Idea Center - August 2010 Archives
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The New Conference Attendee
ASAE10, ASAE's annual conference in Los Angeles this past month, was notable for a number of reasons and one of them is a learning experience in and of itself. This year’s meeting really highlighted the new conference attendee. Who is the new conference attendee? One who embraces new learning concepts, one who embraces technology, one who creates their own learning opportunities, one who votes on a session with their feet, one who creates an experience with the formal meeting at the backdrop.
This past month I delighted in watching – and participating – in scenarios where this new conference attendee was at the helm. In some ways, I could even have been called the new conference attendee. Here are some examples:
Maddie Grant liveblogging sessions to create vibrant, running notes from five difference sessions. Imagine peering over the shoulder of an attendee to read their notes and see their interpretation of the content. Liveblogging provided just that.
KiKi L’Italien carved out a space in the Engagement Lounge to livecast her popular DelCor Social Media SweetSpot, her weekly ustream-cast event where she highlights news, activities and examples of association’s finding their sweet spot. This became a highly interactive unsession within the conference.
Ben Martin and Sterling Raphael brought a third panelist into their session “Connecting Industry Associations through Collaboration and Sharing” with the help of Skype video. This third person added a neat dimension to the conversation (along with a great example of using technology).
There were several “powerpoint free” sessions where the focus was on an open dialog with equal parts participation by attendees and the “facilitators” or subject matter experts. In the session I did with Marjorie Bynum, SOCAP International, and Mary Ghikas, American Libraries Association entitled The Benefits of a Strategically Balanced Community … we began by telling our stories and then opening the conversation. Our room was filled at the start and stayed filled throughout – a measure we think suggested that the dialog was in fact engaging.
By the time the Monday general session had reached the final third, more than half of the attendees had left. While on one hand you would focus on problems with that, on the other, it’s refreshing to see that attendees can and will “vote with their feet.” We are not waiting for you to feed us – we’re finding the meat of the meeting and going there.
One of the most popular parties is the YAP Party – a self-organized dance party that – despite its reference to Young Association Professionals – draws all ages and boasts a growing attendance. There’s no cost to attend (its BYOB) and it’s not exclusive in any way.
While ASAE didn’t do everything perfectly (on my what association does!), they did create a conference that had room for the new attendee. I hope my associations will do the same.
ASAE10 Hits - 5 Cool Links
Home again. Works awaits, but my mind is full of ideas, resources, tips and new friends’ names and faces. #ASAE10 hits a homerun.
Here are just five voices among the many from #ASAE10:
- Jeff Cobb: Score One for Learning 2.0 at ASAE Annual on how this conference embraces the informal community
- Lisa Junker: 3 Things the YAE Committee did differently on how volunteer leadership is changing (woot!)
- Jeff Hurt: 18 Questions To Ask Your Members About Mobile proofing that annual offered the mix of immediate actionable items along with visionary, soft stuff
- Jessica Sidman: Dream On on doing things differently from recaps of the presentation by 1-800-GOT-JUNK? entrepreneur Cameron Herold and the Risky Chapters session (with our very own Peter!)
- Shannon Otto: Sites from ASAE10 because sometimes pictures say it better than words.
You can of course hear lots more voices by following the #asae10 hashtag and checking out the Annual Meeting Hub.
#ASAE10 Here We Come
Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again .... oh baby
Well I do know when I'll be back again. It'll be after 5 days of non-stop fun and learning at #ASAE10 in Los Angeles. Here are the first 5 reasons I'm going (there are way more!):
- To connect - connect with friends I know and those I will know!
- To attend the Executive Management Section Council meeting. We're focusing on four key areas this year: board governance, change management, organizational development and volunteer management. I'm excited to dig in to these key areas.
- To help launch the new ASAE Foundation ... I'm a member of the development committee. This is a great moment in our profession as we launch a foundation to focus on research and research-based knowledge, leadership and innovation.
- To lead a discussion on The Benefits of a Strategically Balancing Member Community with Marjorie Bynum, SOCAP and Mary Ghikas, American Library Association. This is not a how-to session but one that will explore where member communities - virtually and on the ground - fit into our strategic plans and how to balance the cost and benefit of these.
- To be in the first annual ASAE Flash Mob! The #ASAE10 flashmob goes down THIS Sunday, August 22 in the Texas Pavilion booth (#921) at 10:45 am PDT. It's all about joining in the dance ... if you're in LA, join in. If you're not, well stand up and dance anyway - here's the choreography.
Follow the conversation on Twitter #asae10 or here. And its still not too late to join in the Virtual Conference if you can't make it to LA.
A Volunteer's Story: Don Boucher
Our next conversation celebrating the association volunteer (read more here) is with Don Boucher, Sr., SRA of Boucher & Bo
ucher, Inc. who currently serves on the board of the Washington DC Metro Chapter of the Appraisal Institute (AIDC). He is a long time appraiser (37 years and counting) who believes that if you want to be a positive influence in your industry then you must become involved with your professional association at some point in your professional life.
10% of the people do all the work…and you’ve got to be one of the 10% some time in your life.
Don was introduced to association volunteerism and the appraisal industry by his father who served as the national president of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers in 1971. When American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers (AIREA) and the Society of Real Estate Appraisers (Society) merged in January 1991 creating the Appraisal Institute, Don assisted in the merge both at the national and local levels. Shortly after, Don took a break from volunteering to focus on his business.
During the first decade of the 21st century, the appraisal industry began to undergo many changes, and Don felt not enough was being done to protect the appraiser. These changes coupled with the looming housing crisis and the nation’s economic woes spurred Don to reconsider his commitment to association volunteering. After all, if he wanted things to improve for the appraisal industry then he needed to step up, if only for four to six years, and become an active representative of the people he loved and the profession he respected
Don now serves at two levels. Locally, his positions on the board of directors of AIDC have included director (he’s currently in a three year term), 2009 chapter secretary, and 2010 chapter treasurer. Nationally, he is the Regional 6 representative to the Government Relations Committee of the Appraisal Institute (AI) dealing with legislation and issues that will affect appraisers across the country.
Don’s appreciation for the association volunteerism goes deeper than just his service. “Life is about relationships,” he says, and it’s the relationships he’s developed as a result of his involvement with AIDC that has made it all worthwhile. He especially enjoys meeting people new to the industry and those working towards their designations (MAI, SRA or SRPA). He told us about one colleague who obtained her SRA at age 50. Amazed by her tenacity, Don became her staunchest fan: "I was encouraged and amazed how she hunkered down to get her designation at a later age in life. When I saw that I just immediately went over and told her she was my hero. It’s just so encouraging when someone accomplishes something like this." They are great friends to this day.
Don estimates that between his responsibilities with AIDC and his position on the Government Relations Committee with AI, he spends easily an hour each day responding to the approximately thirty e-mails he receives. Combine this with the meetings and conferences he attends, he probably dedicates around 50 to 60 hours a month to his association volunteerism responsibilities. And it’s worth every minute.
So what final piece of wisdom does Don impart to others considering volunteering for their professional association?
"If you really care about your industry and you want things to happen that are positive, you have to devote some of your life and give back for those positive things to happen…You’ve got to get involved at some point, even if it’s just making a four year commitment. Make the time…make the commitment…do it. Because if you just sit around and don’t do anything, when things go badly, you have nobody else to blame but yourself."
Have a story to share? Tell us. And connect with us on our Association Volunteers! Facebook page.
The New Role for Volunteer Coordinators
Robert J. Rosenthal, Director of Communications for VolunteerMatch, wrote an inspiring post on Beth Kanter's blog following the June 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. He wrote about how volunteer coordinators could help their organizations become nettworked nonprofits.
He made several thoughtful observations, the richest of which was captured in his quote:
"Yet I think it’s another fear [beyond fear of failure] – fear of the unknown – that’s one of the biggest limits. When things are unknown, they can’t be envisioned at all. The earth remains flat, and it’s hard to eliminate the barriers that stand in the way of exploration."
We know that our volunteer program are no longer working. We know that at the chapter and component levels, we are in dire need of volunteers. Even at the national level, while we may have the number of volunteers needed, we don't have the right volunteers. Yet, the thought of changing our programs stirs up such fear. Attending a meeting recently of a national association where we talked aboutt changing the leadership structure at the chapter level, I saw this fear firsthand. Because the change couldn't be envisioned in a concrete way, some volunteers kept saying it would not work. Yet, the current system isn't working either. They know the current system and that is the difference.
So how do we paint a picture of the future? How do we make the unknown more familar? We could cite examples such as the proving that the earth is indeed round. Maybe we need to just make the change and let those who can't believe without seeing, stumble on the truth.
In the case of recreating our volunteer programs, it may mean a new role for volunteer coordinators - we're not just recruiters but change-agents.
Etched In Jello
We were leading a full-day strategic planning session for a California chapter and in the midst of a making a difficult decision, the chapter president said, "well our decisions are etched in jello." Within this statement was a wonderful bit of wisdom. Too many times chapters aren't able to take a leap of faith and try something different. The refrain "but we've always done it this way and it works" puts up a impenetrable wall.
With one statement, this president opened a door. If the decision didn't work or they ran into trouble implementing it, they could fall back. Making the change didn't mean they were wedded to it forever.
His comment got a few chuckles and a vote to change. It's that kind of leadership that is needed in more chapters. When's the last time your chapter took the leap?
Always in search of ideas.
