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Recruitment and Retention: Let's Get Smart

 

 


Clubs engaged in their
community and members
engaged in the Association
are, generally, happier, healthier
and more sustainable.

This engagement doesn’t
usually ‘just happen’ —
and it surely doesn’t
happen overnight.
It takes teamwork, planning
and commitment.

Positive outcomes of setting
goals and planning include:
• focusing your club
• energizing members
• providing a challenge
• enouraging new thinking

So, what are you waiting for?

 

 

By Bick Trinh, Member Relations Coordinator, Kin Canada
This article is in the April 2012 issue of KIN Magazine

Companies have business plans, sports teams have game plans, families have schedules and clubs need recruitment and retention plans.
Plans need to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and should include progress indicators (timelines). Okay, so what does all that mean and how do you approach plans? It’s really about putting your words (stated goals) into action.
Involve all of your members in a brainstorming session and ask them what they want to achieve as a club and as individuals. In other words, what are your goals as a club and as a member?
Once you’ve garnered input from your members, you’ve done your pre-planning! Now it’s time to prioritize and identify action steps to achieve the stated goal(s).
Words of caution: be realistic! Pick a few goals and keep them doable rather than discouraging.

Keep it Simple(r)
By taking a goal, "chunking it down" to bite-size pieces and delegating these smaller tasks, you’ll lessen the chance of member fatigue and losing a member (or two) while you’re trying to recruit new members. That’s unproductive, to say the least.

What is a Goal?
Goals are the final destination you want to reach, such as expanding your club’s impact in your community, growing your club in the next Kin year or chartering a new club. These are your ‘big Kahuna’ ideas!
Possible Goals:
• Increase your club size
• Retain your current membership
• Attract young adults to your club
• Be more visible in your community
• Charter a new club
• Better engage club members

What is an Objective?
Objectives are a measurable statement related to your goal(s). For example, to expand your club’s impact to another community, an objective might be to position your club to charter a new club. To do that in the next two years, you’ll need to successfully complete the training and preparation to sponsor a club, as well as find the new community.
If your goal is to increase your club size (and you don’t have many young members), your objective could be to attract more young adults into the club, measured by a 10% increase in members under the age of 25 by the end of the Kin year. Similarly, you might target people new to your community, empty nesters or those lucky folks who just retired!
If you want to increase your club’s visibility in your community, design and produce a signature event that could become a cherished annual event. You could also participate in community
or national service projects.
To better engage members, make time for social events. Encourage members to get involved at Zone, District and National levels through leadership training, running for executive positions or participating in awards programs.
A plan is a proposal to achieve your goals and objectives; it’s specific and contains the actual tactics and resources you’ll need to achieve what you want to accomplish. Before doing anything, it’s best to decide on your budget (if a task will require funds). If you need to depend
on club member’s sweat equity, you need to know how much time members can commit to.
Brainstorm who will do what, by when and how. This will create the task list to execute your plan of attack.

Why Set a Time Line?
A time line is to create urgency and focus on end result. With any plan you set in motion, record a time frame for an end result. It will focus and motivate the club to complete its plan.

What is Attainable?
To succeed, set the stage to win! Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis to determine what you and your club are capable of. In general, strengths and weaknesses are internal; threats and opportunities are external.
Using the ‘attract new members’ goal, evaluate the strengths and interests of your members and your club resources. Decide on how many and the types of members you want to attract.
Identify any weakness that could possibly create conflict or burnout in your club. Are your members open to new ideas and fresh blood? If not, how can you turn that weakness around so that new members will feel welcome and that their input is valued? Recognize any external opportunities or threats that help or hinder your club’s efforts to grow.

How are Actions Measured?
If the ultimate goal is to grow your club, do the math! If you have ten members in your club and one new member is recruited, woo hoo, you’ve increased the size of your club by 10%.
If your goal is be more prominent in your community, measure the frequency of your club’s mentions in the local paper or other media. Take attendance at an annual event (should grow from year to year or it’s time to re-evaluate).
If your goal is to be more proactive in your Zone and District, did you engage another club in one of your projects? Did club members compete in the Zone awards program, attend Zone Conference or District Convention or get elected to executive positions beyond your club?
If your goal is member engagement, measure attendance at club meetings and social events.

It’s always a good idea to annually measure the satisfaction of your members with a quick survey so you can stay on top of issues.

 

 

 

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