communication department

Volume XX Number 4

LCR Triage: A Sampling of Recent Efforts

By Rachel Houghton, Senior Member, Willamette Valley Chapter

The Leadership Community Resource (LCR) is prepared to make a big splash on Leadership Day at STC’s 54th Annual Conference in Minneapolis. Members have been working behind the scenes for months.

One of the LCR’s projects is referred to as triage. Triage is a process in which a geographic or virtual community situation is evaluated, and the appropriate coach and resources are used to resolve the situation.

I recently had a chance to talk with three triage coaches: Judith Glick-Smith, Jack Molisani, and Suzanne Guess. All three have dealt with different situations involving geographic communities. Before we look at successful methods used by these coaches, the following is a little background on how communities may work with the LCR.

Asking for Help

When someone in a community needs help or advice, if the issue is one that cannot be handled within the community itself, he or she may currently contact (1) the STC office, (2) the community director, or (3) LCR Manager Mary Jo Stark directly. The STC office will now be the first point of contact going forward, and will coordinate the request according to the specific situation. Once the call for help has been made, the STC office will look at the situation requiring assistance. If it is an administrative issue, the office will work directly with the community. If it is an issue for the LCR to handle, the office will submit all applicable information to the LCR manager.

Applying Triage Methods

There are at least five different types of crises that the LCR triage team handles:

• An activity has more bills now than it is has money to pay, with no plan of how to handle the situation (in other words, outgo is greater than income, and a crisis is looming)
• An activity has lost its leadership, with no one left to run the show
• A special, paid event has fewer registrations than needed to break even—and won’t unless immediate and significant action is taken
• There is a major conflict among community council members—or one bad apple—threatening to tear the community apart if not addressed
• A community’s average attendance rate or membership has fallen below the point of financial viability

Each crisis requires a different style of mentoring, and mentors are asked to handle situations that fit their unique abilities. Following are several examples of recent situations that communities have experienced, and the mentoring methods used by triage coaches.

1. Conflict Resolution

Former STC President Judith Glick-Smith, the first manager of the LCR, was asked to use her professional mediation skills to solve a conflict in which two people were locked in a “classic conflict spiral.” The situation escalated to a point where only a mediator was able to intervene. Judith helped the involved parties see the conflict as a problem to be solved rather than a war to be won. In other words, she used a win-win approach by focusing on collaborative problem solving. (As a certified mediator, Judith could not relate specific details about the community due to confidentiality rules.)

2. Community Leadership Void

Jack Molisani, one of the leaders to initially set up the triage team concept in the LCR, was asked to take over as the president of the Aloha chapter when the former president moved to California and resigned from the position. The twist? Jack also lives in California. But he is enthusiastic about breathing new life into the chapter by reaching out to local business writers and the University of Hawaii to increase membership and offer educational opportunities.

3. Inactive Community

Suzanne Guess, a senior member and leadership mentor, is currently helping a dormant geographic community. There had been no activity except for occasional postings to the job board, so the chapter vice president contacted the STC office for help. Region 8 Director Beau Cain investigated the situation and contacted all the current members of the chapter. Several expressed interest in working to get the chapter up and running again. Suzanne has set up biweekly meetings with the interested members to revitalize the chapter over the next few months.

Triage Contact Information

If your community needs support in resolving an issue, contact Mary Kabza, Director of Marketing and Membership, at the STC office at +1 (571) 366-1912.