A Return to the Unknown – Blogging, Transient Communities and Leadership

I realized recently that in my rush between events and activities – I haven’t given time to put reflections in written form. While verbal diarrhea seems to be a part of my post processing experience with life – those reflections rarely get communicated outside of the sphere of people who participated in the events with me. Therefore when I’m sharing those stories it only helps reinforce a memory with friends or aids me as an individual to feel a sense of narrative completion on the to do list of life.

Go to conference X or protest Z. Check. Talk it out. Continue with Event Y.

Shared experiences, they’re great. Talking things out with friends is also great. But this weekend I was reminded why that’s really not enough, at least for me right now.

While looking at what I consider common sense of organizing – I realized how many students around me haven’t had the opportunity to learn about and develop those skills yet. And as a debate unfolded this weekend at a conference regarding leadership turnover – a topic I have discussed in countless retreats – I realized what appeared immediately obvious to me is constantly being rediscovered by people who while looking elsewhere missed that cue.

Now when good/decent student leadership is leaving – they often tend to leave a long to do list, list of traditions or other set of resources behind. But when incoming leaders receive a bunch of resources – it also tends to be an information overload that gets parking-lotted (Like a car in a parking lot, it is temporarily put to the side to return to). The problem is that often times the resource isn’t utilized. Now one could blame the students for this, but realistically, we’ve got other things to do! We’re full time students and huge binders to read are a drag. But in my experience there’s one in depth resource I will always be quick to consult when I have a question – people. Peers, mentors, teachers, TAs, friends and family are all great places to go. And when the leaders of an organization graduate and the turnover is happening – the best thing to leave behind is a phone number to be contacted at and a good relationship that makes it easier to pick up the phone.

Okay – totally common sense. But the other thing that is always forgotten is who does your organization/club/group work with? Do you have a personal relationship with those leaders than enables you to work with them easily? If so – your new replacement either needs to be put in contact with them to develop such a relationship or your new replacement and that organization’s new leadership will have to meet. Yes, that is a lot of work for both you and that other organization’s leadership to organize, especially if your work has been happening in centrally dictated actions where leaders work together and pass down instructions. However if you consider leadership turnover not at the moment of exchange, but as a process it’s much easier to plan. If you make sure your organizations members know each other – when it’s time to collaborate they’re much more able to continue to work together with or without you.

I’m a senior at UCSB. I will be graduating this year (assuming the English department lets me in to my final required class…) and when I go I know my rolodex (… or facebook) goes with me. But that’s actually irrelevant. Because when I leave, so will a large number of my friends who I would have called to organize an action. Leadership is constantly developing, evolving, and graduating/leaving. If an activist next year called me and asked me for advice – I couldn’t suggest, “Just talk to so and so.” But this year before I leave, I can look for developing leaders and members around me and encourage them not only think of what the organization needs, but also just to befriend the people around them and in allied causes. I don’t know and can never be sure about who will move up – but if members are regularly working as a community the organizational culture of collaboration won’t be dependent on me or my individual skills.

When in caucus spaces facilitators’ job is to start actions, keep things moving and moderate for an enjoyable space for all. I see the role of a good leader in transient communities to do that as well. Ultimately if the quality of the space is dependent on the individual the organization will fall apart with or without a binder of resources. So as a leader now is the time to start reflecting (if you haven’t already). Who’s passionate? Who’s itching for more to do? Who was left out and is waiting for an invite to return to the table? If the people who are the answers to questions like these don’t know each other yet, start the introductions as you go about your programs. Those are the ties that will outlast your days in the organization and help your organization maintain a culture that fosters good communication needed to keep alliances alive when your rolodex is outdated, your binder is ignored and your voicemail is full.

So where does this leave me? I’m at the end of yet another conference, short on sleep, and optimistic about the future of my campus organizations. This weekend I think my greatest act of leadership was being the designated driver at the end of Saturday night – and by doing so allowing for alcohol induced networking. It might seem like an odd place to begin the leadership transition – but those memories, laughing over silly moments and the bonds that go with them are often what makes for a community worth fighting for and can make all the difference to both members and potential leaders looking for a place to call home. And even if those people never end up leading – their ability to enjoy the community and talk within that space will make it easier for whomever does.