27th October 2023 Friday - Sam returns home/ Grooming

Halloween meeting with members of PDF 2023

Sam returns from Hanoi - KL late tonight, in the meantime, we are meeting up with the PDF folks to discuss deadlines, roles, tasks over a meal and drinks. The young ones will do well I think, they have the energy. The thing is how to get them in the door in the first place. It is not about sweet talking as one of the Office Bearers suggested. It is leadership by example and having a good product to pitch at them. It is about giving them autonomy while offering support in areas that they are not familiar with. It is about recognition and acknowledgement of their efforts. It is about making sure that they get something out of it; enjoyment, new networks, personal development and achievement. 

As they become more experienced, they will get a sense of being able to teach and groom another group of younger people. 

The trouble with this process is that IT TAKES TIME, lots of time. The process cannot be forced. 

Leadership by example - I have a funny story about this. It is funny now but at the time, I was furious. We were building houses for Habitat for Humanity; installing timber piles into swampy land ground - tiring and dirty work. The local affiliate was headed by a pastor, who would coincidentally arrive when morning tea was served and offer words of encouragement while partaking the snacks and coffee. As we return to our work, he would take some photos and drive off. Later in the afternoon, he will drop by and take some photos from his car, shout a few cheery words of encouragement. And drive off. 

This process repeated itself as we continue to build more houses with HfH. Needless to say, I lost all respect for that 'leader'. 

my idiot children taking photos at our hotel project, the one which is reputed to be haunted