more positive than negative—if you’re constantly criticizing, your members will wish you didn’t come around. By offering on-the-spot feedback when you see a member doing something right, or gently correcting when he or she does something wrong, you’re able to mold member behavior. That starts a positive cycle where members do better, then feel better about their performances so they’re even more motivated to do more.
The side benefit to giving frequent feedback—and what makes it a great “bottom up” leadership tactic—is that it often leads to a conversation that gives you some feedback as well. For example, if you compliment a member on the professional way she handled an distraught boater, she may tell you how she manages to stay calm in that type of situation or what other tactics work for her. These are ideas you can share with the rest of your staff, perhaps creating an internal “best practices” exchange.
The FC Isn’t Always Right
We can be stubborn, and we often have preconceived ideas about the right way to do things. But even if it’s your third time as FC or have decades of experience under your belt that doesn’t mean you’re always right. The real secret to bottom-up leadership is being open-minded enough to acknowledge someone else’s experience, perspective or expertise. That way, instead of forcing goals, quotas or processes on your members from the top down, you can truly listen to them, modify your thinking and create new goals or processes that reflect your entire membership—from the bottom up.
District Commodore Gus Formato