If you've felt this way, you aren't alone. Although it feels a little taboo to say it out loud, it's something a bold few have said to me lately. Usually it's followed by the questions: How do I get people to step up and take a leadership (board, project chair, etc) role? Or heck, even to simply show up and be engaged.
There's a feeling that the person on the end of the phone or across the table is the only one left fighting and that the solution falls squarely on their shoulder to figure out. That's not the case, but something has changed and it's apparent.
So, what has changed? I'm certain that the young professionals today - our peers, our members and our prospectives - haven't just gotten lazy. They aren't to a point of not caring. They don't want to see the children struggle or our clubs inch along toward closure. But it can feel that way.
Our base has changed. And if we want to continue growing and serving, we must change with them. We must stay relevant.
The first questions: what does it mean to be relevant today? Let me ask this question and invite you to participate in a discussion below: What do YOU want out of your experience in Active 20-30? What are you willing to give (time, ideas, connections, dollars, your heart and soul...) to ensure that we are finding and serving the needs of our members and communities?
Before we can do anything to change the appearance of apathy, we have to explore this. A few board members on a conference call cannot read the minds of our members. It will take dialogue. It will take trial and error and constant constructive feedback.
The next question: are you willing to be part of the evolving Active 20-30?
I intend to keep exploring the idea of adapting to our changing base, our changing needs and our changing purpose as an organization.
There have been conversations about whether our mission statement needs to be rewritten. There have been conversations about whether we should focus on just service or just professional growth. There have been conversations about whether there is a place in the world for Active 20-30 to continue on at all.
Before we can really engage in those conversations, we have to understand what has changed, where we fit, and then decide how we can best serve our stakeholders.
What do you think? Where would you start?
I have been a member for a little over a year, with a 6 month prospective period before that. I have already gained so much from this club, including lifelong friendships and the opportunity to feel like I make a difference for children in my community. If you asked me what our primary objective as a club was before I attended national convention this year, I would have never thought to include professional growth and leadership development. If this is truly going to remain one of our primary objectives then I believe we need to focus on it more at the national and club level. I would love to see interactive webinars with members who have valuable knowledge to share. Not many of us are PR professionals, so why not invite a member who does this in their professional life to do a presentation with a discussion at the end. I would be much more likely to join my club's PR committee after receiving some advice from seasoned members/professionals. We could record these sessions and have a devoted section of the national website that would be easy to access by all members 24 hours a day. The list of topics is endless and we can utilize our own membership in most cases. We have breakout sessions at national, but it would be great to bring this process to the entire club.
ReplyDeleteAnother way to engage members is to try to involve them at the national level. I know there are opportunities to join national committees, but only because I was able to attend national convention this year and hear about them. Maybe regional directors can push this information down to the club level. I would love to be on a national committee, but am still a little unsure of the process of joining so I reached out to one of the chairs asking if they needed help and never received a response. What can we do to help connect members to committees they might be interested in?
One last thing has been on my mind, I feel there is a disconnect between new members and national leadership. It feels as though everyone serving at the national level have been longtime members, and rightly so, we need their experience and wisdom to guide our club. But, new members can also be very valuable, they are the very lifeblood we need to connect and engage with. How can we tap into this resource? A new member council, trying to add a new member to each national committee, just reaching out and asking them for feedback/ideas... I don't know the answer, but I think it is a question worth considering.
Well...let me start out by saying...as an old timer, my views are from times past - but hopefully there is at least a penny or two worth of value from some insights.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the more things change...the more they remain the same! I'm not sure there ever was a time that people in Active 20-30 (or other organizations) haven't shared some of these same concerns.
Second, from what I see of the organization from afar, there are great leaders and great do-ers and amazing things being done in many states and cities - both to help children and to develop members! Keep up the great work.
And..as noted, things do change. I'm excited to see the communications via social media and continued growth of the organization. I hope that the current leaders, leaders in training, and future leaders of Active 20-30 continue to embrace the changes needed to continue to adapt and evolve in today's world - while also staying true to the core values and some of the traditions that have made this organization great - and fun!
I encourage (challenge you - if you prefer the more competitive approach) to step into this great conversation and be part of the evolution that keeps Active 20-30 strong!