Motivate or punish? - Page 3

sandiego_DUde · #31 05-04-2010, 11:58 PM

Haha people always call me "the Mom of the house, but the guy version."

My house was actually not put on probation for that but for other reasons. There are other circumstances that led to a bad rush, honestly not related to partying. It's easiest to sum it up as most of us weren't properly prepared for rush. Hope we learned from that mistake...

Dropping guys should be a last resort because I believe in giving everyone a chance, but I agree sometimes some people run out of chances and need to go. I'm not the only guy who makes decisions regarding stuff like this, though I know I may have accidentally given off that impression. I'm a go-getter in the house and some guys (the execs) appreciate that I'm always willing to help but others feel that I can pick up their slack and take advantage of my dedication. More often than not, I will do whatever is needed and I honestly don't mind. Still, the dad in me wants to help others get the chance to build their resume and build skills that will help them after college. After all, I feel like that's the main purpose of Greek Life.

33girl · #32 05-05-2010, 12:03 AM

If all this is the case, then market yourself as a service fraternity, not a social one. Get rid of your house (if you have one), lower your local dues (which should be rock bottom anyway, since you don't have mixers or formals), make all events alcohol free and let it be known that philanthropy is your #1 priority. Then you won't end up with a bunch of guys who are disappointed because they thought they were joining a social organization.

sandiego_DUde · #33 05-05-2010, 12:17 AM

I'm trying to ask as politely as possible why you are riding the idea of social life so hard? We are still a social fraternity, we just don't have the same status as some of the houses on campus with 100+ members. Even social fraternities are required to do service. We're not a academic fraternity simply because we go to school. What you're telling me to do is give up, which is exactly what I'm not about to do. It won't be easy but I intend to leave my house better than I found it. What can I say, I like a challenge. If I fail, I'll have to deal with that on my own, I don't need haters telling me "no."

rufio · #34 05-05-2010, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandiego_DUde

I'm trying to ask as politely as possible why you are riding the idea of social life so hard? We are still a social fraternity, we just don't have the same status as some of the houses on campus with 100+ members. Even social fraternities are required to do service. We're not a academic fraternity simply because we go to school. What you're telling me to do is give up, which is exactly what I'm not about to do. It won't be easy but I intend to leave my house better than I found it. What can I say, I like a challenge. If I fail, I'll have to deal with that on my own, I don't need haters telling me "no."

hey PM me, ASU went through the same exact situation you guys are going through. I know asu and sdsu are really close, we'd love to help out. our now defunct NAU chapter used to come down and help us through our problems and we'd love to continue that tradition.

sandiego_DUde · #35 05-05-2010, 01:36 AM

gotcha. thank you.

33girl · #36 05-05-2010, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandiego_DUde

I'm trying to ask as politely as possible why you are riding the idea of social life so hard? We are still a social fraternity, we just don't have the same status as some of the houses on campus with 100+ members. Even social fraternities are required to do service. We're not a academic fraternity simply because we go to school. What you're telling me to do is give up, which is exactly what I'm not about to do. It won't be easy but I intend to leave my house better than I found it. What can I say, I like a challenge. If I fail, I'll have to deal with that on my own, I don't need haters telling me "no."

GOOD LORD.

No one told you to give up and no one's being a "hater" because they gave their opinion.

Take off the hair shirt, it is very unattractive.

ScarletBlueGold · #37 05-27-2010, 01:37 AM

So, I'm getting my Masters degree in Organizational Behavior with a focus specifically on "motivation".

There was this wonderful study (I'll post it if I can find it - for now though I will just paraphrase it). Where they found people working for a company that manufactured steel components to large scale vehicles and sea-craft. One of the most tedious and difficult jobs in the plant was "pre-production". Basically people who's responsibility it was to either tighten thousands of bolts a day or move large sheets of metal from one side of the warehouse to another.

So the experiment began:

1. The first group was given various criteria on which their efficiency would be tested. They were told that if the performance indicators revealed an increase in productivity they would receive cash bonuses. They were also told that anyone who failed to meet minimum expectations would immediately lose the free lunch that the factory provided.

2. The second group was treated very differently. No punishments or rewards, but instead they informed the pre-production workers on exactly what part of each vehicle they were working on was. Many had never known what exactly their work was, and others were surprised to see how important their job was to the successful completion of each project. Factory workers from other parts of the line came and thanked the pre-production workers for their work, and let them know how much they appreciated the quality jobs they did. Also, several factory managers invited the pre-production workers into a special meeting with high level executives and asked for advice on how to make the production process easier and more efficient. After the meeting was over the upper-level managers thanked the workers and encouraged them to call if they had any more ideas about making the production process easier.

The end result? The first group almost all received the bonuses. However they're overall production level decreased over time. As they frantically worked to try and make their performance indicators as inflated as possible they managed to cut many corners and ultimately deliver mediocre work. Also, many workers demanded increased bonuses as time passed.

The second group finished with outstanding results producing almost twice what the first group did. New ideas circulated, and many workers were promoted from within the company.

Not only that, but when surveyed, the second group reported significantly higher job satisfaction scores, and experienced much less turnover. Best of all? Almost no money was spent on the second group.

Try to think of this when you are working on ways to motivate your brothers. Educate them on your Fraternity's goals, ask them what they think the Fraternity should be doing, and try to work with them to make the Fraternity better in their way (I guarantee they will start wanting to return the favor). You'd be surprised how many of your brothers will appreciate you asking them for their advice.