Motivating the Middle: Fighting Apathy in College Student Organizations [Paperback]

T.J. Sullivan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2011

If you're a college student leader and you're frustrated that you and a few others do all the work, you need to start "Motivating the Middle" in your organization. It's the concept that will set student leaders free. Stop focusing on the bottom third members, those who check out or cause problems, and start focusing on the "middle third members" who hate drama, care for your organization, and prefer to play a supporting role. Directing your efforts toward the middle -- and understanding what makes them different, what gets them engaged, and what they can contribute -- may solve your most pressing leadership challenges. Motivating the Middle offers a simple, empowering strategy for student government officers, team captains, chapter presidents, club leaders, residence life staff, and other college students looking to make a difference on today's campuses.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book offers practical application... regardless of type, every student group struggles with keeping people involved and enriched. T.J.'s practical and easy-to-understand advice offers guidance and expertise without being too heady or lengthy, making it a simple resource for that busy top third student." - AFA Perspectives

"The ideas relate to all student organizations and feature specific examples which make it extremely useful. It's short, direct, and to-the-point. I'd encourage anyone who is passionate about their student organization to get a copy and keep it on hand!" - Christina Miller, Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority Blog

"... a leadership resource that offers concrete solutions for solving organization member apathy. This book is not only appropriate for students, but for student life professionals as well." - StudentLifeGuru.com

"The book offers practical application... regardless of type, every student group struggles with keeping people involved and enriched. T.J.'s practical and easy-to-understand advice offers guidance and expertise without being too heady or lengthy, making it a simple resource for that busy top third student." - AFA Perspectives

<span>"The ideas relate to all student organizations and feature specific examples which make it extremely useful. It's short, direct, and to-the-point. I'd encourage anyone who is passionate about their student organization to get a copy and keep it on hand!" </span><span>- Christina Miller, Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority Blog</span>

<span>"... a leadership resource that offers concrete solutions for solving organization member apathy. This book is not only appropriate for students, but for student life professionals as well." - StudentLifeGuru.com</span> --StudentLifeGuru.com

From the Author

This book was purposely designed to be a quick, easy read.  It's short, on purpose, so that busy student leaders will be able to read it.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Wheatmark (November 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1604946903
• ISBN-13: 978-1604946901
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

T.J. Sullivan is one of the most successful speakers on the college leadership circuit, having spoken to more than 2-million college students at campuses in all 50 states. He is the co-founder and CEO of CAMPUSPEAK (www.campuspeak.com), the nation's premier agency providing speakers and workshops to higher education.

He's climbed the highest mountain in Colorado, has had three knee surgeries, built two companies, and owns a beagle named "Bagel." He and his family live in Denver, Colorado. Follow him on Twitter at @TJatCAMPUSPEAK.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful framework for organization advisors November 1, 2011

By Emily Lowry

Format:Paperback

As a sorority volunteer working with multiple chapters, one of the most frequent complaints I hear from chapter leadership is how to hold members accountable. This book presents some easy, straightforward strategies for engaging the members who care about the organization but who may be juggling other interests or priorities.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Triage for the front lines on campus October 25, 2011

By J. Belkora

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I wish all non-fiction books were as elegantly straightforward as this. Based on years of working with student leaders, TJ Sullivan presents a diagnosis and cure for a common ailment on campus. His diagnosis indicates that student group members vary in their reasons for joining, but student leaders often act as if all members were (or should be) like them. Leaders are puzzled and frustrated when followers don't respond as expected to initiatives. The cure is for leaders to design initiatives that respond to the actual, rather than perceived, needs of the "middle members." Equally important, leaders must let go of their frustrations with the "bottom third," simply holding them to minimum acceptable standards. TJ illustrates both diagnosis and cure with concrete examples from campus life. Like other reviewers, I came away with a dozen ideas I can act on right away with the organization I lead (a service learning program at a university medical center). Indeed, although this book is written with student organizations in mind, its lessons apply to small and large organizations beyond campus. One logistical note - contrary to the first Amazon listing I found, this book is available as a Kindle ebook, you just have to search for it separately. Disclosure: TJ is a professional colleague through my involvement with Campuspeak, the educational service bureau he runs. I am biased in favor of the quality of his work! I also recommend his student leadership blog at [...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars useful tool for the newly elected leader February 11, 2013

By Bob Kerr

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was ane excellent resource for the students I work with on my campus. We actually placed the book in our leadership class and the feedback was the book was very helpful for these new leaders. Its crisp and straight-forward approach made the book easy to read and easy to integrate. Overall, the book has been a positive resource for our Greek leaders and I am very pleased to have placed the book in our leadership class. TJ has found a positive way for Greek leaders to re-examine how they put forth energy in creating positive change in their organizations. I have been at Greek advising for over 15 years and this is one of the most effective leadership tools that I have experienced.I believe the book would be a positive resource for any student organization but in particular for Greek organizations.