Last year I served as president of Rogue Community College's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. For quite some time the chapter had been in a state of decline -- new members were inducted each year but managed to slip out after the induction and were rarely seen or heard from again. That all changed when my fellow officers and I started to involve as many new members in leadership roles as possible. In a matter of four months, our chapter went from a core group of five all the way to 33! How did we do it? We started by following some basic guidelines.

In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie outlines several very important steps to remember when working with people:

• Smile at the person.
  

• Become genuinely interested in the person.
  

• Be a good listener and encourage the person to talk about himself/herself.
  

• Talk in terms of the other person's interest remembering that a person's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
  

• Sincerely make the person feel important.

I have found that smiling is the key to gaining friends. If you watch people, you will notice that most walk with downcast eyes and frowning lips. Though many have speculated why this might be our society's custom, it really doesn't matter--what matters is that we make a difference. If we work to smile at others and make eye contact, most will return smiles. Not only will this provide a warm feeling, but also an opportunity to get to know the other person better.

Those opportunities may remain just opportunities, though, if you are not genuinely interested in knowing the person. Many times, as leaders, we have agendas for every conversation we engage in. And often, those to whom we speak can see those agendas written all over us. I have discovered that when I stop and listen carefully to what the person is saying to me -- when I understand where the person is coming from and what he/she is really trying to say -- then being understood, myself, occurs naturally. When you begin to practice this, you will notice that your relationships will improve and others will feel listened to and understood.

In addition to being genuinely interested in the person, being a better listener will also enhance your relationships. It is important to stop and to listen. When you hurry someone, or interrupt, or finish his/her sentence, you have to keep track not only of your own thoughts, but also those of the other person. This can result in terrible confusion as well as frustration. And how can you really listen to what a person is saying when you are speaking for him/her? Learn to be patient and allow the person to finish speaking. After all, everyone loves to talk to someone who truly listens to what they are saying.

While you are listening to the person, be sure to notice what he/she is interested in. Then, take what you learn and develop questions that will draw more information from the person such as likes and dislikes, concerns and fears, strengths and weaknesses, and talents and skills. Once you have acquired this information, you will know where to place that person in leadership. When you specifically place people in positions for which they are well suited, the person and the chapter both can achieve maximum potential.

Once you have placed your new members in leadership roles, give them responsibility, too. Sometimes it is hard for us leaders to give away power; however, I have discovered that as a leader I actually gain more power by giving it to others. How? By delegating responsibilities, we empower other people and thereby increase the effectiveness of our teams as well as the amount of work that can be accomplished. Empowering others commits people to action and conveys to them a sense of trust and individual importance.

Following these steps last year, our chapter reaped great rewards. By simply remembering to smile, to be genuinely interested in the person, to really listen, to talk about the other person's interests, and to make the other person feel important, I am confident that your chapter can also be successful in recruiting and retaining members.