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The Association Executive Blog from the Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE).
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Succession Planning – an Important Part of Association Leadership
Part of Association Leadership” was generously hosted by the Hilton Lac-Leamy and sponsored by
the Chapter’s professional development partners, Ottawa Tourism and the Shaw Centre.
Succession planning is not an issue that many organizations address in any systematic way. Because most not-for-profit organizations have limited resources and deal with a variety of organizational challenges, thinking about who the next CEO might be or what would happen if the Director of Finance suddenly left is often not high on the priority list. However, not only do association leaders need to think about how they will continue to fulfill their mission if a key staff member left, they also need to address changing demographics and the realities of today’s workforce capacity.
Although the type and extent of planning will be different, organizations of all sizes need to have some sort of succession plan. With careful planning and preparation, organizations can prepare for a generational transfer of leadership as well as the ongoing changes that occur regularly when key employees leave an organization.
Three association leaders, Jody Ciufo, Executive Director, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, the national voice for the full spectrum of affordable housing issues, Ondina Love, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) and Paul Melia, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), led by moderator Nancy Barrett, CAE, Association Management, Consulting & Evaluation Services (AMCES), shared how their organizations are dealing with the issue of succession planning.
The takeaways from this session are:
- Small associations typically have to look externally for replacements should a key staff resource leave. It was also emphasized that providing existing staff with opportunities for development will help retain stars within the organization.
- A succession plan policy is important and should be reviewed annually.
- Boards may consider having an insurance policy for the CEO to fund the transition and executive search costs that would be incurred if she/he had to be replaced due to death.
Medium and large associations could deal with a sudden departure as follows:
- Senior staff should be trained and prepared so that the CEO’s duties can be shared among them while a replacement is found.
- If feasible, a Chief Operating Officer position could be established. The COO would understand all aspects of the organization’s operations and could step in in an interim capacity should the CEO leave.
Image courtesy of renjith krishnan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Are Your Communications Clear Enough?
If your answers to the above are "No", or "I'm not sure", then you may be sabotaging your efforts.
Everyone is working on budgets these days; people are watching their spending, and as a result, you need t put your best foot forward - and ensure that your communication shows that you really are the ONE place that they will receive the best information, education, and resources -- or they may go elsewhere.
You can start by ensuring that your communications engage members and stakeholders, and reflect that their story is important to the story of your association.
Here are some examples of what you can do:
What Is Your Purpose? Have your clearly outlined your purpose, or are you banking on a mission/vision statement that was drafted many years ago? Educate your members, in every way (email, social media, your website) on what your association does to impact/improve your community. Simply outlining benefits is not enough - associations need to work hard to name a benefit and provide concrete examples on how that benefit creates change.
Offer Something NEW: Just because you have a program or service that you have been offering members for years doesn't mean it is still relevant. Take stock of what you are doing, what people are buying, reading, or working on and see what you can eliminate and ADD to better enhance your value.
Be Where They Are: Do you offer the same methods of communication as you have for the last several years? Where are your members now? Do you have an active LinkedIn group and Twitter handle? Are you offering podcasts, webinars, or hybrid events? Where do your members see you and where should they see you? All questions that should be asked when developing communication plans.
Be Responsive: There are literally thousands of tools available to help you track activity; who has opened emails, who has clicked on links, who is downloading resources. Don't let these fall through the cracks! Part of an effective communication strategy includes actual conversations. Follow Up! Ask for feedback. Offer them other resources. Have a conversation.
What else could you be doing to enhance your communication?
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
Motivating Your "Difficult" Team Member
Here are a few things you can do to motivate your "difficult" team member:
Got Problems Internally? Don't Shy Away - Deal With Them!
Whether they are constantly calling in sick, on their phones texting, or simply not engaging in team meetings, don't wait t address the situation until there is a significant pattern; or perhaps waiting for someone else to notice, deal with them. If you let it go with that ONE individual, others will notice, and possibly follow suit.
Be Objective (Even When It Hurts)
If you are frustrated, you can make rash decisions, that may affect everyone else's day, and roles. If you think that your personal opinions may get in the way, then instead of worrying about whether or not any sort of bias will show, gather a team of managers - those who work directly or indirectly with the individual to conduct a review. Base any conversation on facts, and see if there is a need for any additional training. The individual may not have learned a particular skill in the way they needed to in order to be effective, so allow them the time to respond to any issues.
Have the Conversation
Tell them how you (or your management team) feels. But allow them the time to express their position too. The conversation should include both sides exploring ways to solve the issue. But don't expect a resolution right away. In many cases, you will have to allow some time to think about possible avenues, to formulate the best decision and critical path.
Follow-Up
Now that you have had your conversation, and have both agreed to the right plan for the situation, don't just move on -- your employee may not know where to start in order to fix the issue. Help them explore job-shadowing, professional development, or set aside time weekly to go through the parts of the job that they are simply not "getting". Following up is more than just an ongoing, conversation, is action.
Recognize the Change
After the time invested on both sides, hopefully you will see positive change. At this point, some leaders just "move on" to the next issue, but don't allow yourself to re-focus on something else without recognizing your team member's efforts. It can be a simple chat, or some other reward that you deem appropriate.
What else could you be doing to motivate and change a difficult team member?
Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Want to Create a Better #Association Conference? Some helpful tips...
- What are your goals? What are THEIRS? Do you know why someone is attending your conference? Is it the program, the networking, both? It is it earn PD credits? Do you really know? The first thing you should consider when creating your next conference is to determine the "why" - why your stakeholders sponsor and exhibit, why your attendees show up, etc. This could be done during post-event evaluations, both to determine if the most recent event met their expectations, and what would meet their expectations.
- DON'T Pack the Program. Yes, they are there to learn. But are they really taking away all they can with a packed program? Down-time for the attendee to absorb the information they learned, or perhaps chat with another participant to discuss what was covered will increase event ROI.
- Does every session look the same on paper? If it does, change it. Surprise attendees with some longer, some shorter sessions. Sessions that get them involved, sessions that increase participation. The element of surprise will keep their attention throughout the day.
- Don't make it boring - have fun! Yes, they are there to learn, and conduct business. But, at the same time, it is a moment for them where they are not in their offices/workspaces, so don't forget to implement some downtime for family programs, or perhaps use gamification to create fun and unique ways for attendee/sponsor/exhibitor interaction. Keep them smiling, not exhausted!
What else have you done to create a better conference?
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Challenges of Being an Executive Director
The following are a few paragraphs from that article that hit home:
Your salary per hour is actually not very good. The job never ends, and every part of the role is legitimately important. Recruiting, developing and retaining talent? It's the most critical part of your job. High-level fundraising and management of key external relationships? Only you can do it. Ensuring the quality of your program? It's the bottom line. Being visible at community events? You have to show up. Responding to emails and requests in a timely fashion? Non-negotiable. But when do you sleep? Eat dinner with your kids? Focus on passions and interests other than your job? If you're always working, you lose a piece of yourself...and even if you are paid well in theory, it can be hard to put a price tag on sacrificing so many other parts of your life. As an ED, you need to understand your full job description so that you can knowledgably negotiate your salary and enter your role with eyes wide open. Advocate for yourself as strongly as you will surely advocate for your cause.
It's exhausting to constantly have to inspire people. My EDs often lament about the energy they need to exert in order to recruit board members, motivate staff members, and woo donors to invest in their vision. When you breathe something to life and believe in it with all of your being, it can be downright offensive when people seem uninterested. Having to relay the same story over and over again about your vision, what problem you're solving, and why your organization's impact is worthy of note can be tiring. Conversations will bleed into one another, and it can be hard to remember who has heard a specific story or anecdote. You never want your pitch to get rote, and keeping that spark alive for the 400th time can be an exercise in personal motivation. Some EDs revise their pitch regularly to keep it fresh, and others give themselves a week off here and there where they are largely internal so that they can re-energize.
Even when it's time to go, it's impossible to leave. Because you are so committed to your organization's mission, (this is especially true for founders), and because your identity is so intertwined with your role, it can be extremely difficult to separate from your job. Many EDs worry that they haven't built a strong enough bench to leave the organization in a stable place, and they don't feel comfortable leaving because they are worried things will deteriorate. (Make a note - building a bench is something you should think about long before you ever want to leave your job.) You may feel pressured by outsiders who believe that if you don't stay in your role forever your contributions weren't authentic. This is unfair...you don't owe your entire life to anyone. It is wrong to negate someone's genuine contributions as they walk out the door in an attempt to dissuade them or others from leaving. EDs can set the tone for this by being genuinely appreciative for the contributions of their staff and board, and by treating any departures with graciousness.
Want to read more? Click here for the original article.
Image courtesy of hywards at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
@WildApricot - Highlighting their Volunteer Appreciation Guide
When searching for articles to reference for a blog on showing appreciation to your volunteers, I came across their Volunteer Appreciation Guide, and frankly, it hit the mark by talking about everything I was going to. So instead of re-inventing the wheel, I thought I would showcase some highlights:
Why Do People Volunteer:
- to make a contribution to the community - 93%
- to use their skills and experiences - 78%
- personally affected by the organization’s cause - 59%
- to explore one’s own strengths - 48%
- to network with or meet people - 46%
- because their friends volunteer - 48%
- to improve job opportunities - 22%
- to fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21%
Volunteer recognition best practices
Make it a priority. Recognizing the work of volunteers is crucial for any organization that wants to retain its volunteers and attract new ones. Designate someone in your organization to be responsible for ensuring that ongoing recognition of volunteers takes place.
Do it often. Recognition of volunteers should happen on a year-round, frequent and informal basis. Begin by saying “thank you” often!
Do it in different ways. Vary your recognition efforts, from the informal thank you and spontaneous treats to more formal events. Here are some examples:
Be sincere. Make each occasion to recognize volunteers meaningful and an opportunity to reflect on the value volunteers bring to your organization.
Recognize the person, not the work. It’s best to phrase recognition to emphasize the contribution of the individual and not the end result. “You did a great job!” as opposed to “This is a great job!”
Want to read more? Click here for the full article!
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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