THE EXPONENT: Volume 2002, Number 3

"Who you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say." - Emerson

"It's amazing what ordinary people can do if they set out without preconceived notions." - Charles Kettering

Brother and Past National President Jeff Scott wis87 once wrote a message to the Triangle email list indicating that recruitment was the Fraternity variety of sex. In recruitment, we "procreate" to increase the number of little Triangles there are in the world. Like sex, recruitment should be looked at as something pleasurable, rather than something that is a chore, as well. I couldn't agree with Jeff more! Think of all the interesting people you'll get to meet, for instance. Think of all the professional skills you'll develop, too - selling (something we all need to do to be successful in our professional and personal lives), dealing with people, giving the "elevator speech" on a topic, and more. Isn't that a pretty big part of what being a Triangle is about?

Now that it's the spring season, if you're an active are you thinking about what your chapter should be like and how your summer season recruiting will go? If you're an alumnus, have you been thinking about how you might help your chapter?

As Emerson so eloquently put it, to the potential recruit, we seem first to be what we appear to be rather than the words we say. We can spout on all day about Brotherhood and F/S/C concepts. We can ring forth with all the grand thoughts about supporting each other, learning how to be better people, learning new Intellectual, Social, and Professional skills and abilities, and about having a really good time. If the recruit doesn't see those things already existing in us, though, our words are just so much wasted breath.

Thus, the first step in recruiting is making sure that our own house is in order. If you're not having fun, then there's something to fix. Find ways to have good fun. If you're not supporting each other, you'd better sit down and figure out why not and then fix that problem. If your members aren't graduating overall amongst the highest at your campus, then you'd better figure out why and get it right. If your Brothers aren't being given (and then using) a whole lot of opportunities to learn some professional skills and new ways of thinking to go with the good academics, then it's time to revisit that to make it right. If Triangle really doesn't seem to be about lifelong involvement, then maybe you'd better collectively figure out why it isn't. We push those things to prospectives as reasons they ought to join. If those things aren't already there, then why would they want to be a part of us? Would you buy a car with no engine, even though the salesman tells you it gets infinitely good gas mileage?

Kettering, got it right, too. His feeling was that you can do a lot if you only try, even if you have to start from zero.

• Yea, though I have touched the [Energy] stars...
• Brother Kappel wants YOU!!!
• Strong Leaders are Strong Communicators

Yea, though I have touched the [Energy] stars...

From the Environmental Protection Agency's website: http://www.epa.gov/smallbiz/quicktips.html

Many folks have been wondering, particularly since the events of Sep 11, 2001, whether we are making a difference in the world in the short, unpredictable amount of time we have allotted to us here on the planet. One way that we can make that difference is by being careful how we spend resources and how we affect the Earth. This list is one small way you can make a difference. Even if you're not an eco-person, this does provide a way to conserve funds at your business or your chapter house and we all know how limited funds can be! - Editor

1. Turn off lights and equipment when they are not in use. Seems obvious, but high utility costs often include paying for energy that is completely wasted. To automate this function, read on...

2. Buy ENERGY STAR® labeled office equipment, and other products, when needed, and be sure the "stand-by mode" function is activated. This automatic "sleep mode" saves energy and money when the equipment is not in use, by reducing the "vampire" effect of "instant on" (always on) equipment, which is constantly drawing power.

3. Install "occupant sensors" in the proper locations to automatically turn off lighting when no one is present, and back on when they return. Sensors add convenience as well as save money. But, even good equipment can be installed wrong, so don't install the sensor behind a coat rack, door, or book case. It must be able to "see" the motion of occupant approaching an unlit area to turn on the light before, or as they enter. The savings come when people leave an area, and the sensor ensures that the lights are always, automatically turned off, until someone returns. Although, you, personally, never forget to turn off the lights, just think about all those other people wasting money.

4. Adjust lighting to your actual needs; use free "daylighting." This means turn off or dim your lights when daylight is adequate, or use automatic "daylight dimming" ballasts/controls to do this for you. To prevent computer screen glare, eyestrain, and headaches, use limited "task lighting" and do not "over-light" the area. Too much light can be as bad for visual quality as too little light -- and it costs a lot more.

5. "Tune-up" your HVAC system with an annual maintenance contract. Even a new ENERGY STAR® labeled HVAC (heating/ventilation/air-conditioning) system -- just like a new car -- will decline in performance, without regular maintenance. A yearly "maintenance contract" will cost about $100, but can save even more than it costs, and the contract automatically ensures that your HVAC contractor will provide "pre-season" tune-ups before each cooling and heating season. You save money with "no sweat" in the summer; no chills in the winter.

6. Regularly change (or clean if reusable) the HVAC filters with your own "do-it-yourself" labor for a high "return-on-investment." During peak cooling or heating season, change or clean your filters every month; they cost about $2-3 each. Dirty filters can cost up to $5 a month extra, overwork the equipment, and result in dirtier indoor air. Consider purchasing "electrostatic" filters, which are washable, long lasting, and provide cleaner air. Clean or change filters more often if smokers, or pollution sources are present.

7. Install a programmable thermostat to automate your HVAC system. An "old-fashioned" thermostat turns the HVAC on and off based on temperature, not whether the building is occupied, or whether you benefit from the cooling/heating. This solid-state, electronic device can optimize HVAC operation "24/7" based on your needs. For example, instead of heating or cooling all night, so you can enter a comfortable building in the morning, this "smart thermostat" can turn on the HVAC one hour before you arrive, based on your daily/hourly needs. The cost can be $25 to $150, and it could cut your HVAC costs about 30%.

8. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), wherever appropriate. CFLs cost about 75% less to operate, and last about 10 times longer. Enough said.

9. Install LED (light-emitting diode) exit signs. Your current fixture may accept a simple, "screw-in" lighting element to replace the small incandescent bulbs that burn out with frustrating frequency. This string of LEDs will cost about $15 to $20, will last decades, give brighter light, and end risky ladder climbing to replace bulbs. If your current exit sign will not accept the screw-in lighting element, a new LED exit sign fixture costs about $100, and will still save about 90% over incandescent bulbs' operating costs.

10. Control direct sun through windows. During cooling season, block direct heat gain from the sun shining through glass on the East, and especially West sides of the building. Depending on your situation, there are several options such as "solar screen," "solar film," awnings, and vines. Over time, trees can attractively shade the glass and building. Interior curtains or drapes can help, but it's best to prevent the Summer heat from getting past the glass and inside.

    During heating season, with the sun low in the South, unobstructed Southern windows can contribute heat gain during the day, but should be covered at night.

11. Use fans. Comfort is a function of temperature, humidity, and air movement. Moving air can make a somewhat higher temperature and/or humidity feel comfortable. Fans can help delay or reduce the need for air-conditioning, and a temperature setting of only 3-5 degrees higher can feel as comfortable with fans. Each degree of higher temperature can save about 3% on cooling costs.

    Ceiling fans can even be reversed in the Winter, and on low speed will pull warmer air down from the ceiling. When the temperature outside is more comfortable than inside, a "box fan" in the window, or "whole house" fan in the attic can push air out of the building and pull in comfortable outside air. In businesses, like restaurants, with high heat and humidity from cooking, fans can make a huge difference in employee and customer comfort, by giving a boost to air-conditioning. Fans can increase comfort and save money year round.

12. Plug the leaks with weatherstripping and caulking; another cheap "do-it-yourself" job. Caulking and weatherstripping let you manage your ventilation, which is the desirable, deliberately controlled exchange of stuffy inside air for fresher outdoor air. Most commercial buildings require 15-20 cubic feet per minute (CFM) ventilation per person for healthy indoor air. Exceptions and details can be found in "Building Air Quality" at www.epa.gov/iaq.

    However, "air infiltration" in the uncontrolled "leaking" or exchange of inside air (which you paid to heat or cool) at a high rate through cracks around windows, doors, utility switches/outlets, and any other holes between the inside and outside. This can make heating or cooling a building very expensive, and still leave it uncomfortable; "drafty" or "clammy.

Brother Kappel wants YOU!!!

Tim Eiler minn87
(with thanks to Debbie MacInnis, http://www.marketingprofs.com/)

As many of you recently saw, April 30, 2002 is the deadline for submitting your chapter or interest group or alumni association Web page to the committee for an opportunity to win the coveted Frederick R. Kappel Web Page award (http://www.triangle.org/webaward.html). Hopefully this can help you.

There's a reason that award was created a few years ago. To quote the Triangle Web site, "Triangle is a fraternity based strongly on the study and implementation of technology. By the use of the World Wide Web, our Brothers have continued to expand their skill base in order to improve themselves and their fraternity. The Kappel Award is intended to celebrate the skills, creativity, and dedication of our Brothers." The Web allows chapters to communicate with prospective members, parents of prospective and members, alumni, and the University community in a new way. Remember, it's less about winning the award, though, than it is about getting the benefits of improving your chapter's communication!

Clearly, though, like all things "technology," the Web shouldn't be looked at as only a "science project" that's just really so cool we all should use it. Instead, you want to use it to its real potential as a communication and education tool. When used properly in this way, this channel of information distribution can really give your chapter and Triangle an extra edge in improving your marketing, improving your own internal relations, including with your alumni, and in improving your relations with the University and community in general. Sounds like a tool that, while it won't do everything and solve every problem you've got, ought to be in your toolbox!

Clearly one of the important objectives of any web site is to get our name out there, which helps us foster an awareness of who we are. If people are going to remember your site and remember what you sell, do, or stand for, you need to think about how you can design your site to make it memorable. Be forwarded, there is a lot to think about. To make your web site memorable, you have to do the thinking so your visitors don't they can just sit back and have a memorable experience.

Before you begin thinking about this issue, first ask yourself two fundamental questions (1) what do you want people to remember and (2) what kind of memory do you want to affect - recognition or recall?

Memory for What?

First, let's be clear that people can remember (or fail to remember) many things about your web site. You need to think about what YOU want people to remember. Is it the vision? Is it that you have a better GPA than the all-men's for the past 4 years? Is it that we're a social organization that limits majors? Is it that you have "really great parties or is it what being a Triangle will do for them? Understanding what you want people to remember is important because only when you have nailed this down will you be able to address issues of how you enhance memory.

The answer to this question really depends on your situation, but a few guidelines may help.

If you are new or largely unknown, probably the most important thing you can do is to enhance memory for the name "Triangle, your URL, your physical address, and what you stand for. If people know your name, they are more likely to perceive you as familiar and legitimate, and the more familiar and legitimate you seem, the more likely people will consider spending time on your site and perhaps choosing what you offer.

If you are a known, a critical objective is knowledge helping people remember the link between your name with what you do and how you are different from or better than competitors. Memory for specific and differentiating attributes, is therefore important. Because most of the maybe joiners are today influenced heavily by the negative message sent about us by the sensationalists and never-joiners, joining Triangle is generally considered a risky thing. Since that's the case, you should try to get people to also to remember that someone, particularly someone who ISN'T A TRIANGLE has endorsed you.

What Kind of Memory?

Once you have figured out what you want people to remember, consider how you want them to remember. We can think about two basic kinds of memory - recall and recognition.

With recognition, we are only asking people to remember that they have seen our site, claim, etc., once they are shown it. With recall, we are expecting them to retrieve information from memory. Recall is much harder to achieve than recognition because you are assuming that people have thought about the information to be remembered so much that that can bring it out of their memory no easy task when people are bombarded with tons of information on an almost continuous basis.

We get a clearer answer to the question of whether we want to achieve recognition or recall if we are clear about how people typically buy the product you sell.

If they buy while on the web, or if they buy by making decisions about which product to buy by going through an aisle at a brick and mortar store, purchase is based on recognition. Hence, recognition of the brand name, package, and logo are important.

If they buy based on what brands come to mind, product purchase is based on recall. For example, if you are thinking about where to go to buy books online, where to get health information, or where to find interesting news online, chances are (unless you use a search function) the options you consider are based on which you can recall from memory.

Sometimes recognition and recall are both important. If you know that some people find you buy first going through a search engine, while others remember your site and don't have to search, you are going to have to achieve both recognition and recall.

Primacy and Recency Effects. We are unlikely to remember much about something if we haven't paid much attention to it. So first make sure that you create attention to the thing you want people to remember. Academic research shows that people tend to remember the first and the last item that they see in a sequence better than EVERYTHING in the middle. This means people will be more likely to remember the first and last pages they visit than any of the other intervening pages on your site. This phenomenon cannot underscore enough how important that first page of your web site is. I really detest the reality of the old adage that one generally doesn't get a second chance to make a first impression, but it is fact. Since it is, the first thing that people encounter when they visit your site better be fun, interesting, and memorable. If they don't remember this first page, (as they should given primacy effects) how in the world are they going to remember anything else about your site?

Chunking. Recent research indicates that most individuals can process at most at any one time three to four "chunks" (groups of items that are processed as a unit) of information in short-term memory. For example, phone numbers are typically grouped into three chunks (621-977-4059). Memory for what the site is all about is enhanced, for instance, if you can draw conclusions -- perhaps stated as a tag-line or a headline-- that chunk disparate pieces of information into a single attribute or benefit. Triangle's vision statement is a tag line -- "Scholarship, Standards, Achievement" -- tells a lot in chunks!

Rehearsal. Rehearsal occurs when we get people to silently repeat or actively think about the information we want them to remember. Engaging jingles and slogans may be useful means of inducing rehearsal. Think about how McDonalds got us to remember all the things that they have on their Big Mac -- you remember it, don't you? -- "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun." This might be challenging in a web context, but the increasing use of sound makes its use quite possible.

Recirculation. Water is recirculated when it goes through the same pipe again and again. In the same way, information is recirculated through your short-term memory when you encounter it over and over. Recirculation explains why repetition affects memory. If you want people to remember your web address, what you do, etc., just repeat it many times on your site. The more people see it, the more they will remember it. Of course, remember that repetition can increase memory, but it doesn't always make your site more likable. Too much repetition of something can be down right annoying. The downside of too much repetition is that people may remember you and site as something they want to avoid!

Redundant Cues. Try to say the same thing with different methods at the same time. Memory is also enhanced when the information items to be learned seem to go together naturally. Telling someone that Triangle breeds successful people is one thing, but having logos (get approval first!) for some of the companies that Triangles, particularly some from your chapter, now lead coupled with that is a better way to drive home your point in a memorable way. Now add in a letter from one of those folks with his picture and signature and, well...

Multi-Layering. People tend to have better memory for pictures than for words. People remember things better when they are represented as both pictures and as words, so try to say important things using both pictures and words. Even better still is to state important things in print, with pictures, and also aurally.

Mood. Did you know that the mood we are in affects our memory? Being in a good mood generally helps us remember thing. So make your site fun and so the likelihood that they will remember what it says is increased.

Strong Leaders are Strong Communicators

Jim Clemmer (http://www.clemmer.net)

"The man who can think but does not know how to express what he thinks is at the same level as he who cannot think." -- Pericles, leader of Athens around 450 B.C.

It was the dead of winter in the middle of a very cold snap. As we approached departure time, judging by all the activity outside the plane, we weren't likely to leave on time. In a few minutes the captain announced, "You can see a lot of activity on our left wing. This is a maintenance crew trying to replace a defective fuel pump. We find it's best to fix a problem like that on the ground before we're in the air. The good news is that there is another fuel pump available here at the airport. The bad news is that it will delay our departure by about 30 minutes."

Within 10 minutes the captain was making another announcement, "Folks, you can see the little truck on the right coming in with our fuel pump. Unfortunately, this is work that can only be done with gloves off. Working with jet fuel on your fingers in this freezing weather is extremely difficult and taking longer than expected." We started to feel sorry for those "hearty heroes" working in such tough conditions to get us underway! The captain continued to give us updates on progress every 10 - 15 minutes. When he announced the problem was fixed and we were finally ready to go some 90 minutes late, a cheer went up from the passengers.

I am sure there wasn't a single complaint among the passengers on that plane. That's because the captain treated us like adult customers and not "the cattle in the back" who don't really need to know what's going on. Communication is one of the key marks of a leader. Like motivation, it's also a word that's overused and misunderstood. For example, what are often called "communication problems" in many teams are really process, system, or structure problems. People don't communicate because the way they are organized doesn't let them do it effectively.

The strength of our communications spring, in part, from our personal values. The captain communicated with us from a values set that said we're important enough and responsible enough to be told what's going on, even if the news is bad. If my values are superiority over others, I won't bother communicating with "the peons." If I am arrogant, I may call my loud, one-way horn blowing "communication."

If I have disdain for others, the only thing my tone of voice may arouse is resentment, hostility, or defensiveness. If I see customers, suppliers, or organization members in other departments as interruptions or adversaries rather than people, I'll brush them off with minimum effort. If I am suspicious and distrustful, I will parcel out information on a "need to know basis." If I think all the EQ (emotional intelligence) research is hogwash, I won't bother to develop my verbal communication skills.

With few exceptions, highly effective leaders have very strong verbal (and often written) communication skills. They connect with people. Since leadership deals with emotions, energy, and spirit, verbal communication skills have a huge role to play in mobilizing and energizing. No matter how "right" a vision, deeply held principles, or purpose may be, they won't mobilize others if they can't be effectively communicated.

That means moving beyond dry logic, sterile printed statements, or speeches read with all the passion of a bored old professor giving his same old lecture to a group of bored young students. Highly effective leaders transfer their energy and passion to the people they're trying to mobilize with words that paint exciting pictures, ring true, fire the imagination, or touch the spirit. Like the leader, their words are charged with energy.

Hope you enjoyed this issue!!! If you have questions, feel free to email the editor ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Tim Eiler
Exponent Editor

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