Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals

Board and Committee Motivations

2008-04-02T16:40:00.001-04:00

One thing is for sure -- Chamber board and committee volunteers are not serving for the pay! So, if it is not the money, what motivates them?

It is useful to understand that people volunteer because they have a need. There IS indeed “something in it” for them, and it is important for you to discover their needs and motivations and then respond to them.

Let me share three common volunteers’ needs and motivations and how you can respond to them and gain strong volunteers along the way!

Motivation/Need:

1. Social. Volunteers who are motivated by their social needs are likely to become
involved because their friends volunteer. They are influenced by others who want them
to volunteer and who recruit them. They are interested in community service, as are
their close friends.

Motivational Tip:

When they are new, connect them to a veteran “mentor.” Make them a mentor to someone else when they are seasoned. Give them the option to choose their area of service, as they may prefer to be with friends or in an activity where they may receive recognition and appreciation for their efforts.
Motivation/Need:

2. Values. Volunteers who are motivated by their values seek to act on a genuine concern that they have for the Chamber. They desire to do something for a cause that is near and dear to their heart. They also feel that it is important to help others and to “give back.”
Motivational Tip:

Get a sense of their values by asking “what is important to you?” or “what part of the Chamber’s work do you care about most deeply?” Offer them opportunities to serve in ways that address the answers they give.

When you recruit such volunteers, lay out the challenge, the need, and why they are uniquely able to make a difference. Tell them how the Chamber, its members, or others, will benefit from their service.

Motivation/Need:

3. Career. Volunteers who have career motivations see volunteering as a way to “get their foot in the door” at a place where they would like to work or with an organization they would like to gain as a client. These volunteers desire to make new contacts that might help their business or career. For some, volunteering may offer the chance to explore different career options or help succeed in a chosen profession. Volunteer experience may also look good on the resume.
Motivational Tip:

Provide them with service opportunities where networking skills are essential, such as being a Chamber recruiting “ambassador” or host of networking events. Learn about their career interests and current employment situation. Offer them service opportunities that allow them exposure to people and organizations that will help them fulfill their goals.

Make the effort to get to know your volunteers! Have your board answer the question “why do you serve?” Then develop your own strategy for responding to their answers and needs. Encourage all committee chairs to do the same with committee members and develop the same strategies. Volunteers who find meaning and purpose in their service are more likely to deliver great results and be highly committed when they realize that they can get “what’s in it for them!”

Dave Medema

For more information on this and many other topics, visit Free Management Library, http://www.managementhelp.org/topics.htm

Medema is a consultant with Pondera Advisors, a team of leadership consultants who serve as guides for organizational and individual change. Their core purpose is to help organizations and the individuals who lead them to achieve sustained excellence. Pondera Advisors facilitates strategic planning, organizational change initiatives, succession planning and leadership development, and teambuilding. In addition, they have created the Virtual Coach Sports™ and Pondera Virtual Advisor™ psychological assessments for use by business organizations and professional and college sports teams. Visit their website at www.ponderaadvisors.com.

Michigan's Economy

2008-04-02T15:35:00.003-04:00

I received this post from John Limbach of NovoPrint USA. It's embarassingly funny-- but hopefully not too accurate!

Job Market 2010

Pure Michigan: Michigan Tourism Conference in April

2008-03-06T10:55:00.006-05:00

Travel Michigan, in association with the Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association and the hospitality and tourism program at Michigan State University, will be producing the annual Michigan Tourism Conference April 14th and 15th in Grand Rapids.

The conference theme is "Driving Tourism 2008: Succeeding in Challenging Times" and promises to be a key education event for organizations invested in tourism activities.

You can get more information and register at http://michiganhotels.org/assoc/meetings.html.

Strong Staff Reports: Keeping Your Board in the Loop

2008-03-06T09:29:00.002-05:00

Today's post from guest blogger, Dave Medema of Pondera Advisors:

Keeping your board engaged at a high level is a challenge for Chamber Executives. Do you ever wonder how you can keep them “coming back for more”? One way is through reports that capture their attention as well as their imagination. Here are 4 tips to do just that.

1. Be obsessed with the future, not preoccupied with the past! Keep the board informed about community and industry issues and trends. Few board members are historians -- they are involved with the Chamber to build a growing, vibrant community! One executive I know regularly has a guest presenter at board meetings who discusses a community issue such education reform or transportation. The discussion that results is, without fail, energizing and influential on Chamber priorities.

2. Lead through interpretation! When you provide information regarding what has been achieved last month or last year (i.e., a financial or program activities report), be sure to translate what that means for the Chamber in the future. Don’t leave your board to figure that out!

3. Focus on current goals and priorities. Reports that describe progress on the Chamber’s goals will keep the board’s eyes on what is most important. If you find that board meetings focus too much on trivia and that the “important stuff” comes up at the end of the meeting with insufficient time to talk about it, this will be a big help!

4. Have a powerful format. Your report must be focused, timely, accurate and easy to read. Each report section should include:
a. The outcome or goal being reported
b. Data that describes progress in achieving the goal
c. Your interpretation of the data. Are you “on track”, or is corrective action required. If so,
what action will be taken?

The goal of staff reports is to allow the board to be confident that it has a reasonable level of knowledge of how the Chamber is succeeding. Crafting your reports in terms of goal achievement, supported by candid interpretation, will result in strong staff reports and help build an engaged board, not a rubber stamp!

For more information on this and many other topics, visit Free Management Library, http://www.managementhelp.org/topics.htm

Dave Medema is a consultant with Pondera Advisors, a team of leadership consultants in Grand Rapids, Michigan who serve as guides for organizational and individual change. Their core purpose is to help organizations and the individuals who lead them to achieve sustained excellence. Pondera Advisors facilitates strategic planning, organizational change initiatives, succession planning and leadership development, and teambuilding. In addition, they serve as executive coaches and provide customized leadership training for their clients. Visit their website at www.ponderaadvisors.com

Sponsorship or Advertising?

2008-02-19T16:07:00.004-05:00

CPAs at Maner, Costerisan & Ellis, P.C. asked this question in their latest newsletter, Nonprofit Agendas. Chambers of commerce are frequently susceptible to walking the line between sponsorships and advertising when underwriting events. However, how they treat the sponsoring business can significantly change their unrelated business income tax (UBIT) liability.

Here are some of the guidelines the CPAs provided:

Sponsorships list sponsors names or logos only, list contact information, and objectively describe products and services.
Sponsorships may include giveaway items.
Sponsorships cannot be an agreement for a contingent payment (i.e., based on number of attendees) or be attached to publications

Advertising, or the promotion of a sponsor's products or services, is subject to UBIT. Caveats to be aware of:

Advertising contains qualititave or comparison lanaguage
Advertising calls for the action to buy or use a product or service
Advertising includes exclusive provider agreements or exchange of significant services or privileges

Sometimes the benefits of advertising revenue outweigh the tax liability. The authors use the following example: A sponsor may make a $5,000 contribution toward an event, receive $200 in advertising benefits (subject to UBIT) and $4800 in charitable contribution benefits (tax deductible).

What's important is understanding what the tax implications are before offering and entering into a relationship with a potential sponsor. Check with your accounting services provider for information specific to your own programs.

When Good CEOs Make Bad Decisions...

2008-02-19T15:52:00.002-05:00

It's a couple of months old, but the message form this article is brilliant: "Even Good CEOs Can Pick the Wrong Direction" (USA Today, 11/7/2007).

In the article, leadership gurus Noel Tichey and Warren Bennis researched and reported on CEOs that made errant judgement calls with their organizations' best interests in mind. Citing examples like decisions to market Crystal Pepsi, fumbled IPOs and catastrophic changes to advertising, the authors applaud calculated risk-takers but highlight when corrective action was required. Their findings are available in their book, " Judgement: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls."

The USA Today article is a good lesson for leaders of chambers of commerce-- knowing when to take risks for the benefit of the organization and its members, but also having the ability to make the judgement calls when things go awry.

"Survey Says..." Tips for Better Surveys

2008-02-15T09:16:00.004-05:00

If you aren't already using them, online surveys are a great tool for quickly gauging the pulse of members when developing new projects, evaluating programs, or just getting a better understanding of what they are thinking.

There are several tools available at little or no charge depending on the features you choose and all can be customized to match the look and feel of your chamber brand. Some of the more popular include:

Whichever program you choose, here are some helpful hints when desiging surveys to increase response rates and ensure valid data collection (from Survey Monkey's Best Practices in Survey Design):

For creating relevant questions to gather accurate responses consider:

The intent of the question: Is it relevant to your objective, painless to answer, understandable to the respondent?
The type of question: Is the style of the question appropriate to the desired responses (i.e., ranking vs. multiple answers, open-ended response vs. choice)
The level of difficulty: Easing into more difficult or sensitive questions with easy opening questions makes the survey flow more coherently and helps to prepare the respondent. Also, more thought or effort required to answer, the less accurate the data is. In this case, a focus group or interview might be more appropriate.
Good questions are brief, specific, and simple. Consider how much effort your responses would require if you were taking your own survey.

Survey Monkey also recommends strong introductions to your surveys to explain the survey purpose and build confidence in the respondent's answers. When the respondent is familiar with the administrator and why they are collecting data, the respondent will be more comfortable sharing information. Be sure to include the following information in your surveys:

The name of the organization conducting the survey
Information on the confidentiality of responses and how the data will be used.
For longer surveys, how many questions are included and the approximate time required to complete the survey.
General instructions for how to use the survey tool; this is especially important for respondents not familiar with the tool used.

When done using these tips, surveys are helpful for collecting data to make a case for new programs, engaging in an activity, or providing support for your decisions.

Useful Newsletters

2008-02-13T09:56:00.004-05:00

Randy Dean, President of Randall Dean Consulting in East Lansing, suggests the following newsletters for quick tips and pointers related to marketing, organization and training opportunities:

The American Society of Training and Development's: "The Buzz: Worldwide Training Industry News" e-newsletter.
This little gem provides article abstracts from many major newsletters, news feeds, and online newsletters regarding new developments in corporations, academic environments, and non-profits in training and employee development.

Tony Rubleski's Mind Capture Group e-newsletter. Subscribe for free.
Most of Tony's articles are on effective marketing in the face of today's "advertising overload," but he occasionally writes issues on topics that even touch on time management and personal productivity.

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann's Simply Organized Life newsletter.
Carolyn is a professional organizer and consultant with an MBA and a strong business sensibility, but a warm and engaging demeanor. And her e-newsletter usually provides a couple time-saving/personal organizing tips per month.

Randall Dean has more than 15 years of experience using and teaching an advanced time management/personal organization system. He has taught different versions of his time management system for many prominent organizations including Procter & Gamble, Michigan State University, The Fetzer Institute, the Graduate Management Admissions Council, the Michigan Association for Continuing Education & Training, and The Michigan Society of Association Executives.

Look for Randy at an upcoming MCCE NETwork call on March 5: "Taming the Email Beast."

Chambers of Commerce Using YouTube

2008-02-13T09:47:00.005-05:00

You've probably heard about YouTube, the latest tool for sharing videos online, or seen one first hand in a search for your favorite music artist, TV show or stupid pet tricks. But did you know chambers are starting to grasp the technology for their own programs?

Check out this chamber's use of the technology for promoting their accomplishments in the past year:

The US Chamber of Commerce has also started using YouTube for viral marketing of issues, including its Institute for Legal Reform programs on lawsuit abuse.

Check out YouTube for other chambers of commerce using the application for more ideas.

In Case of Emergency

2008-02-13T09:18:00.003-05:00

Last month, a chamber of commerce building in Iowa suffered severe damage related to the weather. Unfortunately, the organization did not have enough insurance or a disaster plan to prepare for such an emergency and called out for funding assistance to rebuild.

Here were some of the suggestions from chambers around the country:

Contact chambers affected by Hurricane Katrina for advice on communicating with its members and the surrounding communities
Work with the state chamber or large metro chamber's foundations to raise "recovery gifts"
Write an appeal to chambers around the country for assistance
Customize an appeal to chambers with the same or similar names for peer assistance (the chamber was in Washington, Iowa)
Contact ACCE for mass communication appeals
Write a disaster plan!

What are your thoughts? What would your chamber do if, one day, your building is destroyed?

Does Your Board Know What to Do?

2008-02-12T16:36:00.001-05:00

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce Executives (MCCE) association receives a number of calls this time of year related to board governance and the responsibilities of directors. Frequently, when new directors come on board-- especially inexperienced members--they tend to be overwhelmed with what their responsibility to the organization is.

Are they "the boss?" Are they a volunteer? Do they come with new ideas? Are they expected to participate in everything? Should they observe for a while or jump in?

As organizations grow and develop history, it's important for volunteers to understand how they fit in the Chamber culture. Each community is different and has varied expectations for its volunteers, from fundraising and fiscal guidance to event participation and membership recruitment. A couple of suggestions for orienting new members are to set up job descriptions for volunteers or by establishing a contract for participation.

MCCE will be hosting two seminar opportunities for Chamber Boards of Directors this year:
February 18: BEST PRACTICES Call on Board Governance
This session will cover Board Basics on:

Bylaws
Articles of Incorporation
Board Responsibilities & Job Descriptions
Organization Structures
Constructive Committee Meetings

June 25: Responsibilities for Chamber Boards of Directors
A full day seminar with more in depth information on:

Board / Staff Roles and Responsibilities
Bylaws Review & Development
Committee Roles and Structure
Conflict or Interest / Ethics / Code of Conduct
Job Description - Board, Officers, Committees
Roberts Rules of Order

Chamber Spotlight: BRAG About Networking

2008-02-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

The Sterling Heights Area Chamber has taken member networking to a new level.

The SUSCC started a Business Resource Alliance Group® (BRAG), a weekly interactive meeting between members. The groups are designed to build relationships and maximize business to business networking by exchanging business leads and referrals. Over 260 business members participate weekly.

10 Tips for Better Board Orientation

2008-02-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

A submission from Eric Westover from Not4Profit Planning Services.

Board orientation is the first and most lasting impression on volunteer leaders. A quality orientation builds effective directors who understand governance and leadership.

Keep it Tight. About 2.5 hours is ideal for presenting organization specifics, board roles and to answer questions. Morning sessions generally have more focus and energy.
Own the Process. The orientation process should be a priority skill of the organization's executive director. Avoid throwing it together at the last minute.
More People is Better. Make attendance mandatory. Plan an orientation to include all new and prospective leaders.
Use Current Affairs. With a plethora of boardroom meltdowns, the influence of Sarbanes-Oxley, and new IRS standards, there are a host of issues to discuss with directors for understanding.
Invite an Expert: Invite an attorney, accountant or seasoned CEO to supplement your orientation.
Provide a Manual. Your organization's board book or leadership manual is key to understand and reference responsibilities.
Include duties. Be sure to inform all leaders of their duties by reviewing job descriptions in the bylaws and discussing organizational culture (starting meetings on time, speaking for the organization, etc.)
It's a Business. Encourage volunteers to apply their business acumen, reminding them that "nonprofit" is a tax designation, not an organization model.
Segue into Future Thinking. Transition from present to future by drawing attention to the strategic plan and goals.
End on a Positive Note. Conclude with a challenge to serve and deliver results to the organization.

Eric Westover is chairman of Not4Profit Planning Services. Contact Eric at eric@not4profitplanning.com.

"Idea Sharing"

2008-02-08T08:06:00.000-05:00

If you are not a subscriber to her newsletter, check out Joan Testa's Chamber Development Services, Inc. "Idea Sharing" e-newsletter.

ACCE long-timers may remember Joan from national conventions and the National Association for Membership Development (NAMD). Based in Texas, Joan puts out a regular newsletter to assist chambers with best practices or new ideas in membership development and retention. The newsletter is free and another resource for generating discussion in your chamber.

Institute Scholarships

2008-02-06T08:57:00.001-05:00

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce Executives (MCCE) association is working with the US Chamber of Commerce to provide additional scholarships to the Institute for Organization Management.

This year, MCCE will award FOUR (4) $500 scholarships to Institute:

2 scholarships for First Year Attendees of Institute

1 scholarship for a Returning Attendee (that has not previously received a scholarship)

1 scholarship for the Invested Leaders Institute

The additional scholarships are part of the US Chamber "Pay It Forward" program and will help to improve Michigan's chamber presence at Institute.
For more information on Institute Scholarships through MCCE, visit http://www.michamberconnect.org/.

Village Profile, a national community guide publisher, is also aggressively marketing Institute scholarships through its RSVP(TM) program.

"We're dedicated to fostering growth in the Chamber industry," says Nugara. "One of the most effective ways to do that is to provide the means for our Chamber partners to access these conference educational opportunities."

R.S.V.P.(TM) Chamber Scholarships are available to all Chambers of Commerce that sign a three-edition Village Profile publication agreement in 2008, which allows the Chamber executive to have their registration costs paid for by Village Profile for three conferences during the term of the agreement.

Contact Executive Vice-President Joe Nugara at (800) 600-0134, ext. 220 or by email at jcn@villageprofilemail.com.

Linking with National Excellence

2008-02-05T17:43:00.000-05:00

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce Executives (MCCE) association will be tackling a much more robust program of work in 2008, connecting chamber executives with more content than ever before.

MCCE is aligning its programming with the national benchmarks for chambers of commerce:

US Chamber of Commerce Accreditation
Institute for Organization Management
American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Certified Chamber Executive (CCE)

A library of resources and online education components will complement national programs and help strengthen Michigan chambers of commerce. Over the next three years, MCCE will be developing its member benefits to better support chamber organizations to become more competitive and attain national excellence.

With its member participation and support, MCCE will be the most innovative and effective development organization for chambers of commerce!

A-Blogging We Will Go

2008-02-05T17:38:00.000-05:00

In the interest of demonstrating new ways chambers can communicate with their members and to deliver new content to its own members, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce Executives (MCCE) officially launches its own blog!

From time to time, the MCCE Blog will host guest bloggers with information on board relations, marketing, communications, human resources, new programs and national events. We will also feature regular topics with links to new tools, tips and tricks, and the latest news affecting chambers of commerce in our state.

Be sure to visit often, or to link through our website at www.michamberconnect.org.

A-blogging, here we come!