WORKING WITH GOALS
MORE LIGHT in MASONRY (III):
WORKING WITH GOALS
by Allen E. Roberts
Not long ago I was a participant in a
weeklong management seminar, which was opened
by one of the instructors merely chatting for
a few minutes. Then he asked the group to
split in two. Some stood. Some continued
sitting. Same walked toward the door. All
were confused. Why'?
All had complete freedom to act. We weren't
told who should do what. We were free to sit,
stand, or walk. But, although there was
freedom, there was no direction. We learned
that freedom, something we all proclaim as a
right, must have limitations or it will not
work. Freedom without direction becomes
frustrating permissiveness. With
permissiveness come problems, problems that
often end in chaos.
Many of us were disturbed by the apparent
waste of valuable time. We were going around
in circles, ending up where we started. For
eight hours nothing was accomplished that
could even remotely be considered
constructive. It appeared that we were in for
a hair-tearing week.
After dinner the session continued. My
frustration became acute. "How much more time
are we going to waste:'' I asked, not too
gently.
"Ah'" gleefully said one of the instructors;
"One of us is disturbed. Says we're wasting
time. What do the rest of you think of that?"
Fortunately, several of the others agreed.
And there was more confusion while we tried
to determine just how and why the time was
being wasted.
"Isn't this how each of you manages his
department? Don't you let each person decide
for himself what he's going to do during the
day? When questions are asked, don't all of
you discuss them freely and openly?" asked
the instructor.
"You must be kidding!" snapped one of the
participants. "You know my boss, and you know
darn well who brings up the questions and
answers them!"
"I'm not sure that I do. Do you mean that the
boss tells all of you what you will do and
not do?"
It turned out that that was the situation.
Few, if any, discussed anything freely and
openly with the boss. What he said was the
law. When he met with his staff, he told each
cane what to do, when, and how.
"But I'd rather have it that way," countered
one of the men, "than the way it has been
going here for the past eight hours."
The instructor grinned: "You don't like all
this freedom'' Can't say that I blame you.
Unlimited freedom has its drawbacks. But if
we are to accomplish what we ought to, there
must he freedom within limits. Those limits
will he determined by laws, budgets,
capabilities, and the other resources at our
command. Now what do you think we ought to do
so that you will feel that we've stopped
wasting time?"
"We had better set a goal for this seminar or
we'll he here for a month instead of a week!"
For the next hour there was an open and free
discussion as to what the goal should be. And
during the discussion we found that we had
learned a valuable lesson. Actually, the time
had not been wasted. None of us would ever
again forget that many hours are lost forever
because goals are not determined early.
We also learned, although not that evening,
that setting goals must be done through
teamwork. For a goal to he reached there must
be commitment. but commitment is an
individual thing. No person can commit
another to anything. when one person sets a
goal, only one person, himself. is committed
to try to achieve that goal.
Goals, to be meaningful and to have a chance
of being reached fully. must he set through
participation. Participation means that the
members of the team and/or the lodge have
complete trust in each other. With trust
there will be free and open discussion. Each
member will state his approval or objections
without fear of ridicule, reprisal, or of
losing a friend.
The discussion to set the goals will keep the
purposes clear to all. Clarity will aid in
establishing the methods to reach the goals.
An open and free discussion will bring about
a desire to share in achieving the objectives
that have been set. No attempt is made to
persuade a majority, nor is a vote taken. The
team will reach a consensus of opinion.
Consensus is reached when all agree to work
toward a given goal. It doesn't mean that all
agree completely. One or two may have
reservations, but not strong enough to oppose
their teammates. This will he possible only
if there is complete trust.
With trust will come freedom to express our
opinions openly. It makes us understand that
feelings are facts. This causes us to
practice empathy - the art of putting
ourselves in the other fellow's shoes.
To reach the best goals possible, we must
learn to listen - really listen. This has
been judged the most difficult part of
communicating meaningfully. But we cannot
possibly reach the best solution to our
problems unless we listen to all sides. When
we listen, we learn what the other fellow is
thinking. What he thinks may he exactly what
we need to reach a successful conclusion.
Somewhere I have read: "The fellow who says
he's too old to learn new things probably
always was!" The same phrase fits the man who
claims he's too old to try something new.
Much the same argument is used by those who
don't desire to work for Freemasonry. They
claim the organization cannot change, or a
"Landmark" will be violated. They actually
GUIDE 1
JUDGING TEAMWORK in OUR LODGE
GOALS
GOOD
Set through participation: clear to all;
shared confused; by all: all committed to
achieving, them
POOR
Determined by the "Leader"; diverse:
conflicting; little or no interest for
achieving, them
PARTICIPATION
GOOD
All get into discussion: all are really
listened frequent to
POOR
A few dominate; few listened to:
Interruptions
FEELINGS
GOOD
Frustrating atmosphere: Freedom of
expression: of empathetic responses
POOR
Unexpressed: hidden: ignored; fear criticism:
indifferent
DIAGNOSIS of TEAM PROBLEMS
GOOD
Problem, carefully diagnosed before action is
proposed: remedies get at basic causes
POOR
Jump directly to remedial proposals: treat
symptoms rather than basic causes
LEADERSHIP
GOOD
Provided by various members; distributed as
needs, contribute arise; all feel free to
volunteer services
POOR
Single person dominates; few anything; needs
not met
DECISIONS
GOOD
Consensus sought and tested: differing, ideas
few, appreciated and used to improve
decision: commitment by when made. fully
supported
POOR
Made by one man; agreed to by majority vote
decides: no members
TRUST
GOOD
Complete trust by each member; each reveals
Team what he would be reluctant to expose to
others individually; respect and use
responses; freely express negative reactions
without reprisal or ridicule
POOR
Members of Team distrust one another are
polite: careful; closed: guarded: listen
superficially but inwardly reject what others
say: fear criticism: are afraid to criticize
others
CREATIVITY and GROWTH
GOOD
Team flexible in seeking new and better ways
of reaching goals; individuals changing and
growing: creative: imaginative; supportive
POOR
Members of Team in a rut; operate routinely;
stereotyped; rigid in roles and thinking; not
willing to try anything "new"; no progress
believe the Constitutions of Freemasonry
rigidly prohibit changes. Dwight L. Smith,
Past Grand Master of Masons in Indiana,
disagreed when he wrote.
"Freemasonry has never been static and cannot
be so if it expects to fulfill its mission in
a changing world. For Masonry is a part of
the world and cannot escape from it. He who
thinks our Craft can remain insulated against
change and continue to be just as it was when
grandfather took the work is living in a
fool's paradise."
True, Freemasonry has never been static. It
isn't today. There are many Lodges that are
growing; there are others that are
deteriorating. It is alarming to read in
Masonic periodicals about the number of Past
Masters who arc again serving as Worshipful
Masters. This is a sign that goals are not
being set, that we aren't growing the leaders
that we need.
Unless goals are set, there will be
stagnation or deterioration in the Lodges.
This will hurt our Lodge, our members, our
families, the Grand Lodge and even the image
of Freemasonry throughout the free world.
Without goals to aim for, our members will be
as confused as we were in our management
seminar. They will drift and fade away from
the Lodge and the Fraternity.
The success or failure of businesses,
churches, professions, and nonprofit
organizations is determined by goals or by
the lack of them. Where there has been
growth, we find that realistic goals have
been determined through participation.
Everyone in the organization has had an
opportunity to help set them. They are then
able to see themselves as part of the whole -
an important part. They are able to identify
their personal goals within the goals of the
organization.
Assuming that we are agreed that meaningful
goals are necessary for the growth of our
Lodges, let's look at methods for selecting
them,
To set goals we must:
- Determine the purpose for which Freemasonry
exists.
- Determine the responsibility of the Lodge
to the Grand Lodge.
- Identify the leaders' roles.
- Identity the members' roles in the Lodge.
- Define the needs of the members.
- Determine the role. of the Lodge in the
community.
- Follow a plan of action.
- Set standards and performance measurements.
The purpose for the existence of continuation
Freemasonry is TO MAKE GOOD MEN BETTER. This
is the consensus of opinion of hundreds of
Masonry's top leaders as determined two years
ago. All goals set should be designed to
achieve this purpose.
In setting goals the leadership of the Lodge
must determine its responsibility to the
Grand Lodge. No general statements can be
made concerning all Grand Lodges, because
each is sovereign. Each determines its own
rules, regulations, laws, ritual, aims, and
objectives. The leaders of a constituent
Lodge should know what the Grand Lodge
requires. They will usually find that there's
a great deal of freedom in which the Lodge
can act.
The February 1972 Short Talk Bulletin
explained the role of the leader in solving
some of the problems of the Lodge. It pointed
out how to meet some of the needs of the
members. It showed how to follow a plan of
action.
While defining problems we learn what goals
need to he set in order to solve the
problems. Without goals the problems will
remain. They will get worse the longer they
remain unresolved. There will continue to be
a conflict between the members and the
purpose of Freemasonry, TO MAKE GOOD MEN
BETTER.
Standards and measurements must be set up by
the group to provide the control needed to
reach the goals. These should include what is
expected to be achieved, when it is to be
completed, and who is to do the jab. The
results can be measured against what other
Lodges are doing, what our members think of
the changes, and whether or not we finished
what we set out to do.
Let's assume that we set as a goal "Better
Degree Work." We've got to determine when we
want this better degree work-immediately,
next week, in two months, or a year from now.
We'll meet with disaster if we don't set a
deadline.
We must then decide who's going to instruct
the ritualists. Leaving it to everyone means
no one will do it. How it's done should be
left to those who are to do the job.
As time goes on we want to know how we're
doing. We can find thin out by asking, by
observing, and by the enthusiasm, or luck of
it, of the members. We can bring in outside
observers (in this case the Grand Lecturer or
one of his assistants) to let us know if we
are accomplishing our goal.
The January, 1972 .Short Talk Bulletin tells
whom we should try to reach, and we can reach
them by setting proper goals which ore
clearly related to Freemasonry's purpose, TO
MAKE GOOD MEN BETTER. It also tells us who
can give us technical advice and suggest some
problem areas.
In Key to Freemasonry's Growth there is a
valuable "Performance Cycle" in Guide 7 on
page 79.
"Guide 7 indicates that the first step in a
successful Performance Cycle is to state the
purpose of the organization and its general
objectives. After this has been determined,
division (or committee) goals are selected
and the plans to implement them are
suggested. The top leadership furnishes this
information to the team (committee) leader,
who in turn informs his members about what is
desired. After a thorough and open
discussion, the team leader returns to the
top leadership with the results of the
discussion. The goals are then modified or
strengthened and all are committed to their
achievement. At a predetermined time the
results are checked and those goals and
actions not suitable are discarded: new tools
or actions are set up. At a suitable time the
team's performance or that of the individual,
is checked against the stated objectives to
determine the rate of progress. This is
reviewed as a part of the over-all
performance of the division. Hopefully, the
results enhance the general objectives and
purpose of the organization."
More Light in Masonry? How do we achieve it?
With meaningful, realistic goals. Unless the
Lodge knows where it is going, its members
are lost. Then can't be expected to act if
the leadership doesn't.
If we will work together - participate - we
will set goals, follow them through to
completion, and thereby brighten the light of
Freemasonry.
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