We began with an activity called “Taking it Home.” In this activity there was an inner and outer circle of people and we shared with one another (through a series of rotations) answers to different questions.

We took part in a letter writing activity to ourselves (and the rest of EGL) about our week here. There was much reflection about
1. What we learned
2. What we are grateful for
3. What we want to remember about the week
4. What we realized we do really well
5. What we still need to work on
We will be sharing these five takeaways with the general student body in the Fall! We hope you attend so that you can hear what we came up with.

After this experience, the entire LC camp gathered outside in a circle and numbered off in fours (well Lions, Tigers, Bears and “oh mys”… “Oh My”s could be our mascot?!?). Each animal had the opportunity to confidentially inform another camper of the great ways they showed leadership. Categories such as: Who made you laugh?, Who surprised you?, Who showed true passion?, Who made you feel included?, etc. were announced. Then while the outer circle turned their back, the selected “animal” could tap those who met the criteria on the back. All five of us agreed that this was a great way to humbly thank others and may consider using a tactic like it in the future.

A slideshow was then presented that showed the many events and things we did. (Thanks Gabe Javier!) These pictures will be available soon and we hope to allow you share this with you when they do!

All-In-All
We would like to thank all those who made LC: Round Two! happen and successful. Some we would like to note:
*The Office of Student Activities and Leadership
*The outstanding facilitators: Jimmy, Angela, Jaden, Geni, Gabe, Dave, Linh, and Jen!
*The kitchen staff and all those here at Michigania!
*Stacie Edington our wonderful program advisor!
*Brian Rumao and his push to keep the blog (which has been a great way of reflection)
*Stacie Edington, Dave Hamilton, John Nanry, Brian Rumao, Nate Bennett and Erik Barbara, for their comments and interest in our trip.
*Each other more than any other!

As far as our “facebook” goes:
-EGL has now deactivated the account… maybe it will return down the road

We would like to note that the time we spent here was priceless (thanks to SAL)… no really it was! We have all strengthened our leadership skills, our ability to recognize leadership qualities and our ideas for the upcoming semester (and beyond!). The time spent here at Michigania is something we would all recommend to any student group that has the opportunity. Here is a group perspective:

Why YOU Should Attend LC!

LC is a great opportunity for any member (whether from the general body or from an executive board) to explore their passion for their organization and the ways they can be a leader. Not only is the food delicious and the atmosphere friendly, but the chances campers get to release with other leaders from U of M is astonishing and unlike any other experience. Not only are the other organizations fun to be around, but they provide you with means of collaboration and feedback for the betterment of your organization. It’s a two way street as your organization provides resources to others. It’s surprising the groups that can help you – ones you would never expect!

Also, sometimes it takes locking yourselves in a room (outside of your normal organization settings) with each other for a day… or five… to gain an understanding of the internal and external image of your organization. Leadership Connection opens new ideas, evaluates existing ones, and strengthens the students that attend in the areas of individual growth and team bonding.

Many of the lessons learned here at LC are applicable not only in your organization or personal experience, but in life. If given the opportunity to attend, we urge you to go! At the end of the day, LC just another way that we become the “leaders and the best!”

Seacrest (or EGL LC team rather)… out! Enjoy your summer!

Following another breakfast of delicious omelets and waffles, our focus was based around the cycle of a leader. We began with activites in which we describred what we thought a leader looked like. The key takeaway here was that leaders come in all forms and are relevant in many areas.
Next, we discussed how leaders can sometimes get “sidetracked” and “put into autopilot.” This consisted of the cyclical process::
1) Pre-contact / Identification
2) Retreat
3) Internal Identification / Passion
4) Task Work
5) Leadership
6) Withdrawal
It is a process that each leader must go through to ensure that their organization has a smooth transition. It is a process that ends in INHERITANCE. What do you do for stress release!?! (Leave a comment!)
There was also a long discussion about the difference between stress and burn-out. The key differences were that stress is healthy (at times), it may motivate, it is temporary, it revolves around over engagement, and it can be compartmentalized. Burn-out is NEVER healthy, it serves as a road block, it involves all three factors (physical, emotional, and psychological), it is constant, revolves around disengagement, and is non-functioning. There are many ways in which we can channel our stress.

Each one of us had different ways in which we deal with stress:
Claudio – play basketball, talk to external friends, nap
Chelsea – read a book, listen to her iPod, go outside for some fresh air
Ben – ride bike/unicycle, talk to a friend, watch a movie
Nick – playing his guitar, sleeping, watching movies
Tom – go to church, run without an end in mind, lift weights, talk to a loved one
The key thing here is that we all confront burnout with different ways of balance. Key means are:
1) Leveling the work (via delegation, detached concern, preparing a team, not panicking, knowing peak seasons, and recognizing when a rut is occurring)
2) Helping others do their best without becoming engaged. More or less, we show concern without the engagement.

We each then shared our individual “leadership” story. This consisted of: 1) How we got involved in EGL, 2) How we became leaders, 3) How we learned about EGL, 4) Who taught us to be a leader in EGL, and 5) What have we not been taught thus far. Each of us had similarities (such as the way an older member took us under their wing) and differences (the time we joined and the roles we have played thus far.)

After this discussion, we valued tools for decision making. Tools such as Stephen Covey’s Quadrant System for prioritizing /time management we used to distinguish whether things were important or not as well as if they were urgent or not. We formed SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely). The use of RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) also helps for decision making.

Individual skill building sessions followed. Each of us had unique experiences.
Claudio learned about “Confronting Sexual Violence on Campus“ and “Using the Web World“
Chelsea tuned into “Creating and Establishing Partnerships“and “Making Smooth Leadership Transitions”
Ben focused on “Icebreakers, Energizers and Reflections“and “The Wide World“
Nick focused on “Marketing Your Organization’s Experience“and “The Web World“
Tom learned about “Using Campus Facilities” and “Making Smooth Leadership Transitions”
Each of us gained a lot from these experiences.

After sweeping SWE in for dinner we started a “Friend Requesting” activity. This consisted of discussions for potential future collaborations (SGE, Michigan Mock Trial, & Mpowered Entrepreneurship) or information exchange for the betterment of other programs (Jen Wegner, NSBE, SWE, IEEE, SAPAC, & MSA). We focused on the engagement of our members, fundraising, and the incentives program.
Tom would like to mention that NSBE made a huge impression on us all. Their passion for their organization, respect for one another, and fun they have while working together is something for EGL to strive for in the next few years. They are truly passionate about their purpose and we have formed a high respect for their methods and values.
QUICK NOTE: Due to the lightning, there was a short loss of internet (and the blog entry was erased!) However, we feel comfortable with our work today and are chewing on some ideas as the day closes down.

Facebook:
-EGL courted SWE to dinner to sweep them away from their other lovers
-EGL wrote on SWE’s wall “You can stand under our umbrella… ella… ella… ay”

Hope you all tune in for our last words tomorrow! We will leave EGL represented well – THAT is certain!

Adios,
-Claudio, Chelsea, Ben, Nick and Tom

Though a few of us were still upset about the Red Wings loss last night (or early this morning rather), we woke earlier than before to get a good start on our day.

Our first task consisted of recollection of the personal values and beliefs that we came up with the night before. Division into groups of seven then followed where we played Jeopardy against the other teams. Jeopardy had four categories (supermarkets, financial organizations, universities, and communication companies). Each question presented a mission statement for an unknown institution. The goal was to guess which institution the mission statement belonged to. It was very surprising to see how many mission statements did not agree with some of our personal opinions of each institution.

We then were lead into an activity about the values of our own student groups. First, each individual member selected their personal top five values (from the same deck as last night) that EGL stands for. After comparing the values we set for EGL and our personal values, it was surprising to see many differences. However, we came to the conclusion that our individual values were much different than the values our group should have due to the unique contribution each member adds to the group as a whole.

Though the previous task was not easy, we didn't know that a harder task was ahead of us. As a group, we were instructed to collaborate the top three values for EGL. With varying opinions, we took part in a healthy debate. The values that were discussed were:
-accomplishment
-improvement
-learning
-teamwork
-ambition
-diversity
-quality
-collaboration

Though many overlapped and everyone's interpretation of certain words were different, we came together and selected three (presented in no particular order):
-diversity
-accomplishment
-improvement

Just as we began to wonder how our values met our mission, the facilitators created an activity to do just that. Our findings were miraculously accurate. As a reminder, EGL's mission statement is the following:

"The EGL Honor Society looks to develop and leverage the collective skills of its members in an effort to make a siginficant contribution to the University and the community. EGL has four interrelated purposes:
1. To serve as n Honors Program within the College of Engineering that recognizes a student's conmmitment to academic excellence while pursuing a rigorous curriculum leading to both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering.
2. To improve a student's ability to live and work effectively in an increasingly global society through the development of intercultrural communication skills and the study of the language, history, and customs of a region of the world.
3. To encourage and foster an understanding of business principles by integrating coursework offered by the Ross School of Business into the engineering educational experience.
4. To develop each student's potential to become a future leader in engineering and business through the successful completion of a synthesis team project through the Tauber Institute for Global Operations, leadership modules, networking and engagement in a strong and active society with students and alumni of similar abilities and aspirations."

After relating these to our values, it was easy to see that our selections were quite accurate. Each purpose of our mission statement was satisfied by at least two of our three values.
Purpose 1: met via improvement & accomplishment
Purpose 2: met improvement & diversity
Purpose 3: met improvement & diversity
Purpose 4: met improvement, diversity, & accomplishment

Though our task was tough, we felt a sense of accomplishment (no pun intended) after this activity. It was by far the top moment thus far we have had as a group.

After another delicious meal, we regathered to asses the organizational culture of EGL. Organizational Culture consists of the purpose, values, practice, and projection of a group.

The purpose was the fundamental reason the organization exists. Values are what the organization stands for, or the prime belief that directs how things are run. On the other hand, practices and projections will change with time as they are based on the internal and external things that EGL does. Practices are where your organization lives out the priorities, both internally and externally. Projects are how your organization markets itself, how the group informs others about itself.

After dinner we had a two-hour session on goal-setting. We all found this to be very worthwhile. We learned about the state of an organization and how many factors can create various outcomes. The key parts of an organization are:
*vision
*skills
*incentives
*resources
*an action plan
*results
All these put together create CHANGE!

Possible outcomes when one is missing are: confusion, anxiety, resistance or frustration. Then we individually brainstormed goals for EGL in the generation segment of the session. When we returned to the group, the five of us created a web of goals.

The top three tangible goals based on our discussion were:

1) Determine new ways to fundraise and implement them! Use money to fund the new incentives program and other EGL events.
2) Engage membership, specifically new members, with a retreat/survival guide and a strong push for mentorship "pods."
3) Help brand EGL in a positive manner through collaboration in social/cultural events.

Other goals (some reachable, some not) consisted of:
- Figure out how to improve the website so that it caters to the membership, alumni, and corporate sponsors.
- Find ways to increase input and provide immediate, visual results
- Create an international buddy program push.
- Tweak the board (when adding new Membership Chair) and reevaluate the board's office hours. Consider making the office hours offer activities that relate to each board position.

We would like to get more input from the membership about these goals as the members at LC did last year. As the summer progresses and as we return to campus next fall, we look forward to hearing various opinions on our ideas about EGL. Feel free to leave a comment on the blog, in fact we would love to hear from you!

Speaking of goals, (and the fact that it is hump day) encourages us to evaluate how we are doing on the goals that we made for this camp.
* We have all made new friends and strengthened relationships - both within EGL and outside of EGL
* We have learned about other societies and are formulating lunches in the next few days to plan events.
* We have represented EGL well - we have in fact become a common group to "poke" here at LC

Lastly Facebook updates!
- EGL is now a genie in a bottle baby, you better rub us the right way
- EGL accepted an invitation with SGE for a dinner date tomorrow. No formal attire required.
- EGL was superpoked by SWE (must be Ben... read below)

After finishing these goals and writing to you fellow bloggers, we will head to the bonfire by Walloon Lake. There will be smores, camp fire songs, and overall a lot fun.

Cheers,

Claudio, Chelsea, Ben, Nick and Tom

P.S. Ben Don saved the president of SWE in her dream last night. As Taylor Swift would put it, Ben Don has traded in his unicycle for a set of armor and a white horse.

After a short sleep, we all woke up early for a hearty breakfast. With full stomachs, we headed out into the wilderness in hopes of gaining much from the low ropes course.

Teams were split up into 20 campers, each a diverse mix of members from most other groups. After learning the names through means of icebreakers, (Yeah, Brian!) teams were challenged to complete in team building tasks. The first task was to cross a “raging river” by only using “magical” blocks. There were 20 members and only 12 blocks. Comfort boundaries were tested and eventually expanded!

Another task was to guide a golf ball into a tin cup over 30 feet away using only limited piping. Some pipes were curved and short; others were long and straight. Each member and their piping had to be used at least once and the ball could never come to a stop.

The final activity required us to use our physical and logical thinking skills to obtain personal objects of each member placed outside of a circled rope.

The key takeaways from this were the following:
*Trust the ones around you - know that everyone has a common goal.
*Use positive means of communication – especially when addressing an individual make sure you use first names.
*There always exists a difficulty in communication amongst groups. Each group varies, but continue to keep the common goal in mind and make sure everyone feels comfortable and a part of things.
*Part of being a leader is filling the role that your team needs. Whether that means stepping back as a leader and accepting a smaller role, know that your contribution is still important and you will have more opportunities in the future.

Hiking back from the woods, we were welcomed with a scrumptious lunch. Many of us followed lunch by enjoying the sunshine while getting to know unique members from all over the University.

After lunch, we took part in individual testing. Many of you may have heard of the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) test. (This is the most widely used personality instrument in the world). This provided eye opening opinions and allowed ourselves to categorize ourselves through our personal qualities.

The first part of the test was an activity in which we signed a paper with our autograph. After we did this, we repeated the signing with our non-dominant hand. (Try this… and see if you feel the same as we did!)

The feelings we experienced when signing with our dominant hand were: confidence, comfort, and strength. When signing with our off-hand we felt: insecure, weak, and uncomfortable.

The MBTI test then proceeded to the four respective preferences.
1) Extraversion (E) v. Introversion (I)
2) Sensing (S) v. Intuition (N)
3) Thinking (T) v. Feeling (F)
4) Judging (J) v. Perceiving (P)

After collaborating our ideas we found that the "team type" was ISTJ. (For further meaning consult wikipedia or contact Tom at tgham@umich.edu) However the only common preference was introversion (I). As a group, we felt that the introversion is attributed to characteristics of most EGL students:
* We tend to think things through before presenting our ideas. In other words: "We prefer to reflect, then act"
* We internalize our thoughts and stay in the background on tendency
* We tend to like working on our own when given the option

The pros from this:
+ This makes our ideas concise and compelling
+ This is a great demonstration of the business and professional image we are going for

Some possible cons:
- These same characteristics may make us appear less approachable, in particularly to new EGLs.
- Some valuable opinions may not be shared at GBMs, Executive Board Meetings, or other windows of opportunity.

Discussion on improving this issue was based around ways in which we can engage new membership and make them feel comfortable and important from the very beginning. One way that we felt this could be improved was a stronger push for our Mentorship Program or even a retreat for the new members.

We dispersed ourselves at different tables during dinner as we continued to make friends and inform them about EGL. We also gained valuable knowledge from other groups. Ben would like to note the camaraderie he has seen NSBE display through todays activities (i.e. rap battles, etc.).

Following dinner, the entire camp joined together and discussed important values and beliefs. Following audio clips of personal essays, we identified values that each member in each audio clip stood for. Next, we then were handed a stack of 60 values and were instructed to organize them into four categories (1. Very important 2. Important 3. Sort of important 4. Not important) Some values from the stack included: improvement, loyalty, optimism, etc.

Each member shared his/her personal values with another member from the camp. Together each duo compared and contrasted why he/she chose his/her respective "Very Important" 15 values. A long group discussion followed on social justice and its role on campus climate.

Ah... on a lighter note :)

In case you were wondering…
Our "facebook" currenty has the following updates:
- <3 Relationship status: “its complicated with SGE”
- IEEE has been messaging us and SGE is in suspicion of cheating
- "EGL’s hips don’t lie"
- EGL poked SWE & SAPAC (but don't worry it was with consent)

Now for Ben's Engineering Joke...

Two engineering students were walking across campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."
The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."

Today's conclusion - We all found ways to grow individually yet keep the goal (EGL) in mind. No matter your role, you can have an impact on your respective society.

Tomorrow we will wake up even earlier, but will include discussion of "Where EGL is, and where EGL wants to go." Until then...

Cheers,

Claudio, Chelsea, Ben, Nick, and Tom

We arrived at Camp Michigania and short introduction to the staff, we set up our cabins. After this, our first activity was kicked off as every group described their respective society as a zoo animal. We then acted it out and the other groups would guess what we were. After figuring out the animal we then described why we chose the animal. So, fellow EGLs, what animal did we choose to represent us? Yes, that's right... the Beaver. As we acted out building dams the true thought behind the beaver was this.

Why we chose the Beaver:
*Beavers are exceptional at working in teams that work towards a common goal
*Beavers engineer structures to help benefit "beaverkind"
*They are hard workers that are relentless
*Beavers are resourceful
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...
*Beavers connect things together - as EGL connects the curriculum of engineering, business, culture and leadership

It should be noted that we were amongst other animals (some of which are extinct) such as pterodactyls, velociraptors, flying foxes, and earthworms to name a few. We were even graced by the presence of Simba from the Lion King. This provided us a great background on each of the other groups.

The Leadership Connection staff has themed a way to log our advancement throughout the week. This is going to be represented through a "Facebook" homepage. The homepage displays the mission statement of EGL, the members that are representing EGL here at Camp Michigania, 10 random facts about EGL, and our profile picture of course. (Thanks Dan!) Throughout the week, we will be "updating our status" to signify the progress we are making and the things we are learning. Maybe tomorrow our relationship status will change as well!

After a luscious steak dinner, we regathered for another team building exercise. The activity was centered around confronting perceptions. Each member was sent into a room full of photographs and was to select the following: a photo that represented his/her perception of their student group and a photo that represented his/her perception of what others think about his/her student group. After gathering photos, every member presented his/her photos to his/her organization before breaking up into groups of five students (each from a different group). The idea behind this was to see if other student organizations agreed with our perceptions and to help them understand our point of view.

We were surprised to discover two things:
1) Many students, including other engineers, were unaware of the benefits/requirements of EGL.
2) Numerous student organizations are eager to collaborate with EGL on events in the future. Specifically we talked to groups like SGE (Society of Global Engineers) and MPowered (An entrepreneurship focused group)

Through further discussion we also came away with knowledge of basic incentives programs from societies such as SWE (Society of Women Engineers) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

After a long bus ride and day full of activities we look to take on the low ropes course early in the morning. Until then, we thank you for your interest in reading this and hope you will check back tomorrow!

Pictures are soon to follow!!!!

Cheers,

Claudio, Chelsea, Ben, Nick, and Tom

Tune in tomorrow for Ben Don's ridiculous joke. Also, please leave some feedback. Any other animals in mind?!?

We'd like to RE-introduce the blog that was started last year as EGL took place in Leadership Connection. Like last year, we will post entries about the program and society, as well as provide updates from our daily experiences at the Leadership Connection.

Leadership Connections is May 4th - May 8th. EGL was once again selected to attend this exclusive event for UM organizations. There are some new faces that will have the privilege of attending this great opportunity. The following EGL students will attend LC this upcoming week:

-Claudio Hernandez (ME '10)
-Chelsea Snodgrass (CEE '10)
-Ben Don(ME '10)
-Nick Beaty (ME '11)
-Tom Hamilton (IOE '12)

We look forward to our interactions with other U of M students and have set goals that we hope to meet by the end of the week.

Some of these are:
* Make new friends - this can expand our individual networks as well as help for future collaborations with other organizations.
* Strengthen our relationships with the other EGL members.
* Learn about other societies - this will help with the goals and new board structure, fundraising and alumni opportunities, find ways to engage membership.
* Represent EGL well (This we can assure you will happen!)

Please bookmark this blog for updates from Leadership Connections! We look forward to keeping other EGLs aware of our experiences and hope many of you leave comments or suggestions if you have any!

]]> http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2009/04/leadership_conn.html http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2009/04/leadership_conn.html EGL Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:04:51 -0500 The view from Michigania...

Today was our last day at Leadership Connections. We began by completing five sentences. Here they are (after the colon is what we filled in):

1. We want to say thanks to: staff members and fellow groups for: sharing with us and inspiring us.

2. We really hope that: we can expand on what we've learned this week and bring it back to our society.

3. We are grateful for: the people who created EGL and made it the organization it is today.

4. We learned that: there is always progress to be made.

5. In the coming year, we are committed to: achieving our manageable goals and striving towards our stretch goals.

In number 5, you will see mention of our manageable goals and stretch goals. We didn’t post the picture of our goal sheet earlier, so here are the top manageable goals that we agreed on:

1. To create incentives towards/for meetings/events to engage more members
2. Session with new members and Tauber II’s
3. Create committees under executive board to get more involvement

Here are the top stretch goals that we agreed on:

1. For EGL to be more known to campus, faculty, and staff (100%)
2. Engage more members
3. More prestige
4. Receive more corporate donations/sponsorships (adequate funding)
5. 100% college, university, and community support

We sincerely hope to work towards these goals in the coming months and years. As we rode the bus home, during the four-hour drive we shared the lessons we learned during the week and during the break-out sessions from the day before. Overall, EGL’s first trip to Leadership Connections was a great success. We are all very excited about the future of EGL, and we would like to thank everyone who made this possible: The Office of Student Activities and Leadership; the facilitators: Jimmy, Angela, Jaden, Geni, Gabe, Mark and Dave; Stacie, our program advisor, who encouraged the idea of making a blog for our trip; the EGL student who read our blog and responded with comments; the fellow students at Leadership Connections who constantly provided support and new ideas; the three general student members (Claudio, Meghan, and Nate) who graciously donated a week of their summer to EGL, and provided new insight, energy, and boundless enthusiasm for the program; and our President, Lindsay, for her support and coaching during the sessions. Without her idea of attending LC, we would not have had the opportunity to attend and gain so much from this week.

We hope to return to Leadership Connections in the future, to continue to shape the EGL program and further the program’s mission! Thank you!

]]> http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/05/day_5_program_c.html http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/05/day_5_program_c.html EGL Mon, 05 May 2008 11:14:51 -0500 Key Takeaways:
• The leadership cycle can help us predict and prepare for future events
• Transformational leadership + Transactional leadership = Full results
• EGL is one good looking society and loves to dance!

Leadership Cycle
Claudio felt refreshed this morning from eight hours of sleep. We began the day learning about the cycle of a leader. Identify (the groups with whom you could collaborate), retreat (if first impression does not work out), internal identification (identify within yourself the values of the organization), external identification (market your belonging to the organization, display your passion), leadership (take on a leadership role within the organization), withdrawal (leave the group). We learned it’s important to safeguard against the retreat and withdrawal. This cycle can also help you prepare and brace yourself for the leadership cycle.

Another aspect of the leadership cycle is the concept of burn-out versus stress. Stress is temporary, it can be productive and lead to over-engagement, and it allows you to remain effective until the point of burn-out. Stress is also compartmentalized—it does not affect other parts of your mind or spirit. Burn-out is more serious, it results in disengagement, and it’s ineffective.

Integrating Transformational Leadership
What is transformational leadership? It is a style of leadership that takes a leader from transactional leadership to performance beyond expectation. Transformational leadership motivates leaders to do more than what is expected. The basic influence behind these styles are the four I’s: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration. Also, we did an activity called “start, stop, continue�?, where we listed activities that we think EGL should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing, based on the four I’s.

Transactional leadership is a style of leadership of give and take. It’s based on the status quo, and does not necessarily display the goals and higher purpose of the organization. The most effective combination of leadership is the combination of transformational and transactional leadership. To fully achieve your potential would mean having that healthy combination. There are three core team processes for transformational leadership: 1) cohesion, 2) communication, and 3) conflict management. The different types of conflict include healthy and unhealthy conflict. The healthy conflict is cognitive, and creates a dialogue. An effective conflict is emotionally driven and there is a focus on interpersonal incompatibilities, and arises when cognitive conflict becomes corrupt.

Lunch was grilled cheese and tomato bisque. It was delicious. The lemon bars were fantastic, maybe a little on the sticky side, according to Claudio!

After lunch we all split up into several different enriching sessions. Brian went to sessions on how to respond to trigger statements as well as a session on icebreakers, energizers, and reflections. Lindsay went to sessions on improving student organization’s meetings, as well as the session on trigger statements. Nate went to icebreakers, energizers, and reflections, as well as the session on trigger statements. Meghan went to sessions about marketing the student organization experience in the job search, as well as the session on improving the organization’s meetings. Claudio went to sessions on the importance of physical wellness in student organizations, and also how to utilize transformational leadership in teams. While we could all go on about the value and lessons learned, please seek us out or leave comments in the blog if you have questions about any of sessions!

Organizational speed dating followed; we met with Circle K, SWE (Society of Women Engineers), NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers), SADHA (Student Americans Dental Hygienist’s Association), MES (Michigan Economics Society), SGE (Society of Global Engineers), Gates Millennium Scholars, LSO (Latino Students Organization), MSA (Michigan Student Assembly), UAC (University Activities Center). We learned these organization’s structure, purpose, and incentives programs, as well as possible opportunities for future collaboration.

Someone left a note that said Lindsay is very cute. We also got sunshine awards for being a “good-looking�? society (See picture below for visual evidence). Now there is a dance party, so we’re leaving you all to represent EGL well!!! Hiding in the corner awkwardly like most good engineers…

Cheers,
Lindsay, Brian, Meghan, Nate, and Claudio

]]> http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/05/day_4_organizat.html http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/05/day_4_organizat.html EGL Thu, 01 May 2008 23:03:23 -0500 Key Takeaways:
• Mind-mapping is a good way to see how a team can break down an issue into smaller parts
• Defining EGL’s organizational culture through purpose, philosophy, priorities practices, projections
• EGL has many important manageable goals and stretch goals that we’d love to hear your feedback about

Ideal Campus
We began the morning discussing our ideal campus. We performed skits and such, and it was a nice way to begin the day. Some of the common themes included social justice, adequate resources, improved communication, sustainable resources, which led to a discussion on social justice. Although it was another good discussion, we did not feel it was the most beneficial segment to our goals for the week.

Lunch was salad. The cookies were AMAZING. We also played a game of ultimate Frisbee, where Nate was a beast.

Mind-Mapping
After lunch we did mind-mapping, and it was an opportunity for us to be creative in a very organized fashion. Our mind map focused on issue “EGL needs to better engage its members.�? We came up with four main branches, which are: improve relationships, events, meetings, and open communication. It was a good brainstorming strategy that allows us to take a large problem and break it down to smaller, manageable pieces. We noticed that the events and meetings have very similar issues, including the scheduling conflicts and the perceived value of the topics. Improving relationships tied in with the other branches. You can check out a picture of our beautiful mind map below.

Organizational Culture
Assessing your organizational culture was the next segment. We looked at our purpose, philosophy, priorities, practices, and projections. You can check out our culture in the beautiful concentric squares below, created by Meghan. The purpose is the fundamental reason the organization exists. Philosophy is what makes the organization distinct, or the prime believe that directs how business is conducted. Purpose and philosophy are supposed to always stay the same. However, priorities, practices, and projections will change with time. Priorities are the key values and standards of an organization. Practices are where your organization lives out the priorities, both internally and externally. Projects are how your organization markets itself, how the org lets others know about it.

Trivia: What’s the biggest room in the world? Post your answer in the comments…right answer gets a prize!

Goal-setting
After dinner we had a two-hour session on goal-setting. We all found this to be very beneficial. We learned about the state of an organization and how different factors can create different results. For instance, you need vision, skills, incentives, resources, an action plan, and results to create change. Without any of these, you might get confusion, anxiety, or frustration. Then we individually brainstormed goals for EGL in the generation segment of the session. When we returned to the group, the five of us created a list of 40 distinctive goals. From this we separated the goals into manageable goals and stretch goals. The stretch goals are more long-term while the manageable goals are more readily achievable. The top three manageable goals based on our discussion were:

1) To create incentives for student engagement
2) Session with new members and Tauber II’s
3) Create committees under the executive board to get more involvement

The top six stretch goals based on our discussion were:

1) Increase awareness and support of EGL on campus
2) Engage more members (tied with #1)
3) Create more prestige of EGL
4) More corporate donations/sponsorships
5) Fully define the board positions to align with the mission
6) 100% internship placement of all members (tied with #5)

We would like to get more input from the membership about these goals. As the summer progresses and as we return to campus in the fall, we all look forward to hearing everyone’s opinions on the direction of EGL. Feel free to leave a comment on the blog!

After finishing these goals, we went to the bonfire by Walloon Lake. There were smores, singing, dancing, and overall a lot fun.

]]> http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/05/day_3_inclusion.html http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/05/day_3_inclusion.html Thu, 01 May 2008 12:56:21 -0500 Key Takeaways:
• Teamwork on a low-ropes course leads to many realizations about the way leaders behave
• Have to consider the risks involved before brainstorming, consider “try-storming�?
• Circles can be a powerful tool for effective group communication
• Five aspects of leadership that we inventoried to determine our strengths
• Does social justice belong in every student organization’s mission?

We started the day with a low ropes course that encouraged team building. Low ropes were some adventurous challenges that helped bring us outside of our personal boundaries. Examples of games included using wooden blocks to cross a “Raging river�?, balancing everyone on a giant see-saw while “whale watching�?, and crossing through a giant “spider-web�?. While the games were extremely fun, we did manage to learn some lessons too. Dependence on others, the importance of everyone’s unique skills on a team, people sometimes have to be followers—you cannot lead all the time. Sometimes a good leader is passive. Sometimes when working with many leaders, sometimes you have to know when to step back. “You need to learn how to lead from the front and the back.�? We also learned about the importance of asking for help when needed. In a group full of leaders, it’s important to realize when it’s necessary to ask! Different activities required different leaders, who had different abilities and knowledge. Communication needs to come full circle, from listening to speaking to everyone needs to be heard (interlocking circle, like a Venn diagram). In each activity, there was a certain amount of planning that needed to be done before starting. Having the ability to trust people is important.

Lindsay made an observation that her group practiced a lot before starting. She said that, in a situation with little risk associated with failure, what’s the harm in jumping in? “We had nothing to lose.�? She talked about “try-storming�?, where we brainstorm, then immediately try the idea. It’s useful when there are little risks. Claudio also stated the importance of adapting to situations on the fly, and related it to the toxic waste game. Meghan said the forest smelled like chives, but Lindsay thought they were leeks or onions.

Brian saw a major difference when we were out in the forest and trying to brainstorm ideas. Many people had ideas and lots of voices were not being heard. We decided to get in a circle so everyone could see and hear each other. Suddenly, only one person talked at a time, and everything seemed more efficient. Brian is now a huge fan of being in circles during meetings. When we are in a circle, everything is equal, unlike in a rectangle table, where there is a clear head of table.

Lunch
We returned from low ropes to delicious lunch of pizza and salad. Lindsay met the dental hygienists of America group at lunch. There are 27 women in the class, no men. They are all undergrads, who take the same exact same classes together for soph., junior, and senior years.

Leadership Practices Inventory
After lunch, we worked on a student leadership practices inventory. There were five different aspects to leadership: 1) modeling the way, 2) inspiring a shared vision, 3) challenging the process, 4) enabling others to act, and 5) encouraging the heart. A leader is comprised of all those aspects, plus others not listed. We filled out an inventory test to determine our strongest aspects. After grouping based on our highest strength, we acted out a scene to help others learn about how to become more like that aspect. Meghan and Brian were strongest in challenging the process, and Nate, Lindsay, and Claudio were strongest in enabling others to act. After evaluating ourselves, we also evaluated the fellow EGL members present. This was a critical tool in the improvement process; giving constructive feedback provides the spark to kaizen (continuous improvement). We will return to this tomorrow, when we quantitatively compare our own ratings to the group ratings. TUNE IN TOMORROW, by 11PM EST.

Dinner
Lindsay and Brian, along with members of the Michigan Economics Society, tossed a Frisbee for some time. According to Claudio, cheesecake was on point for dinner. Apparently, in tilapia scampi, the scampi is butter sauce. Nate was a big fan of the fried chicken, and ate dinner with a table full of girls. For the record, Claudio also ate with a table full of girls! Brian ate with Circle K girls, and realized what a great opportunity exists for EGLs to volunteer! Expect more details to come…WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?!

Social Justice
Is Ally short for Allison?: A session on social justice. We ended the night with a whole-group session about the role of being an ally, as well as the role of social justice within student orgs. An ally is defined as a person who fights for a cause, whether or not they identify with it. We also discussed the different social identities, such as race, sexual orientation, geographic status, ability/status, socioeconomic status, country of citizenship, etc. We all had to select the identities with which we felt most salient, with those which we felt most uncomfortable, and with those we felt most privileged.

The discussion veered to answering the question: Can every student organization be a social justice organization? We talked about the difference between fighting for social justice and being socially just. Many students talked about using their org email lists to let all their students know about social justice issues and asked if people found that was appropriate. We did not find any clear answers on the topic, so if readers have opinions on the role of social justice within EGL, please do post comments!

A key take away from this segment was phrased as three questions:
1) When is the best time to do something?
2) Who is the most important person?
3) What is the right thing to do?
Leo Tolstoy posed those questions and answered them as 1) Now, 2) The person you’re with, and 3) That which will most benefit all. Just something to think about…

PICTURES COMING TOMORROW! WE PROMISE.

Cheers,
Lindsay, Claudio, Meghan, Brian, and Nate

]]> http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/04/day_2_self-awar.html http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/04/day_2_self-awar.html EGL Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:43:33 -0500 Key takeaways:
• Many organizations on campus!
• We all have our own expectations for ourselves and each other throughout the week
• There are eight different leadership capacity areas
• Would like to look further into the relationship between the program and the society

Leadership Connections was kicked off today with every society being asked to describe their work as a machine. We had to also act it out and the large group would guess what we are. Examples included coffee makers (because they wake people up), carousels, etc. We were trying to think about the purpose of EGL and what it does for us. We know it connects people, and how our mission is very global. We thought of some sort of vessel that transports people and transforms them. We have a driving executive board, and everyone else (i.e., the student membership) is mostly along for the ride. We tried to find a way to represent how EGL works to build everyone’s talents to make an overall great organization. We settled on a train, complete with Nate as the conductor. Why are we a train? BECAUSE WE’RE FULL OF ENGINEERS! However, SWE took our idea moments before we were called. Like every good EGL student, we planned ahead under pressure and went with our second option, the airplane. We demonstrated the airplane in front of the 70-or-so students, and after a futile guess of a windmill, someone guessed the airplane! Looking back on this, we found out that SGE’s idea was an airplane. It goes to show that engineering groups do indeed have a similar purpose.

During the break, Meghan got lost on her run. She eventually found herself using the resources of the angle of the sun and her trail map.

Group Expectations for the week
Lindsay: Represent EGL well, be open minded, to make other people wish they were an EGL member. Want to show how diverse, creative, and innovative we are. Want to show others how, despite being a great society, we do still have a lot to learn. As a result, ask questions, learn from other societies, be active listeners. Paying attention while people are talking is very important. Not interrupting, asking open-ended questions, nodding affirmatively.

Meghan: On a personal level, was hoping to learn more about student society. Where it stands, the vision, the goals, its purpose. In terms of expectations of the group, ensure that the different perspectives between the two exec board members and three general student members are all heard. Openly discuss the goals of EGL.

Claudio: On a personal level, first absorbs everything. Likes to see the big picture before acting. Would like to take in as much as he can. Doesn’t know too much about EGL as a society. Communication and networking in other organizations are keys. Would like to know if EGL can improve its relationships with other societies.

Nate: Learning more about the society, still considers himself a new member. Still vague on the issues facing the society, because he has only been a member for four months. One of the things he would like is a crash course on EGL, and where it stands. As far as leadership training, is looking for a broad training, and would like to understand more about EGL, and how to apply the program to EGL.

Brian: Discussed the expectations of the students attending.

For the team builder after dinner, we sat on each other’s laps in a big circle. Trust us, that’s all you want to know, although it did break a lot of physical comfort-zone barriers, that may open us up to the rest of the week.

We discussed the question, “What is leadership?�? There were eight different capacity areas that we were allowed to join: Commitment, self-awareness, empathy, organizational competence, collaboration, inclusion, shared purpose, learning environment. Brian and Lindsay were both in the learning environment group. We found that leaders need to foster these environments within the organization, and that leaders utilize mistakes to create learning experiences, as well as developing a respected environment. Meghan was in the commitment group with Claudio, and they said that leaders need to show a certain level of commitment to be an example, “empower members of the organization to be committed�?, leaders are responsible for delegating much of the work. The methods of doing this are by “actions speak louder than words�?, working towards the club’s objectives and purposes, being persistent, defining expectations, making people feel like they are needed. You cannot be a part of something you are not committed to. Nate was in the empathy group, and he said that it was important because a leader must keep in mind the needs and interests of all the people in the group, so empathy comes into play a lot times in decision making, and conflict resolution, when leaders must find the best solutions for the group. Also for fostering a creative environment, because when a leader empathizes with all members, they all agree there is an accord within the group which makes everything more productive.

We were asked to think about the distinction and synergy between the PROGRAM and the SOCIETY. We spent some time explaining the difference between the program and the society, and Claudio nicely summed it as the Program is based on academics, where the Society is based on extra-curriculars. We discussed how the society and program may have different goals. At the same time, it would seem that the program and society share the same goals, because we’re all trying to make us a better prepared engineer. We will consider this throughout the week.

Nate discussed how there is a lack of cohesion in the society, where students commonly see the expectations of EGL lie within the program, and the focus on success in academia, so the expectations of the society can fall by the wayside. Meghan mentioned that it would be very valuable to talk to the older classes of EGLs, like those who just finished their Tauber projects. Lindsay asked the question, “What can we do to satisfy the most people, without sacrificing the mission of the program and society?�? Nate mentioned that more marketing about the society would help potential students realize the importance of the society. Meghan added that the essay question about what students would contribute to the society is also very important.

Claudio asked if there are any repercussions if students do not attend society events. Lindsay and Brian discussed how there are no consequences for not attending, but we do believe that every student can get something out of the sessions we put on, so we hope that the value-added would make their attendance justified. We have not ever made any society event completely mandatory, because we want the students at the events to want to be there, and be enthusiastic about it. Lindsay mentioned that getting older members to events might be something that we want to focus on.

Cheers,
Lindsay, Meghan, Claudio, Brian, and Nate

]]> http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/04/day_1_learing_e.html http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/04/day_1_learing_e.html EGL Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:28:50 -0500 Hey everyone!

Welcome to EGL's first-ever blog. Here we will post entries about the program and society, as well as provide updates from Leadership Connections!

Leadership Connections is April 28 - May 2. EGL was selected to attend this exclusive event for UM organizations. The following EGL students will be attending:

-Lindsay Parker (AERO '08)
-Brian Rumao (IOE '09)
-Nate Bennett (NERS '09)
-Meghan Haigh (IOE '10)
-Claudio Hernandez (ME '10)

Please bookmark this blog for updates from Leadership Connections!

]]> http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/04/egl_has_created.html http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/EGL/archives/2008/04/egl_has_created.html EGL Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:31:07 -0500