The Secret To Success In CAP

[Eclipse]

During a forum in 2005, the question was posed to Herr Jobs and Gates "...what would be the single most valuable piece of advice you would give us to even attempt to create some of the value that you guys have done in both your very impressive companies?"  We all have our opinions on one platform vs. another, but no one can argue that both men are literally at the top of their field and know a thing or two about building a team.

Bill, as might be expected, answered more in terms of business practice than emotion or team building, but Steve provided some insight which is just as relevant to success in CAP as it is to building a business.

"...Yeah, people say you have a lot of passion for what you are doing, and it's totally true and the reason is because it's so hard that if you don't any rational person would give up.

It's really hard and you have to do it over a sustained period of time.  So if you don't love it, if you're not having fun doing it, if you don't absolutely love it, you're going to give up.

And that's what happens to most people, actually.

If you look at the ones that ended up being successful in the eyes of society, often times it's, the ones that are successful love what they did so they could persevere, you know, when it got really tough.

And the ones that didn't love it, quit.  Because they're sane, right? Who would put up with this stuff if you don't love it?

So it's a lot of hard work and it's a lot of worrying constantly and,  if you don't love it, you're going to fail.

So, you gotta love it, you gotta have passion.

And I think that's the high order bid.

The second thing is, you've gotta be, you've gotta be a really good talent scout because no matter how smart you are, you need a team of great people.

And you've got to figure out how to size people up fairly  quickly, how to make decisions without knowing people too well and hire them, see how you do, and refine your intuition, and be able to help build an organization that can eventually just build itself.

Because you need great people around you."

http://www.purchase.com/blog/entrepreneuriship/bill-gates-steve-jobs-me

[FW]

Success in CAP is much more than building a good team, finding great talent, loving what you do and, passion.  It's a good start though. 

The major difference between Microsoft, Apple and CAP is this.  And, knowing this IMHO, is the secret to success in CAP.  That difference is in how we motivate our membership (team) to continually perform our missions well.  When CAP realizes our motivators do not totally corelate to the "for profits", we can start understanding what success really is. 

And, to start the process, I would suggest looking more to the BSA, American Red Cross, and other similar organizations to look for potential answers. 

[Eclipse]

The motivators are a huge factor - in business it is usually money, in the military it is many times "because I have to", and in public service it is a combination of the two.

But in CAP it is mostly dependent on strong, knowledgeable leaders setting a proper tone and direction and then collaborating with their staff on reaching those goals, while recognizing since neither livelihood nor force of law is requiring people to participate, they need to enjoy and look forward to their service at least 1/2 the time to keep those that are actually assets coming back for more.

Ego about being "right" or "in charge" needs to be checked at the door.

A course charted that looks reasonable and attainable, while filling people cups will engender follower-ship with little effort.  A rudderless ship simply reacting to the shiny/noisy stuff will grow the same in your people.

This is something which I have had limited success with, but not nearly what I had hoped, owing in some part to the reality of time and resources, and in some part personal blame in the articulation and follow-through of my plans.

[JeffDG]

Money is a horrible way to motivate people in business...can't cite the source, but IIRC, a salary increase motivates an employee for about 2 weeks, then it's just the new normal and has zero impact.

Identifying what motivates your people, and then making use of that knowledge, is critical in both the business world and in volunteer management as well.  There are no easy answers in either space.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Money is a horrible way to motivate people in business...can't cite the source, but IIRC, a salary increase motivates an employee for about 2 weeks, then it's just the new normal and has zero impact.

Identifying what motivates your people, and then making use of that knowledge, is critical in both the business world and in volunteer management as well.  There are no easy answers in either space.

End of the year bonus? Stock options?

The better the profits, the better the take!

Or so they tell me in my Business classes...

[Eclipse]

One would think it is that simple, but anything less than life-changing money tends to fall into the background, get eaten by taxes, and forgotten by your third 12-hour day.  Certainly it is important to pay people appropriately, but my personal experience is that many people view respect and acceptance of their ideas to be just as important as money, especially in middle management and small business situations which are akin to typical CAP operations.

[FW]

^I agree however, in CAP, motivators also include the ability to function in their position without undue burden(s) placed upon membership.  Leaders must balance the needs of the mission with the needs/wants of members. CAP's performance is based on a membership willing to do the work.   Whether we lead or follow is not really an issue for success.  Shared vision to a common goal, working together to establish workable objectives and, ahearing to an ethical standard in achieving them is the key.  "Respect" is not just another word.  For an organization such as ours, it is the most important element in keeping CAP successful.  Without respect for our fellow members, our other core values collapse and failure follows.

[JeffDG]

^I agree however, in CAP, motivators also include the ability to function in their position without undue burden(s) placed upon membership.  Leaders must balance the needs of the mission with the needs/wants of members. CAP's performance is based on a membership willing to do the work.   Whether we lead or follow is not really an issue for success.  Shared vision to a common goal, working together to establish workable objectives and, ahearing to an ethical standard in achieving them is the key.  "Respect" is not just another word.  For an organization such as ours, it is the most important element in keeping CAP successful.  Without respect for our fellow members, our other core values collapse and failure follows.

Everything you just said is equally applicable to the business world.

[dwb]

The secret to success in CAP: Be useful, and don't be a diva.

[jimmydeanno]

Generation Y and X will turn over significantly more pay for a job they enjoy and are inspired to do. 

In my opinion, if CAP wants to be successful, they are going to have to adapt their business practices to accommodate the generational differences of Gen X&Y vs. Boomers and Traditionalists.  Perhaps this transition will be naturally occurring as those generations take over, maybe not.

Those two generations see no value in doing things, just for the sake of doing them.  They need to see value in their efforts.  That means to get the upcoming generations of CAP members to fulfill the mission, there needs to be efficiency and value to their work, or else they will leave and CAP will become obsolete to those organizations who better adapted.

[FW]

All true, however, the need for "respect" in the "business world" is not the prime motivator.  Many employees, even gen x and y, fester in their job year after year for that paycheck every week.  Their bosses are among the ogres of society yet, they keep working.  It's one of the reasons unions are in existence. 

CAP's success is based more on intangibles.  We need almost constant ego stimulation to keep going.  The best way to do this is by examples Eclipse mentions. 

[coudano]

sort of depends on how you define success eh?

personal success?  success of the unit?  success of the organization?
is success rising to the top of the corporate chain?
is success helping a wayward teen on a better path?
is success taking a squadron from 4 members to 60?

the answer may depend on the conditions.

[lordmonar]

On a personal level....it is to have fun.

If you are not having fun then take a break.

We have so few movitator.  No pay increase, no bonus, no extra time off, no junkets to Vegas, no company plane/hotel/spa.  All we got is ribbons and a pat on the back.

As leaders....we have to use situational leadership technicques to get the most out of our folks.  They don't have to be here so we have to find the thing that makes them pop.

We need to find out what makes CAP fun for them and make sure we get it to them.

Telling people to check the EGO and forget about the bling....is not good situational leadership.

If a pridy ribbon and a should cord long enough to choke a pig is what gets your people to perfrom...then use it.

If "being in charge" is what gets a talented team member to perform better....give him a title.

All too often what happens is that the good people end up doing all the work...and it becomes work.  And so they quit.

On the other side we get new blood who are neglectited and they fade away...because CAP was not fun.

We make a lot of noise about the "flying club mentality"....but if that works...I'm not going to loose any sleep over it.  Some places want to be basic training all over again.....again if it works I don't care.

One of basic laws of leadership.....if it stupid...but works....then it is not stupid.

[JeffDG]

no company plane/hotel/spa. 

Well....we do have quite a few company planes!   

[Майор Хаткевич]

no company plane/hotel/spa. 

Well....we do have quite a few company planes!   

I have seen there company planes you speak of, and they lack the comfort of the learjets!

[JeffDG]

no company plane/hotel/spa. 

Well....we do have quite a few company planes!   

I have seen there company planes you speak of, and they lack the comfort of the learjets!

Can't argue with you there, but I'll bet we have more company aircraft per member than any company has per employee!

[lordmonar]

But we don't have the option to just borrow one for the week end and jet off to vegas. (I guess prop would be a better word )

[Майор Хаткевич]

But we don't have the option to just borrow one for the week end and jet off to vegas. (I guess prop would be a better word )

Well, PRWG gets to visit US Islands near by at times.

[Short Field]

But we don't have the option to just borrow one for the week end and jet off to vegas. (I guess prop would be a better word )

Just sign your daughter up in CAP, then take a multistate multi-day cross-country "proficiency flight" so you can watch your grandson graduate from basic training.  Or sign out the squadron aircraft for a week so you can take it TDY.  True stories and not in the ancient past.

[Major Carrales]

IF one is not having a good time doing CAP, it is time to take a break.  CAP, which takes away from work, family and the like; has to be rewarding.   I am saddened when good CAP officers become over-burdened and then en dup hating it.

Motivation for volunteer work is internal...the drive must be there, or it falls apart.