Cynthia D’Amour on Leadership and Life

  Speak for a treat.

I’ve been working on teaching Raindrop to speak on command.

• She barks a lot.
• We live on a corner.
• She likes to say “hi” to everyone.

According to the pros, the best way to teach a dog to not bark is to teach them how to speak on command.

It’s been a trip.

At first I had to catch Raindrop barking and give her a treat.

• She was shocked.
• She stopped barking immediately.
• She’s quite a food dog.

Then it became a game.

• Raindrop would bark.
• And look at me for a treat.
• Didn’t always work.

I’ve incorporated nodding my head into asking Raindrop to speak.

• She’s pretty sharp and barks if I just nod.
• She also barks if I nod and ask something like, “Raindrop, are girls smarter than boys?”
• I’m excited about the cool party tricks we are going to do together…

We haven’t made it to the quiet command yet - and Raindrop is changing.

• She’s barking less on her own.
• She’s happier when she does bark - treats work wonders.
• She seems closer to me due to working with her - a neat side benefit.

I’m wondering about the cross application to people who talk too much…

• Could asking them to speak make them quieter?
• Would they feel closer to me too?
• What do you think the treat would need to be?

Makes me think of chapter leaders…how do you train your volunteers to speak up when appropriate?

Filed under: Adventures of Raindrop, Savvy Leadership | No Comments »

We don’t have much.

This morning, we had an insulation guru check out our house to see what we can do to keep our heating bills down this winter.

• We have a 100 year old house.
• In the winter, our bedroom is so cold I wear a hat on my head to sleep.

Here’s what I learned…

• Parts of our house are double brick with no real room for insulation.
• Other areas, probably bumped out in the early 1900s, have no insulation.
• It’s not the answer I was expecting.

We talked about old time construction - why we have a few cracks here and there.

• I worried a good wind might blow us over.
• I have googled for hours…
• WOW! My house is built to last another 100 years with ease.

(Who knew? Obviously not me.)

I’ve been wasting energy worrying about a situation that did not exist.

• What a relief.
• How frustrating.
• Lesson learned: Don’t worry. Call an expert.

Makes me think of chapter leaders…What’s the story going on under your chapter’s roof? How do you know?

Filed under: Board challenges, Savvy Leadership | No Comments »

I want more U’s!

This just in (again)…

Dear Cynthia,

I found your email/profile/website.

I am great. Really great. I am so great.

Can I have your money?

                     Hopefully, Your new friend

No, this isn’t an email from those crazy guys in Nigeria giving me millions of dollars - if I only give them access to my bank account.

• And it isn’t an exact quote.
• It’s another promotional email trying to get me to part with money or time.
• (The third one today offering legitimate stuff.)

The problem is the pitch is all about them - not about ME.

Think about it…

Would you buy this house?

• I moved here three years ago.
• I painted the walls these fantastic colors.
• I picked out this tile from 200 samples.
• I love waking up in this room with the sun in my eyes.
• This is my favorite house.

(I am really wonderful.) Do you want to buy my house?

• Probably not.
• The house isn’t relevant to you.

If promoters want my time or money they need to shift gears.

• They need to show me they know me.
• The pitch needs to be all about me.
• Plus right now they don’t sound very fun.

(What do you think? Am I off base or just on a Friday rant?)

Makes me think of chapter leaders…when make your membership pitch is it all about your chapter or the potential new member?

Filed under: Getting More Members Involved, Recruiting New Members | No Comments »

  Yes you can.

More than 50% of members of a local church are under age 35.

• What makes them attractive to younger members?
• Many traditional religious organizations are aging out.

I took a peek at their website to see what was different. I found…

• Diversity in offerings.
• A multimedia experience - both online and in person.
• Gourmet coffee offered before, during and after services.

I also found a unique twist I haven’t seen before. The church offered some key materials in a variety of formats.

• “Printer-friendly” (10 pt)
• “Boomer-friendly” (14 point)
• “iPhone-friendly”

It’s interesting food for thought.

• They meet members where they are.
• The fairly simple to produce options create a customized experience.
• Plus, people who appear hipper than their eyes feel can download readable information in the privacy of their home.

I wonder what an in-person visit would be like… (nice job!)

Makes me think of chapter leaders…what message does your website give to prospective members?

Filed under: Recruiting New Members, Savvy Leadership | 3 Comments »

I just want your money.

Today I got a call from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

• I was in the middle of a strategic discussion.
• But, I volunteer a lot for ASAE.
• Thought it might be something important.

I took the call.

His name - well, it doesn’t really matter.

• He told me he was a paid representative.
• He was calling about the annual meeting I am speaking at.

He read me a script about buying tickets for the foundation event.

• He didn’t ask me any questions.
• He didn’t breathe very often.
• He just read the script.

I listened out of respect for ASAE - plus I was sure he would ask me something.

• Instead he gave me a web address for tickets.
• Said thank you.
• And hung up.

With no comment, input - or even goodbye from me.

I was surprised…

• I trusted a call from ASAE would be of value.
• Instead they wasted my time.

As I struggled to regain the momentum of my interrupted discussion, I wondered how many members ASAE ticked off today?

• Not sure why they didn’t just use a recorded message.
• Felt the same to me.

Makes me think of chapter leaders…when you do outreach to members, how do you make sure the contact feels genuine?

Filed under: Getting More Members Involved, Savvy Leadership | 2 Comments »

  You know who I’m talking about…

Every chapter has at least one or two members who seem to go out of their way to get in your way - and make you nuts!

It doesn’t have to be that way…

• What are you doing next Tuesday, July 15th from 8:00 - 8:50 PM ET?
• Consider being my guest a special event at the Chapter Leaders Playground

Marilyn Suttle, author of Love Them Up and Keep Them Forever, is back at the Playground by popular demand.

• She’s my good friend.
• She’s also brilliant when it comes to working with difficult people.

Marilyn’s going to talk with you about how you can:

• Use simple strategies to regain your sanity,
• Have a working relationship with your “favorite members” 
• Lead a successful team filled with a cast of characters from your chapter.

If you are frustrated by you-know-who, this is a program you must attend!

Even better… I want to gift this program to you (and other leaders from your chapter) because:

• Many of you are in unneccesary pain.
• The world is more diverse - and so is your chapter if you are going to grow.
• I’m a heck of a nice person.

It’s also a great way for me to get you to check out the high caliber programs we hold at the Chapter Leaders Playground.

Here’s the special registration link so you can attend as my guest.

http://www.chapterleadersplayground.org/event/blog_batty

Go sign up now.

• Space is limited.
• We’ve already got a pretty big crowd attending.

Makes me think of chapter leaders… how do you give your potential members an opportunity to try out what it feels like to be a member?

Filed under: Board challenges | No Comments »

Some think so.

It’s 8:00 AM, Tuesday, July 8th. The iPhone 3G is not available until July 11th.

Loyal fans are already lined up and will be camping out in New York City for THREE MORE DAYS to get one of the first phones available.

• It’s hot.
• They had to take time off work.
• They’ll be living on the street.

They think it’s worth it.

Makes me think of chapter leaders…what does your chapter offer that’s worth waiting for like the iPhone 3G?

(Photo courtesy of Apple)

Filed under: Getting More Members Involved | No Comments »

 Because the promo made it sound like a bore!

So I’m having lunch with a woman who belongs to a group I joined and never really connected with - not sure why I keep paying dues. I’ve got six more months…

Anyhow, she asks why I wasn’t at the big party.

What big party? Only thing I’ve seen promoted lately was the Awards Dinner.

You know how too many of those events are…

• Boring.
• Too long.
• Not very relevant to me.

She tells me about this amazing party she attended -THE Awards Dinner I did not attend - even though I was in town!

• I got ticked.
• Why didn’t the promo talk about all the neat stuff that happened?

All I got were email promos talking about “best party ever” - come on!

• I’m new and have no emotional connection the chapter.
• I don’t believe comments that pump up without telling how.
• Everyone says “best ever” to drive up attendance!

I didn’t attend because value wasn’t easy for me to see.

I wonder how many members skip amazing events because promotions are generic and so we make decisions based on our past experiences?

Makes me think of chapter leaders… How do you help members really get the benefits of attending your events in your promotions?

Filed under: Getting More Members Involved, Recruiting New Members | No Comments »