The Business Value Of Scouting

Working with people requires a variety of different objective are created. Finally, plans are created The Business Value of leadership styles. Learning and using those that accomplish the goals. Scouting leadership styles takes work and practice. Scouts use SMART goals. SMART goals are Motivating each person to produce their best work Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely Business Leadership makes a real difference in business. Creating This method of setting goals keeps them tight and Requirements teams of motivated individuals can transform a focused, and thus ensures that the goals can be business. accomplished. Create and Execute a Business Plan A personal example in matters of integrity, Planning and Problem Solving Tool—What, Why, accountability, and respect encourages a positive How, When, Who Business leaders must have the ability to create a business climate. Scouts learn this easy-to-follow guide for setting business plan and then execute that business plan. priorities, assigning tasks, and deciding how to Creating a business plan has several different actually carry out a plan. components. First, there must be a vision or Trust and Accountability objectives for the business. When you have clear Integrity in all matters is a fundamental foundation Assessment Tool—SSC—Start, Stop, Continue business objectives, then you can create for business. No system of checks and balances Adaptability is very important to business. Start intermediate and ultimate business goals that can compensate for a lack of integrity. Stop Continue provides a nonthreatening and support achieving your business vision. Accountability for results must be a part of the business fabric if a business is to flourish. Each highly effective tool to assess progress of a team and/or an individual. By looking for new things to After the objectives are created, then you can person should understand their role and take action try, stopping actions that are not effective, and create a plan to achieve your objectives. Goals that in support of the team’s goals. ending on a “what are we doing well” note, this are specified in business plans must be specific, tool keeps projects (and behavior) on track. measurable, and attainable. Scouts Are Prepared to be After the plan is created, business manage the Inspire and Lead People plan. Project management skills are key to Business Leaders managing the goals. The ability to handle ROPE—Reach out, Organize, Practice, unexpected contingencies or situations and keep Developing Leadership Through Experience is a skill that Scouts use to learn the theplan on track (or recover) is very important. individual value of each person. Scouts learn to Scouting reach out and get to know the individuals in their Meeting the business objectives by attaining the organizations. Scouts then learn to organize the component or milestone business goals is never Scout Leadership individuals into teams (more on that in a moment). easy. Leadership that can accomplish this is Scout practice the organization of teams again and valuable to business. Scouts spend years learning and practicing again. In that practice, Scouts are encouraged to leadership. The Boys Scouts of America teaches experience the world from the point of view of Inspire and Lead People specific leadership skills in a framework of respect, different team members. By doing this, Scout integrity, and accountability. All Scouts receive learn to appreciate the differences and leverage the strengths of all of the team’s members. Everyone in business is a different person with extensive, repetitive training and practice in these different motivations, different histories, different skills over a period of years. Scouts learn and use EAR (Express, Address, talents, and different levels of engagement in their Resolve) as a conflict resolution tool. No one likes work. Understanding people and how to bring The Scout leadership model starts with a vision. conflict, and yet all of us face conflict at some their individual strengths to business is important. The vision describes the end state objective. Then, intermediate milestone goals that lead to the point in our lives. Learning to effectively resolve conflict is a lifelong skill that is useful for a long GUIDE when the group is in the NORMING honesty, truth, and service to others. Scouts life. Scout leadership training teaches youths how phase. emerge from the Scouting programs with an to listen to all sides, address each party’s concerns, ENABLE when the group is in the PERFORMING ingrained service-based leadership model that and then work to effectively resolve the conflict. phase. serves them well for a lifetime in business.

Scouts learn and use The Teaching EDGE™ tool Scouts learn and practice this leadership skill or All businesses depend on these values. No system as a simple four-step process used for teaching any technique with many different groups in varied of safeguards can overcome a lack of these values skill. settings over a period of years. in its leaders. Explain—The trainer explains how something is done. Scouts arrive at your business with a complete Business Leadership That Works Demonstrate—The trainer demonstrates while package of leadership skills that will help make explaining again. them successful. Their ability to lead in differing Your business needs well-trained, capable, and Guide—The learner tries the skill while the trainer situations with diverse teams can greatly improve experience leaders. These leaders must be guides him through it. your business. trustworthy and accountable. Enable—The learner works on his own under the eye of the trainer. Instilling Lifelong Values: You can and do invest a lot of resources, time, and Integrity, Trust, and money in developing effective business leaders. Scouting helps your business by doing the Accountability Four Stages of Team Development foundational work. Scouts already know how to lead. When they apply that ability in your Cub Scout Promise All teams (and individuals) go through I promise to do my best to do my duty to God and business, you win big. development stages when facing any new task or my country, to help other people, and to obey the project. They begin as highly enthusiastic but Law of the Pack. You can support scouting in several different ways. relatively low-skilled team members. As they Hiring a Scout puts the value of Scout training to begin to realize the task may be harder than they Scout Oath work in your business. Contributing to your local Scout council helps to ensure that Scouting has the thought, and that their skills may need some work, On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to their enthusiasm dips. Soon, however, they begin God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to funding it needs. And, becoming an adult Scout leader will enrich your life as well as the life of the to gain some expertise in the skill, and their help other people at all times; to keep myself confidence begins to grow. Finally, they get it, and physically strong, mentally awake, and morally kids you serve. are a highly capable and enthusiastic team. straight.

Phase Attitude Team Skills Venturing Oath Forming High Enthusiasm Low Skills As a Venturer, I promise to do my duty to God and Storming Low Enthusiasm Low Skills help strengthen America, to help others, and to Norming Rising Enthusiasm Growing Skills seek truth, fairness, and adventure in our world. Keith Rutledge Performing High Enthusiasm High Skills Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 245, Taylors, SC Scouts grow up in an organization that values Leadership behavior depends on the group: Integrity, Trust, and Accountability. These virtues The Teaching Edge is a trademark of the Boy Scouts of become character traits for Scouts through America. EXPLAIN when the group is in the FORMING learning, knowledge, practice, and repetition. phase. DEMONSTRATE when the group is in the From Cub Scouts through Boy Scouts to STORMING phase. Venturing, the focus is on doing your best,