Choosing to run for Cluster Head was the best decision I made in my life. There are so many things that I'm thankful for, the most of which is the chance to broaden my perspective through dialogue with people who are just as opinionated and even better informed than I am. I gave this presentation during the transition seminar of the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA) last March 3-4, 2012, in the hopes that somehow, it would help the next Central Board serve their presidents and orgs more through the sharing my experiences. It covers the basic things about what I learned in my term as Performing Arts Cluster Head in SY 2011-2012: 1. What it was like at the beginning - because you won't ever be prepared to know what it feels like to be in the position, and hold so much responsibility for your constituents, no matter how many transition seminars you have. 2. Why are we here, as Cluster Heads? - because oftentimes, our presence and relevance is questioned by others, and even by those we serve. 3. How to be consistent with Representation, Administration, and Formation - the three core competencies of COA 4. Complexities of the partnership - as Cluster Head, your partner is your Secretary-Treasurer, and the relationship is not as easy as it sounds. 5. What I learned and loved the most - amongst the multitude of things I take away from my term, I learned that leaders are not born; they can be made. You don't have to be a performer to properly lead the Performing Arts Cluster. You don't have to be the best dancer to lead CADs. You just need a context of where you're coming from, skills to manage people, and passion. Passion for what you're doing takes you to places you can scarcely imagine. 6. Concrete outcomes of my job - to show that even though they say that being in the COA Central Board is a thankless job; that it's always background work; that people don't know why we're even there, we DO have an impact on the people we take care of. 7. How my orgs responded - a little love goes a long way. 8. What now? - for the incoming Central Board, what does this mean for them?

1. Life as a
a d 2011-2012
t s Cluster He
rforming Ar
El Kawsek / Pe

2. Life as a
12 | March 3-4, 2012
Transition Seminar 20
COA

3. What It Was Like At The Beginning
Why Are We Here, As Cluster Heads?
How To Be Consistent With RAF
Complexities of the Partnership

4. What I Learned And Loved The Most
Concrete Outcomes of My Job
How My Orgs Responded :)
What Now?

5. What It Was Like At The Beginning
• You may feel lost, like you don’t know what to
do.
• You may feel thrust into the position, even if
you ran for it.
• Nangangapa ka ba?

6. What It Was Like At The Beginning
• Remember: nangangapa pa kayong lahat.
• Nothing will ever prepare you enough for taking
on the role of a CB member and a cluster head.
• In the CB alone, you encounter a variety of
people who are incredibly different from you,
but that’s what makes the CB life so interesting.

7. What It Was Like At The Beginning
• Summer: start off on the right foot with the
CB and with your presidents.
• It’s not all about efficiency. It’s also about
being ONE CB.
• Your commitment will be tested.

8. Why Are We Here, As Cluster Heads?
• Representation: CH is the CEO of the cluster
• Engaging in dialogue with external offices
like Sanggu, APO, OSA, OAS
• Dealing with violations with OSA

9. Why Are We Here, As Cluster Heads?
• Beyond this, representation goes two ways:
you represent your orgs to COA, and COA
to your orgs.
• Administration: not just the ST’s job
• Help facilitate the smooth flow of
information. CC your ST in your texts.

10. Why Are We Here, As Cluster Heads?
• Formation: Cluster Projects and the Cluster Core
Team
• Who leads the leaders? Your presidents are
capable and strong individuals, but sometimes,
they need someone to talk to as well.
• Support your orgs, use all forms of social media to
promote them, make them less org-centric

11. How To Be Consistent With RAF
• Know what your orgs are up to by collating
schedules. This helps with representation (in
your meetings with external groups) as well
as helping them promote their events. You
know when they’re busy or not.

12. How To Be Consistent With RAF
• A sample of my calendar for January 2012,
with my orgs’ activities compiled

13. How To Be Consistent With RAF
• Check up on their progress through IC’s. IC’s
are also a form of bonding.
• ALWAYS be there for your orgs by going to
not just their events, but their plansems as
well, to get to know them on a member level.

14. How To Be Consistent With RAF

15. Complexities of the Partnership
• They say it’s lonely at the top, but in the CB,
you’re never really alone.
• As CH, the one person you should be
closest to is your ST.
• You and your ST are your best support
systems for one another.

16. Complexities of the Partnership

17. Complexities of the Partnership
• Saluhan culture: you are partners for a
reason.
• Your ST is not your utusan.
• Don’t go overboard with saluhan; give
equal opportunities for you both to grow,
and to avoid burnout on your end.

18. What I Learned And Loved The Most
• As CH/ST, your relationship with your presidents is
weird. You’re “above” them in structure, but
you’re never really above them.
• At times, you may wonder what makes you
worthy to lead such capable individuals.
• You need knowledge and context of where
you’re coming from, yes, but more than that, you
have to love what you’re doing.

19. What I Learned And Loved The Most

20. What I Learned And Loved The Most

21. What I Learned And Loved The Most
• You, your cluster board, and your orgs are
always part of a bigger context.
• Your orgs may be good, but they can
always be better.
• World café sessions are the best ever.

22. Concrete Outcomes of My Job
• Cultural Office for Ateneo
• More PAC org involvement with COA: COA
Awards (ACGC and TA), COA Project Grant
(BlueREP)
• OSA & PAC orgs working on partnering with
School of Humanities for performing classes

23. Concrete Outcomes of My Job
• Formation and representation for Blue
Symphony’s recent accreditation
• Helped Blue Symph with their YES Report
and what it is like to be part of COA

24. How My Orgs Responded :)
• When you’ve done your job well, you’ll notice
that you haven’t just reached your
presidents, or their EBs, but their members as
well.

25. How My Orgs Responded :)
• If you love them, they’ll love you too. <3

26. How My Orgs Responded :)
• Your orgs will care about one another, each
others’ successes, and become less org-
centric.

27. How My Orgs Responded :)

28. How My Orgs Responded :)

29. How My Orgs Responded :)
• You’ll even have reached the org
moderators…..

30. How My Orgs Responded :)
• ……and the alumni.
Text from Gorby Llado, ACGC president 2012-2013,
night of COA Awards 2012:
“When I told ACGC (alumni, members, trainees) about
you and the PAC orgs’ awards, sobrang masaya sila
para sa inyo. Salamat, for making GC love this year as
a PAC org. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. :)”

31. How My Orgs Responded :)
• And you’ll get random texts of love from
your presidents / constituents
Text from Julia Motoomull, TA Company Manager
2011-2012, on February 2, 2012:
“Hi, El. I’m glad TA’s been more recognized this year.
You helped with that, so thank you. :)
#randomthoughts (yes naman, marunong akong mag
hashtag).”

32. What Now?
• Why do we do what we do? It seems that we
are often BS [Org/Cluster], Minor in [your
course here]
• Without passion, the org life is in danger of
becoming a mere order of events.
• It’s very difficult not to be inspired by people
who so clearly love what they’re doing.

33. What Now?
• Passion can be well-meaning, but is aimless
without a sense of purpose.
• A strong vision links passions with the
potentials of the org / cluster.
• Your vision should be able to look to the
future, yet remain grounded in the present.

34. What Now?
• Leadership is not restricted to the lucky few.
• At the end of the day, you work not just for
your orgs, but for COA. There is a bigger
perspective on why we do things.
• It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it.

35. What Now?
Think not of what you HAVE to do,
but of what you WANT to do.