E-mail Signature Etiquette for Student Leaders

As a student leader, you use your e-mail a lot. If I go for five hours without checking my inbox between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday, I usually have some hefty reading to catch up on.

Something to consider when conducting business online is your  signature. Often times e-mail is the first medium in which you contact other student leaders, advisors, administrators, businesses and agents. As such, it’s important to put your best foot forward and present yourself professionally.

First things first: format

Some people opt for using an image or fiddling with the HTML because it allows you to create a designy sig. Although “totally cool!!” I’m going to recommend plain text left justified. Admittedly less totally cool, this is the preferred choice. According to NetM@nners.net , image and GIF files can be labeled as attachments, which means recipients will have to open a file just to see who the heck is contacting them.  Leaders, don’t annoy your e-mail recipients–that is definitely not your best foot forward.

The problem with tinkering with the code? Lack of control across browsers and e-mail accounts. Your signature might look great on your computer but you don’t know how it will turn out elsewhere.  Simple is always in, so play it safe and repeat after me: plain text left justified.

Don’t believe me? Then listen to Shelly Palmer, host of the daily Webcast MediaBytes:

Simplify!

The consensus on the modern signature is it shouldn’t be, to borrow a phrase from Teck.In, “the ‘About Me’ section.” The function of a signature is to identify yourself and let recipients know how to contact you, according to Teck.In.

Mitch Wagner of InformationWeek points out that the more important you are, the shorter your signature becomes. Do you think Bernie Machen would really need a descriptive signature if he sent you an e-mail? Eh, probably not.  I think you would know who he is. Keep it to the necessary.

So what does that mean for you as a student leader? What you have to remember is you wear a lot of different hats, so you have different identities that are appropriate to use at different times.

I always include my full name and my phone number, but I change my identification line depending on who I’m e-mailing. So this is what my default signature looks like:

Kristen Huff

University of Florida, College of Journalism and Communications

UF ID: XXXXXXXX

Reitz Union Board Entertainment, President

http://www.union.ufl.edu/rub

Reitz Union Board of Managers, Marketing Committee Chairwoman

http://www.union.ufl.edu/information/managers/

cell: 555-555-5555

blog: http://ufstudentleaders.wordpress.com/

(As a side note, I use single spacing between lines, but WordPress is not cooperating) If I were to send that signature as is, it would be way too long, so I modify it depending on the recipient. When I’m e-mailing a professor having to do with class, I only include my college and UF ID. When it has to do with RUB Entertainment, I include that line and the corresponding organizational Web site. The same for Board of Managers.

The inclusion of the organizational Web site is arguable. I do it because not everyone knows what the organizations I’m apart of are, so I like to give them context. You might think it’s not necessary. If you are going to include a link, make sure you include the http:// so it links correctly.

When e-mailing someone in regard to RUB Entertainment or the Board of Managers, I also include my blog because more often than not, those recipients would be interested in my blog’s topic, so it’s a good way to advertise to a targeted audience.

So at most, my signature is five lines long and it says who I am and how I can be contacted. You don’t need to include your e-mail because you’re sending the message from that contact. You don’ t need to include your physical address because that will rarely be relevant.

Cut the fluff

OK, I know this is the same idea as the previous section, but I want to reiterate this point. Don’t include a picture or a quote. This breaks a bit from people like Scott Hanselman, who supports a photo, and the NetM@nners author who supports quotes, but I stand by my opinion: Yes, it’s cool and it’s a slice of your personality, but save that for your personal e-mail. Keep your professional e-mail pretty bare bones. The people you are contacting will get to know you through the content of your email or when you meet them in person–that’s not the function of your signature.

Be accurate

Seems obvious, but it must be said. I have definitely seen student signatures with incorrect information, and I gotta say, it doesn’t reflect well–and I’m just a student, not a potential employer. Keep that in mind.

Use it, don’t abuse it

Once you’ve established a relationship with a contact, you don’t need to keep including your signature. When sending e-mails to the directors in my organization, I delete my signature (if I remember) and just end with:

-Kristen

I do the same for e-mail threads. This is just a common courtesy to cut down on the length of your e-mails.

Tips for UF Event Planning

If you are a UF leader, you’re probably going to have to plan an event at one time or another.

For a class, I had to hand-code a Web site using XHTML and CSS. I decided to do mine on UF event planning. Check out the link below for some tips and tricks!

UF Event Planning: For Student Leaders By Student Leaders.

UF Students Should Support a Fee to Renovate and Expand the Reitz Union

Walking around campus and reading the Alligator lately, I’ve heard a lot of misinformation. Student leaders need to inform themselves about the recent debates concerning the Reitz Union so they can make informed decisions.

For those of you who are unaware, the Student Senate passed a resolution in support of the renovation and expansion of the union.

To some, it may seem as though this came out of the blue, so let me give you background information on the issue. A few months ago, Eddie Daniels, the executive director of the Reitz Union, had an assessment done on the building to determine the state of mechanical systems, plumbing systems, electrical systems and the structural components.

The engineering firm hired to assess the building found, among other problems, that the following repairs are critical:

-Observed asbestos in heating hot water piping int he hotel fan coil units: about $30,000 to fix

-Asbestos abatement of the plumbing systems: about $53,688 to fix

-Non-functioning duct smoke detectors: about $150,000 to fix

-Non-functioning refrigerant detection systems: about $20,000 to fix

-Overheating of the main building medium voltage distribution transformer and replacement switchgear: about $375,000 to fix, plus a possible $50-to-$100,000 in additional site work.

The costs are based on 2009 estimates and do not account for yearly inflation.

The list goes on and totals $42.5 million worth of repairs that should be done within a 10-to-15-year time line that should be started as soon as possible.

The utilities listed above are original to the building, which was constructed in 1967, even though most of them have a 15-to-20-year lifespan. Because no one wanted to initiate a student fee in the past to cover these costs, band-aids have continuously been put in place, but the Union can’t wait any longer.

If any of the major utilities of the building were to break down, the building would be unusable. The union operates at cost, meaning it’s $8 million budget is just enough to keep everything running. There is no pot to draw from if something major needs to be replaced.

Because of that, a student fee needs to be set in place to cover the cost of repairs and to be set aside for future building maintenance.

Furthermore, when the Reitz was built in 1967, the school had a population of 19,000. The current student population is more than 50,000. As we have grown, so have our needs, and the union simply doesn’t serve all of them anymore.

Architects conducted focus groups of students in October to see what students thought the current union is lacking. Many students expressed that they do not see themselves reflected in the Reitz and would like to have a multicultural center to call their own. Dance groups said they would like a dance room because they currently have to crowd the first-floor colonnade and ground-floor canopy where they compete for space that is ill-suited for dancing. Entertainment groups said the theater needs to be revamped for performances. Organizations said they want more meeting rooms, offices and storage space.

It is cheaper and makes more sense to consider expansion at the same time the renovations are being completed. If we have to tear into the walls to make the repairs, it’s cheaper to expand then rather than tearing into the walls, fixing them, and then tearing into the walls again to expand.Thus, if a student fee is put in place, it should also fund the expansion of the union.

President Bernie Machen has been presented with these concerns, but he said he will not support a student fee unless there is student support. He has requested at least 5,000 student signatures in support of the fee before he will consider backing it as well.

The following are some questions I have encountered while trying to gather signatures:

Why do we need a new union? This one is fine.

We are not building an entirely new union. This is one of the biggest rumors floating around. The foundation of this building is still strong and usable. However, the $42.5 million worth of utility and structural damages needs to be addressed immediately. While we are making these repairs, it is cheaper to renovate and expand the union to better fit the growing student body’s needs.

Why now? We’re in a recession and I’m already struggling.

There is a dire need to make the repairs in the Union because if anything goes, there is no money to fix it. For example, recently, a water pipe burst in the basement where some union offices are located. The water entered through the ceiling and covered a large area, soaking the carpet and ruining four computer stations in the IT services offices, according to Mike Mironack, director of operations.

“This is a direct example of the types of problems we experience periodically as a result of the building being 42 years old,” wrote Mironack in an email.  Pipes and other infrastructure items don’t last forever. This is a real issue.

Also, this is the cheapest time to expand because construction firms have fewer clients due to the recession so labor is significantly less expensive. Furthermore, the job will be completed sooner because they have fewer jobs to work on.

USF took five years to get their initiative passed, and during that time the cost of building their union went up millions of dollars. The same will happen to us if we wait. The sooner, the cheaper. Because of the state of the union, these fees are inevitable, and could possibly be much higher if we wait any longer.

I don’t use the union. Why should I pay for this?

Paying student fees are part of the responsibility of being a student. You might not use all of the services paid for by A&S fees either, but you pay them for the greater good. Also, maybe there are services in the union that you didn’t even know were available. Have you ever paid to get something notarized? Well, you could have gotten that done for free at the union. Have you ever needed to print something? You can do it for free at the Union. Want to see a new release movie? Don’t pay $10 at a theater. Watch it at Gatornights and get free popcorns and drinks, or come during week and bring all your friends when RUB Entertainment shows movies. Get your resume critiqued for free. Find a student organization you want to be a part of to boost your resume. Crowded and annoyed in Library West? There are study areas here, and with the expansion there could be more with more technology available to students. The union isn’t just a place to hang out. It supports you and your needs as a student.

Why is this responsibility falling on the students? Have other avenues been explored?

Yes, other avenues have been explored and are being used such as alumni donations and capital investment trust funds, but that is simply not going to be enough to cover all the costs. FSU and USF, along with many other schools, just had similar renovation and expansion projects completed on their unions, and they had to implement a student fee. We are basing how much we charge on the needs of the building and what they charged their students.

Why is this happening so fast? Why can’t we put it to a vote in the spring?

The cold, hard fact is that the union can’t wait. The students can’t wait. We are a sitting duck right now. If something goes, we won’t be able to use the union. Furthermore, we are trying to keep up with a strict time line. First, we have to present the signatures to the UF Board of Trustees, which is UF’s highest governing body. Their next meeting is this month. If they approve it, it goes to the Board of Governors, who oversees all the Florida universities. If they approve it, it has to go to the state legislature. We would like the state to see and approve the fee in spring so the fee can be implemented in fall. If we don’t meet this time line, the repairs will be put off by at least a year, but maybe even more.

What is this money going toward?

One of the empowering aspects of this fee is that you will know exactly where your money is going. All of it—100percent—will be going into the union.

If we expand, won’t the expansion eventually need repairs?

Yes, the expansion and the rest of the union for that matter will need repairs again in the future. The cost of managing the upkeep of the expansion will be factored in to the final price tag, so money from these fees will be set aside. The same is true for the union repairs. In addition to renovating and expanding the union, part of the fees will be set aside for future repairs so we don’t find ourselves in such a dire situation again.

One of the best aspects of this project is it will make the building LEED certified. Currently, the union loses money each month because the current utilities in the building are not up to sustainability standards, meaning air conditioning and lights are left on in rooms even when no one is in them. New technology will cut these costs.

How much is this fee going to be? How long will we pay?

The fee will be at most a flat fee of $20 and $3 per credit hour. The realistic answer for how long the fee will last is indefinitely. This is how we will fund the maintenance and repairs of the union from now on, and this is how other universities fund their student unions.

We already pay fees. I don’t want to pay anymore.

Currently, UF has the third lowest student fees in the state, with only FAMU and NCF behind us. With the implementation of this fee, we will have the fifth lowest fees in the state and will still have lower student fees than the majority of other Florida universities. This is how other universities fund their student unions, and their plan works.

So those are the facts, student leaders. Find someone with a petition today and sign in support of a student fee for the Reitz Union.

Interview with Maryam Laguna, Student Body Treasurer

Following last week’s post on finance, I wanted more insight about the role of treasurer and how student organizations can get on the Student Government budget. To help clear things up, I sat down with the University of Florida’s top-dollar finance expert: Student Body Treasurer Maryam Laguna.

Laguna is no stranger to the purse strings. According to her SG profile, she’s also served as treasurer of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Council and the 2007 Hispanic Heritage Month. Additionally, when I sat down to talk with her, she said she was involved with finances for her sorority, Lambda Theta Alpha, and for the Reitz Union Board of Managers.

Alright, enough of the preamble. Listen to the interview below or read the transcript.

I’m Maryam Laguna, and I serve as the Student Body Treasurer here at the University of Florida, and I oversee activity and service fees that students pay. Every student pays about $10.43 for every credit hour that they take, and it comes out to about $13.5 million dollars.

I’ve been involved with various student organizations on campus, and in all of my roles I always gravitated toward the role of being treasurer of these organizations and just how money impacts how organizations can function.

A lot of people ask me oh am I a finance major, but I think that as long as you have someone that is detail-oriented and that’s organized, I think that anyone can really be a treasurer.

The role of the student organizational treasurer, um, I think that they have one of the most important roles because obviously they deal with the money, and the money makes your student organization run in terms of being able to put on events and kind of getting the name of your student organization out there, so  I think that the two most important positions of a student organization really are the president and treasurer.

For new student organizations that are looking to raise money, obviously they can fundraise. The basic car washes, the bake sale–I think they work pretty well, as well as Student Government does have a Student Government allocations process where we have money set aside specifically for new student organizations or for new events.

We do set aside a good chunk of money for allocations, and it just depends what student organizations are doing. There isn’t a set dollar amount that every group gets across the board. It just depends on the needs of the student organization.

We just really want to make sure that student organizations are well established, so my one piece of advice for student groups that are looking to get money through Student Government is to go out there and build your membership base and show us that you have a really strong organization that will benefit the student body and that’s probably one of the most important ways for you to be able to get money.

To be able to get on the student government budget cycle, you first have to go through allocations at least once, and then Student Government accepts budgets at the end of November and information on how to get a budget is available on our student government finance Web site. If you are interested in getting on next year’s budget there still is time but before you can get on the budget you have to go through the allocations process first.

If student organizations need more information about finances, obviously they can contact me, the student body treasurer, or they can come up to the third floor of the Reitz and talk to someone in the Center for Student Activities and Involvement.

So there you have it, folks.

This has turned in to an impromptu series on the position of treasurer. In my next post, I’ll finish the series with some tips for using Microsoft Excel so your student organization’s treasurer can get organized!

I.C.E. Session: Finance

I’m sorry, dear readers. Exams and projects have kept my blog pretty tight-lipped lately, but I’ll make it up with this very important post.

Why so important? Well, in order to be a registered student organization with the Center for Student Activities and Involvement, you have to have a treasurer. Easy enough.

The problem is right now, the CSAI is in a transition period, and there aren’t a lot of resources for treasurers to turn to if they have questions. If  you missed the most recent I.C.E session on finance, you missed a good opportunity to clear up some confusion. (You can refer to this post to read about Operation F.I.R.E and I.C.E and the last I.C.E. session, which focused on membership) Lucky for you, I did attend the session hosted by Josh Earley, CSAI program coordinator, and EJ Walicki, the 2007-2008 Student Body treasurer.

Here’s a cheat sheet for your organization’s money man. A lot of the policies refer to Student-Government-funded organizations, but other organizations will find useful information as well.

The Treasurer

• Collects and deposits funds
• Pays bills
• Monitors the budget
• Compiles financial reports–This should be done on a weekly, monthly and annual basis because you will need it to request money in the future, and so you always know where your organization stands

Key people who will establish the budget:

• Officers–Both current and previous. Previous officers can give current officers insight into problems and advice that comes from experience
• Members–Include members in the establishment of the budget for transparency and transition purposes

If you aren’t allowing your members to be part of the process, who will put it in place when you leave? — Josh Earley

• Advisor– Advisors provide history and bring a sense of continuity because in many instances, they have worked for your organization for an extended period of time.

Review previous years:

• Annual budget–You can review previous years’ budgets to look at spans and trends. This will allow you to see how much money you’ve spent and what you’ve spent it on from year to year
• Program budgets–You should have overall budgets, but within that, you have budgets for the specific programs you put on. These budgets are also called “buckets.” When planning your buckets, you want to be as precise and inclusive as possible

It’s a lot easier to cut money than to find some under the couch. –Josh Earley

• Estimated versus actual–Review what you planned to spend and what you actually spent. This will help you to be more accurate in planning next year’s budget.

Be realistic

• Feasibility
• Think big; dream little–Keep your wish list to a minimum, and don’t spend too much time thinking about things that are completely out of your budget. Instead, “think big” about what you can do with what you have by being precise and inclusive in your estimated budget. It’s always easier to cut money!
• Scale down versus scale up–pretty much the same point as above. It’s easier to scale your plans down than to scale them up, so be precise in your planning
• Stay positive and conservative–People will get testy during conversations about budget. Presidents and treasurers have to stay positive and have reasons ready to give those who question the money allocation

Project revenue

• List potential sources–consider options such as charging dues, but remember, if you do so, you have to mandate the maximum amount that will be collected in your constitution
• Admission–You can charge people to come to your events, but keep in mind that the UF culture is very anti-admission
• Fundraising–More on this later
• Sponsorships
• Donations–Donations differ from sponsorships because they go toward materials for your organization’s operation, while sponsors help with one event or to pay for one item

Estimate Expenses

• fixed costs–will not change. National dues, for example
• Variable costs–food, space reservations
• Recurring costs–meeting room reservations

Plan for the future

• Purchase new materials–Try to buy reusable items
• Plan for future purchases–if your organization hosts a program that uses the same service every year, start budgeting now to buy those materials a few years down the road
• Office/storage rental
• Establish future baselines

Fund raising plan

• Explain the cause–Why should people give you money? A “car wash” sign isn’t very intriguing
• Seek donations–The worst they can say is “no”
• Total cost versus benefit–Think about the human resources you’ll need to fund raise. Continuously fund raising could wear down your member morale
• Make sure to publicize it as you would any other event
• Evaluate and document–This will help with the success of your future events.

Sponsorships

• All advertising must reflect student organization ownership
• Student organizations must remain the primary sponsor of the event–In other words, your organization always has to be the headliner
• No alcohol or tobacco-related sponsorships

SG special requests–lots of red tape

• Every year, SG sets aside a big pot of money for groups who do not have events or projects budgeted for this fiscal year in the SG budget (academic organizations must go to the Board of College Councils and housing organizations must go to the Inter Residence Hall Association or the Mayors Council)
• Requests must be submitted to the allocations committee at least eight weeks in advance
• Submitted requests must have an itemized breakdown
• The organization’s constitution must be approved by the judiciary committee
• The organization must exhaust all other sources of external funding before making a request
• Funding will not be for your entire organization or the entire year
• You will not be allowed to charge dues
• If you receive special funding for two consecutive years, you must get on the regular SG budget cycle

Wow, still with me?

As of right now, you can’t find this information anywhere else.

If you have more questions, you can visit the SG finance office in Reitz Union room 337, or you can visit the SG finance Web site, although it looks like it hasn’t been updated in a while because the title page references the 2003-2004 budget. Yeah… the facts are still good, though.

Follow My Lead Gets a Makeover!

I was not-so-subtly informed that my old blog design was a bit drab.

Well, look at me now!

Yes, after many shivering hours in the architecture lab, Follow My Lead has a brand-spanking-new banner, thanks to my recently acquired Photoshop skills (thank you PGY 3610! You’re a lifesaver).

Let me know what you think!

Lead101: Service Workshop

OK, I am not a fan of ice breakers.

I know as a student leader I should appreciate them, but on the list of things that make me want to rip off my fingernails, ice breakers rank pretty high.

Tonight, at the Lead101 service workshop, I was faced with the mother of all ice breakers: Little Sally Walker.

Do not be fooled by the cutesy name. There was signing and clapping and–I shudder to relive the memory–DANCING IN FRONT OF A GROUP.  Not cute. It was made especially embarrassing by the fact that there were only seven audience members. That’s right–everyone can hear you sing.

If you need a visual, Youtube is chock full of documentation at retreats and seminars. I found the AnimeFest 2008 example particularly entertaining.

Group humiliation aside, it was a pretty good, warm and fuzzy workshop for those interested in service.

According to its Web site, Lead101 members ” are peer educators who provide and promote the necessary skills and knowledge needed to explore and apply new leadership practices through workshops, role modeling, service projects and annual leadership conferences.” They hosted the workshop as part of a week’s worth of programming called “Leadership for Dummies.”

At tonight’s workshop, a four-member panel of service-oriented organization leaders shared their experiences and information on how to get involved.

Angela Garcia, president of Gator Nonprofit Professionals; Nicole Azzi, director of Florida Alternative Breaks; Shaneel Myles, member of Gator Teens (their Web site isn’t working) and Women’s Leadership Council; and Karla Clarke, president of Project Mascot, all gave insight into service and how it can help students develop their leadership skills.

The bottom line they all came to: they got way more out of service than they thought they would.

All of the panel members said they developed unique leadership skill sets as a result of their service work, and some of them were so affected by it, they’ve decided to pursue careers working for nonprofit organizations.

I found the panel to be the most useful part of the presentation, but that only took up the first half hour. The next 30 minutes consisted of (forced) audience participation in sharing the issues of concern we would like to address through service and a few Youtube videos meant to inspire action.

I could have done with fewer group activities and more information, but the workshop was good.

If you are interested in finding a service project that suits your interests, you can visit the UF Center for Leadership and Service’s Web site. They have projects to fit all schedules and desired levels of involvement.

I.C.E. Session: Organization Membership

This post was originally going to be about defining your role as a leader now that you’ve started taking steps toward defining yourself (see previous post), but that’ll have to sit on the  back burner.

Last night, I attended the first I.C.E. session of the semester with one of my fellow exec board members, Adriana.

I sense confusion. Time for definitions, dear reader!

Alrighty, the Center for Student Activities and Involvement has launched a student organization traning and enhancement series called Operation: F.I.R.E & I.C.E (oooooo, ahhhhhhh). The F.I.R.E sessions are mandatory for all student organization presidents and treasurers because they outline important processes leaders need to be aware of, such as organization registration and event permit submission (FYI: the last session for student government-funded orgnaizations is Sept. 20, and the last session for non SG-funded organizations is Sept. 27. You can find out more here.). Each F.I.R.E. session covers the same information.

The I.C.E. sessions aren’t mandatory, and each one has a different focus. As I said, the first one was about organization membership.

OK, it just so happened that it was only me, Adriana, a Gator Smiles member, and a Singer-Songwriter member, but the four of us had some good conversation about our organizations with Sarah Cunningham, assistant director for Student Activities and Involvement, and Matt Betz, CSAI graduate assistant, who both led the session.

Here are some points and tips made in the session about recruitment:

1. Define who you are looking for.

• Who is your captive audience? Does your organization appeal to specific members? Are there specific qualities you are looking for? Do you want someone who is super involved and can use their experience to better your organization, or someone who is passionate and willing to learn?
• In the group discussion that followed, organization members said if you know who you are looking for, you can target those people effectively by contacting other organizations or academic departments that align with those interests.

2. Decide when and how you will have recruitment.

• Recruiting requires all your members to be engaged
• Need to promote recruitment at all of your events
• Plan specific events with the goal of recruiting new members
• Your leaders are representing your organization at all times and can be your greatest recruitment tool

3. Once you have new members, have a plan for what you will do with them

• Have some kind of new member orientation
• Set clear member expectations
• Define and explain your organization structure
• Make contact information available
• Have ways in which new members can immediately contribute to the organization

4. Be aware of the GRAPE priniple

GRAPE is an acronym that represents the five biggest reasons students join organizations:

• Growth
• Begins after recruitment and before new member orientation.
• Have opportunities to increase members’ skills, competencies and personal skill development opportunities, and to become more competent, experienced, and confident
• Students are looking for opportunities that are organized and will get them immediate results

• Recognition
• Gain respect from others they admire, receive recognition and praise for a job well  done, receive feedback on their impact on the organization
• How do you reward your members?
• How do you celebrate success?

• Achievement
• Have the opportunity for members to solve problems, see the results of their efforts, be given meaningful responsibilities and see their work actualized
• How is the skill development of your members or their leaning considered?
• How can a member leave the organization better than they found it?

• Participation
• Develope a calendar that will allow for maximum participation, give opportunities to have a voice in the decision making process, and have clear expectation of your members
• How do you develop a sense of team?
• One person may be in charge of events, but there needs to be a way for everyone to contribute
• How does someone advance in the leadership positions in your organization?

• Enjoyment
• Have fun, work as part of a team, develope memories, feel part of something bigger than yourself
• What are the reasons members return week after week or year after year?
• Is there a mentoring program that helps build social networks in the group?
• What social activities does your organization provide to its members

5. Have good retention practices

• Celebrations
• Recognize members for a job well-done
• Make meetings fun–consider having themes or optional socials after the meeting
• Immediately give new members opportunities to contribute to the organization
• Immediately set clear expectations of new members
• Develope a sense of team

Overall, the session was good and organized. However, it would have been better if more organizations were present because we learned the most from hearing the experiences of other groups.

The next I.C.E. session will focus on budget and will be on Oct. 7 at 5pm in the Reitz Union auditorium.

Who are you?

No, this isn’t the intro to CSI, but feel free to have The Who single play in the background as you read this post (courtesy of Grooveshark).

Before you can expect other people to follow you, you have to know who you are. The concept seems simple enough, but this first step is one that many people skip, and when tough decisions need to be made, they trip up. You need a defined frame of reference so that as a leader, you will have rationale behind the choices you make, and you’ll be able to stand by those choices when you need to.

OK, before the clouds roll in and Mufasa starts lecturing you on remembering who you are, (everyone loves a good “Lion King” reference), let me give you some tips and resources to get you on your way!

1. Give yourself time

I know, I know. You have class at 8:30 a.m., then you have to meet with a group at 10 to work on a project, and after that you have to meet the plumber at your apartment, and then you have to get back on campus for your organization’s weekly meeting, and then you want to make the Total Body class at the gym, and then you have to finish readings for class before the new episode of True Blood starts…

I get it. You’re busy. But if you want to be a successful leader and individual, find time to find yourself. Even if it’s only two hours each week, loyally devote two hours to working on yourself.

2. Figure out what is important to you

Figuring out what your values are is one of the most important things you can do when figuring out who you are. If you don’t know what you value, you don’t know when to stand up or how to stand out. John Spence has a great workbook called “Strategies for Success: A Handbook for Creating a Successful, Happy, Balanced Life,” which you can find access to cheaply here. One of the exercises in the workbook is listing your top five core values. Now I know more homework is probably the last thing you want, but do this as honestly as you can and really think about what is important to you. Once you’ve figured it out, measure everything you do by those values and make sure you are always living up to them.

3. Ask family and friends

Sometimes the people closest to you can know you better than you know yourself. Sit down with someone you trust and have an honest conversation with them about your strengths and your–ahem–opportunities for improvement. Go into the conversation with an open mind, and listen to what they have to tell you without getting defensive. You might gain some really helpful insight.

4. Have role models

OK, you are in a leadership position, so you are probably very accustomed to doing things on your own, but guess what: it’s alright to get help and inspiration from others. Seek out people you admire, and find out why it is you admire them so darn much. Look to teachers, advisors and even peers. Some of the people who have helped me most in life are people my own age who were living the way I wanted to live and inspired me to start living that way, too.

5. Be proactive

Learning about yourself takes effort and motivation, but if you have an eagerness to learn and improve, you’ll be pleased with the result of your work!

Student Leadership 101

So you got the notification.

You got the call or the e-mail or the letter offering you congratulations because you, hardworking (or maybe elbow-rubbing) you, got through the interview with flying colors and can officially call yourself a leader in your UF student organization.

Whoo! Start editing your resume, call mom and dad, and pop the cork because you’ve earned it. Now just sit back, relax and turn on the cruise control.  Right?

Eh, not so much.

Sure, you can add a line on your resume with your fancy new title, but without dedication to hard work, knowledge of the UF student organization system, and constant strides toward self-improvement as a leader, you’ll be as effective as Michael Scott.

That’s where this blog comes in.

When I became vice president of internal affairs on the executive board of my student organization (at the time, I was as baffled by that title are you are now), I was clueless–and not in the circa-1995-harmless-”as-if” kind of way. In the holy-unprepared-Batman-we-have-an-event-in-one-week-and-I-haven’t-submitted-a-permit-yet kind of way.

Yikes, permits. How about organization registration, member recruitment, mandatory seminars and the Center for Student Activities and Involvement? Have I lost you?

Fear not, dear reader. If you’re a new leader looking for direction, a seasoned leader looking to step up your game, or an aspiring leader working toward that congratulatory notification, this blog will help you out. I’ll give you the ins-and-outs of being a student leader at UF, including navigating the CSAI and improving your role within your organization.

Together, we’ll make that line on your resume count.