1. NCRSC Leadership Workshop June 14, 2008

2. Goals Of This Workshop:
Today we will be orienting ourselves to some of the principles and qualities we look for and try to exhibit
as Leaders in NA. Specifically, we will look at the following:
The Traditions and Concepts as a foundation for
Leadership.
The Responsibilities of All Leaders in NA
Teamwork as an essential component of Leadership
(Qualities of an Effective Team)

3. Goals Of This Workshop:
The Leader as an effective Facilitator
Leadership Communication Skills & The Leader
as a conduit of information
Our personal Leadership development –
“A call to action”

4. Part 1 Our Traditions and Concepts: A Foundation For Leadership in NA

5. Our Traditions & Concepts: A Foundation for Leadership in NA
The source for guidance on the roles, qualities,
and practice of leadership in NA comes from our
Steps, Traditions, and Concepts.
Any discussion of leadership must start here and
the foundation for success of any leader in NA
must start with an understanding of our Steps,
Traditions, and Concepts.

6. Our Traditions & Concepts: A Foundation for Leadership in NA Large Group Discussion
Concept Four: “Effective leadership is highly
valued in Narcotics Anonymous. Leadership
qualities should be carefully considered when
selecting trusted servants.”

7. Our Traditions & Concepts: A Foundation for Leadership in NA Large Group Discussion
What does this Concept tell us about Leadership in
NA from a Committee/Group perspective?
How do we individually apply this Concept as NA
leaders?

8. Part 2 Leader Responsibilities:

9. Leader Responsibilities: Functions of All Leaders in NA
Planning / Organizing / Prioritizing: Helping service
bodies to set goals and stay focused on them.
Oversight and Evaluation: Tracking progress toward
goals. Evaluating how effective the service body is in
fulfilling it’s purpose. How efficient it is in operating,
and how well the team works together.
Creating an Atmosphere of Recovery: Making the
connection between service and recovery.

10. Leader Responsibilities: Functions of All Leaders in NA
Communication: Articulating the goals and vision of
NA. Encouraging involvement and showing the value
of involvement for individual recovery and for NA as a
whole.
Leadership Development: Helping all members find
ways to serve and contribute their talents. Matching
that talent to task and bringing out the best in others.
(Coaching and Mentoring)

11. Leader Responsibilities: What Leaders Focus On:
The Whole: How our actions as a service body support
and impact NA as a whole.
The Vision: How we are continually working toward
our goals and the ultimate impact we strive for – our
vision, the reason we do what we do.
The Future: How we can best meet the needs of our
fellowship today, while anticipating and preparing for
the needs we will have tomorrow. How we can make
the Group, Area, or Region more effective and more
efficient in providing services.

12. Leader Responsibilities:
Large Group Discussion:
What are some critical skills or qualities
that leaders must possess to be effective?

13. Part 3 Teamwork As Part Of Leadership:

14. Operating As Part Of A Team
Leadership is not a solo action.
To be effective, leaders draw from the diverse talents
& experiences of the group.
Operating as a team has many benefits, such as:
Builds Unity around a common purpose & vision
Broadens the opportunities for service
Develops future leaders

15. Characteristics Of Effective Teams
Clear R____ and R_____________
Clear P______ and D________
Team S_____ and B________
O________V_____

16. Characteristics Of Effective Teams
Clear Roles and Responsibilities
Clear Purpose and Direction
Team Skills and Behaviors
Operating Values

17. Characteristics Of Effective Teams
Clear Roles and Responsibilities
Team members understand their responsibilities
and expectations for performance.
Team as a whole understands its function, results
it must produce, and how that supports the
function
Clear Purpose and Direction
Team is driven by a central purpose.
Team has agreed on clear goals and a strategy to
reach those goals.

18. Characteristics Of Effective Teams
Team Skills and Behaviors
Team members exhibit team skills and behaviors
such as: effective communication and conflict
management.
Operating Values
The team has agreed how they will work together,
including ground rules for discussion, how they will
handle disagreement, or conflict, etc.

19. Characteristic of Effective Teams: Small Group Discussion
Team Scenario:
“The more experienced members of the ASC are frustrated. The ASC doesn’t seem to be functioning well as a team: The H&I committee wants more money for literature than the ASC has budgeted for. Many GSRs just come to buy their literature and leave. Activities wants to do their third event without submitting a budget for the first one. Three people want to be convention chair but none are willing to stand for PI/PR chair”

20. Characteristic of Effective Teams: Small Group Discussion
What could be the source of the problem?
Which characteristics of an effective team
is the ASC not exhibiting?
What could the Chairperson do to help get
the ASC back on track?

21. Report Your Group’s Results . . .
Small Group Process:
Report
Your
Group’s
Results . . .

22. Break Time

23. Part 4 The Leader as a Facilitator:

24. The Leader As A Facilitator
Concept 7 tells us how important it is for a leader to
generate dialog, discussion, and input within our
service groups.
As a facilitator a leader fosters group conscience to
guide discussion and decision making.
A leader must know how to build consensus and
productively manage conflict within the group so
that all points of view can be considered, but so that
the group can ultimately make a decision.

25. The Leader As A Facilitator
Essential techniques to generate dialog and discussion:
Create an environment that allows for open discussion.
Make sure the topic or issue to be discussed is clear
and understood by all.
Keep the focus on the topic or issue.
Allow enough time for the group to explore and discuss
topic or issue before asking them to make a decision.
Listen effectively to understand what is being said.

26. The Leader As A Facilitator
When it’s time to make a decision, leaders can use the
following steps:
Clarify the decision that needs to be made & the goal
the group is trying to achieve by making the decision.
Reflect on the input received and identify common
thoughts or ideas.
Build & evaluate solutions/options to address the issue.
Choose the solutions/options that will best meet the
group’s goal.
Prepare for action & implementation of the decision.

27. Facilitation Challenge: Large Group Discussion
Scenario:
“The Regional Service Committee is discussing the development of a Public Relations strategy that areas within the Region can implement. There is a fair amount of disagreement among the RSC members about what should be done. In the end, some strong personalities on the RSC that were the most vocal during the discussion are shaping the group’s opinion. As the chairperson, you fear that decisions will be made that do not reflect the group conscience.”

28. Facilitation Challenge: Large Group Discussion
What could the chairperson do to
better manage the discussion?

29. The Leader As A Facilitator
Key Points:
Set ground rules for discussions, including the idea
that to make the best decision we need to consider
and hear all points of view.
When brainstorming, focus on solutions and prevent
the group from evaluating the ideas presented, until
it’s time to make a decision.
When the issue is controversial or when there is a lot
of disagreement, ensure that comments focus on
the issue, problem, or idea under discussion and
not just individuals in the group.

30. Part 5 Leaders as Communicators :

31. Leaders as Communicators: Large Group Discussion
8th Concept: “Our service structure depends on the
integrity and effectiveness of our communications.”

32. Leaders as Communicators: Large Group Discussion
What does this Concept tell us about Leadership in
NA from a Committee/Group perspective?
How do we individually apply this Concept as NA
leaders?

33. Leaders as Communicators:
Leaders in NA must be effective communicators at
different levels:
One-on-one individually: as a mentor or coach.
Within a team: facilitator. Helps the group
brainstorm ideas, solve problems, etc.
Within the Service Structure: acts as a conduit of
information between bodies of the service
structure, making sure that everyone has the
information, input, and feedback that they need
to perform their functions.

34. Leaders as Communicators:
Leaders within the NA service structure are responsible
for carrying forward the needs and concerns of the
fellowship, and for sharing their thoughts and ideas.
To be an effective conduit of information, leaders must:
Have a clear understanding of the roles and
functions of the other parts of the service structure
they are communicating with.
Know what information is most essential to deliver
to these service bodies and what information to take
back to their own group from these service bodies.
Deliver the information in the most efficient way
possible

35. Leaders as Communicators:
When we are effective conduits of information for our
group, we broaden their understanding of the bigger
organization they are a part of. We give them new ideas
and thoughts to consider in achieving their goals, and
we support development of future leaders for NA.

36. Leaders as Communicators:
Some general ideas of important information to carry
forward to other levels of the NA service structure:
Meeting information: time, day, and place.
Issues of concern or challenges to help other service
bodies focus their efforts or to make informed
decisions about service needed.
Recent successes that others can learn from or use
to be more effective.
Input on issues as requested by other service bodies.

37. Leaders as Communicators:
Some general ideas of important information to
bring back to your group from other parts of the
NA service structure:
Anything that a service committee is asking
guidance or input on.
Financial information, especially local.
Activities, events, or service efforts that need
support (financial or HR).

38. Leaders as Communicators:
In some instances we have specific responsibilities
as leaders to provide input to other levels of the NA
service structure. Examples, include:
CAR (Conference Agenda Report).

39. Tips and Techniques For Efficiently Sharing Information
Summarize the input you are passing on, so others
can identify the most common ideas or themes
(the shorter, the better).
Organize the information, being sensitive to how
others will use the information you give them (this
requires an understanding of how the information
may be used to make decisions, what the functions
and goals are of the service bodies to whom you are
delivering information).
Consider offering a summarized handout so that
everyone has the same information.

40. Tips and Techniques For Efficiently Sharing Information
Highlight items that need group discussion or
feedback, perhaps even make it a worksheet that they
can use to bring back feedback.
If possible, make detailed reports available before
the ASC/RSC so that the members have the
opportunity to read them over prior to the oral report.
Remember that there are always new members in the
room that will need a bit of orientation to your report.
Take a few minutes to be sure all understand what the
expectation is.

41. Tips and Techniques For Efficiently Sharing Information
Pause at the end of each segment to field questions
before changing topics.
If you know that you have a “hot topic” issue, you may
want to approach the individual(s) who are passionate
about it to talk through some of the finer points before
engaging the entire ASC/RSC.
Remind members that their partnership is critical to
the success of exercising the 8th Concept. They too,
must turn and share much of this information with
other members who are dependant on their follow-
through.

42. Part 6 Individual Activity –
“Leadership Is Action, Not Position”

43. In Closing – Wrap Up

44. In Closing - Wrap Up
Never underestimate the impact you have as leaders.
You may think that you can have but little impact
because you are one of many leaders the group has
had. Or are a leader for just a short period of time.
But remember…
How we exercise leadership has an impact beyond
our level in the service structure, and beyond our
term in the position we hold.
Changes and improvements we help make in how
our group operates will benefit those who follow
us as leaders for years to come.
The services we put in place to help the suffering
addict, will impact their lives for decades.

45. In Closing - Wrap Up Leadership is a unique experience that has many
rewards. As leaders you both embody the values of
those you serve, and yet at the same time help shape
those values by modeling good leadership.
The personal rewards of taking on a leader role in
NA are enormous and can be a major part of our
continuing recovery.

46. Comments or Feedback

47. Thank You For Allowing Us To Be Of Service!!!