THE EXPONENT: Volume 1, Number 4

Introduction/Miscellaneous
Welcome to the last EXPONENT of 1995 (you'll receive it in early 96) and the last of this first year of publication. So far, publication has been a bit sporadic, but we are working on increasing the number of contributors and editorial staff so that some of the workload gets spread out a bit. Bear with us while we learn to do this right. One last thing, I've "borrowed" some clips from conversations that have been had over the Triangle email exploder. If I've edited something grossly different from what you intended, please contact me and accept my apology in advance.

In this issue, we'll cover some pretty significant, helpful information, so read on!

Contents

• Brotherhood
  • Ways to Be A Better Triangle Brother
  • Thinking About the Triangle Code of Ethics
  • A Pledge Program Idea
• Chapter Management
  • Think It Through - Ahead of Time
  • Built To Last (a review of)
• National Chapter Spotlight
  • Summit Program Reminder
• Chapter Spotlight
  • Success at Louisville - Perseverance and Dedication Pay Off
• Spotlight on Prominent Triangles
  • Triangle Wall of Fame
• Plans for Upcoming Issues

Ways To Be A Better Triangle Brother

Al Evon ar88

Triangle Director of Chapter Services

I ran across the following leadership tips in Zeta Tau Alpha's magazine "Themis". I thought they were relevant and wanted to share them with Triangle members:

• Be Enthusiastic - It's contagious. Enthusiastic leaders accomplish more and enjoy their work.
• Inspire Teamwork - Each member's contribution is important.
• Think Before Speaking - When caught off guard, say "That will take some thought. Let me get back to you."
• Communicate - Speak, write, listen. The more information people have, the better decisions they make.
• Officers Are Trainers - Delegation of responsibility helps develop future leadership.
• Take The Long View - Remember your work is only one part of the total picture. Be unselfish by allowing all activities to nurture and grow.
• Don't Be Frightened By Change - The ability to respond to change takes creative thinking and planning. Change allows growth and strength.
• Use Your Management Skills - Create a plan and list the skills of those that can make it happen.
• Keep Your Sense of Humor
• Plan Some Quiet Time - Take time to assimilate experiences, evaluate, sort through conflicting demands, draw conclusions, and make plans.
• Show You Care - Be generous with your praise and encouragement.
• Be Flexible - Even the best plans and goals must occasionally be abandoned. Adapt when necessary.

Thinking About the Triangle Code of Ethics

Mark Lindsay ok89

Just a refresher:

Triangle Code of Ethics

As a member of Triangle, I recognize my obligation to:

• Observe the precepts of the fraternity as set forth in the Ritual;
• Accept cheerfully my full share of any task, however menial, involved in maintaining a chapter home;
• Preserve and promote the chosen ideals of my Fraternity;
• Pay all personal bills promptly and always live within my means;
• Help create in my chapter home an environment in which enduring friendships may be formed
• Maintain a creditable scholastic record;
• Promote the welfare of my profession;
• Maintain my self-respect by proper conduct at all times;
• Uphold faithfully the traditions and program of my Alma Mater;
• Pay the price of success in honest effort.

I think Chapter Home would be better interpreted as My Chapter. A full share of an alumnus' tasks in maintaining his chapter is not the weekly cleanup of the john. It is helping the Chapter maintain its stability through advice, finances, etc.

There are other ways the CoE is geared away from Alumni. "Scholastic Record" might be thought of as "Scholastic and Professional Record".

Like the recent editorial in Triangle Review (I don't have the author handy), "I never WAS a Triangle. I AM a Triangle."

A Pledge Program Idea

Mark Snyder minn91

What we do is put the pledges in a meeting room on campus, with a storyline to follow, basically, something about them wanting to start a Triangle chapter and so representatives are coming to meet with them to hear their proposal, so now they have to put one together.

They are given some basic information to start with, like a budget amount to divide up, some guidelines on what they should cover (rush, risk management, scholastic program, etc.), and they are instructed to assume they have a house. They are given 2-3 hours to work something out.

Lastly, they are given a chance to present their proposal and answer questions posed by the "representatives" who have come to meet with them.

It's been a pretty good tool for seeing who all among the pledges has been paying attention to chapter management stuff during the pledge period. If anyone would like more details, please ask

Chapter Management

Think It Through - Ahead of Time

Bob Hamlett ks61ar

Triangle Executive Director

Now we start quoting from the newsletter:

"While the facts of the cases and the way in which the media cast them are sometimes glaringly different, a few tragic truths emerge: a man was beaten up by a Sigma Chi, a brother is dead at age nineteen, and a young woman maintains she was raped by two Sigma Chis.

"How would you handle these situations if they occurred in your chapter? What can you do today to make sure they never happen in your chapter?

"There are steps you can take today to prevent such tragedies from striking at your chapter:

• Measure your chapter events and activities against the Ritual. Evaluate the purpose, time, location and duties of the event. Then make necessary changes.
• Troubleshoot. Brainstorm things that could go wrong and make plans to prevent them.
• Share your plans with your [alumni board, chapter or faculty advisor, Greek advisor, or National Office] and solicit their suggestions.
• Treat members, pledges guests and fellow Greeks and students with respect.
• Don't be afraid to hold others accountable for wrongful behavior. Not only is it your obligation to do so, but it very well may change that brother's life.
• Try to see your programs, events and treatment of others through the eyes of a parent, university president or newspaper reporter. Realize that while your intentions may be good, your results may be offensive.
• Think! Realize that you took an oath that binds you to live by a higher standard. Reflect on what that means. Also remember that your actions reflect on every other [Triangle].

"Being personally responsible, thinking before you act, holding one another accountable and showing respect for others are all ways to uphold the obligations of the Fraternity and portray [Triangle] in a positive light in the public's eye. Think about what you are doing, not just with your chapter activities but with your individual words and deeds as well. Realize that [Triangle] expects more from its members than the world does of the average man. Draw lessons from [the experiences of Sigma Chi]. By doing so, you will not only reduce the likelihood of tragedy striking at your chapter, but you will be upholding your obligations and preserving the [Triangle] experience for countless brothers-to-be."

Built To Last (a review of)

Al Evon ar88

Triangle Director of Chapter Services

and

Tim Eiler minn87

Built to Last by James Collins and Jerry Porras. This is a short summary of the important parts of the book. There is a lot of useful information here for those who choose to use it and we both recommend it highly to everyone in Triangle.

The authors did a study of "visionary" companies and came up with a set of principles gleaned from that study. Those principles are:

• Clock Building, Not Time Telling,
• Embrace the Genius of the AND,
• Preserve Core/Stimulate Progress,
• Seek Consistent Alignment.

Clock Building, Not Time Telling: "Having a great idea or being a charismatic visionary leader is time telling; building a company that can prosper far beyond the presence of any single leader and through various product life cycles is clock building."

Embrace the Genius of the AND: "The tyranny of the OR pushes people to believe that things must be either A OR B, but not both. It makes such proclamations as You can Have change or stability, You can be conservative or bold, You can have creative autonomy or consistency and control, You can make progress by methodical planning or by opportunistic groping, You can be idealistic (values driven) or pragmatic." The Genius of the AND, in contrast, is the ability to embrace both extremes of a number of dimensions at the same time. "Instead of choosing between A OR B, they figure out a way to have both A AND B."

Preserve Core/Stimulate Progress: A truly successful organization will discover its core ideology (for we Triangles that should be pretty easy) and will live by it in EVERY case. "Core ideology in a visionary company works hand in hand with a relentless drive for progress that impels change and forward movement in all that is not part of the core ideology." One of the more effective ways to stimulate progress is to set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) which are "clear and compelling and serve as a unifying focal point of effort. BHAGs engage people-it will reach out and grab them in the gut. It is tangible, energizing, and highly focused. People 'get it' right away; it takes little or no explanation." (An example for Triangle might be 100% initiation of everyone who pledges or 100% graduation of every Brother initiated.)

Seek Consistent Alignment: Never forget the core ideology. Talk about it always and never stop living it. Those who don't understand or can't live that ideology will feel like they are left out and will leave by themselves. This sounds elitist, but it is not. Triangle, for instance, is not for everyone. Those who can't live up to our high standards will know it by themselves and will opt out on their own.

There are other concepts in the book that are great. Concepts such as "Try a lot of stuff and keep what works" and "Good enough never is" can be used in every part of our lives, not just in Triangle work.

The following section is a list of questions, based on the book, that Al discovered at an NIC-based school last summer. This will not only help clarify the concepts presented here, but should also be something useful in aiding your chapter.

Using Value Based Strategies to Afffect Change

Open discussion questions:

1. When you think of your organization, what would you say is your core ideology or what would you list as some of your core values? How did you learn/come to know this?
2. What would it take for your organization to be more of a clock builder than a time teller? What would it take for you as a leader to be more of a clock builder than a time teller?
3. Thinking of the challenge of either/or what would you list as some of the either/or issues within your organization?
4. What are one or two things that while seemingly impossible, would really transform the fraternity if it was accomplished?

(by the way TKE has set it's BHAG for 100% graduation and 100% placement. Can we beat that?)

Some simple steps for embracing values based strategies in your efforts:

1. Rewrite policies and rules to include the values which are served by the policies. i.e. "because we value _______, the following is not allowed . . ."
2. Introduce values-based questions into your conversations with undergraduates, alumni, and your colleagues. i.e. "Is that fair? What values are you trying to advance by your decision? Does your decision promote the maximum good?"
3. Identify the values you wish to exemplify in any educational programs as one of the first steps in your program design. Be up front about this with program participants.
4. When confronting inappropriate behavior, talk less about the rules, and more about the value issues in the incident. i.e. "that behavior is not acceptable because we stand for _________. If you want to be a part of this organization you must act in a manner which supports our value of __________."
5. Examine the "implicit values" driving your organization's actions and challenge any of them which are in conflict with your "explicit values."
6. Simply confront unethical or immoral behavior.
7. Wear your values on your sleeves . . .role model ethical behavior and talk about your values.
8. Acknowledge that students are at different stages of moral reasoning. Design your conversations and programs to meet them where they are at and help move them to a higher level.
9. Draft/identify the core ideology and values for the various organizations/institutions of which you are a part. Use this ideology to recruit, orient, and reward new members.
10. Recognize that the values of an organization are evident in the types of information it collects and the things it pays attention to . . are you sending the desired message?

Summit Program Reminder

If you haven't yet decided to participate in the Summit Program and you have questions about it, don't hesitate to ask. Remember that no matter how good your chapter is right now, there is always room for improvement. There is no "standing still" in this or any other business or facet of life. We either move ahead or fall behind. The Summit Program is intended as one way to help you and your chapter improve Triangle one man at a time. Chapter Spotlight

Success at Louisville - Perseverance and Dedication Pay Off

The Brothers of Triangle Fraternity's Louisville Chapter (actives and alumni)

• David Bryan Buckingham
• Ashley Wayne Burt
• Davide Jonathan Leone
• Nhan Huu Nguyen
• Matthew Aaron Ricketts
• Joshua Matthew Smith
• Michael Benjamin Townsley

Spotlight on Prominent Triangles

Triangle Wall of Fame

Tim Eiler minn87

"Why have a Wall of Fame?", you might ask. There are several answers to this question. There are benefits in terms of Rush. Prospective members, parents, and anybody who sees the accomplishments of the men selected for the Wall will likely be impressed that such men came from a Triangle background. There are benefits for member development. How many of the Brothers who look at the Wall of Fame will be inspired by the accomplishments of the men there to reach new heights? The other is the benefit of honor to those selected and their families. The men selected for the Wall deserve our accolades. They have earned them and in doing so have carried Triangle to new heights in many different ways.

Stop by to see the Wall at your chapter or one nearby. It can be an impressive thing and is well worth the trip.

Plans for Upcoming Issues

In the next issue, Triangle's new Director of Chapter Services, Br. Al Evon, will be interviewed. We also hope to conclude the interview with Br. Ed McCracken of Silicon Graphics and also to interview Br. Herb Scobie, for whom the Triangle Leadership School is named, in a future issue. Finally, if there is anyone that you would like to see interviewed here or spotlighted here in some way, please contact us and we'll do our best.

Tim Eiler minn87
Business Administration Consultant Services
Triangle Fraternity National Council