Apr. 12, 2011 - Jumpstart 2012: A Planning Tool for AEs to Use
One of the new projects I’m working on is a 1-day presentation for Realtor association leadership and staff: “Jumpstart 2012”. My goal for this program is to aim association leadership in the right direction to have a productive year—a year which concentrates on the priorities of each individual organization and strategizes on the highest and best use of that association’s resources.
Right now the real estate community is caught up in a tornado of transition, and the question is “How can we as professional organizations best serve our members? How can we most effectively organize and direct our association resources toward meaningful member service?
The answer lies in the ability to form a knowledgeable leadership team, a partnership between staff and volunteers in which both parties (a) understand the organizational changes taking place in the Realtor community, (b) have identified their own association’s priorities, (c) and are realistic about the obstacles to success. Jumpstart 2012 will create a leadership environment which is efficient, a direction in which decision makers aren’t side-tracked by unimportant issues and politics and in which leaders don’t micromanage the color of the paint on the bathroom walls as a way of escaping from the more significant topics of organizational policy and strategy.
Yeah, you say with a derisive snort, how you gonna do that, Lindenau? I’ve been trying to accomplish this for many moons. I’m getting nowhere, fast!
Well, I reply, I’ve got some useful tools I’ll share as a part of Jumpstart 2012. I’m not all talk: a part of Jumpstart 2012 is some tools that will help you take back your role as the Association Executive. You might have noticed (with some of your peers, of course) that the uncertain leadership tries to second-guess the staff in a lot of management decisions. (“You want to paint the men’s john WHAT color?”) One of the keys to managing micro-minded leadership is to have your AE management tools in place before the paint color questions get asked and the Directors expend valuable energy and brainpower on the reinvention of the organization’s wheel.
One of the first steps you need to take as an AE is to organize your association calendar, set the dates, and then share this with your leaders and members. Simply put, use the following chart as a basis for planning for 2012, and start now. Add the dates—be as specific as you can. Then, share this. Make sure the Directors know the shape of the year and their role in it, that the members can access this, and that you program the events into your staff work schedule.
By using this tool not only will you be better organized, but also your leaders and members will have confidence in your ability to manage the association and bring it continuity and consistency of operations. Feel free to adapt this calendar template to meet your association needs!
Organization Calendar
Name of Organization: ______________________
Evaluate Chief Executive (by referencing progress towards last fiscal year's goals and CEO job description)
Review and update board policies and personnel policies*
Conduct first board retreat (board self-evaluation results, annual strategic planning, )
Conduct annual planning to produce organizational goals and resources need to reach goals*
Establish chief executive's goals for next year (as produced from annual strategic planning) and write 2012 job description for CEO
Draft next year's budget (based on resources needed to reach new strategic goals)
Develop fundraising plan to get additional funds needed for budget
Conduct fundraising plan/RPAC collection
*JWL Consulting supplemental tool
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Jumpstart 2012: A Planning Tool for AEs to Use : Off Stage
via realtown.com
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