In the association trinity of technology, people, and processes, people are the most essential and perplexing element. When these people are your chapter leaders, “perplexing” can be a sign of trouble.
Chapter leaders are amazing humans. They take on huge volunteer responsibilities in service to their chapter. But humans are fallible creatures too, and sometimes these amazing individuals struggle in their leadership roles.
A chapter’s success is dependent upon the competency of their officers and board. These leaders set the tone for the chapter’s culture, programs, and membership experience. When the wrong leader is in office or when a leader is struggling in office, the impact can be devastating.
Sometimes a chapter leader lacks the skills or aptitude for the job. They’re not “leadership material.”
At the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the leader who wants to be the chapter superhero. Possibly a control freak, they take on too much, hardly ever delegating. But, surprisingly, they get it all done because they revel in being super busy.
However, this is a recipe for burnout. What’s worse, the leader doesn’t delegate, so they aren’t training successors as they should. They aren’t spreading the benefits of volunteer leadership because they hoard everything to themselves. If the work was shared, the chapter could offer more programs.
Some chapter leaders didn’t expect their new role to be so time-consuming. They’re not willing or can’t dedicate that much of their life to chapter duties. Or, life got in the way: perhaps they started a family or got a promotion.
What happens? Leaders don’t meet or communicate regularly, decisions are postponed, programming is meh, and administrative work isn’t getting done.
When leaders can’t or don’t do a good job, it’s bad for everyone. Leadership morale plummets, volunteers lose interest, and members are disappointed. Programs suffer and administrative work is put on the back burner—which could lead to an entirely different crisis.
It’s better to coach a leader and turn a bad situation into a teachable moment, than to remove a leader, unless the situation is dire. Ideally, start with a leader-to-leader conversation, not a staff-to-leader conversation. Ask a past chapter leader, someone whom the leader knows and respects, to provide advice.
Setting up the conversation is a delicate matter. What brought the situation to your attention? Do you need to protect your source? Is there evidence of incompetence? If the “coach” can point to missed deadlines, decrease in chapter activity, unusual actions/decisions, public or known disagreements, or complaints, then the conversation may decrease a bit in its level of awkwardness.
After this initial conversation, go ahead and check in with the leader. Ask questions, listen, offer advice, and make a plan to get things back on track. You may have to arrange help from other leaders and/or members and recommend ways for them to share responsibilities. Or, suggest it might be time they cede the office to someone else.
Remember, when someone’s ego feels threatened, the fences start going up. You need to stroke their ego while appealing to both their emotional and logical mind.
If the situation doesn’t improve, you may have to consider more extreme measures. Do the bylaws say anything about officer/director removal? National’s ability to remove leaders will depend on your relationship (subsidiary or independent) with the component.
Leadership candidates should pass the muster of a nominating committee or board. However, chapter leaders should beware the risk of picking people “like us.” They must be open and objective, and only pick people who have the necessary skills and aptitude for the role.
Leaders should know what they’re getting into and what’s expected of them. Encourage them to discuss the new role with previous leaders so they understand the time commitment required as well as the pros and cons of the job. Ideally, they should serve in chapter roles that prepare them for the next position or shadow the leader ahead of them on the leadership ladder.
Leadership training isn’t a “one and done” event. Support existing and emerging chapter leaders with training resources throughout the year.
Encourage chapters to invest in their own training too. The Association for Corporate Growth incentivizes their chapters to budget for leadership development by providing a match for each chapter that does.
Don’t allow martyr leaders. Show chapter leaders how to share their work with fellow members. This practice must become part of the leadership culture. Contribution and service is a membership benefit. Leaders must share these volunteer opportunities, not hoard them.
Assess the reporting, data entry, and administrative processes that you require from busy chapter leaders. Consider implementing technology that makes it easier for chapters to share data and dues with National, submit reports, and handle financial reconciliation.
Chapter bylaws should define why and how officers and directors can be removed. Every year, chapter officers and directors should sign a code of conduct, conflict of interest, and whistleblower policy.
You can help chapter leaders stay out of trouble by identifying the right people for leadership and providing the training and resources they need. But how do you find these people?
That’s the topic of our next post: chapter leadership succession planning.
It’s a bit miraculous. Year after year, volunteers step up, take on chapter leadership roles, then step aside for the next set of leaders. But you can’t count on miracles. What if no one wants to step up? What if the same people are always stepping up? What if a chapter leader goes AWOL, then what? You’ve got a chapter leader succession crisis on your hands, that’s what.
Every component relations professional (CRP) has or will deal with one of these issues eventually.
It’s downright embarrassing. For a variety of reasons, the leadership ladder is empty. The outgoing president can’t stay on for another year, and other members aren’t willing to step up. Or maybe another position, like treasurer, is impossible to fill.
Another symptom of a succession problem is the same old faces—the same members cycling through officer and board positions. Along with stale leadership, you have the risk of burnout. Plus, this situation gives members the impression of a leadership club or exclusive clique.
The chapter has a president, but she seems to have vanished. You can’t get a hold of her by email or phone. If the chapter has other officers, they’re hesitant to “usurp” the position, but the clock is ticking.
An illness, death, personal emergency, move, or removal from office requires the chapter to find a new leader quickly. The impact of this departure depends on how much notice was given and how much access the chapter has to the former leader. Chaos could reign if other leaders need to transfer check signatories or lose access to bank accounts or software platforms.
Once you understand the situation, craft a compelling series of emails for the chapter about the need for its members to stand up and contribute. Remind members: without them, there is no community.
If the chapter board can’t get one person to take on a leadership role, they can divide the responsibilities among themselves or another group of capable volunteers. Ask chapter directors to personally ask qualified candidates for their help.
Help the chapter conduct an emergency leadership recruitment campaign. Cast a wide net. Look for people who have leadership experience with other organizations, such as chambers, scouts, churches, and service clubs. Provide these recruits an accelerated leadership training program along with coaching support from National and past leaders of other chapters.
In the case of a missing chapter leader, maybe they’re overwhelmed by their real job or a personal crisis. Send them an email (and leave a voicemail too) expressing your concern. Can you help in any way? Can you arrange help for them? Do they need to step aside for a while or step down permanently? Let them know that together you must resolve the situation—put a deadline on it. Otherwise, you’ll have to arrange for their replacement.
If a leader has permanently departed the scene, who’s next in line? Be prepared to provide coaching and support. Don’t try to hide the situation from members. You don’t need to spill all the beans (if they’re confidential), but announce the unexpected departure and ask for their patience during the transition.
Finally, find out what’s really going on. Why isn’t there an interest in leadership? Why are the same members cycling through leadership positions? Is this a systemic issue? Is this chapter viable?
Have individual confidential conversations with past leaders as well as board directors and other volunteer leaders. Find out whether the positions are asking too much of volunteers. Assess the chapter’s leadership recruitment and development efforts.
Chapter boards have the responsibility and duty of building a leadership pipeline and bench. National has a critical role to play by providing leadership training resources, such as a new leader playbook, video series, or online course that guides new leaders through what they need to know and do in their new position.
Chapters must dedicate time and resources to not only train incoming leaders but also members who may be interested in leadership five to ten years from now. For example, young professional groups can offer leadership opportunities for the next generation of leaders. Chapters or National could also run academies or programs for emerging leaders.
Leadership scouting should be a continual activity. During new member onboarding, learn about their volunteering and leadership experience. Find out who has potential for chapter leadership.
National must also encourage chapters to foster an organizational culture that shares the benefits of leadership service, that is, the opportunity to make a difference. Take steps to make leadership positions more desirable by dividing responsibilities so more members have the opportunity to develop leadership skills.
Many chapters think of volunteering only in terms of board and committee service. They neglect the importance of ad hoc volunteering or microvolunteering. Ad hoc or microvolunteering involves short stints of volunteering, perhaps 30 minutes to an hour or two. It’s a great way for members to engage with their chapter—and is often the first step toward deeper involvement.
Advisory boards and task forces provide temporary leadership development opportunities that don’t require a long stretch of time.
No one should hold all the keys to the kingdom. Chapters should follow policies and procedures that mandate financial management best practices. Credentials (usernames and passwords) should be securely stored where other officers can access them. National can act as a backup or “safe deposit box” for confidential information.
Invest in technology that automates repetitive tasks and alleviates the administrative burden of chapter leaders. With a virtual or consolidated banking solution, if a chapter leader departs, you won’t have to worry about transferring check signatories or deal with inaccessible physical bank accounts. National can step in and quickly provide access to the next chapter leader.
With a proactive approach to leadership development and succession planning, chapters are less likely to deal with vacant positions and recycled leadership. If a leader departs the scene, the chapter may experience a hiccup, but it can move on.
Our next topic examines outsourcing and hiring nightmares.
Running a profitable nonprofit business, like an association chapter, is a huge job, especially for volunteers and staff who aren’t experts in all facets of chapter management. For the first time in their lives, many leaders find themselves outside their comfort zone when outsourcing and hiring people to:
Some chapter leaders may think that sounds doable. But here’s the problem: they don’t know what they don’t know. If they run afoul of laws and regulations, or don’t do their due diligence, they could jeopardize the chapter’s finances and reputation.
Chapter leaders bring a wide range of experience and expertise to their volunteering “job.” Some of them have years, maybe decades, of experience hiring employees, or selecting and working with vendors and contractors. But others have never signed a contract or paycheck in their lives.
When inexperienced chapter leaders hire experts, they don’t always know what to look for and what to ask. Think about it. How do you know what to look for in a website developer or software vendor? You don’t because you ask your IT department to vet them, right? If a search engine optimization (SEO) firm calls, you hand them over to the marketing department. Whom do your chapters rely upon?
Just imagine a chapter leader getting a call or email from a local SEO firm promising “page 1” ranking on Google. They don’t do any due diligence because they don’t know how or don’t even realize they should. Unfortunately, the firm uses quickly implemented but ill-advised methods to get a higher Google ranking for the chapter’s website—for a month or so. Then, Google’s web crawlers detect the spammy SEO practices and penalize the website so it’s no longer visible in any search results. Ouch.
The definition of employees vs. contractors has been in the spotlight thanks to California’s new labor law. Chapter leaders who hire employees or contractors must understand the difference between the two. What if they hire someone as an independent contractor to take care of office administration? After a few years, this person realizes they should be receiving the benefits of an employee, so they contact the state wage and labor board. Uh oh.
You’re happy to hear about a successful chapter hiring their first employee. But then someone on the board tells you about the questions asked during prospect interviews. It’s enough to make you cringe. You sense a lawsuit coming.
Every case is different. Was a contract signed? Were the contractually promised services delivered? Did the chapter deliver on their end? Is there any chance of resolving the issue amicably? Is the company local? What’s your lawyer’s number again?
Classifying someone as a contractor who should’ve been an employee will cost you or the chapter, depending on your relationship. The chapter will need legal and financial advice. They’ll also be on the hook for federal and state back taxes, penalties, and interest.
For hiring issues, ignorance is no excuse. You must get legal counsel involved, and quick.
Knowledge truly is power in these situations. Every chapter leader should receive a toolkit that provides all the information they need to lead and manage their chapter, including best practices for outsourcing, contracting services, and hiring employees. Best practices will also help chapters avoid conflict of interest issues too.
The toolkit should include tip sheets and checklists:
Ask the experts in your office for assistance in developing specific vendor checklists.
Develop a checklist that outlines the differences between an employee and a contractor. The IRS website explains the nuances, but keep aware of any state laws, such as California’s, that can complicate the picture. It may be worth your time to find out which chapters are using contractors (1099 as opposed to W2) so you can ensure they’re classified correctly.
Consider having your association take on the human resources (HR) role for chapters. Another option is subsidizing the use of a third-party human resources firm. We know of one national association that took over HR responsibilities for their chapters, even the ones with staff.
You could also encourage chapters to hire an association management company for specific responsibilities, such as meeting planning, marketing, and/or administrative tasks.
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