How to Create a Data-Sharing Partnership with Chapters: Part 1

Relationships are tricky. Chapters don’t like their national association looking over their shoulder like Big Brother. Or, nagging them with requests for data. But, the national association has to know which chapters need help or are at risk of failing. Or, which ones have success stories to share. How else can national find out unless chapters are more transparent with their financials and other information?

Everyone likes to talk about the virtues of being a transparent organization. But, in reality, becoming more transparent is a difficult and sometimes uncomfortable transition to make.

THE ARGUMENT FOR SHARING CHAPTER DATA AND INFORMATION

National associations want to know what their chapters are doing so together they can avoid any overlap in benefits and, therefore, provide a better value proposition for members.

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“The goal is to offer differentiated but complementary services that give value to membership at both levels.”

said Trevor S. Mitchell, CAE, senior director of membership and strategy at American Mensa, in the Component Relations Handbook. This approach to benefits also helps reduce what Mitchell calls “internal competition” between national and chapters.

When chapters willingly share financial data, national can identify which chapters are at risk financially. Before a chapter’s financial situation worsens, national knows where to target resources, perhaps supplementing a chapter’s budget, or providing support services or consultation.

If chapters share metrics and information about their activities, national knows where to provide support for chapter operations or member engagement efforts, for example:

Shared services: database, website, email marketing, dues collection, D&O and liability insurance, PR/crisis management, tech strategy, or content
Volunteer leadership development
Expertise in volunteer development, event planning, sponsorship, marketing, governance, finance, legal, or HR

Chapter metrics also provide a basis for benchmarking performance. Chapters can see how they compare with others and where they should focus their efforts.

With the national association acting as facilitator, chapter staff and leaders have much to teach each other. By sharing success stories, chapters can help each other improve operations and member programs, such as:

Educational and social events
Sales of products and services
Engagement and communication tactics

Chapter best practices can also be recognized and publicized further with an annual chapter awards program.

WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES TO CHAPTER TRANSPARENCY?

Despite the many ways chapters benefit from being more transparent about their data and activities, many aren’t willing to share this information. “It’s none of your business” is the unspoken message you receive when your emails go unanswered. Why is this?

SADLY, A LACK OF TRUST LIES AT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.

Perhaps you inherited a history of poor personal or organizational relationships between your association and some of your chapters. The fallout from a personality conflict or misunderstanding can reverberate long after the guilty parties have left the scene. “They’re difficult,” says a staff member. “They don’t understand,” says a chapter leader.”

Misperceptions and assumptions are made – the cycle of low expectations continues. Once the ‘us vs. them’ mentality starts to fester, it’s difficult to eradicate. This destructive mindset might be based on:

One person’s bad experience with another
An institutional slight
An inflamed ego – personal or institutional
Simply hearsay that’s become a cultural truth.

Often the national association and chapters get stuck in a parent/child mindset, instead of a more beneficial partnership. National perceives chapters as high-maintenance, soaking up too much of their time and money, instead of seeing them as potential strategic assets and value delivery partners.

Chapters sense this lack of respect. They don’t feel heard. What’s worse, many of them perceive national as a rival instead of a partner. For example, they begrudge national for going after the same sponsors and advertisers.

Chapters have egos too. Some of them may be too embarrassed to share their data. They’re too proud to ask for help. They rather hide their poor performance and plod along.

ARE YOU REALLY ALL IN IT TOGETHER?

The ‘us vs. them’ mentality increases its grip when a national association and its chapters don’t work together to develop common goals. If chapters focus only on their own priorities and needs, they won’t see the value in making an effort for the common good. Partners must agree on mutual expectations – how each of them will do their share to achieve common goals.

CHAPTERS SAY THEY DON’T HAVE TIME TO SHARE DATA.

Chapter staff or volunteer leaders say they wish they could comply with your request, but they don’t have the time to put together what you need. What does that really mean? It means you’re making it too difficult. In their mind, the ‘pain’ of sharing data speaks louder than the benefit of sharing it. So, how can you make it easier for them?

6 Additional Strategies for Preventing a Chapter Crisis

SOLVING THE DATA-SHARING CHALLENGE: BUILD TRUST AND REPAIR YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHAPTERS.

It won’t be easy but building trust is absolutely necessary if you want to improve your relationship with chapters and convince them to share their data. Trust results from a series of actions, words aren’t enough. Trust takes a long time to build but can be lost in a moment.

GET RID OF THE ‘US VS. THEM’ MENTALITY.

Nothing destroys trust more than the ‘us vs. them’ mindset. Start shifting this mindset by reeducating your national colleagues and volunteer leaders on the purpose, activities, and value of chapters. National staff and leaders must understand the critical role chapters play in delivering value to members. Illustrate this role by sharing chapter success stories so staff and leaders see chapters as a strategic asset, not another group to manage.

TRY TRANSPARENCY YOURSELF.

Actions speak louder than words. You’ll stand on more solid ground when asking for transparency by being more transparent yourself. The inner workings of your association may seem mysterious to the average member, as well as to chapter leaders and staff. Talk to them to find out what isn’t clear about the way your organization works.

For starters, pull back the curtain on association governance. Board meetings are usually handled in a routine manner by those involved. But the majority of chapter staff and leaders probably have no idea what goes on during those meetings. They would feel more invested in national’s strategy if they knew what’s happening behind the scenes for their benefit.

MAKE IT PERSONAL.

Trust grows when people meet face to face, even if it’s through a screen. Give chapter staff and leaders the opportunity to put faces to the names of their national counterparts. Create a picture in their minds of national as a building of people, not of policies and procedures. The Association for Corporate Growth did a great job of this when former CEO, Gary LaBranche, took his position back in 2008. Listen to his story here.

A video update from the board chair or liaison about the upcoming board agenda will go a long way to demystifying the governance structure and creating a more personable relationship. After the meeting, tell chapters what happened and how those actions or decisions impact them. Does the board need any feedback or information from them for the next meeting?

When possible, get together with chapters in person.

Take a chapter road trip.
Invite chapter leaders to HQ or another location for a retreat to discuss goals and strategy, and to provide training.
Set aside a day at a conference for this purpose and subsidize attendance if money’s an issue.

Whenever you introduce a new initiative or change, like asking chapters to share data, you have to first understand the resistance to change. Your ability to overcome that resistance will depend greatly on the type of relationship you have with chapters. To get their buy-in, you want a partnership built on trust, respect, and common purpose.

SOLVING THE DATA-SHARING CHALLENGE: COMMUNICATION BUILDS TRUST

Compare the association/chapter relationship to the relationship with your spouse or significant other. How would your relationship fare if your communication style was:

Infrequent
One-way
Indifferent
Evasive
Imperious

It wouldn’t be much of a relationship, would it? If your relationship with your chapters is on the rocks, take a hard look at your communication style and how closely it resembles those five adjectives.

We’ve identified 10 warning signs to let you know when action is required—Complete remodel? Chapter restructure? Or tweaks to the existing model?

PARTNERS COMMUNICATE FREQUENTLY.

Communication builds trust – and trust is what you need if you hope to encourage chapters to share their data and information with you. Establish regular communication habits with your chapters, such as:

Weekly email check-in
Quarterly phone call
Quarterly web conference

BROADCASTING IS ONE-WAY. COMMUNICATION IS TWO-WAY.

We have two ears and only one mouth for a reason: to listen. When people don’t feel like they’re being heard, they disengage.

Find new ways to listen to your chapters.

Ask for feedback either in-person, by email, or via an anonymous online suggestion box.
Send out one-question polls, but give them the opportunity to say more.
Ask them about their needs and challenges.
Arrange leader-to-leader conversations.
Host virtual town halls for chapter staff and/or volunteer leaders.

FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CHAPTERS.

Create a network, forum or online community where chapter staff/leaders can meet with their peers to share ideas and success stories, ask for advice, and answer questions. Instead of always coming to you with questions, encourage chapters to learn from each other.

RESPECT THEIR TIME.

Since they already have a full-time job, volunteer leaders don’t have all day to work on association business. They need more time to respond to your emails, and they need plenty of notice to add items to their meeting agendas, acknowledge new members, or start new initiatives.

You can’t expect quick responses from them, but they do expect quick responses from you. Customer service is funny that way.

ESTABLISH A SAFE PLACE FOR HONEST COMMUNICATION.

Don’t let things go left unsaid. In too many associations, difficult topics are skirted because of political or cultural concerns. Egos are soothed. Frustrations, disagreements, and controversies are avoided because it’s best to not make waves.

Relationships won’t thrive when issues are repressed. Establish a ‘safe place’ to discuss chapter and national concerns, frustrations, and perceptions. Each side must attempt to understand the issues and challenges facing the other. Be proactive in identifying potential conflicts before they begin to emerge.

These conversations require listening skills and empathy. Sometimes, they even require an outside facilitator, especially if you’re rebuilding a relationship.

SHOW CHAPTERS YOU’RE ON THEIR SIDE.

Build trust through your words and actions. Let them know you understand their challenges. Reaffirm their value to the association. At the same time, find out what resources would ease the workload of busy volunteer leaders, for example:

Leadership and/or volunteer management training
Support services – expertise and/or toolkits
Mentoring/coaching from other chapter leaders

SOLVING THE DATA-SHARING CHALLENGE: FIND COMMON PURPOSE

Chapters are your partners in delivering member value. Partners have common goals and mutually agreed upon expectations for each other. If you wish to get chapters to agree to sharing data, get their buy-in on national goals and strategy.

GET THE CHAPTER PERSPECTIVE WHEN DEVELOPING GOALS AND STRATEGY.

Establish a chapter advisory board that serves as a sounding board for national leaders. Consider asking chapter representatives to participate in the association’s strategic planning sessions.

REAFFIRM COMMON PURPOSE WITH INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS.

Set aside one of your quarterly chapter check-ins for an annual review of your relationship and common goals.

Discuss the goals and strategic plans of both national and the chapter. Find alignment and hash out any conflicts.
Acknowledge the strengths each side brings to the partnership and to the membership value proposition.
Identify ways to cooperate to deliver member value.
Identify and make a plan to eliminate redundant benefits.
Document what each expects from the other and what each will deliver to members. Too often only the chapter is asked to document their responsibilities to national – it should be a two-way exchange.

SOLVING THE DATA-SHARING CHALLENGE: MAKE IT EASY AND WORTHWHILE

Your chapters may be willing to share data with you but are they able? Their “not enough time” excuse would vanish if you can find a painless way for them to share data and information.

Beyond metrics, you may want to learn more about a chapter’s activities, so you can identify chapters that have best practices to share and chapters that need support. Instead of relying on your finely honed nagging skills, try these tactics.

Get on distribution lists and filter those emails to inbox folders.
Subscribe to chapter member communications.
Ask them to save their meeting minutes to a shared cloud-based folder, or add you to the distribution list for minutes.
Call chapters once a quarter to find out what’s going on, learn about successes and problems, talk about emerging leaders, and brainstorm ideas for future collaboration.
Track chapter leader/staff participation in leadership training events or other chapter forums hosted by national so you can identify ‘at risk’ chapters.

Some proven methods for sharing financials and other data include:

Implementing the tactics mentioned above for sharing information about activities, for example, getting on the board distribution list and using shared cloud-based folders.
Implementing a shared system, hosted by national, for processing payments and tracking financials.
Using integrated association management software.

DEMONSTRATE THE RESULTS OF CHAPTER EFFORTS.

One of the best practices for surveys also applies to data-sharing: If you ask for information, let people know how you’re using it. Participation increases when people see the impact of their efforts.

Tell chapters how you used the information and data they shared to improve the value you deliver to members and chapters.
Put together a benchmark report so chapters can see how they compare to others of their size.
Develop resources based on what you’ve learned, for example, 20 proven sponsorship ideas.

Before you can expect chapters to share their data with you, you must ensure your relationship is a true partnership built on trust. Both partners must demonstrate a willingness to put aside past history, egos, and control issues. Instead, focus on your common goals – strengthening chapters so they can better deliver value to your members.