Energize your association, your work, your life!
Do you remember the first time you showed up at your association meeting as a guest? You were looking for a new place to network, or were invited for a friend. You showed up and didn’t know anyone. Remember how daunting that was, then you decided to come back again, and again, and finally you were volunteering, then serving on the board, and now you might even be leading the organization. As you sit on your board as a volunteer leader, you now see behind the curtains and see the association through a different lens.
You start thinking, how can I make impact and serve this association with excellence? Or maybe you think, this is much different than what I expected and get push back from your new ideas you have spent countless hours thinking about and writing down to share with everyone. Then you see how everyone has full time jobs, and some people aren’t interested in changing much or want to create more work so they just want to go with the flow. Then you start wondering how can we increase or retain members, or what else can we do to create more member engagement.
Many of us are trying to figure out how to create momentum and energy as a volunteer leader. This is where we are… not only in a volunteer organization, but in the workplace too… It’s like having low cell phone battery looking for a charge… and YOU are just the person to help with the charge!
What’s interesting is that our environment has changed over the last decade, but not our mission to elevate our association. It’s easy to overlook that some of the biggest wins come from doing the little things well. In fact, I recently had a chapter leader share how she had received a note from a member of her organization saying how much she valued the communication being sent out from the chapter even though she hasn’t been attending monthly meetings and it reminded her why it was so important to belong to the chapter.
As we kickoff the new year, I want to share a few ideas to help you create momentum and energize your team for the new year…
Start with Why. Remember why you are here. Have a conversation with your team and create a story for everyone to share. Why did you join the organization? Why did you volunteer? How did it make you feel to be a part of the team? Find a way to share this message every day!
Know your value proposition. One of our DNA elements in our company is VALUE. Our customers define it, and our team delivers it. What value are you providing your members?
Set goals. When we set goals, we have something to look forward to, something to strive for, and something to share with others. What are your goals for the new year?
A few others ideas to help you create momentum include, create a story board, start a WHY campaign and ask members for feedback, have a strategy meeting, make a 100-day plan, create ambassadors in the community, have a weekly convos and coffee meet up, start a book club, start a toastmaster’s group, give away prizes at meetings, communicate weekly, create a social media campaign, make meetings an experience, and more………
We need to remember that people want value and want to feel valued and it is up to us to help create this in our associations, in our workplaces and in our communities… Starting with the WHY, communicating with consistency, staying connected, and always driving an experience is a great way to create energy in any association. You see, when we go back and reflect on why we joined, we remember the growth and value we experienced to help others understand the importance of joining too. Share your story – somebody is waiting!
Quote of the Day: “Bring more value by bringing more ideas.” Bruce Waller
Call to Action: Use some of these ideas in your next meeting… Want more ideas to grow your association? Reach out and let’s talk about creating more energy in your community!
This has been A Relocation Minute on “Energize your association” with Bruce Waller, for more information, call 972-389-5673, or email bwaller@goarmstrong.com or check out my social media Facebook and Twitter page. Also, check out www.BruceWaller.com to review my leadership book “Find Your Lane” and journal “Milemarkers” both available on amazon. Be sure to subscribe to my YOUTUBE channel for weekly messages to encourage you and others in the workplace! Looking for a Podcast? Check out “Life in the Leadership Lane” on APPLE PODCAST as I talk to leaders making a difference in the workplace!