Sending CRPs Some Love: Our Best Chapter Resources

Editor's Notes

1. Sending CRPs Some Love: Our Best Chapter Resources February is the month of love! And you know who we love most? CRPs! CRPs make a difference every day by helping their association and chapters solve the challenges in front of them. But where do CRPs turn for help? Your community of course…and Billhighway & Mariner! We’re floored by the range of issues that component relations professionals (CRPs) address daily, so we want to help you manage stressful chapter situations and give you strategies to circumvent them. THIS WEBINAR WILL: 1. Address challenges that are unique to CRPs, from chapter succession issues to monitoring component performance, and everything in-between 2. Provide different approaches to solving these tough chapter issues 3. Highlight our favorite resources, best practices, and tips & tricks We have many resources for your moment of need, so let’s use them to look ahead and move the needle in 2022. As always, hosted by Billhighway & Mariner Management.
2. @Peggy – What’s your big goal for 2022? Our goals are to build on what we learned in 2020-21 like Build up those connections with those who don’t get into cars (you know all the folks who showed up virtually but haven’t set foot at an in person chapter meeting Build Cross-chapter collaboration  Create strategy for collaboration with chapter/HQ on events to counter the bleed with competition with HQ  Figure out which of the fading chapters have potential in 2022 and support … then find solutions for those that don’t (because we saw chapters fade)  Add resources and support to reduce volunteer stress  Build training around the Value of reserves and value of technology so we can help chapters succeed – look for bright spots to replicate … you know those chapters that had reserves & tech and so succeeded  Add your own lessons in chat … 
3. Let’s Meet the Team – This webinar is brought to you by the fab partnership of Billhighway & Mariner Management!  @Billhighway – Chapter Management Solution. We increase ROI across your entire organization by providing technology tools to help chapters perform better; as well as delivering member engagement and component performance data to headquarters. @Peggy - Mariner – Let’s create the greatest possible value for your members and volunteers! Our Shared Purpose​ To build community the component relations community and connect CRPs. 
4. What challenge brought you here today? Let’s get started with the type of help you need right now
5. Based on our Chapter Benchmarking Report data… Leader Succession Chapter Events & Virtual Training & Development Chapter Buy-in Listening & Coaching Benchmarking, Dashboards > Confirm/prove Chapter Value
6. Challenge: Leadership Succession Year after year, volunteers step up, take on chapter leadership roles, then step aside for the next set of leaders. But you can’t count on miracles. What if no one wants to step up? What if the same people are always stepping up? What if a chapter leader goes AWOL, then what? You’ve got a chapter leader succession crisis on your hands, that’s what. Chapters that have trouble finding and keeping competent board members put themselves in peril. They end up keeping the same old people in positions of power for way too long. Volunteers get burnt out. Other members get turned off by the exclusive “country club” power structure—the place where good ideas go to die. We identified three issues that need to be addressed if you wish to reenergize your chapters and improve succession planning.
7. According to the 2022 Chapter Benchmarking & Report… When we asked CRPs about the most recurring problems in low-performing chapters, leadership succession challenges are at the top of the list, an issue that links directly to a lack of qualified volunteers. Lack of volunteers and the consequent volunteer burnout have been persistent themes in our CRP discussion groups, with clients, and in association discussion forums. Chapters that thrived in the last two years were overwhelmingly characterized by strong leadership, which only happens when the association has a deep volunteer pool fed by a consistent and vibrant volunteer pipeline. And conversely, poor leadership invariably results in limited programming and loss of members. 
8. Chapter Leader Succession Issues Every component relations professional (CRP) has or will deal with one of these issues eventually.   VACANT LEADERSHIP POSITION(S) It’s downright embarrassing. For a variety of reasons, the leadership ladder is empty. The outgoing president can’t stay on for another year, and other members aren’t willing to step up. Or maybe another position, like treasurer, is impossible to fill.   RECYCLED LEADERSHIP Another symptom of a succession problem is the same old faces—the same members cycling through officer and board positions. Along with stale leadership, you have the risk of burnout. Plus, this situation gives members the impression of a leadership club or exclusive clique. AWOL LEADER The chapter has a president, but she seems to have vanished. You can’t get a hold of her by email or phone. If the chapter has other officers, they’re hesitant to “usurp” the position, but the clock is ticking.   UNEXPECTED DEPARTURE OF LEADER An illness, death, personal emergency, move, or removal from office requires the chapter to find a new leader quickly. The impact of this departure depends on how much notice was given and how much access the chapter has to the former leader. Chaos could reign if other leaders need to transfer check signatories or lose access to bank accounts or software platforms.  
9. Question: As volunteering is viewed as a critical barrier for chapters, how can we help chapters eliminate barriers to volunteering? How can we make the chapter leadership experience more enticing? Could we alleviate the administrative burden or lessen the time commitment required for chapter leadership? How can we supplement or support chapters in finding volunteers? Do we know why members are not interested in taking on chapter leadership roles?
10. Old Volunteer Model The old volunteer model is focused on the top of the volunteer pyramid—the titled positions. This model is focused on what we (the association) needs: “WE NEED A CHAPTER PRESIDENT. WE NEED A MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR.” We need to flip the model and turn the focus upside down to look at the bottom of the pyramid. What do volunteers want? How do they want to engage? Volunteer Drudge We need to make volunteering fun and enjoyable again. Start by lightening the load for chapter volunteers. Provide coaching on creating dynamic meetings. Succession Planning GrindShifting from succession planning to talent development, because that’s what it is. It’s not about putting together a slate. It’s about pulling together folks into a community. Change the vernacular. 
11. https://www.billhighway.co/chapter-succession-planning-engage-your-volunteer-community/ https://www.billhighway.co/chapters-in-crisis-handling-preventing-chapter-leader-succession-issues/ https://www.billhighway.co/how-to-build-a-chapter-leadership-pipeline/ https://www.billhighway.co/8-solutions-to-attract-chapter-volunteers-to-participate/ https://www.billhighway.co/powering-up-your-chapter-leaders-succession-planning/ https://www.billhighway.co/the-fundamentals-of-fun/
12. Issue: Chapter Events Speakers bureau Chapter events webinar
13. From 2022 Chapter Benchmarking Report
14. Question Attendee Question: Does anyone offer a database or listing of potential speakers for their chapters? I would like to offer this to our chapters, but am worried it would be difficult to maintain.
15. Every chapter faces the same event challenges. First, they must purpose & content Then, decide which type of event to host: in-person, hybrid, or virtual. Then, they must design the attendee experience, which means making decisions about safety, format, content, networking, revenue partners, and event technology. Then the tricky part – sell it and do it You can help chapters navigate this new event environment by providing the guidance and resources they need to make wise decisions, host safe, and compelling event experiences.
16. Consider alternatives to hybrid. With a hybrid event, Aaron said you’re essentially planning two (or even three) events at the same time with limited resources. Providing support to both audiences is a heavier volunteer lift than planning and hosting an in-person or virtual event.   “Rapid succession of events is a good alternative game plan to the traditional hybrid meeting. Plan a virtual program for Tuesday and a deeper-dive in-person workshops for Wednesday or a week later, whatever works best for your audience.”   Aaron suggested creating opportunities to integrate the two event audiences. “Find creative ways to bridge the two events. For example, attendees who meet virtually can do an activity that informs the in-person audience later.” Over time, share the virtual highlights with those who attended in-person. @Sarah Links to share: https://www.cvent.com/en/blog/events/hybrid-events-what-you-need-know https://www.press.org/live-virtual-or-hybrid-events-which-approach-best
17. How can CRPs support chapters who plan to host in-person or hybrid events?   Chapter leaders are well intentioned and eager to get their members back together. They know their audience, venue, and community but they’re not as plugged into all the realities of meeting. CRPs, however, are plugged in; it’s your job.   Be a curator. Aaron said, “CRPs must be curators of resources. Don’t provide a list of public health websites for chapter leaders to wade through. You’re putting the burden on them to take the time to review all this information and figure out what’s relevant—that’s not helpful.” Prepare toolkits, templates & programs Teach/train. Go beyond giving a list of tech or program ideas to teaching them how to use tech and create new programs Share chapter events in a common calendar – it helps chapters collaborate, learn from each other; it helps members see more options
18. Let’s talk about Speakers Bureau Curate existing lists - Finding effective speakers and connecting them with the right chapter can be challenging. Curate existing lists instead of recreating the wheel. Set up a directory - Creating a directory of speakers helps connect people looking for a speaker with those who are looking to be a speaker. Provide speakers Offering a speakers series Training to find speakers
19. Resources To learn more about planning virtual events, download The Complete Guide to Virtual Event Creation from Event Garde and Ricochet Advice https://www.billhighway.co/what-the-experts-say-about-in-person-chapter-events-for-2021/ https://www.billhighway.co/how-crps-can-support-chapters-with-virtual-and-in-person-event-decisions-and-design/ https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/return-meetings-covid-19-screening-testing/ https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/return-meetings-contact-tracing-works/ https://www.billhighway.co/let-bright-spots-shine-how-to-share-exceptional-chapter-behavior-practices/ https://www.billhighway.co/how-virtual-events-help-sponsors-achieve-their-marketing-goals-and-chapters-achieve-their-revenue-goals/
20. Resources https://www.billhighway.co/how-chapters-are-creating-memorable-virtual-experiences-for-members/ https://www.wbtsystems.com/learning-hub/blogs/attendees-learning-journey-virtual https://marinermanagement.com/resource/blog/2020-05-29/virtual-meetings-7-resources/ https://www.wbtsystems.com/learning-hub/blogs/new-ideas-for-online-learning-programs https://www.billhighway.co/how-to-get-chapters-started-with-virtual-events/
21. Sources to share: Turn your average remote events into engaging virtual experiences   https://www.starchapter.com/blog/engaging_virtual_experiences Give your team the direction they need to hold successful virtual events https://www.starchapter.com/blog/successful_virtual_events
22. Challenge: Readiness for the job at hand … how do we create compelling Training & Development Ramp up leadership development Give leaders information to sharpen skills and prompt to think differently.
23. From 2022 Chapter Benchmarking Report…   The three most popular chapter leader training resources are the same as in 2019:   Web portal containing a variety of materials accessible around the clock Webinars Chapter leadership conference   Associations are also tapping their learning management systems (LMS) slightly more for chapter training: 24% reported this as a training mode compared to 21% last time. 
24. Question: Since chapter leaders say leadership conferences and other development resources are most important, how can we enhance the training experience to meet the needs and interests of our volunteers? How can we help chapter leaders find greater satisfaction in meeting member needs?
25. Let’s start with understanding that training works when you connect to volunteer motivations. We addressed this in a webinar which shared a valuable tool kit. Let’s take a look at two motivations and specific training and development modules to offer them.
26. There is no ONE adult learning theory – it more about follow adult learner practices such as Autonomy and self-directed learning Practical application and focus on achieving goals Inclusion of life experiences – this is a differentiator from children and it means we have to connect learning to past experiences These tie to the fact that Adults have an existing base of knowledge and life experience. They seek out continuous learning based on personal interests, wants, and needs. Adults learn best when they learn by doing. They learn best when they are directly involved with—“experiencing”—the learning instead of memorizing numbers and definitions from books. Read more: https://www.ispringsolutions.com/blog/adult-learning-theories
27. learner journeys that align with volunteer motivations and aspirations increase a volunteer’s willingness to invest time in training. If we are being learner-centric, we will engage the volunteer in a discussion to determine their pathway. This says to the volunteer, you give us time and we want to invest in you!   How to confirm a volunteer’s profile including skills achieved? Be learner-centric, let the individual self-assess. This could be a self-assessment with guiding questions, or an interview with your volunteer manager. See sidebar for resources. What is the volunteer’s awareness of the skills needed to be successful? Build the self-assessment into your volunteer orientation and onboarding processes to encourage volunteer self-awareness. Use your volunteer pathway and matrix to educate volunteers on the skills needed for success. By tying that with guidance on how to develop those skills, volunteers may be more likely to self-assess and seek training. It is far easier to help a volunteer work towards a goal, say committee leadership or board service, than it is to deliver the message you aren’t qualified. What if we’re not ready … or want to explore this concept on a smaller scale? The underpinning philosophy of providing training based on volunteer motivations and goals can be implemented in many stages. If you are the staff person charged with preparing chapter leaders, consider how to apply the concepts to your chapter leader conference, webinar series and resource portal. If you are the staff person charged with committee liaison role, consider how you can apply the concepts to an onboarding process for committee volunteers. Just as there are many paths for volunteers, we have many paths for how to step up our game in supporting and developing our member volunteers.
28. Get the White Paper! https://bit.ly/3y8DCJo
29. Challenge: Implementing new tech/programming We get it, implementing new technology or programming across chapters can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be – it’s all in how you approach it! Some chapters are ecstatic to upgrade systems and processes, while others are resistant to any change at all.
30. Question
31. KEY CONSIDERATIONS IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO CHANGE STRATEGIES TO INTRODUCE CHANGEThese are possible strategies for introducing change to chapters: Invite chapter leaders to be a part of the solution. Discuss problems with the status quo and the impact of those problems on members and volunteer leaders. Talk about the obstacles standing in the way of chapters achieving their goals and delivering value to members. Encourage them to propose solutions and, during that discussion, bring up your idea for a solution. Prepare your chapter leaders for change by making it a topic of discussion across several meetings
32. Here’s an idea … start with success in the field (either something they are doing, or a pilot you engage a few chapters in) It’s the “Trickle-Up” Approach It can be tricky for National to introduce a new program to all members – no way to know in advance if it will be successful with all chapters. Taking a “trickle-up” (vs trickle-down) approach to a new program gives you a head start – you already know the program can be successful. Your challenge will be scaling it in a way that works for every chapter, not just 1 or 2. Much like scaling a recipe – you can’t just double the ingredients for a cake and expect to have a good cake, at twice the size. Each ingredient needs to be handled differently…much like local chapters. What works for one won’t automatically work for another. How to trickle up: Brainstorm…ideas with chapters. What are the most successful programs they’ve introduced? And would they work for other chapters? Pick a program…and showcase it at a national level. Ask for feedback. Gauge interest from other chapters. Make a choice…do you want to be a ‘driver’ or a ‘facilitator’? Which will work best within your organization? Roll it out! View Trickle Up Webinar >> https://www.billhighway.co/taking-a-trickle-up-approach-to-chapter-engagement-programs/ Is there a wider need for this program? What works for one chapter may not work for others. Need to understand your organization, as well as your relationship with chapters. Will other chapters be open and willing to participate in this new program? Will your involvement be welcomed by the chapters…or resented? How involved do you want to be? How involved can you be – financially, as well as bandwidth? Will you be the ‘driver’ or the ‘facilitator’? How to maximize success? Introducing a new program goes beyond the roll-out. Once you’ve launched, how will you measure success? Stay on top of what is / isn’t working, and make ‘tweaks’ when necessary?
33. Get rid of the ‘us vs. them’ mentality 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. 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. 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
34. Beth Z’s Webinar – Learn about your tech psychology The Webinar You Need to Get Your Leaders Onboard with New Tech
35. Challenge: Listening & Receiving Feedback from Chapters Listen & Identify Support Listen to chapter leaders, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and identify ways to support them.
36. From 2022 Chapter Benchmarking Report… We don’t always think of chapters as a listening channel – that is one we can actively (proactively) learn from … and they don’t see themselves that way either. However we can eliminate or at least minimize issues and find nuggets when we get real on developing our chapters as a listening channel.
37. 1st action – ramp up our listening skills! Three levels of listening: distinguishes each if where you focus as you listen Internal Listening: Listening to our own thoughts, your agenda. You could be focusing on any number of things. Maybe you’re thinking what to say next in the conversation, and so only half-hearing what the other person’s saying. Maybe you’re wondering what to have for lunch, or if you left the gas on. The key thing is that in Level One listening, you’re not really fully hearing the other person. Focused Listening: Focused on what the speaker is saying, meaning. Nothing’s distracting you. Thoughts about the past or the future don’t intrude. Even your own ideas don’t get in the way of you hearing the other person. Are you exploring the speakers’ thoughts and motivations? Global Listening: is also completely directed towards the other person, but it has a wider focus. You hear more than just the words they’re saying. You pick up on all sorts of other things – body language, the inflections and tone of their voice, their pauses and hesitations. It’s like you can hear sound effects in their mind – the clink of a penny dropping, the thud as they hit a wall. You can feel them straining to avoid something, or pulling towards something – and you have a sense of what that might be
38. Ask Powerful questions are not statements disguised as questions: “Have you tried working from home one day per week do give yourself more time for strategic thinking?” Notice that this is a closed, yes-or-no question, and the questioner probably has a “right” answer in mind. It’s a suggestion, not a question. It’s perfectly fine to make a suggestion; just don’t mistake it for a powerful question. Is short What would help? What’s missing? Is open ended What’s your perspective? (open) instead of Do you agree? (closed) Challenges current assumptions Stimulates reflective thinking Focuses on the future, rather than the past What do you need to move forward? Uses “Why” Carefully What led you to those conclusions? Vs. Why did you think that?
39. Mine your chapter reports & input Finally, are you using your chapter reports to better understand what’s going on? Are you polling chapter leaders (quick polls)? Are you have open discussions, maybe once a quarter Schedule some one-on-one time Consider 1:1 – like CAMFT and the chapter coaching project Create quick reports for staff to share intel Monthly heard in the field Quick infographic based on your dashboard
40. We’re not going into detail on this – just mentioning. Data Sources - What are we measuring? Key Performance Indicators: Begin with connecting to the organization’s strategic goals Membership – Recruitment/Renewal/Engagement Financial – Income/Expense Activity – Posts/Registrations/Volunteering/Donations/… Perceptions – Satisfaction/Net Promoter Score/Ratings/Comments Alignment – working in alignment with national
41. We’ve done a couple of dives into benchmarking and the biggest lesson is If you want to Drive Chapter Behavior with Targeted Benchmarking…MEASURE WHAT MATTERS
42. This in turn helps you to tell the compelling chapter story …. Story options – think (1) big picture, (2) theme, (3) small/specific successes (aka building your picture out of many individual successes) ROI impact of all chapters – Big Picture How chapters contribute to key initiatives -- theme Bright spots – specific successes
43. Make the case for your chapters. Chapter relevancy in 2021 is tied to engagement, recruitment & retention....local is important, you an get some interesting things going on quickly, connect with people you might not be able to connect with. Components reach a whole new segment of members and non-members. Opportunities to focus on chapter members and highlight the local angle and impact of broad national topics. Ability to create micro-moments. Pull your numbers together to make your case. Show the number of people, registration counts, events happened, how many chapters did what. Teach chapters how to tell their value. Metrics for the stuff we’re not getting done or doing and how its impact was negligible so we can do other things.
44. Resources Check out these blog posts
45. Resources Check out these blog posts Be sure that what we’re doing is worth the effort Read Benchmarking Report Watch Tracking Chapter Effectiveness Download ROI Matrix Dashboard worksheet
46. https://www.billhighway.co/2022-chapter-performance-benchmarking-report/ https://bit.ly/chapterbenchmarking2022
47. How else can we support you?
48. Beth Z’s Webinar The Webinar You Need to Get Your Leaders Onboard with New Tech
49. Billhighway Software like Billhighway allows for a healthy balance of association visibility and chapter autonomy. You can see chapter performance data in real time—no nagging required. For example, with Billhighway, you can see the: Full financial picture of chapters Insight into member data Number of events chapters are hosting Types of events they’re hosting Percentage of members attending Percentage of non-members attending Mariner We are all about optimizing your local presence, whether it’s the traditional chapter or something else. We help you empower volunteers, improve the member experience, answer tough questions about components.
50. Any questions? Thank you! See you next month!