Increasing the Effectiveness of Commissions with Smart Administration 49th NACW Annual Conference Engineering Our Future: Blueprint for Women’s Leadership Increasing the Effectiveness of Commissions with Smart Administration Presented by: Sarah Brown

Topics We’ll Discuss: The Foundation The Core of Smart Administration: People Organizational Structure Loyalty Analysis By-laws Culture Audit Policies & Procedures Gap Analysis Financial Control How to Design a High Performance Team Smart Goals Smart Strategies Smart Communication Tactics Mission Statements Implementation Taking Action- RACI chart

You must understand the foundation to define the boundaries! Granting Authority Statute By-laws You must understand the foundation to define the boundaries!

Organizational Structure Staff Leadership/Executive Board Committees Partnerships

Key Questions To Ask What does the governing statute allow? What does it prohibit? What is our budget? Staff resources? Who is in charge of employee management practices? Membership parameters? Reporting requirements? What are the duties of each officer?

Smart Idea: Form an Advisory Council

By-laws Are Important! Key elements to consider: Name, Purpose, Office Location, Statute Membership Reference relevant statute Officers Committees Meeting procedures Include relevant open meeting/records laws Voting Procedures Awards Events Publicity Social media usage Process for amending the by-laws

Smart Idea: Outline award criteria in the by-laws

Policies & Procedures Policy Procedure A policy is a written statement intended to influence or determine decisions and courses of action, or uphold the organization’s principles. A procedure is different from a policy. A procedure outlines the series of steps needed to implement the policies.

Policies & Procedures Before you adopt a policy, ask the 4 questions: Is it legal? Can we enforce it? Will it change on a regular basis? Is it necessary and appropriate for inclusion in the by-laws?

Financial Controls You must understand your operating budget. Are sponsorship and fundraising opportunities available? Implement essential controls: Segregation of duties Approvals Audit trails Reporting Present a format that is comfortable to your members, elected officials, and other stakeholders

Smart Administration = Smart Goals Think of your goals for your commission…

Goals are great! But… A goal is not a strategy!

Smart Administration= Smart Strategy We should not take action without a plan in place first.

Smart Idea: Host an annual planning retreat

Mission Statements Make sure your commission members are aligned by having a clear mission and vision.

Mission Statements Identify Past Successes Identify Core Values Identify Contributions Identify Goals Draft the Mission Statement Plan your actions, meetings, and events around your mission.

Smart Idea: Share your mission statement!

Measurable w/Measurement Now, back to your goals! S.M.A.R.T. Goals! Specific Measurable w/Measurement Achievable Relevant Time-Oriented

You have a strategy. You have goals. What’s next? Implementation!

The Core of Smart Administration= PEOPLE! “Successful organizations understand the importance of implementation, not just strategy, and, moreover, recognize the crucial role of their people in this process.” -Jeffrey Pfeffer

What’s the current state? 25% of Americans volunteer The largest age group for volunteers was 35-44 Most volunteers were working with either one or two organizations. Corporation for National and Community Service

For the first time in the modern age, there are five generations in the workplace: iGen, aka Generation Z: born 1996 and after. Millennials, aka Generation Y: born 1977 to 1995. Generation X: born 1965 to 1976. Baby Boomers: born 1946 to 1964. Traditionalists: born 1945 and before. The Center for Generational Kinetics

A modern network must include all generations A modern network must include all generations! Smart administration must include practices that bridge the gap between generations.

How does this impact your administration strategy? Long term members and new members will have different communication needs. You can overcome this challenge!

Make your Membership Needs Assessment a “Loyalty Analysis” Goal: do your members recognize the value of their membership? Timeline: 6-9 months into a member’s first year. Should occur after on-boarding. Develop a survey. New members identify information gaps and communication gaps the best. Ask members which organizations they compare yours with. (Great insight from this!)

Smart Idea: Host a new member orientation

Consider a Culture Audit. For effective administration, we have to know what’s going on with our members. Consider a Culture Audit.

Key Elements for a Culture Audit: Gather data and administer member surveys Put data/responses into a report for all members Identify trends Ask the right questions: Where do we excel? Where do we fail to excel Establish a benchmark, so you can track improvements over the years. Incorporate the culture audit report into all planning.

Examples of Areas of Focus for a Culture Audit: Do members understand your mission, vision, and values? Membership buy-in (attendance is an indicator). How do you symbolize your values? What are your hallmarks of success? Behaviors and attitudes of leadership? What are your buzzwords? Identify shared terminology and language. Identify examples of events/initiatives that showcase what is important to your organization. Do members understand the organization's history? Are there subcultures? Or cliques?

When you understand your commission’s culture, you can identify the gaps! Gap Analysis: Where are we now? Use the Culture Audit Report. Where do we wish we were? How are we going to close this gap? This is your strategy for effective administration.

Design a High Performance Team High-performing organizations must address the following elements: Clarify the work Determine the structure, roles, and responsibilities Clarify key decisions and information requirements Clarify the people requirements Clarify the reward requirements Clarify how the organization renews and improves

Why Teams Fail Lack of clear purpose and goals Unsure of what requires a team effort Lack of accountability Lack of effective or shared leadership Lack of trust among team members Inability to deal with conflict Ineffective problem-solving skills Lack of focus on creativity and excellence Eunice Parisi-Carew, The Ken Blanchard Companies

Smart Communication Create an open communication environment: can every member share feedback and ideas? You must use multiple channels to share the same message. Important messages must be repeated.

Every Project Must Have a Communications Plan Create value. Determine goals (include key performance indicators). Identify audience: Members? Prospective Members? Community Partners? Develop messages. Select channels. Choose materials and activities. Establish partnerships. Gather feedback and make corrections as needed.

Consider your Commission’s Brand: Every good brand provides a FACT and a FEELING

Identify Stakeholders…But don’t ignore the community as a whole! Make sure you’re communicating and connecting with stakeholders. Be inclusive! Don’t ignore underserved communities because you’re only focusing on internal communication and stakeholder communication.

Smart Idea: Host Community Conversations

Smart Idea: Involve stakeholders

Smart Idea: Nurture your network for maximum investment

Smart Idea: Honor Women

Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame

Taking Action- Getting Things Done Create a Responsibility Matrix (or a RACI Chart) for each project and initiative: Who will be responsible for making a Recommendation (R)? Who must Approve (A) or sign off on a decision? Who will be Consulted (C) and will be expected to provide support? Who must be Informed (I) of decisions?

Thank you! Sarah Brown sarahbrownesq@gmail.com Let’s connect on LinkedIn! Twitter: @sarahbrownesq savvyfiles.com