Purpose of this PPT For the speaker, delete this slide before presenting This presentation’s primary purpose is to provide the leader checklist or game plan for how to implement the BLT (Boy Led Troop) Leadership System. Regardless if you are starting a new troop or evolving an existing troop, this presentation takes you through the steps and time line for defining, implementing and sustaining a BLT Leadership system. The intended audience are the supports of the leader, leading the implementation of the BLT Leadership System. The thinking behind this presentation is that it would be reviewed several times by the leader and supporters. From their reviews, a checklist would be formed and for some familiar with project management, a project plan with the steps in the presentation being the tasks. In the process of brainstorming, you will come up with variations and modifications for what you believe will best server your situation NOTE – This presentation is at a high level. There is not enough time to get into the exact context and specifics for each troop’s situation. Use your judgment and modify according to your troop’s needs. More information can be found at www.boyledtroop.org 7/22/2012 Version 4

Implementing The Boy Led Troop Leadership System Regardless if you are a new troop starting up or an established troop looking to improve and evolve your program to be Boy Led, the BLT Leadership System offers a solution to bring your program into the 21st century 7/22/2012 Version 4

Purpose & Audience The purpose of this presentation is to provide the leader and his leadership team a roadmap for how to implement the BLT (Boy Led Troop) Leadership System. Review these slides from both a “Big Picture” perspective and a “Nuts and Bolts” perspective. By “Big Picture”, we mean create a checklist (or project plan) with tasks and the sequence of tasking from the steps outlined in the presentation. By “Nuts and Bolts”, we mean make notes with names and what information has to be said to who and… how you need to present information so that the BLT tasking can be successfully completed. Understand that every troop is different - you will need to modify and make some changes, or deviations, to what is mentioned in this presentation. There are many ways that will successfully get you to the end state - the custom fit BLT. The key is for the leader and their team to determine what will work for their particular situation. Another way of saying this, “there is no right or wrong way’. What matters is, “Were you able to put together a plan where you successfully implemented a BLT Leadership System?” 7/22/2012 Version 4

Background 7/22/2012 Version 4

Our Evolving World Organizations are changing from a top down, or pyramid organizational structure, to a more “matrixed” organizational structure. This can easily be seen by looking at how many managers a person has. In the past, you would only have one manager. Today, you can have many managers and it is up to you to prioritize - manage up to set expectations Our ability to lead across peer groups or geographically located teams is increasing. We are expected to work with individuals located all over our nation and the world The ability to be creative, brainstorm ideas and clearly communicate requirements, virtually without face to face meetings, is increasing Due to these advancements, we need to evolve our scouting programs to develop the leadership, communication, team building and ethical decision making skills of our boys Operating by the BLT Leadership System provides you that solution BLT (Boy Led Troop) Leadership System 7/22/2012 Version 4

Initial Steps 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 1 – Gain Understanding With an established troop, the first step is to ask the District Rep, Charter Rep, Committee Members, Scoutmasters, Parents and Scouts two questions: What do they like about the troop today and would keep? What would they want to change about the troop? When starting a new troop, ask this question, 1. What do you want the Troop program to offer it’s scouts? From these answers form a description of the Troop’s “current state” (for established troops) and then define the Troop’s preferred “end state” 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 2 – Validate Understanding (Gain Insight) Go back to these people (second meeting with this group) and describe back to them the troop’s “current state” and preferred “end state”. Diagrams can add to understanding Ask them if they agree or do they have additional changes? If everyone is in agreement ask, What does “Boy Led Troop” mean to them? Do they have some examples to help describe the meaning? The leader and his team review these findings and come up with a common definition of “What is BLT”. 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 3 - Consensus Building Again, go back to these people (third meeting with this group), show them this collaborated definition of BLT. Again, ask them if they agree or do they have additional changes? CRITICAL – Ensure you ask this question of the older scouts who will be the initial scout leaders of the troop. The BLT definition needs to have “buy-in” and be something the scouts want to ‘sink their teeth into’ and support IMPORTANT – Be very attentive and in full-on listening mode when people answer this question. At this point people will start to react, realizing that change may be coming. Understand: As humans, we do not like change. Be prepared: People may start taking a position against the evolution to BLT during this conversation. Caution: Remain neutral and in listening mode, taking notes and gaining understanding into the person’s view point 7/22/2012 Version 4

Consensus Building – A Commentary When I first came to the troop I had discussions with the District Rep, Charter Rep, Committee Members, Scoutmasters, Parents and Scouts Everyone believed that scouting was going to provide the scout’s life skills ahead of their peers Everyone had an applicable idea, thought or recommendation that would grow the program My challenge - and key for success - was to formulate everyone’s opinions/ideas into a comprehensive program so everyone “owned” a piece of the plan 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 4 – Formulating Plan Review the current state, end state and definition of BLT (steps 1–3) with examples The leader and his or her team now have to create the plan for how to get from “current state” to “end state” and transform the culture of the troop to be Boy Led To help you create the plan, review the following sections on the BLT Wikki site www.boyledtroop.org: 1. “Before You Start” – Outlines the 3 year plan (… yes 3 years!!!) 2. “What is BLT” – Defines BLT 3. “Making BLT Your Reality” – Provides the context and big picture view for what to take into consideration when building the plan 4. “Pieces and Parts” – Training and implementing the various pieces and parts are the tasks that make up the 3 year plan. 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 4 - Formulating Plan (cont) At this point you are probably asking “What goes into the BLT plan?” or “How do I make a BLT plan?” Ask yourselves, “What steps must my troop take in order to change its current operations to follow the 3 core processes: Troop Meeting Planning, Outing Planning and QM/Quarter Master Process?” Start by training adults, scouts and parents on these 3 core processes Training adults and scouts how to “mentor” and use “power of the sign” is key. HINT: The easiest way to accomplish this is for the SM and his leadership team to review the 3 core processes on the wiki site www.boyledtroop.org and role play. Walk through the steps and think of real troop scenarios for how scouts and adults should behave. What values and behaviors are acceptable? What current values and behaviors need to evolve? How can you provide training so the scouts and adults can change their old habits and form new BLT habits? 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 4 - Formulating Plan (cont) Understand that culture change will take years. The typical transformation from “adult” led to “boy” led takes 3 scouting years (…yes, three!) HINT: See “Making BLT Your Reality” section on the BLT Wiki site www.boyledtroop.org Review the plan with the “leadership nucleus”. This group may include the Charter Rep, Committee Chair, Scoutmaster and Senior Patrol Leader. Ask them, “Do you believe the plan will work?”. If not, ask, “What changes do you have?” This may take several meetings. 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 5 – “District” Support Go back and forth brainstorming and updating the plan until the “leadership nucleus” is in agreement and ready to “socialize” the plan to the adult leaders (step 6) The Scoutmaster (and possibly Committee Chair) will then have discussions with the District Rep, informing him/her of the intended evolution of the troop with the purpose of getting their buy-in and support CAVEAT – It is critical for the troop to have the district’s backing. Once the changes start occurring, do not be surprised if people react negatively to the change and go to district to file a complaint or even try to halt the evolution towards BLT. This has happened before! 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 6 – “Adult Leadership” Support With the leadership nucleus, and now the District Rep on-board, review the plan with the adult leadership Go back and forth brainstorming and updating the plan until the adult leadership is in agreement and ready to “socialize” the plan to the scout leadership (step 7) NOTE – We have intentionally excluded the scout’s reviewing of the plan up to this point. We have found, if the adults approve the plan and it then goes in front of the boys, there is less resistance by these adults during future culture change steps CAVEAT – During this brainstorming process some adults may start to resist the move to being “boy led”. Be prepared to stand firm to the “boy led” direction! 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 7 – “Scout Leadership” Support With the leadership nucleus, District Rep and now the Adult Leadership on-board, review the plan with the older scouts and scout leaders (JASM, SPL, ASPL) Go back and forth brainstorming and updating the plan until the older scouts and scout leadership are in agreement and ready to “socialize” the plan to the remainder of the troop (step 9) 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 8 – Document BLT Initiative in Committee Meeting Minutes After Step 7, but prior to presenting the plan with the troop (step 9), have the Scoutmaster present the BLT plan to the committee and document the committee’s buy-in and acceptance in its meeting minutes This may take a few committee meetings, depending upon how the committee operates. NOTE – The committee is responsible for policy, as well as, managing parent and chartering organization’s expectations for troop programs. Having the committee document acceptance for the plan in the minutes gives those leaders executing the plan a “record of support” for changing the troop culture CAVEAT – Even in the middle of this evolution process, adults and parents have approached the committee with complaints and may try to halt the change. The committee needs to stand firm to the “boy led” direction, support their leaders and give it time! 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 9 – Present BLT to the Troop It is now time to present the BLT Leadership System to the troop. The goal of this meeting is to publically share the definition of BLT with the parents and scouts. Use this opportunity as a training session for parents and scouts to learn about their role and responsibility for executing the 3 core processes: Troop Meeting Planning Outing Planning QM/Quartermaster Process IMPORTANT – During this presentation, point out other people’s ideas so they can see that their ideas and thinking went into the creation of the “boy led” plan 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 10 - Consensus Building II At this point, people are going to be at different stages of understanding and adoption of the BLT Leadership System CRITICAL – Following this “mandatory” introductory troop meeting, the Scoutmaster should follow up with as many adults as possible to get their reaction and feedback. Use this as an opportunity to gain buy-in and train the parents on BLT. In the same way, have the Senior Patrol Leader follow up with as many boys as possible. Use this as an opportunity to gain buy-in and train the scouts on BLT CAVEAT – This is the period when the culture change becomes real and could get intense if there is a strong negative reaction. The Committee Chair, Scoutmaster and SPL will therefore need to aggressively spearhead support for a “boy led” direction 7/22/2012 Version 4

Initial Change of Culture to BLT 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 11 – Making BLT Happen The key for making BLT a success is to provide a fast start to training on the 3 core processes for adults and scouts, thereby, having the troop operate by these processes as quickly as possible Throughout the initial weeks, the SM and SPL need to constantly check on what is working and what is not. How do the scouts and adults believe they can operate the 3 core processes? What works for them? It’s ok to modify accordingly. The key is to find what works for your troop and get everyone on the same page…quickly. 7/22/2012 Version 4

Step 12 – Changing Behaviors As BLT evolves, the scouts should be taking on more leadership while the adults should be migrating to the background - providing “behind the scenes” support and guidance The adults should be empowering the older scouts. These older scouts should then be empowering and supporting the younger scouts Mentoring becomes the primary model for teaching/training The older scout’s confidence and maturity in their ability to lead should be growing at an increased rate This is proportional to the adults empowering and taking on a supportive role Operations should become “role” based… NOT dependent upon any one individual because they have all the knowledge or power The BLT leadership system is a “system” because it has checks and balances based on “roles”. Any individual not working according to the system will stand out and given additional training CRITICAL – “Lead by Example” is the only way to lead! 7/22/2012 Version 4

Year 1 Review 7/22/2012 Version 4

Year 1 Summary At this point, BLT has been defined and implemented. The troop is winding down for the scouting year, preparing for summer camps and preparing its leadership for the next scouting year. Hopefully, the evolution has been as smooth as one could have hoped for and the troop members are supporting the evolution to BLT Review “Before You Start” on wiki www.boyledtroop.org to refresh expectations and understanding of the plans for the next two years 7/22/2012 Version 4

Critical Elements for Sustaining BLT 7/22/2012 Version 4

Year 2… The Defining Year! Year 2 is when the troop’s participants have had a year’s experience of BLT and ready to start the new year in full BLT mode. This is where scouts and adults alike will start to form their opinions on whether or not BLT is working At the start of year 2, the SM and SPL need to pay particular attention to the, “What is and what is not working” comments. CRITICAL - If people are saying things are broken, the SM and SPL need to resolve these issues quickly To sustain BLT, the following topics need to be part of the plan and addressed: 7/22/2012 Version 4

Servant's Attitude The attitude of the troop’s adult and scout leaders has to be that of being “servants” They are to serve the scouts and support them for success. A person’s pride and ego must be left at the door when participating in scout functions The focus of the troop’s leadership is to ensure that the patrol’s leadership has what they need to be successful in leading their patrols. The stronger the patrol leadership: the smoother the 3 core processes run, the smoother the troop’s operations are, the more fun everyone has… including the adults 7/22/2012 Version 4

Scout Alignment The ability of a troop to sustain and continue evolving to BLT is directly dependent upon how well the troop can align the scout’s maturity and advancement with leadership responsibility. REVIEW - “Align Scout Maturity Advancement and Leadership” on wiki www.boyledtroop.org CAVEAT - It may take all 3 years for the troop to align the scouts maturity, advancement and leadership so the troop has a consistent supply of leaders. Be patient, work with the scouts and their parents to progressively expand the scouts leadership skills 7/22/2012 Version 4

The Scout Is The “Customer” Leadership can be fun and rewarding. For the Scouts to want to support BLT, the culture has to be one where the scouts want to lead, want to influence and have some control over their program. The SM and SPL need to work together to understand what the scouts want from their program and then work with the scouts, setting them up for success in leading their program activities. If the scout is unhappy or does not like the program, the troop will loose its scout participation. At home, parents will see the unhappiness or lack of enthusiasm. 7/22/2012 Version 4

Implementation Wrap Up 7/22/2012 Version 4

Wrap Up We opened this presentation stating what matters most. That is, “Were you able to put together a plan where you successfully implemented a BLT Leadership System?” This is important because each implementation of BLT is different - due to the differences in troop cultures BLT is a “mindset” where the boys lead. If you asked 5 people what is meant by BLT, you would get 5 different answers. In the wiki www.boyledtroop.org, we have documented the components which comprise the BLT Leadership System. It is up to your troop to decide for itself how to best operate as a BLT IMPORTANT - Answers to some of your questions will be revealed as you evolve your troop. As the troop evolves, the troop will learn more about itself which is an important part of the implementation. As the troop learns more about itself, it can evolve its plan and adjust accordingly 7/22/2012 Version 4

Wrap Up (Cont) Although some steps were provided in this presentation, the wiki website @ www.boyledtroop.org contains more detailed information and insight for how to implement the “true plan” for your troop. The BLT Leadership System is more accurately defined by how your adult and scouts leaders define BLT and how they envision themselves executing BLT We understand that troops will do things differently and what works for one troop may not work for another - this is natural. What we are providing are solutions for troops wanting to take on the challenges facing scouting today. As our world changes, scouts are also more likely to prosper operating by the BLT Leadership System. 7/22/2012 Version 4

Questions? 7/22/2012 Version 4

Thank You 7/22/2012 Version 4