LISTEN TO AND COUNSEL CHAPTER LEADERS
COMMUNICATION & FEEDBACK
Regular communication keeps chapter leaders in the loop, helps them feel supported and valued, and prevents misunderstandings. Give chapter leaders a voice at National. Ask for their feedback on national plans, strategies, and issues as well as chapter concerns.
The Association for Vascular Access established an Advisory Task Force to provide their board with the chapter perspective.
SURVEY CHAPTER LEADERS
Find out where chapters are experiencing the biggest pains so you can address them. Survey new and experienced leaders to learn how you can help. Even better, hit the road. Having facetime with chapter leaders can improve the relationship dynamic too.
When chapter leaders go silent, burnout is often to blame. Find out what’s going on with them. They may just need someone to validate their concerns and acknowledge their frustrations. Remind them about their contributions to the professional community. Suggest a collaborative approach to solving their problems.
INVEST IN VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers must not feel alone. They need to know you’re as invested in their work and chapter as they are—and that you’ve got their back.
Make sure you haven’t set them up for failure. Is their job too big? Just because their predecessors finished their terms doesn’t mean the workload is viable. Previous leaders might have been a martyr or superhero leader.
BE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS
Sorry to say, but sometimes you’re the problem. For example, if a new chapter leader presents a good idea that was shot down because your association isn’t comfortable trying new things, they’ll become discouraged and may not stick around long.
In Marketing General Incorporated’s (MGI) Association Innovation Benchmarking Report, the biggest obstacle to innovation was getting people to accept a degree of failure. Maybe it’s time to redefine your definition of failure. Isn’t lack of innovation or the inability to try new things and reinvent processes actually a failure? Perhaps associations should start rewarding volunteers that try to make a difference, even if they fail.
72 percent of MGI’s survey participants said their association didn’t have any reward or recognition for innovation.
EVALUATE CHAPTER LEADERS
Don’t allow mediocre volunteers to stay in power. Tolerating low-performance is a serious demotivator for everyone else. The research says that low performers dampen morale, initiative, and motivation, and contribute to a culture where mediocrity is accepted.
Mediocrity discourages good volunteers from staying involved and stepping up. When they see people sitting back and not accomplishing much, why should they sacrifice their time?
Peggy Hoffman at Mariner Management & Marketing suggests combatting mediocrity by setting performance standards and having a regular (yearly or bi-annually) check-in and evaluation of how each chapter leader is doing.
THANK AND REWARD CHAPTER LEADERS
National volunteer leaders get a lot of attention, but chapter leaders are often left out of the spotlight despite the influence they have on the membership experience. Think about ways to thank chapter leaders for their service, for example, discounts on National events and products, or VIP treatment during conferences.
When it comes to rewards, don’t condone superhero behavior. Reward only the chapter leaders who are truly leaders—the ones who provide others with the opportunity to get involved with leadership.
A healthy approach to chapter leadership will prevent leadership burnout and turnover. Provide the support and resources chapter leaders need to succeed. Encourage relationship building among peers. And, most importantly, build a leadership culture based on inviting others to share the workload and experience.