Motivating the Middle!

Thanks to my roommate Cat, who got me to register, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of GLAD this year with MB. It was truly a life changing experience and really got me thinking about how I can be a leader, and how I already am one.

Reading Motivating the Middle really opened my eyes about Gamma Phi and how we run as an organization. Joining last spring, I assumed that everyone in the organization would be as dedicated as I wanted to be, and just as involved. But after becoming initiated and not being a new member anymore, I started to realize that wasn't the case. And this book helped me put ideas to what I was seeing. Learning about the top, middle and bottom of organizations, I started to connect members in my organization to those groups. And knowing where I fall into those categories made me proud of myself and where I'm pushing myself to be. I always want to be very involved and at the top of Gamma Phi. I never want to let myself fall into the bottom category.

Anyone who is in any type of social or business organization should read this book, especially the leaders of that organization. Besides it being a great self reflection resource, it could really help those leaders pull the members in the bottom category out of there and help them become more involved. But I really enjoyed this book and what it talked about. I believe that being in an organization is more than just a few lines on your resume and the T-shirts you get, it's about what you put into it and the good you do for other people. After a while some people lose those ideals and focus on doing the bare minimum, which is hard if you have other things going on. But to be an active member of an organization and to get the most out of it, you have to push through, manage your time, but also don't take too much on your plate at once.

This book got a 10/10 from me and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

I loved GLAD, I wish it wasn't over and we had more time, but I am so thankful to MB and BSU for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this. Having a small group gave us the chance to become so close and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Motivating the Middle and Me

     I am so lucky to be writing this blog post after completing GLAD. Greek Leadership and Development was probably one of the most enriching experiences of mine this semester. As a group, we immersed ourselves in discussions on leadership as well as self reflection. It was almost calming to know that some of my fellow peers cared just as much as I did, but also faced some of the same problems that I did. GLAD has taught me so much about myself, how to lead an organization (and also how not to). Getting to connect with girls from other sororities also gave me personal insight on different ways their processes are run compared to ours, this helped me deduct what can be done to improve areas we lack.

     For our final piece of GLAD, we were asked to write a blog post on a book Motivating the Middle by T.J. Sullivan. When we were first introduced to the book, I was curious to  know what it would be about and what I could learn from it. It was a quick and easy read, but it was full of so much information about student organizations. This book gave the reader so much information on stereotypical members of organizations, who they are, what they want, and how you can accommodate them. Frankly, when reading the book it was clear to me that I would be a "top third" member. I know I have a set passion for my sorority and I am always willing to help it grow and develop.

     The book also spoke upon the "middle third" members, this was the focus of the book. Sullivan wanted to convey to the readers that THESE are the members we as leaders should be focusing on. Sullivan also reassured the reader that it is normal to always want to focus on bottom third members (these are members that are absent and have no desire to contribute to the organization). But, focusing on these bottom third members will leave you tired and defeated. I completely agree and relate to this, when faced with bottom third members in any organization, it is hard for me to put myself in their shoes because I do not understand why they do not have to same passions that I do. After reading this book, it opened my eyes to the fact that people are just different. No matter how much you want them to care about what you do- it doesn't always happen that way, and that is okay.
So back to middle third members, I loved his theory and concept of these being the members you should focus on. Quite frankly, these are the members you should focus on. Sullivan says that even though they may not be the first to volunteer or be at events, they still come and that shows they care. I could not agree more with that. It makes so much sense to try and motivate these members and develop them into stronger leaders rather than focusing on the negative. This approach is very optimistic and "half full". These members are just half full, not half empty. If they have leaders that consistently push them to be better and recognize when they do good, that will be ammunition for them to step up into leadership roles and really give back to the organization.

     I really cannot say enough great things about this book. It is empathetic, Sullivan is knowledgeable about what he is speaking on, and he understands where you are coming from. He starts his book with realizing that the people reading it are top third leaders, and he knows it. I thought that was an awesome set up because he is speaking to those who he knows directly care about the organization and want to see it blossom. For any organization that finds themselves struggling with membership or drive, I would definitely recommend this book for new ideas on how to help your organization. I think it is important to remember that for top third members, it is okay that you care so much. As Dr. Seuss once said, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not". So use that drive to do better for yourself and your organization.

Motivating the Middle- Middle Members are important!

From the very first sentence of this book, I was very interested in the material that it was going to be discussing. I had never really heard of the concept of organizations and members being divided into "thirds". I just assumed that organizations were made up of the executive board and general members. From being part of many organizations on campus, I have learned previously that the general members are very important when it comes to running events. General members are the ones who sign up to make the planned events possible. Obviously, this still applies in the book however, the book also brings up the point that the middle third of the organization needs some motivation in order to become the first third. 

As I was reading the book, I found myself wondering which third I would fall into in the organizations I am apart of. Although I do not yet have a position that is considered "first third" I still wasn't considering myself as a "middle third" member. According to this book, I would be. 

The difference I found between myself as a "middle third" member and other people was that other people choose when they attend events or meetings and may not attend the meetings every week. However, the reason I found myself not being included in this, is that I plan my entire week around activities and manage my time and availability well so that I am able to be involved with every organization and attend as many events as I can. Even though I don't have an executive position I would still consider myself one of the go to people that would be able to help wit any event when needed. 

The book really focuses on how you can motivate the middle third to become more of a leader in the group. Every third has their own importance in the group. It is important though to motivate the middle third to get more involved when they can and consider taking on bigger roles in the organization. Eventually, your middle third in your respective organization will be the oldest. Where as now the middle third is typically newer members that haven't gotten much experience in the organization yet to figure out where they would be best. It's important to prepare your middle third members for executive roles that may fit their strengths in the future of your organization and to get them thinking about taking over these important roles. 

I think that it is also important to address the bottom third. While they may put other organizations above yours, this is most likely how the bottom third members will always be. It is key that you keep in mind that not everybody will be as passionate or involved with the organization as you are. You can't make them more involved either. As the book states, it is almost impossible to make the bottom third members first third members if they don't want to be involved in that way. There will always be people that put in less than you do, and you are just going to have to accept that. 

GLAD and Motivating the Middle!

GLAD and Motivating the Middle

This year I was lucky enough to take part in GLAD here at Bridgewater State. Admittedly when I was first introduced to GLAD, I was a little nervous but I was also extremely excited and ready to learn about being a better leader. Looking back on GLAD now I can say wholeheartedly that I have learned so much and I feel that I have been able to grow so much.

When we were assigned to read Motivating the Middle, I was admittedly very interested and intrigued to see what this author ideas the author would have to offer. As I started reading, I definitely found myself resonating with the idea of "thirds". Although I had never heard of this before in terms of breaking down an organization, however, it is something that makes so much sense.

Thinking about the top, middle, and bottom thirds, I began to think about my organization and who fits into what category. I also began to think about myself in terms of which third I see myself in. After reading through the book, I felt that I could see myself moving between two different "thirds". Knowing how I view myself in terms of my organization, I began to wonder how others in my organization viewed me. In having this reflection myself, I definitely think everyone who gets the chance should read this book and have this self-reflection. We can all be top third members at different times. We can all be middle third members. We can also be bottom third members at times. In being able to recognize the attributes of each third in ourselves, we can work towards being a better member within our organization. Obviously, nobody is perfect and it can be hard at times to balance school work, work, Greek Life, and other commitments. However, even just making the taking the time to see how you are as a member is a step in the right direction to being a more aware member.

I just believe that Motivating the Middle provides the perfect way to understand the dynamics of an organization in a way that doesn't put down specific groups of individuals because they act a certain way or put another group of individuals on a pedestal. The author of this book is able to accurately recognize how each third is important to an organization and recognize how these thirds work together to create a balance amongst them.

Without a doubt, I would recommend this book to anyone who was interested in reading it!

Motivating the Middle Review

     The first time that I had ever heard of Motivating the Middle was when I attended the Student Leadership Summit hosted by Stonehill College, Bridgewater State University, and Wheaton College. One of the smaller group sessions I elected to attend was focused on motivating your current members, and recruiting potential new members. BSU was the only school out of the three who had Greek Life, so some of the information regarding recruitment methods was redundant. However, when the professor began speaking about Motivating the Middle, it was something I had never heard about before. He spoke briefly of the differences between the "thirds", and how no matter how big or small your organization is, it will always be separated into these thirds. I was really intrigued about this explanation of group roles and wanted to learn more about it; unfortunately, I don't have much time to read for pleasure while I am here at school, so going to get the book and ultimately read it got sent to the backburner. 

     Thankfully, GLAD was able to give me a reason to read the book, as well as prioritize reading it. The first thought I had after opening the book for the first time was that the theory of these "thirds" within organizations made so much sense. An organization full of top third members who are always willing to go above and beyond would never be able to function. The same goes for the middle and bottom thirds. All of the thirds are somewhat interdependent on one another, and the organization needs these thirds in order to maintain balance. 

     My take on the middle third was that these are the members who so badly love their organization, but they just don't have the means to devote their entire life to it. These are the members who are struggling with going to school full time, working part time, all while trying to remain involved on campus. It might be the members who commute or the members who, rightfully, prioritize their school work above all else. I feel as if motivating this group is less of rewards or incentives and more showing this third that their opinions and ideas matter just as much as everyone else's. Letting your middle third members know that they are valued will motivate them better than rewards could.

    I truly enjoyed getting to read this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to expand their leadership knowledge and sharpen their skills! It was a wonderful book and I'm glad I did get the chance to read it!