6 Leadership Manual by MidHudson Angels

THE OFFICIAL GUARDIAN ANGELS TRAINING BOOK: 6. LEADERSHIP MANUAL

International Alliance of Guardian Angels

Version 1.1 2004

6. LEADERSHIP MANUAL Table of Contents Leadership .........................................................................................................2 Building Relationships ...........................................................................................6 Building Teamwork................................................................................................9 Disciplinary Guidelines ........................................................................................11 Moving Forward and Continual Improvement......................................................14 Motivating .......................................................................................................15 Cultivating Ideas..................................................................................................19 Meetings .......................................................................................................21 Membership Development ..................................................................................23 Dealing with Politics, Infighting, and Bullshit .......................................................25 Opening a Chapter..............................................................................................30 Leadership Enrichment .......................................................................................36

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Guardian Angels Leadership

Every Guardian Angel should strive to be a leader in his or her community and in the Guardian Angels. He or she may choose to become a patrol leader or director of patrols, training, administration, fundraising, youth programs, self-defense, road teams, media relations, community relations, etc. Being a leader is an integral part of the Guardian Angels experience. The Guardian Angels philosophy is that a leader and a trainer are the same thing. As Patrol Leader it is also your responsibility to train members how to patrol properly. As Chapter Curtis Sliwa, Founder/President, 1999 Leader it is your responsibility to train other leaders how to do their jobs. Simply put, if you are a leader and you are not training anyone, you are not a Guardian Angels leader. Biases Against Leadership People have many unfortunate misconceptions about leaders. They may think of leaders as aloof, distant, domineering, deceptive, power hungry, elitist, corrupt, selfserving, or incompetent. When people think of leaders, they may think of their own bosses, parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, politicians, or religious leaders. Our experience with authority figures creates the expectations and biases we have for all authority figures. Often times, many people fear leadership, because they have a negative idea of what leaders are and do. What we should realize is that not all people in positions of authority and responsibility are either leaders or responsible. A leader is someone who is trained well and works hard to lead. We are all human, and when someone gives us authority or responsibility without training, we tend to take advantage of our new found power and rank. A leader is someone who understands how to use that power and rank to benefit everyone equally. A true leader is someone who puts his own selfish interests and needs aside for the interests and needs of the group. Learning this skill is vital as part of the process of becoming a Guardian Angel.

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Leadership Styles Leadership is a vital and central part of accomplishing any goal or overcoming any problem. Someone must lead, and we must also learn to be good followers. A leader is the selected person who directs everyone else. You can accomplish this task in two ways. You can try to command and control everyone so that they will feel pressured to go where you want them to go. Or you can try to involve and devolve: influence everyone so that they will choose to go where you want them to go. Except for a dangerous and life-threatening situation, the Guardian Angels leadership method focuses on influencing behavior. This is partly the result of being a volunteer group. Few people will tolerate any kind of control tactic unless they are getting paid. That is actually fortunate for us, because it forces us to think of less controlling ways to motivate and direct people. Fortunate for us, when we use these influential tactics, our members become more empowered with choice and they discover responsibility. Leaders

Controllers

Leads, motivates Inspiring Involves Plans ahead, foresees problems Innovative ideas Resourceful Fosters innovation Always curious, asks questions Shares responsibility Shares information Constant training and improving Challenges, teaches Equality, respect Cool yet enthusiastic Integrity, character Patient, reflective Open minded, inclusive

Controls, threatens Demanding Dictates Reacts, puts out fires Uses same tactics over and over Repetitive Discourages new ideas Assumes, pretends to know everything Points fingers, blames Know only as needed Do only as needed, apathy Criticizes, judges Hierarchy, privilege, favoritism Frustrated and temperamental Selfish, egocentric Impulsive, thoughtless Intolerance, exclusive

How to Pick a Leader The leader is not the strongest guy in the bunch. He is not the most popular member. He is not the most charismatic. He is not the smartest or the most experienced or the hardest working or the one who can talk the most shit. The leader is the one member who has proven that he can get the job done by motivating and involving other members. The member who gets things done all by himself, even extraordinary things, is no leader. Everyone else will simply sit back and wait for him to get things done. Eventually, they will get bored and leave. There have been many

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exceptional Guardian Angels who have been placed in leadership positions. Often their chapters have closed. They did not lead, and nobody followed. What It Does and Does Not Take To Be a Good Leader In order to become a good leader, we have to ask ourselves: Would I follow me? Think of the leaders and role models in your life. What common traits did they all possess? Chances are you will come up with traits like: compassion, enthusiasm, personal attention, understanding, responsibility, dependability, honesty, communication, openness, friendliness, patience, creativity, and positive energy. Now think of all the villains in your life. Their traits are almost the exact opposite: selfishness, dull, neglectful, close-minded, irresponsible, undependable, dishonest, poor listener, closed, unfriendly, impatient, frustrated, and negative energy. The Leadership Circle So how do you become compassionate and understanding? Some people seem born with those character Western Region Leadership Conference 1994 traits. The answer is simple: they have been around strong and great leaders all their lives. What about the rest of us? That answer is simple too. We have to turn everyone around us into leaders. In other words, we should try to share responsibilities, ideas, tasks, and authority. Often times, a leader becomes impatient, frustrated, and negative, because he feels overwhelmed and isolated. The answer is to share and open up with your members. At the same time, do not just give away the tedious tasks and difficult responsibilities. A leaderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s main tasks are to groom, train, and guide his followers. A leader does not divide jobs; he multiplies enthusiasm and results. Why Lead? Leadership means responsibility and hard work. So why would anyone want to lead? As a Guardian Angel, you have no choice. Everyone becomes a leader. Leadership is a natural part of human growth. Throughout your life you gain special experience, knowledge, and skills. You can either choose to share them with others or not. When you do not share your experience and skills, your value to others diminishes. Their value also diminishes. In a world where no one shares their experiences, knowledge, and skills, no one learns. In the end, no one has any responsibility, and everyone ends up working harder for less.

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When you share your experience, knowledge, and skills, your value to others increases, and their value also increases. Becoming a leader is becoming empowered. The only way to become empowered is through empowering others. The goal of the Guardian Angels is to empower people and communities. In other words, it is the goal of the Guardian Angels to become leaders. Integrity One of the greatest attributes of a leader is integrity. This makes a lot of sense, because integrity means upholding and living by a standard or code of conduct. That conduct is defined as helping others, thinking of others, not being selfish, and working toward common goals. The definition of a leader is someone who is sharing, helping, and empowering others. It is therefore illogical for a leader to lack integrity. Integrity also makes leading easier. A leader not only holds more responsibility, she also likely holds more power and resources. It would be easy for a leader to use her power and resources to fulfill her own personal needs. In order for us to follow her and trust that she will not simply use us for her own interests, that leader must be the embodiment of integrity. If we witness her sacrificing her own selfish interests and needs for a standard or code of conduct, we can be assured that she will also sacrifice her own selfish interests and needs for the common good: all our interests and needs. Abuse of Privilege and Rank For this reason, a leader must avoid the abuse of privilege and rank. In other words, a leader should not tell new recruits to fetch her a soda down the street. She should not have I Supports patrol in the rain while she eats with other leaders in a restaurant. She should not use the Guardian Angels cell phone to make personal calls while prohibiting others from doing the same. If this leader cannot sacrifice the smallest things for the common good, what are the chances she will sacrifice greater things for the common good? What is the point of following her, if your interests and needs will always be subordinate to hers?

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Guardian Angels Building Relationships

The main goal of a leader is to build relationships both internal and external. Before you can train anyone, you must first create a trusting relationship. Why would anyone be your student if she cannot trust you to teach her something that will help her? Often times, trainers make the mistake of offering lessons before building relationships. We probably have all experienced this with some teachers. They do not share anything about themselves. They do not express any type of interest in who we are or what we are interested in. They stand up there in front of a chalkboard and expect us to enthusiastically soak in everything that comes out of their mouths. It is no surprise that many kids do not enjoy school. In order to be a good trainer, you need to get to know your students, and they need to get to know you. Why are you a trainer? Why are you a Guardian Angel? What do you get out of it? What will they get out of it? What’ s the point? Where’ s the value? What is the meaning of it all? How will learning the Guardian Angels method help my unique and special interests and needs? Why should I waste my time learning a curriculum that may not even apply to me? Why should I sacrifice my free time and potentially my safety for nothing? When you meet a recruit for the first time, many people assume, “Oh, he wants to fight crime and improve the community.” Never assume anything about recruits. It is your job to find out exactly why he wants to be a Guardian Angel. At first, he may give you generalizations like wanting to fight crime and improve the community, but after he learns to trust you, he will tell you a real and personal story. It is then your job to convince him that the Guardian Angels will address his true interests and goals in life. Defining a Common Goal and Creating a Common Interest The first step to building the trainer and student relationship is to define the goals, philosophy, and mission of the Guardian Angels. This is the cause, point, value, and meaning. Fortunately, the Guardian Angels possess strong and selfless goals. Many corporations gloat about selfish ambitions like “To Become the Number 1 Distributor of Widgets”or “The World’ s Greatest Widgeting Company.” Government agencies beam about “Becoming the Most Efficient and Effective Provider of Licenses” or “The World’ s Best Code Inspectors.” What are employees going to get out of working at these places? They’ re just going to get squashed by the machine as it exploits them to achieve its own lofty ambitions. Wouldn’ t it be nice for a company’ s goal to be “Make Driving Safer and More Enjoyable”or for a government agency’ s goal to be “Making the Licensing Process Simpler and Easier.”

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Building External Relationships Building external relationships work the same way. You may not be able to put community members into classes or take authority over business owners, but none-theless you are leading and training them. You are leading them toward a common goal, and you are training them along the way by example and cooperation. The same prerequisite applies. No one in the community is going to accept, follow, work with, or listen to you if you have not built the relationship first. You must get to know them and their unique needs and concerns. They must get to know and understand why you are a Guardian Angel and what you get out of it. They must also understand the Guardian Angels goals and philosophy.

Sliwa and NYC Mayor Bloomberg, 2002

Avoid Unprofessional Relationships It is unavoidable that relationships may progress beyond the professional level. There are countless pitfalls. The reason you are building relationships is to work together toward a common goal. When two people develop a personal and/or intimate relationship, others view them as simply working toward fulfilling their own selfish sexual or personal needs. All your relationships should be relatively equal. You should not be working more closely with the police department while neglecting the residents. You should not be working more closely with one Council member while purposefully avoiding other Council members. You should avoid working more closely with one member over another. When your relationships are equal, it appears that you view everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s contributions equally, and that you are fulfilling the common goal as opposed to your personal goals. By neglecting other people, you are basically saying that their value to you is less and therefore, you are less likely to help them fulfill their needs and address their interests. This is the starting point to a divided community full of political alliances and grudges. For these reasons, you should not turn new members into your buddies. It is appropriate to invite them out for a dinner or to a street fair, but it is not appropriate to invite them out for drinks or to your house. It is never appropriate to date I Supports. It is not appropriate to date people you meet at community meetings. However, since the progression of human relationships is unavoidable, it is not inappropriate for two Angels who have patrolled together for over a year to become best friends. It is not inappropriate for two Angels to date each other after graduation. It is not inappropriate to even end up marrying a community leader after working closely with her for a couple years. After all, there is no better friend or partner than one who shares a mutual compassion for others and the community. Who better else to trust than someone who

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has already committed herself to serving the needs and interests of others? Keep in mind many people will judge your professional relationships by the same standard as you keep your personal relationships. If you end up marrying another community leader, you may be viewed as serious and committed. If you end up in several superficial relationships with other Guardian Angels, everyone will view you as a selfish, undependable opportunist.

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Guardian Angels Building Teamwork

Creating good leaders and followers is the same process as creating good coworkers and partners. Each team player asks the question: Why should I work together with the next guy? What do I get out of helping him? Why should I sacrifice my own interests for his interests? What’ s the point? What’ s the meaning of it all? Not only do people have to decide why they should work for a leader, they must also decide, why they should work for another team player. A leader must not only build relationships between herself and others;she must also help build relationships between members. And not only should she build relationships between herself and the community;she should be building relationships between community members. Many times, the Guardian Angels may find themselves in the middle of a political mess involving the City, the police department, non-profits, residents, and business owners. The relationship building process for creating teamwork is the same as the one for becoming a leader. Your job is to create an environment and opportunities where all the team players can get to know one another, and they should also be able to forge, form, define, and uphold a common goal, each participant holding an equal voice. Inside your chapter, you should get involved in special events and hold informal, out-of-color functions as well as patrols, trainings, and official meetings. You should invite family members to get them involved. Have your members interact in a less stressful and leisurely environment. Do not meet in bars or clubs. Some members may not drink and will feel left out. Also, drinking may lead to more interpersonal problems. Meet for lunch or dinner. Do not pay for the meals. This may be viewed as a ploy to buy your allegiance or loyalty. Go out to a festival together. At each meeting, also reinforce and revisit the Guardian Angels goals and philosophy. After a long night patrolling, take the opportunity to explain that their hard work and sacrifice is both meaningful and rewarding not only to themselves but also to the community. Always answer the question whether it is asked or not, “Why am I doing this?” The more you reinforce this, the more everyone will feel like they are working together pursuing a common goal.

Overcoming obstacles in Reno, Nevada

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Equality Equality is one of the most important team building concepts. If people do not feel that they are being treated equally or viewed as equals, they will inevitably feel that their interests and needs may be overlooked or altogether ignored. Whether it is a town meeting or a member meeting, every single person should feel equal. No one should be ostracized, humiliated, ignored, mistreated, singled out, or neglected. When team members enter a room, they should all be greeted equally. Often times, you will see community leaders only talking with other leaders, or elected officials only talking with government employees. People feel left out. As a leader, the meeting is not your opportunity to catch up with other leaders. You should have your own private leadership meetings. General meetings should be used for you to greet and get to know all your new members and I Supports. When you attend public meetings, do not just wait in line to greet the Mayor or Council member. Talk with the others in line or those who are sitting in the corner of the room. Your job is to bring everyone together as equals not pander to only those with power and resources. Our credibility and legitimacy is not based on recognition by authority but by the support and trust of the entire community.

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Guardian Angels Disciplinary Guidelines

Discipline occurs for two major reasons: 1. Poor training and leadership: The violator did not know the rules, training was insufficient, or there were already bad role models within the organization. 2. The violator disagrees with or devalues the rules. More often than not, discipline occurs because of poor training and leadership and not the violator. If a member truly understands the value and importance of being a Guardian Angel and following the rules, he will instinctively try to obey the rules and be an exemplary member. When a member is unsure of why he is an Angel and is surrounded by others who have also lost their way, he is much more likely to stray. The job of the leader is to avoid discipline by keeping members from breaking the rules in the first place. Members should learn by example and training not correction and punishment. Often times a lazy and insecure leader will try to control his members by using discipline. On the other hand, some people are simply blockheaded and will not change their attitudes and behavior without discipline, but they are less than 1%. 99% of people want to succeed if they are involved in an activity they find valuable and meaningful. If you find yourself disciplining 99% of your members or even 10%, something is wrong with your training and leadership. Even if you have taken over as leader of a struggling and decaying chapter, you should intensify your training and leadership not your discipline. 3 Levels of Violations Level 1: Action

Examples:

Violation indicating a momentary disregard for the rules and regulations of the Guardian Angels

Insulting another member Not posting up when told to do so Arguing on patrol Not completing an assigned task Disrespecting another member behind his back or to his face Littering on patrol Smoking with a beret on

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Level 2: Conduct Violation indicating a serious disregard for the goals and mission of the Guardian Angels Examples:

Any discriminatory offense including the use of racial or homophobic slurs Accidentally bringing a penknife or pepper spray on patrol Assault Negative attitude Falsifying an incident report Financial malfeasance (less than $20) Endangering the safety of the patrol

Level 3: Principle Serious violation indicating a fundamental disregard for the principles of the Guardian Angels and the law Examples:

Any serious violation of the law including petty theft, battery, and possession of narcotics Having an intimate relationship with a trainee Sexual or discriminatory harassment Financial malfeasance ($20 or more) Abandoning your patrol partner Endangering life on patrol

3 Step Discipline 1. Verbal warning 1st Level 1 2. Written warning 2nd Same Level 1 3. Punishment 3rd Same Level 1

1st Level 2 2nd Same Level 2

1st Level 3

2nd Same Level 2 3rd Same Level 2 4th Same Level 2

1st Level 3

3 Punishment Levels 1. Demotion 2. Suspension 3. Termination

3rd Same Level 1 4th Same Level 1 5th Same Level 1

Appeal Process Any member who feels that he has been wrongly accused and disciplined may appeal any written warning or punishment to the regional or national office. Prohibited Punishment    

Humiliation or embarrassment Demotion to I Support Infliction of pain/torture Sexual/nudity

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       

Physical depravation (lack of sleep, food, water) Yelling, screaming Being a training dummy Running personal errands/chores Financial Ostracizing/isolation (no one is allowed to talk to you for a week) Wearing or carrying of badge/symbol of dishonor Insulting codename (Sir Fartsalot)

Carrots and Sticks Most people think that extra physical exercise or chores is good punishment. Unfortunately, this teaches people to associate these activities with doing something wrong. Doing extra physical exercise or chores is an indication of character and selfdiscipline. They should be rewarded and never used as punishment. Punishment should be the opposite of what is desired and valued. Holding responsibility and being involved with the Guardian Angels is what is desired and valued. Therefore, punishment should involve the removal of responsibility and exclusion from Guardian Angels functions. When other members see someone losing responsibility as punishment, they learn to value responsibility. When someone does pushups as punishment, they learn to devalue pushups.

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Guardian Angels Moving Forward and Continual Improvement

If a problem persists, and you are doing the same thing over and over, you will not feel like you are solving or even addressing the problem. You must either address a new or larger problem, or you must change your tactics. A chapter must never stagnate and get stale. Chances are if you hit a problem neighborhood consistently, you will solve the problem. However, once you solve the problem, you should move on. Chapters stagnate when they either are not consistently patrolling the same area, or they fix a problem and stay. Chapters also fail when they no longer recruit and circulate fresh ideas and perspectives from new members. A chapter should not consist of six good buddies year after year. Your goal should be to always accept and develop new members. Having great members should not be the goal of your chapter. Creating great members should be the goal. Chapters also fail when their leaders fail to try new things and accept new ideas. They may say things like, “We’ re just going to patrol, and that’ s all we’ re doing, and if you don’ t like it, then leave.” Our goal is to empower individuals and communities. One day, we may not patrol at all. We always must be open minded to new tactics and strategies. The Guardian Angels itself was a strange, uncharted, and new concept that many people rejected and opposed. If it were not for people willing to try new things and improve their lives, the Guardian Angels would not be around. Networking/Resourcing Part of growing and improving is seeking and taking risks. As a Guardian Angel, you should always be alert for new opportunities, partnerships, and resources. Never assume that you have covered all the possible opportunities and partnerships in a community. There are always new players and new ideas. The act of empowering a community includes the act of developing new contacts and acquiring new resources. By reaching out to all sectors of the community, you are helping them reach out to others through your already established network. At the same time, you are introducing your established network to the new contact.

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Guardian Angels Motivating

Pooling Energy A leader must be the first to energize others. Motivation is the circulation of energy. We all possess energy to fulfill our own needs and protect ourselves from our fears;however, our body is always trying to conserve that energy. Left to our own devices, our body would seek the path of least resistance and rest. In the long run, we may never fulfill our needs or deal with our fears. We may just end up deceiving ourselves into believing that just getting by is good enough. We need to go outside ourselves to find the energy to effectively fulfill our needs and deal with our fears. We need to exchange or circulate our energy with others. When we pool our energies toward a common goal or against a common fear, we are more likely to succeed. The question of how to motivate people is the same thing as the question of how to convince people to pool their energy. The answer lies in building relationships and sharing a common goal. When you build relationships, you will witness people getting excited and exchanging their energy. However, without a common goal, people will invariably turn that energy into nervous energy and it will end up being used to play politics and infighting. It is easy to see how a chapter that becomes insulated and unwilling to change ends up turning its energy upon itself. In order to keep an entire chapter motivated, you need to continually build relationships with other people in the community and share your common vision and goals. You also need to continually train and develop your own members. Consistency All the leadership, teamwork, and motivation in the world will not help you if you are inconsistent. People may agree with your vision and enjoy your company, but if you disappear for weeks, flake on a meeting, avoid returning phone calls, or hit the streets hard only to take long vacations later, people will feel like you are not serious and committed to the common goal. Inconsistency also undermines the building of relationships. For relationships to work, you need to be available when called upon. They need to be able to depend on you when they need to. Without consistency, people hesitate. They do not invest all their energies into the project. They begin to wander and seek other resources, ideas, and groups. If you are not consistent, how can they depend on you when the going gets tough? In all likelihood, if you cannot even stick it out when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s easy, there is very little chance you will stick it out when its gets hard. There is no greater proof of trust than someone who will work with you in the face of hardship, adversity, and overwhelming obstacles. It is no wonder that combat soldiers are known for building intense camaraderie and trust bonds.

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Motivational Methods Build Relationships Get to know your members. Make all members feel like they belong. Greet all members enthusiastically. Call members regularly. Thank members for coming out. Hold regular meetings. Socialize with members in an informal, casual setting however keep the relationships professional. Creating unprofessional relationships or favoritism can demotivate. Treat every member equally and fairly. Deal with conflicts immediately and discreetly, however do not overreact or under-react to petty squabbles. Share A Common Goal Define the purpose of your events and patrols. Discuss the accomplishments of the patrol. Do not just say, “Everything was quiet and boring.” Explain how you are making a difference and positively affecting people on the streets. Provide training in what the Guardian Angels are and all our programs. Always answer the questions, “Why are we here?”and “Why are we doing this?” Make everything you do meaningful and important. Be Fair If someone complains about a member, always ask him, “What did you do to fix the problem? Did you talk to the other person before you came to me?” 99% of the time the complainer will say no. Be fair to all members. Even if they all do not like one member, do not take sides. If you have to choose between nine people who don’ t get along with others or one person who does, you should pick the one person. Do not take your friend’ s side just because he is your friend. Be a leader. Listen to both sides before taking action. Be Consistent Members will flake. Leaders should NEVER flake on members. Do not make promises you cannot keep. If a member suggests doing something, tell him you will think about it or try to do it. Develop Members Train members on something every week. They must feel like they are always learning something new and growing and improving. As a leader, you may not feel the need for training because you take everything you know for granted. Try to understand that training helps build confidence in members. You will do the same training things over and over and over again, but you should always be learning something new too. If you get burned out on training, assign a training coordinator. You should also be helping members reach their own personal and professional goals. Chapters often find employment for members while patrolling. Employers are

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more likely to hire someone who is already working for free for the community and willing to sacrifice as much as they do for the Angels. Recognize Outstanding Performance Provide graduation ceremonies and tests not only for becoming a Safety but also other leadership levels. Also provide certificates and awards at an annual Chapter dinner or ceremony. Awards include: Purple Heart injured while performing Guardian Angels duties Brick Award exhibition of dedication and toughness Golden Brick Award exhibition of intense dedication and extreme toughness Warrior Award exhibition of courage in the face of great adversity or danger Recruitment Award recruits and keeps the most members Hook Up Award acquires the most hookups Community Service Award always volunteers to help out with community events Dare to Share Award always helps others and makes personal sacrifices Angel Eyes Award always looks out for others Angel Shield Award always protects and guards others Angel Wings Award most improved member of the Chapter Angel of the Year most outstanding member of the Chapter Honorary Angel Award nonmember who assists the Chapter Sample Certificate Text: [Guardian Angels logo] Reno/Sparks, Nevada Chapter Certificate of Graduation is hereby awarded on this day of Thursday, October 3, 2003, to Jane “Valkyrie”Gonzalez who has successfully completed the Guardian Angels Basic Training Course and has reached the standard required for graduation

________________________ Linda “Lion Heart”Washington Reno/Sparks Chapter Leader

________________________ David “Jarhead”Jones Reno/Sparks Assistant Chapter Leader

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Deal With and Punish Inappropriate Behavior There is nothing more demoralizing than being around members who are not following the rules and getting away with it. It makes you wonder whether the entire organization really cares. You may need the bodies, but keep in mind, a bad apple will infect other apples in the barrel. He will also keep people away from the barrel of apples. Do not be afraid of coming down hard on an old friend or veteran. They will understand, and they should be grateful in hindsight.

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Guardian Angels Cultivating Ideas

Solving community problems means generating and discussing many ideas from many different perspectives. 1. Problem Solving It all begins with identifying a problem, concern, or need. Everyone should be brought together to share his problems, concerns, and needs. Do not criticize them or attempt to solve them on the spot. Simply list and categorize all the issues and try to find common themes or roots. Finally, determine which problems should be addressed first. 2. Brainstorming Once again, everyone should be involved in trying to come up with ways of addressing the issue or solving the problem. Do not criticize or reject any ideas. People should feel free to be as imaginative and creative as possible. List and categorize all the ideas. 3. Filtering Now, everyone should review all the ideas together for feasibility. Can these ideas be acted upon given the current resources? Are we asking too much? Are we asking too little? The ideas should be eliminated one by one until you have a dozen left. 4. Funneling Next is the benefits and costs analysis for each remaining idea. Everyone should determine which ideas will produce the most results for the most number of people while minimizing costs. Everyone should then vote on the final idea. 5. Assignment Each person should then pick a particular assignment. Teams should be formed for more complex tasks. 6. Training Training should be provided for those who need it to fulfill their assignments. Trainers should be assigned.

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7. Execution Each person executes her part of the assignment working together. Another meeting should be scheduled to review progress for lengthy activities. You may also need to make reassignments or even go back to the drawing board and pick another filtered idea. 8. Review Everyone should then meet again to review the entire process. What worked? What didn’ t work? What unanticipated obstacles arose? What did we do to overcome them? What could we do better next time? Most importantly, did we solve the problem or address the issue? A lot of people do not like this wrap up review. All they want to do now is unwind and forget about it. However, this part helps people feel confident that the next time around, their particular obstacles or achievements will be recognized. 9. Follow Up Every activity provides invaluable learning experiences and new opportunities. Always follow up activities or programs. Follow up on people’ s new ideas. Follow up on those people who expressed interest in getting more involved. Send out thank you letters to those who helped. Even if you solved the problem, go back every now and then to make sure the problem does not return.

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Guardian Angels Meetings

Meeting Format

     

In order to encourage team building and the sense of equality, all members should be facing each other in a circle. Everyone should have an equal view of each other. Create a set agenda and keep feedback from rambling on. It should not be your goal to talk the most. Your goal is to get everyone else to talk evenly. If there is someone trying to steal the stage, cut him off politely. Tell him, he has a lot of ideas, and he should talk to you after the meeting. Do not be condescending. Do not say things like, “Well, John, I appreciate your comments, but we have better things to go over right now.” “Jane, that’ sa wonderful idea, however it just sounds unrealistic.” If a new issue arises, avoid making final decisions during the meeting. Meetings are used to share ideas and concerns. They are also designed to initiate future personal meetings. In other words, avoid shooting down people’ s ideas in public. Avoid criticizing any ideas or people. Meetings are designed for sharing, building trust, and common goals.

Introduction Everyone should feel comfortable at a meeting in order be open-minded and not defensive. Ask what everyone did over the weekend, or talk about something unrelated yet interesting like the news or sports. This is like warming up for the game so people do not feel cold coming into a discussion. Goals Every meeting should have a goal. Even if it is to get everyone together and bond, that is a goal. You should not be meeting just for the sake of meeting. Agenda Every meeting should have an agenda, a list of items to discuss or cover. However, each agenda should be open to discussing new ideas or projects.

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Protocol You do not need to follow the Robert’ s Rules of Parliament, however, you do need to keep meetings orderly and allow everyone an equal voice. Listening and Involvement The goal of a meeting should not be for the Leader to just update members on upcoming events and new programs from New York. It is also the Leader’ s opportunity to hear from her members. It is also an opportunity for other members to inform each other about their news, ideas, and projects. Action A meeting should not be just about what you would like to happen or what people don’ t like happening. A meeting should always result in action. You should share your concerns, needs, and interests at a meeting, but you should also create a plan to address or solve those concerns, needs, and interests. Members then need to pick their particular assignments and commit to those assignments. Clear Expectations The Leader should then make it perfectly clear what she expects to happen by the next meeting or by a certain date. The Leader should make specific deadlines and hold members accountable for both their assignments and deadlines. Too often, people are more than willing to make promises at meetings they are unwilling to keep. Over time, everyone else loses confidence that meetings will accomplish anything for them, and they lose interest in meeting. Recognition Most meetings are all about problems and assigning tasks. It is no surprise that many people don’ t like meetings and fall asleep. At the end of the meeting, recognize those who contribute and succeed. Also recognize those who try hard.

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Guardian Angels Membership Development

Interviewing Members Many of us have forgotten that when we were young infants, we had to learn how to use our fingers, hands, arms, and legs. Today, we take them for granted unless they are broken or sprained. But as children, we learned how to use our limbs through constant attention and practice. What would Developing new recruits, Reno, Nevada 1997 you think of a child who sits at home all day, never lifts a finger, runs, jumps, reaches out, plays with toys, and touches his environment? Chances are the child would grow up to be a clumsy, inactive oaf. The leader is the much like the brain of a body. It initiates movement from the rest of the body. What would you think of a leader who never gets to know all his members? Who never talks to each one of them, never listens, never socializes, never involves? That leader, much like the child, would create a clumsy, inactive oaf of an organization. The first job of the leader is to get to know her limbs: her members. The analogy of the brain and body, however, end here. Unlike our own limbs, Guardian Angels members have brains and can and should act relatively independently. The brain manipulates the body in order to serve its needs. If direct orders are not obeyed, it finds other more indirect and underhanded ways of getting the body to respond. A leader should not manipulate her members. She should influence her members so that they choose to make the right decisions;decisions that will both serve their interests as well as the leader and the organization. The Interview Questions:        

Why are you a Guardian Angel? What do you get out of it? What do you want to do in life? How can the Guardian Angels help you? What are your interests and hobbies? How can we use your skills and experiences? What positions and tasks would you like to fill? Are you getting enough training? What do you like so far? What pisses you off? And please include me as applicable.

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  

If you were in charge of this chapter, what would you do? What would you do differently? What would you like to see this chapter do that it isn’ t doing already? What would you like to see this chapter stop doing?

Of course, nobody is going to give you straight answers if they do not trust or respect you. In order to build that trust and respect, you need to interview yourself first in front of everyone. Why did you become a Guardian Angel? What do you get out of it? Where would you like to see the Chapter go? There should be parameters and guidelines for this interview. Interviewees should stay on subject. If an interviewee goes on for half an hour about how awful his family is and the Guardian Angels is like a family to him, allow him to indulge himself. If an interviewee goes on about how the chapter can raise a million dollars by creating its own television sit-com, you need to channel the delusional fish back into the river of reality. This is not a griping session. Write down the complaints and address them, but if they keep coming up, move on. For instance, “I don’ t like the way we have to post up for half an hour in the same spot.” This is a legitimate complaint, and you should address it. On the other hand: “John is a pain in the ass. He keeps interrupting me when I talk, and he’ s always bullshitting about how great he is. He really thinks he’ s all that. He says he used to be an Army Ranger, but that’ s a load of shit. He says his uncle was an NYPD detective, and that’ s probably a load of shit too.” On this occasion, you should cut him off. This is a matter for conflict resolution. Handling Criticism It may be hard to openly receive criticism about the chapter. Members may state that they think your leadership is poor and the chapter is going nowhere. Instead of responding with excuses or counter-accusations, you should involve them in the solution. The interview is not about pointing fingers and blaming. It is about getting to know each other and building trust. Some leaders may resist interviewing their members, because they already know that they are despised and the chapter is going nowhere. That’ s not the point. The point is, the Chapter Leader is at least acknowledging the problem, and the interview then turns into part of the solution. The solution most likely lies in the Leader getting the members more involved in the chapter. It may not be pleasant for a leader to hear from his members that he is an asshole and his chapter is a piece of shit, but if he can get past the members’anger and resentment, he can then really get to the bottom of the problem. The more the Leader learns about each member, the more each member learns to trust the Leader. The Leader can then trust his members to take on more responsibilities and become more actively involved in the success of the organization.

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Guardian Angels Dealing With Politics, Infighting, And Bullshit

Identifying and Dealing With Problem Recruits and Members Know It All This person claims to know everything about anything and has an opinion about everything and everyone. Inspired by his insecurity and lack of self worth and useful knowledge, he pretends to be an expert cloaking his opinions as facts. The remedy is to educate and inform him. If he wants to be an expert, he can be an expert on the Guardian Angels. At the same time, keep him from dominating every single discussion. Do not be afraid to cut him off and tell him you’ ll talk to him later in private. Faker Another person inspired by his insecurities, the faker will claim to possess a wealth of credentials, contacts, experiences, skills, training, and expertise. He is obviously hiding his complete and total lack of everything. The remedy is to simply provide him with some real training and skills he can be proud of. He may start out by telling you that he used to be a paramedic, but ignore him and teach him CPR. Afterwards, he can brag about knowing CPR and not inventing it. Dr. Delusional One of the most dangerous people to patrol with, this person simply sees things that do not exist. He will see two people in the distance talking and claim that they are engaged in mortal combat. He will pass a group of youth and claim that they challenged your patrol to a fight. He will see a passing car and claim one passenger was holding a sawed off shotgun. Whether he is purposefully playing games with you or unconsciously playing mind games with himself, he is dangerous. Once you catch him making things up, call him on it and question everything he says. If he continues, do not allow him to patrol. Work with him on memory and perception exercises. For instance, have a member out of colors quickly walk in and out of a room. Ask the students to try to recall what he was wearing and what he had in his hands. Emotional Luggage Another danger on patrol, this person has some serious issues. He doesn’ t get along with anyone. He is always arguing with someone or claiming that everyone is disrespecting him. When encountering a situation, he will either shrink in horror or overreact. During training, he may even break out in tears. Be firm with him. Do not allow him to emotionally manipulate you with crocodile tears. Enforce the respect

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guidelines. Once he learns to respect himself, others will learn to respect him. Build up his self-confidence with training and encouragement, but don’ t go easy on him. Naysayer Nothing will work for this person. Everything is doomed. Before you even get started on a project, he will point out a thousand and one problems. He will demand that everything should be set up just right or else it is not even worth trying. In the end, nothing gets done. He is argumentative and complains incessantly. If you could keep all the money you could count;would you come up with a thousand excuses not to count the money? This person is simply not motivated, and instead of quitting something good, he wants to make it look like he is quitting something that doesn’ t work and isn’ t worth trying. Cut this person off. Try to find out the root of the problem, challenge him to try something new, and if it doesn’ t work, just let him go. Usually, he creates excuses because he is insecure with his abilities. Train him so that he will have confidence in himself and his ability to get things done. The Victim Nobody helps him. Nobody cares about what he is doing. Nobody listens to him. He works the hardest, but nobody gives him any awards or recognition. He spends all his money and time on the Guardian Angels, but he gets nothing in return. Nobody is doing their job. Everyone else is responsible for his well-being. He can’ t get along with authority because his parents used to beat him. It is everyone else’ s job to make this entitled f--- happy. Much like the crackheads and criminals on the street, this person feels that the whole world owes him everything. Try to teach him the pitfalls of the victim mentality. He will spend the rest of his life a victim if he does not change his attitude. Teach him that he is not a victim, that he is the only one responsible for his fate. Teach him how the Guardian Angels is all about taking responsibility for and fixing your own problems. Give him the training and tools to fix all his own problems.

Identifying and Dealing With Problem Leaders Loosey Goosey Leader This leader wants everyone to be his friend. He cannot deal with conflict, so he just lets everyone do whatever they want. He just can’ t say no. Members start out breaking minor rules, but it inevitably escalates. Soon, they could end up breaking the law, all because Loosey Goosey wanted to keep everyone happy. He should understand that he can make more people happy and friendly if he maintains order and is tough but fair. Without rules and order, people are not happy;they become insecure.

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Iron Fisted Leader He yells and barks orders. He is not friendly. It’ s his way or the highway. There is no discussion or debate. He runs the chapter single handedly. He always likes new recruits, because they don’ t know how bad he is yet. Sooner or later, however, he will burn out all by himself. Without anyone to trust or share responsibilities, the chapter will close. He uses the hardass routine as a disguise for his own fears and insecurities. He should understand that people follow humans not robots. Exposing some of his weaknesses and limitations will encourage people to believe in him as real and honest. Allowing members to take on responsibilities and make mistakes will help them learn and grow just as he learned and grew from making his own mistakes. Fidel Castro Leader You cannot get a word in edgewise. They will not shut up. They so much enjoy the sound of their own voice, they tape record themselves and listen to themselves in their car. They also talk themselves into their own corners. They pick apart everyone else’ s ideas and suggestions. They view everyone else as inferiors with ignorant opinions. They are arrogant, condescending elitists who believe that they are God’ s gift to the masses. He is also a control freak and perfectionist. He should remind himself that he was not perfect when he was first started out. People make mistakes, and that is how they learn. He should focus on his members and listen to them. He may not agree with anything they say, but at least he should make the effort to understand how they think and what they value. He will soon realize that they will become a more loyal and receptive audience. You can either talk 99% of the time to deaf ears or you can talk 10% of the time to attentive ears. What is your choice? Corrupt Leader This leader thinks that leadership privileges include spending Guardian Angels money on his personal needs, flirting with recruits, using the Angels van to pick up his girlfriends in the boroughs, and forcing new recruits to run his personal errands. There is a different set of rules for his friends and the rest as well as for those he likes and dislikes. There is hardly any training or meetings. The chapter ends up being a social club. Recruits are constantly quitting out of disgust. While he may think that he is getting everything out of the group as he can, he knows that he can get a lot more out of it by giving more and taking less. He is insecure that he will always be poor, no one likes him, no one respects him, and he will never accomplish anything meaningful. By giving to the organization, he will enrich himself, become valued, be respected, and accomplish something meaningful by helping others accomplish something meaningful.

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Chapter Problems Everyone is complaining. Everyone is negative. Everyone has a problem with each other. Everyone is ragging on someone, making him look stupid, unethical, or lazy. Gossip takes up about 90% of every discussion and conversation. Members are frequently no-showing or dropping out like flies. Senior members are taking advantage of their seniority and dating the new recruits. No one wants to be the leader, because they seem to come and go like the seasons. If the chapter could raise $10 for every excuse, it would have more cash than Microsoft and the Treasury combined. Patrols last one hour. Every now and then, the patrol stalks then harasses a homeless guy to make things exciting. New recruits sit around doing nothing. I-Support shirts go unwashed. This is a picture of a dead or dying chapter. This chapter has lost its way, and it has either no leadership or crapulous leadership. Yet even in this type of sick and screwed up environment, recruits are still trickling in. Why? It has absolutely nothing to do with the f***-ups already wearing berets. It has everything to do with the promise the Guardian Angels offer to everyone, everywhere. The Guardian Angels promises to be a sanctuary for decency, morality, and compassion. It promises to dare to care. It promises to teach people constructive, positive solutions. It promises to bring the community together. It promises to provide adequate training, guidance, and leadership. In order to turn a chapter around, someone needs to step up to the plate and make some tough decisions. They need to salvage what can be salvaged and throw out the rest with the garbage. They may be throwing out their friends, brothers who have always had their back on patrol. But if they are true friends, they know that they are only improving them by taking away their crutches. They need to reestablish strict rules and reaffirm their mission and goals. They need to start looking way back into their past and rediscover the reasons they joined and stayed. They need to abide by a strict training regiment. They need to wrap up all their stinking excuses in a big bundle like soiled diapers and set it on fire. Many leaders have done this, because they know they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; t live the rest of their lives allowing such a great idea to degenerate into a decomposing pile of shit, stinking up their lives and the lives of others. Preventing Chapter Decay A strong chapter begins with strong roots. It then involves constant care, exercise, growth, and cleaning. The best way to start off is to train properly covering all the rules, regulations, guidelines, and training exercises. Hold regular meetings but also talk often with members individually. Have regular unofficial and casual meetings like barbeques or street fairs. Always try to recruit new members and develop new relationships within the community. Visit other chapters to keep members challenged and excited. Share responsibility and authority. Address conflicts immediately and directly. Members should first try to resolve conflicts with each other and only use mediation when that fails. If members start to complain or express negative attitudes, address the situation with conflict resolution and revisit the goals, mission, and philosophy of the Guardian Angels. Be tough and fair, consistent and flexible.

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Dealing With Chapter Decay Do not be afraid to extract members who refuse to improve and help others. You may need members, but these members are probably the reason you cannot keep members. Learn to let them go. You will be doing them as much a favor as you are doing yourself and the chapter. Negativity spreads like wildfire. Also be honest and reassess your own abilities, tactics, and skills. If you find yourself frustrated, short tempered, and easily annoyed at members, you may need a break yourself. Do not be afraid of taking a few months off;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ll be of much greater value to the chapter when you return. You also set an example for others, and they will take time off when they need to. Members usually get burned out for the same reason leaders get burned out. Members are not being involved and feel detached while leaders are not getting others involved and feel overwhelmed. When chapters fall apart, the first thing to go is training. When members are trained, they become motivated to put their training to good use. Another program that ends is patrolling. Members will usually come up with a thousand excuses not to patrol. One often-used excuse is that they think the chapter needs to be pulled together and set straight before it can patrol. The opposite is true. Training and patrol usually helps members pull together and set themselves straight. Of course, if you feel that the negative attitudes are interfering with patrol safety, you should not patrol. Otherwise, you should at least attempt to set up one training and patrol every month. Those who cannot make the training and patrol should simply be terminated. Even if you end up with you and one other, you are left with two of the most dedicated members, which is the best way to rebuild a chapter.

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Guardian Angels Opening a Chapter

Interactivism The Guardian Angels do not invade cities. They do not set up shop in a vacuum and expect everyone to take them or leave them. The key to successfully solving community problems is to get as many members of that community involved and cooperating. In some instances, the Guardian Angels can act as a hub through which a community’ s divergent groups interact. In some cases, these groups may have problems working with each other. The Guardian Angels can act as a go-between or neutral party. People are familiar with the term activist. It means a person who is involved in some action for some cause. Usually, most activists simply conform to their own agenda and mission. In many cases this approach works. These days, however, you need to network and cooperate to gain greater returns. In fact, the very act of networking and cooperating usually solves the problem by itself. The Guardian Angels use a term called “Interactivism.” We are all activists, but we believe that our goal is not only to help solve problems for the community;it is also getting the community more involved in solving its own problems. We strive to diligently work with all the community elements to orchestrate a united front of good will and problem solving. Organizing the Elements of a Community:

               

Police, Highway, and Sheriff’ s Department Police Commissioners City and District Attorney’ s Offices Elected Mayor, Council members, County Supervisors Public Transit Agencies Government Services and Agencies Neighborhood Councils or Advisory Groups Neighborhood Watches Churches Community Organizations (Coalitions, Associations, Clubs) Non-profit Organizations (Local and National) Businesses and Business Associations (Chamber of Commerce) Retail Corporations Residents Schools and Colleges

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  

Libraries Youth and Teenage Services Newspaper, Television, and Radio News Media

Step 1: Contact the Guardian Angels A chapter is usually started when someone calls the Guardian Angels about a problem in their community. If the community is located near another Guardian Angels chapter, the nearby chapter will act as a liaison in helping to open the chapter, recruit, and train members. If the community is not located near another chapter, that individual may have to visit the nearest chapter for training. If possible, the Guardian Angels may be able to send someone out to open the chapter and train all the locals. The Guardian Angels always try to turn residents into leaders of their own chapter. The residents know their community the best. Oftentimes locals are put off by outsiders coming into their communities and applying methods or tactics that may not work in their communities. The process of opening a chapter is not instantaneous and easy. The last thing anyone wants is a chapter quickly opening and then quickly closing. Communities will simply be turned off by the Guardian Angels and may become even more close-minded to new solutions. We want to build solid chapters with solid foundations. We want to make sure that the leader of the chapter is trainable, honest, dependable, level headed, and persistent. Usually, if a resident is impatient about getting a chapter started, he is likely to be impatient when he does not see immediate results. Helping to build communities takes patience and persistence. There are countless obstacles and adversities. Above all, a Chapter Leader must have the ability to handle pressure and overcome adversities. First Contacts If you are training someone to start a new chapter, the most important quality to look for is dependability. Do they show up on time? Do they call you as promised? Did they clip crime-related articles in the newspaper? Did they set up a meeting with the local police department? Sometimes, you will get a recruit who wants to do everything all at once. Sometimes, they are just looking for another thrill ride or “flavor of the month.” Of course, some thrill seekers may well end up settling down and realizing the other benefits of the Guardian Angels. The other two main character traits are persistence and responsibility. How well does this person take setbacks and adversity? Is he patient? Does he easily become frustrated by the lack of recruits? Does he complain about no one helping him? While we like to teach recruits about the value of dependability, persistence, and responsibility, a Chapter Leader in training must already exhibit these qualities. The Chapter Leader will be the main contact for all other recruits, and he must set the example for them. When people join, when they think of the Guardian Angels, they will think of him.

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Step 2: Reconnaissance & Research The Guardian Angels will attempt to personally meet the resident and members of the community. A Road Team will both drive and walk around with the resident to assess the type, scope, and intensity of the problem. They will also be able to assess how the local residents feel about the Guardian Angels. Every community is unique, and the Road Team must realize this. Their job is twofold. They must educate everyone about what the Guardian Angels are all about, but they must also try to get an education about what the community is all about. Do not rely only on the one contact. Try to talk with as many people as possible. They may inform you about special laws and regulations, relevant political issues, histories, recent issues, etc. Also, use the Internet. To start with, visit the City and Police Department web sites. For instance, a reconnaissance of Los Angeles led to the following information: There was a recent scandal with the LAPD Rampart Division in addition to a long history of problems between the LAPD and minorities. In 1992 the city erupted in a riot after white LAPD officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King, a black motorist. Also, recently, the new Mayor replaced a black Police Chief with a white one. The white one came from New York City where he was already familiar with the Guardian Angels. There has also been a consent decree that mandates that the LAPD develop more responsive community relations. Each division is divided into patrol areas each with a Senior Lead Officer (SLO). The SLO is the community liaison and handles any complaint or issue related to that area. The LAPD also holds monthly community meetings for each division. The City of Los Angeles has also developed neighborhood councils within each Council district. These councils are comprised of both city employees and volunteers who provide advice and direction for their City Councils. The City of Los Angeles is also facing a budget crisis that may mean less government services and a smaller police budget resulting in fewer resources to handle crime and cleaning neighborhoods. Contact with former Los Angeles members also provide valuable information about past chapters, tactics, and performance or problems. Step 3: Proposal All good plans start with a good, well-defined proposal. A proposal in its most basic form first defines a problem or need. It then proposes a plan of how to solve that problem or need. Then it explains how to measure the fulfillment of that need or solution of that problem. For example: 1. There has been a surge in gang and drug activity in Neighborhood A. This activity has become increasingly violent, and several innocent people have been attacked or robbed. 2. A Guardian Angels chapter will be established to start patrolling the neighborhood. The Chapter will also try to educate youth in schools and residents about the dangers of gangs and drug use. 3. The Chapter will attempt to decrease the number of criminal activities in the neighborhood. After it has succeeded, it will continue to work with the community to prevent a recurrence of the problem by setting up youth programs and regular patrols.

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Step 4: Introduction to the Community Write introductory letters in the following order to the:

           

Police department Sheriff’ s department Mayor’ s office City Councilperson’ s office County Supervisor’ s office Chamber of Commerce Neighborhood business associations Community groups Any large complex you patrol (e.g., malls) Public transit agency County school district Youth and teen services



Universities and colleges

New Chapter in Hollywood, CA, 2003

Try to attend neighborhood or community meetings. One of the most important relationships to develop is with the police department. The relationship should neither be too distant nor too close. The police department may want you to participate in an auxiliary volunteer program that would make you subject to their rules and regulations. The Guardian Angels is an independent volunteer organization of citizens with no special authority or powers. Our purpose is to make it easy for citizens to become involved in fighting crime. If we are part of a police run program, many people may not want to join. It is, however, appropriate to have a police contact and provide her with reports on your patrols, activities, and objectives. It is not appropriate to provide her with a list of members and their application information. Applicant information is strictly confidential and only the Chapter Leader should have access to that information. The police contact may suggest that you patrol or avoid patrolling a certain area. It is fine to consent on a specific instance. For instance, they may be doing a drug bust at a certain location, and they do not want you to spook the criminals there. Or there may be a spike in crime in on a certain block in which case, you would definitely want to concentrate patrols there. However, you cannot be told that you are forbidden from ever patrolling or that you should only patrol a certain area. Community members and leaders may also want to use you politically. Do not be surprised if one elected official supports you as his idea and then a month later, he condemns you in the newspaper as being unnecessary and dangerous. Always try to stay positive and try to be as neutral as possible. Try to avoid becoming part of an Copyright © 2003 Guardian Angels

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election campaign or part of a divisive and controversial issue. Of course, we will always support the right cause no matter how divisive or controversial it is. For instance, we will patrol areas where there has been gay-bashing. On the other hand, we try to keep away from issues like abortion. Step 5: Recruitment and Training Start walking around areas with high pedestrian traffic. As soon as you have one recruit, start training him. The first recruits will most likely end up the leaders of the chapter. They also are naturally the kind of people to lead and take initiative. Only when you start patrolling with four or more members will you then attract the followers, people who will only get involved if they see enough people getting involved. Try to spend most of your time either recruiting or training. Provide new recruits with as much training as possible, as they will likely end up training others. Step 6: Graduation London, Canada Graduation

All new chapters are on probation. There is no 2002 guaranteed time frame for opening a chapter;however consistency, professionalism, and outstanding performance always help. A Guardian Angel from another chapter will visit to ensure that the new Chapter is following rules and regulations and conducting itself appropriately. A Regional Director or higher is the only person to authorize the graduation of a Chapter. For some chapters, it may take over a year to graduate, however, since these chapters have persisted for so long, it is no surprise that many of them are the ones still around today.

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Step 7: Media Campaign Write press releases to television stations, radio stations, and daily and weekly newspapers.

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Guardian Angels Leadership Enrichment

Reading You may have heard the phrase: “Don’ t reinvent the wheel.” It means that people are doing things from scratch, because they haven’ t tried to find out how or even if it has done before. Manuals and books are some of the best ways to find out how or if things have been done before. If you are entering a new leadership position, you should try to read a book on leadership. If you are doing crime research, you should try reading a Criminology textbook. Throughout history, people have been putting down their best ideas and learning experiences into books. It is an incredible understatement to say that a library holds a wealth of information. The main obstacles to reading are simply a disinterest in reading and not knowing where to start. Unfortunately, for many of us, we have been forced to read things we do not particularly find interesting or relevant. How many times do we have to read things by dead people from different cultures using very strange, odd, and outdated writing styles? One of the most important reasons for reading is to understand our own situations and ourselves. To re-ignite or simply ignite your passion for reading, you should start out by reading the newspaper as well as books or magazines that interest you. The more you read, you more you widen and enrich your understanding and perspective of everything. The more you know, the more you also realize that you don’ t know, and you learn to open your mind up. Many people complain that they cannot read, because they simply cannot concentrate. That is like saying you cannot learn basketball, because you simply cannot get the ball in the basket. Everything takes practice. Reading is one of the most powerful tools we have as a civilization to progress and solve our problems more humanely and effectively. Books will teach us about what succeeds and what fails. Reading also makes us more compassionate, because when we read, we briefly enter the mind and lives of another human being. Naturally, when we interact with people, we also tend to enter their minds and lives. Writing The other side of the equation is writing. You are continually learning and experiencing new things. Unless you can bring meaning to each experience, all our experiences are meaningless. Many people view mistakes and disappointments as obstacles and set backs in our path of growth and understanding. Nothing could be further from the truth. All our experiences, whether successful or not, are meaningful and add value to our lives. We only choose not to make them valuable and important. As you should respect all people regardless of their successes and failures in life, you should also respect all experiences. Each one holds an important piece of the puzzle

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that adds up the entire meaningful course of our lives. While we should not forget our failures, we should also not dwell on them. Learn, grow, move on. This Training Manual is the compilation of many hard lessons and learning experiences. It will never be finished. After reading this entire manual, you should be in a position to add more value and meaning to your experiences as a Guardian Angel. Meaning, Purpose, and Value Some people believe that their existence on this planet is an accident or some random, meaningless occurrence that we have become aware of. They claim that we simply decide to pretend that it holds some greater meaning to make ourselves feel better. They believe that we are basically animals that want to fulfill our own needs and interests, and everything we do is just an elaborate disguise for our fundamental, selfish instincts. As a result of this, these people want to liberate themselves from the masquerade and simply go directly after their own needs and interests. According to these Marquis de Sade wannabes, laws and moral codes are only abstractions used to control the little people. Unfortunately, what these people end up doing is extracting anything meaningful and valuable from their own existence. By selfishly pursuing their own interests, they devalue themselves and turn others off. One of our fundamental instincts is to help others and create meaningful relationships. To accomplish this, we must all â&#x20AC;&#x153;pretendâ&#x20AC;?to believe in some social order and greater purpose and meaning that transcend each individual. When we live our lives by a moral code and serve the needs and interests of others, we are not deceiving or deluding ourselves. We are empowering ourselves when others learn to trust us and value us. At the same time we empower them. As a Leader and Guardian Angel, your true goal is to teach others to find meaning, purpose, and value in themselves, their lives, their communities, everything around them, and everything they do. You will then teach them to become meaningful, purposeful, and valuable.

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