise in a specific area and seeking her opinion, you'll help quell her fears of appearing unknowledgeable or not having her expertise recognized.

The Withholder is also insecure about power and doesn't share information that will help you and others, even though it may ultimately benefit her. In explaining what she needs, she may leave out core information. This is usually to hang on to perceived power, to make herself look better, or to test your abilities and trust in her. The best approach to take with the withholder is to ask clarifying questions every time something is unclear or you've received a mixed message. Follow up each question with a statement clarifying why you ask, and how it's a benefit to the withholder.

The Eager Puppy is so enthusiastic about the program or project that he answers way too prematurely. This trait can be contagious and, before you know it, other board or committee members may have agreed on a solution without examining or knowing the full story or assessing the reality. Solutions have sprung from ideas and opinions, not informed research. Needless to say, the result is a solution that doesn't fit the problem (because the solution predated an assessment of what the problem actually was), leading to bad decisions. With this type, slow it down. Agree on the purpose of the meeting at the start, and spell out what points or answers the discussion needs to cover in order to reach that goal. Whenever the conversation veers off from the key point of the meeting, bring everyone back on point. You could say, "That's a topic we may have to cover at some point. For now, let's work on the purpose of the meeting to ensure that we accomplish what we need today." Another effective way to slow down the eager puppy is to ask probing questions.

When you know your own personality and how you react to others, then you can expand your toolbox for managing your own communications and reactions so that you don't get upset when you encounter a personality that doesn't gel with your own

--Janice R. Lachance, Chief Executive Officer

Register Now for Leadership Summit 2008
Your Cabinet chairs and chairs-elect have been working with the SLA staff over the past months to plan the January Leadership Summit. This particular meeting offers a unique opportunity to help shape the development of our Association. Futurist Andy Hines will get us started with a big picture view. CEO Janice Lachance and newly-elected President Stephen Abram will follow with their view of the year ahead, and the Fleishman-Hillard team will report on progress of SLA's Alignment Project. Then, all participants will have a chance to share ideas and help form a vision of where we want to be, as professionals and as members of SLA, in the year 2010. 

This session is going to be a lot of fun, and it will truly help to move the association forward - you won't want to miss it. On-line registration is now available.

Our hosts this year are the members of the Kentucky Chapter. They have organized dine-arounds on Wednesday evening, will assist with registration and hospitality, and host a fun-filled reception at the Louisville Slugger Museum. They have created a wiki to familiarize you with Louisville and assist with your local area planning.

Nominating Committee Requests Your Suggestions for Board Candidates
The SLA Nominating Committee will meet at Leadership Summit. Please remember to forward your suggestions for those who will lead SLA to the committee. Send names along with some background information on the person (e.g., SLA activities, other volunteer activities, civic experience, etc.) to the Nominating Committee via the chair, Richard Geiger, at rgeiger@sfchronicle.com. Other members of the Nominating Committee are listed on the Web and you may contact them, too.

Documents Deadline for January Board Meeting
All prepared board documents for the January 2008 board meetings in Louisville are due by 5 December. Please submit all chapter-related documents to Chapter Cabinet Chair Anne Caputo and all division-related documents to Division Cabinet Chair Agnes Mattis. Please submit all committee reports to Committee on Association Governance Co-Chairs Deb Jan and Wei Wei. Questions? Please contact Natasha Kenner.

SLA Scholarship Interviews
On 6 November 2007 requests for scholarship interviews were e-mailed to chapter presidents with candidates living within their local chapter boundaries. SLA has received a few completed evaluations. All outstanding evaluations must be received no later than 15 December 2007. Please arrange for the interviews as soon as possible. Chapter Presidents may interview the candidate or select a designated chapter representative to conduct the interview. Evaluations received after the deadline may not be included in the applicant's final review by the Scholarship Committee.

Survey Tool for Units
This is the time of year that many units are conducting surveys or elections and wish to use the tool provided by the association, SurveyMonkey. Headquarters maintains a joint professional account for your use. To use, see www.surveymonkey.com. The user name is leadership@sla.org and the password is slaunits. You may request your unit's e-mails by completing the request form and sending to the leadership department.

Just a reminder about e-mails. Please remember to place e-mails in a blind copy box so that individual e-mail are not revealed.

If you have any questions or comments about Leadership Connections, we would like your feedback. Please share your comments with leadership@sla.org. Visit the Leadership Resource Center on the SLA Web site for information on Leadership.

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