New year, new goals, new challenges, and new opportunities are not gently knocking on your door, they are slamming on your door to get your attention.
What a great time to have an “Organizational Fiscal Physical” to review, reconsider, and perhaps rebuild or replace several ingredients that make your organization what it is today, and what it will be in the future.
Perhaps this checklist would be of benefit as you start 2016.
Board members:
Do you have board members who have the equity in the organization that is needed to work as a team and make decisions that benefit the organization, membership, and community? This is a great time to start a list of potential board members who would add to the success of your organization. As a chamber CEO, I asked each board member, one at a time, what is one issue, project, or goal they would like to accomplish as a board member in the next 12 months? I would gather each goal, and after all 27 board members shared their answers, I would put it all on one white paper and share it with each board member. Six months later it is a great topic to redistribute, discuss, and monitor these goals. It is also a great time to celebrate those board members who “walked their talk.”
Staff members:
I invited each staff member to respond to the following prompts:
- What I contribute to the success of the organization as a staff member is…
- One thing I would change in the office that would benefit all staff members is…
- One thing that is no longer relevant to the success of our staff operation is…
Committees:
I would distribute a one page “Committee Evaluation Report” to each committee chair with the following prompts/questions:
- Define the purpose and contribution of your committee to the organization and how it amplifies the mission of our organization.
- Do you have enough volunteers, staff, and board support for your committee?
- What do you need in 2016 to make your committee the best it can be for this next year?
Membership:
I would personally visit at least a dozen members and ask them for some feedback on their participation within the last 12 months. Additionally, I would ask what can we offer or consider doing this next year that would motivate them to attend or get involved in that would benefit the organization and their business. I always invited them to visit the chamber office personally and meet each staff member and learn what that staff member does to promote the entire organization and benefit member businesses.
President/CEO:
Time for a one-on-one with yourself. Effective leaders do not wait for the first of the year to have this conversation with themselves. They do it all year long. You know what you are famous for, you know your challenges, your missed opportunities, your successes and failures of day to day leadership, and your personal and professional goals. Let me remind you that, “Who we are is why we’re here”.
So let me invite you to consider putting on your scrubs, and schedule the “Organizational Fiscal Physical” for your association or chamber. Share each bit of feedback you get and do not be surprised if you re-ignite your organization internally and externally with this simple, but priceless exercise.
