Professional Organizations: Join or Fold?
All of us join professional organizations for a reason--a friend belongs, we need to for credibility, etc. Many times we let years slide by and we don't stop and review those reasons. Unless something sets off a boundary--lack of funds, the organization runs itself into a ditch, or a leadership problem.
When doesn't it fit any longer? Is there a pattern to you dropping a membership?
I know, as an accountant for 15 years, I joined organization after organization. Without knowing it, and after delegating it to my assistant, I realized that I belonged to 32 organizations. Yes, at one time. Yes, I know this is probably exceptional. Yes, I can blame it on my assistant or being too busy. But I'm not. It wasn't until I began to take a complete review of those memberships that I realize many no longer fit.
During the review process, I learned to ask different questions. Let me share with you a 6-step process that I've used for the last 8 years that I know will help you: 1) choose more wisely in the future; (2) set your intention and expectations first; and (3) know what you want to give back.
This 10-minute exercise will save you time and money as well as make money and create time with smarter choices in the future.
1. Make a list of current memberships of all your professional organizations. Yes, go ahead abbreviations.
2. Ask what was your intention for joining this organization at that time?
3. Does that intention still fit? If yes, rating from 1-10, what would your rating be when you joined and what would be the rating now? 1=because I was new to the profession. 10=I'm getting more out of my membership than I ever intended. If that intention doesn't fit, would you like to change it or fold (dissolve your membership). If the 1-10 rating does fit for you, create one that does.
4. What is my expectations for my membership? What do I expect to get out of belonging in 2004? If your beginning rating was low and it's still low, do you have any expectations for that changing in the future and what do you need to do in order to get to that level? Are my expectations realistic? When do I want to have the first three steps of those expectations, if any, completed.
The most valuable question part of #4--What set of circumstances or date will the membership end? Remember, everything is temporary.
5. Prioritize each membership. Which one do you value most? Least? What do you value most? What does that one have that the others don't? Is it something that you have the power to change? What needs to change to make them all valuable to their fullest? Is it even possible? Realistic?
6. Sixth, how can your membership in each organization help you with your goals in the future? Match your goals with the organization's value. What value does it add to your life, family, or business?
Honesty now. Okay, it may take some of you with a longer list more than the 10-minutes I promised. You have to agree though, just reading these steps will get you to think a little differently before joining or renewing your memberships--in any organization.
From a coaching standpoint, and a FYI, having expectations is a good thing!
This is a great exercise to complete at least once a year. If you take a few extra minutes right now, now that you are focused on this topic, and write the expiration date next to the organization. And add those dates into your task alert system to review these questions again before you renew.
You can also create a file folder called, "Professional Membership Evaluations & Renewals." Inside the front cover, you can write in BIG bold letters, "What's in it for me to belong?" Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com
Related News
Gay support group criticizes Mormon leadership - San Francisco Chronicle
Gay support group criticizes Mormon leadershipSan Francisco Chronicle, USA -5 hours agoLeaders of a support group for gay and lesbian Mormons on Saturday criticized their church for its efforts to ban gay marriage in California. ... |
Without real leadership, we face disaster - guardian.co.uk
Without real leadership, we face disasterguardian.co.uk, UK -6 hours agoWithout collaboration and leadership, we face disaster. On Friday, there were terrifying signs that the contagion was spreading to the foreign exchange ... |
Police official meets with Akko’s Arab leadership - Ynetnews
MASON: AIDS Reform leadership needed - Washington Times
Obama offers leadership on financial woes - InTheNews.co.uk
Johnson’s leadership already proven - Suffolk News-Herald
Guam's Andersen Air Force Base Team Members Attend Leadership Seminar - Pacific News Center
Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium convenes in mid-November - KTIV
Obama fails to show leadership when needed - Hilton Head Island Packet
Leadership experiment has makings of a mess - Austin American-Statesman
Leadership experiment has makings of a messAustin American-Statesman, TX -4 hours agoBy Mike Leggett A parrot and a monkey walk into a bar. The monkey, who's wearing a tuxedo, says to the bartender, "A priest, a rabbi and a deputy director ... |
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Heres The REAL Reason Bush Won: The Dark Night Of The Leadership Soul
George Bush won the election because he was finally able to break out of the presidential bubble and give "leadership talks" on a consistent basis.
Leadership Skill Training
Quality leadership is a positive asset that is needed in every organization. Observe any successful club, committee or team and you will find a capable leader in each of these organizations. What makes a successful leader? Why do some leaders inspire confidence and have an innate ability to motivate while other "leaders" are mired in mediocrity?
Top Skills Of Extraordinary Leaders
1. Good Communicator. Extraordinary Leaders are those who can take the
vision they have and communicate it in ways that their followers can easily
understand, internal, and own. Then, and only then, can they carry it out!
So focus on speaking and writing more clearly, and with the passion that you
have for the vision you have. Use different ways of communicating, including
different ways verbally and non-verbally. Above all, communicate often!
Building Self Confidence
As a hypnotherapist I specialise in helping people to develop confidence and self esteem.
Abe Lincoln: An Extraordinary Leader
Perhaps noted as one of the greatest United States presidents of all time, Abraham Lincoln's early life may not have reflected his potential greatness. He failed in business. He lost election to the state legislature, Speaker of the House, nomination for Congress, appointment of land officer, U.S. Senate twice and nomination for Vice President. After those eight major failures, Lincoln was elected President of the United States. How many of us would have kept going like Lincoln did?
Five Things Smart Leaders Do to Lower The Barriers To Change
Smart leaders understand that they don't "make" a change happen. They recognize that the people in their organization do the work, change behaviors, and, ultimately, make the change happen. They understand that their role is to make the change meaningful and easier to accept. Smart leaders facilitate change.
Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 1, General Strategies for Unproductive Behavior
It happens easily. You're conducting a meeting and suddenly a small side meeting
starts. Then someone introduces an unrelated issue. Someone else ridicules the new
issue. Everyone laughs, except the person who mentioned the idea. Then someone
insults the person who told the joke. Two people stand up and walk out. Others
complain that the meeting is a waste of time.
Get Angry And Then Get Results
Leadership is not about winning a popularity contest, it's about getting great results. To do so, leaders must challenge people not to do what they want to do but what they don't want to do.
Asking for Help
For many of us, asking for help is a difficult concept. It can require a certain amount of vulnerability. We may feel as if we are admitting a weakness that the world would not have known about, had we not asked for help.
Building Future Leaders
As a whole we spend a lot of time filling our minds with various forms of self-improvement.
Why the Squirrel Kept Winning!
I had the good fortune (or misfortune depending on your climate perspective) of living in Minnesota for ten years. The Summers were beautiful, Fall was spectacular with the changing colors of the leaves on trees and winter was,?well, damn cold.
The Three Faces of Leadership
This article was published in the Nov. 2003 edition of Hamilton, Ontario's BIZ Magazine under the title "Leadership's Triple Crown" LM
Two Leadership Traps: How To Get Out Of Them and How To Avoid Them (Part 1)
You've heard of the Peter Principle: "People are promoted to their level of ultimate incompetence". But what the Peter Principle doesn't tell you is the nature of the incompetence. For the most part, it's leadership incompetence.
A Whack Up Long Side The Head Of Human Resources: The Leadership Imperative
When we perceive the simple center in the seemingly complex, we can change our world in powerful new ways.
Who Is Randy Gage and Why Is He One of My Mentors and Heroes?
Who is Randy Gage? I first read about him in a newsletter by his friend, and another of my mentors and heroes, Stuart Goldsmith.
A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution
A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution (And Our Fledgling Nation) From Catastrophe.
Ten Steps To Effective Leadership
Many people end up in a supervisory position or SOHO ownership almost by default. In today's workplace, if someone stays on their job long enough, they will probably be promoted as others, more senior to them or higher up the chain of responsibility, leave for other opportunities.
5 Tips to Help You Win Big & Become a Village Hero
A few years ago, I returned to my impoverished village in Haiti. Many in the village came to see me-the tiny and diseased child they didn't expect to make it. Some of them used to call me Souyen and kokobay-words that mean "crippled." A man from the village, Alfred, reminded the people how they treated me. "Today" He said, "He returns as our village hero."
Leadership Is Action?Not Position!
People respond to good leadership! Period! It is in all aspects of our lives, not just business. A mother is a leader in her home; a son may be leader of a team sport or a daughter the leader of the debate team. A group relies on the person in charge to actually lead them to success. A true leader is highly ethical, honest and respected.
Supervisor Training: Helpful Tips to Lead Your Pack
A new supervisor is hired to anchor a gardening project that has fallen apart. The last supervisor walked out on the job because he was overwhelmed with the high expectations of the project. The new supervisor is in charge of ten teenage workers, five young women and five young men, all of whom are not thrilled to be working on a summer day. As the new replacement, the supervisor is in charge of landscaping the lawn and garden areas that garnish a business complex. The complex manager has informed the supervisor that he has a three hour time limit to mow and trim the lawn areas, weed out the old plants and dead greenery, and replace them with a fresh array of tulip bulbs. By the day's end, the supervisor has a $20 food budget to feed the 10 workers on their lunch break. The summer heat is burning, and the teenagers would rather be out by the pool. Instead, they are required to sacrifice this day at work. The supervisor is overwhelmed with the task, but motivated to assist with all the responsibilities of his ten employees for the next three hours.
|
