Yesterday I attended a workshop run by our clubs parent association. In truth it wasn’t so much of a workshop but a briefing as to what added administration clubs will have to undertake over the coming 12 months.
With ever increasing administration comes more pressure on volunteers, making for a more unattractive proposition to present to potential volunteers and as a result the less likely volunteers are to carry on with these further burdens on them.
With this in mind execution of these administrative tasks becomes critical. Of course leadership and peoples kindness will mean that things will get eventually get done, but with the revolution of the web, with everyone having a smart phone in their pocket means that the way you approach your volunteers, the way you structure and frequency of your communication, and the model of your organisation needs to change.
Running your club with the wrong strategy, the strategy focused on the 5 committee members will put you in an uphill battle. The alternative is to think hard about your structure, your resources and the benefits your club could gain from having less pressure on more people through resources and platforms like TIdyClub.com.
Your committee should stretch from 5 to 18. The roles and responsibilities of these people should be well articulated and defined. Through increased transparency everyone know what needs to get done and why they are doing it.
However talking to clubs at the workshop presented what I feel is the predominant issue in clubs. Through clubs not changing their strategy merely because they’re used to the one they have been relying on for the last 20 years is lousy strategy, and must change.
When you and your committee set out to achieve things for the club, important work, work that is going to make a difference, it will never work out that you will find complete approval from all parties.
Trying to please everyone will end in frustration, stymieing your momentum and ultimately failing.
The solution is to please precisely the right people, those that will get it and no more. This will give you enough to get the work out the door.
There are always those that actively discourage. Choose what to hear wisely.
This is a remarkable use of new media technologies (primarily HTML5) to create an engaging and innovative communication tool.
From a traditional communications perspective, this webpage does everything incorrectly. In particular, the reader isn’t being spoon-fed the desired action right from the beginning. They’re being made to work for the end goal, which is against all marketing principles.
What Jess and Russ have created here is their story. They’re telling people why they should click and take action, instead of how to click and take action. That’s the whole premise of Simon Sinek’s TED Talk about how great leaders inspire action - they get their followers to believe in the why.
As a charity, the absolute best thing you can do is to instill a belief in the why in your followers. They will follow you and support you as you ask, as long as you can get them to believe in your mission and vision. To trust in your mission and vision.
That’s why Jess and Russ’s invitation is such a success. They’ve told their story to get people to believe in them as a couple, and to support them in the next stage of their life together. Their guest list believe in them, and they will follow and support them.
What makes your not for profit stand out? It’s your story - shout it from the rooftops!
We hold a distinct advantage over corporate and other organisations in that our stories are compelling. Our vision and mission talk about creating a better world and delivering positive change. Not about creating larger profits and delivering more investment return.
Make sure you tell your story before you make an ask.
Talk about what inspires your staff members to work at your organisation. Talk about people, situations, landscapes, that your organisation has impacted. Talk about your goals, and how you plan to reach them. And then make the ask.
The world around your club is constantly changing, it’s easy to over-think what your club is and is not. It’s useful to regularly remind yourself of why your club actually exists, what the one passion is that everyone wants to get together for.
Yes, you may want to tweak how you deliver the experience, but don’t forget why you’re there in the first place.
Your member and supporters are also having the same disruptive experience in their world. Are you making it easier for them to connect with and take advantage of your offering?
We talk to a wide range of clubs and groups, and the one thing that we keep getting reminded of is the very wide range of requirements. Every club is different and it’s easy to get stretched in different directions and start to spend resources in all sorts of directions.
We often look back to our design principles with respect to the requests we hear. Design rules absolutely, particularly in web and particularly in our space, when it is usually the non-IT sorts who are using our application. If they don’t get it, we aren’t doing it right!
Here is our list.
We love talking to these communities, they have some seriously amazing people running and volunteering for them, and it’s great to further facilitate things for them.
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