|
|
|
|
| ..... The opinions expressed in these articles and features are those of their author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of McANA or the opinion of its Directors or Officers. |
||
|
Keeping Your Association on
the Right Road Regardless of how you cast your vote, or which issues took you to or kept you from the polling place, there is no doubt that the recent election made people think about changes they wanted, values they cherish, and the answers they sought for the future of our country. It made us take stock in ourselves and gave us a renewed sense of purpose. This election, more than any we have seen in many years, made us think about how we want to conduct business. Perhaps some of the energy and debate we saw leading up to November 2nd can now be focused closer to home in our towns and neighborhoods. Becoming active in neighborhoods is often the result of a crisis. Staying involved is a big commitment of time and talent that occasionally requires innovative approaches and evaluation of goals and processes. Complacency is the first step on the slippery slope to obsolescence and it is dangerous to the vitality and purpose of any organization to assume that there isn't room for improvement. Even a successful organization needs to revisit its priorities from time to time to ensure that it still meets a need and fulfills its purpose. Such an examination can serve to reaffirm that, even in changing times, the issues we take up are a constant that still deserve and require attention. Or we may find that we need to set a new course. But taking time from the non-stop "crises management" to truly sit down and list our accomplishments and how they were achieved, and our failures and what went wrong is well worth the investment. Among other benefits, the process helps you identify your strengths and your weaknesses. An honest evaluation of how we function is also critical in building and maintaining a healthy organization. Community work necessarily draws strong personalities, many of whom are accustomed to being in charge and it is sometimes a true challenge to mesh those personalities into a cohesive unit. One of the most successful ways to turn those diverse leadership skills into a plus is to make sure we have a clearly defined organizational structure. Or the obverse could be the problem - everyone is willing to work but no one wants to accept the responsibility of leadership. If that is the case, the organization will have to provide extra support and mentoring to a chosen leader. Whatever kind of leadership structure we have, or how well it operates, there are going to be times when conflict arises among our members. While this may often spur a vigorous debate that in the end produces a more fully thought out plan of action, it can also leave behind a residual resentment amongst members that influences how we work together on future endeavors. This necessitates everyone knowing how to get past those differences and move on to the next task at hand. Again, this is one of the most difficult hurdles an organization may face, but the work of neighborhood groups is too important to vest our time and energy in holding grudges. Volunteer groups in this day and age must also combine traditional methods of operation with new approaches to carrying out the work that needs to be done even more desperately than in the past. We live in a society that changes daily, moves quickly, and makes ever increasing demands on our time. The days of everyone getting together on a Sunday afternoon and planning the "Fall Festival" over coffee and cake are, regrettably, behind us. While opportunities to come together in person to discuss issues and set goals are still cornerstones in building unity and refreshing enthusiasm, we must find alternatives to ensure that the work gets done. Everyone's time is scarce and we cannot automatically disqualify someone from participating in neighborhood affairs simply because their schedules do not permit attendance at every meeting. Time is one of the most valuable assets anyone has to offer their community and we must constantly look at creative ways to utilize whatever talents are made available to the critical work neighborhoods do. An organization can be greatly challenged in keeping its general membership engaged and making sure the leadership stays connected with the wishes of those it represents. Again, we cannot assume that just because hundreds of people do not turn out for every meeting, no one is interested in what is happening. Human nature, and the demands placed on people's time, seems to lean toward responding to a crises more than dealing with everyday details or the subtle building of events that may eventually lead to a crises. A lack of filled chairs at a meeting doesn't automatically mean that people don't care about or appreciate what an organization is trying to accomplish - sometimes, it just means that people trust or need you to carry out the goals and objectives of the organization while they are taking care of some other need at some other place. This doesn't mean we should take for granted that we are always doing the right thing. Organizations can become stagnant or obsolete by assuming they know best. We must constantly evaluate whether our work is germane to the issues to which we devote our energies. We should never be afraid to seek the opinions of others from both inside and outside our organization and gain fresh perspectives. At the same time, we must set a course and move boldly forward, not allowing adversaries and nay sayers to undermine our goals and convictions by suggesting that we are out-of-step simply because our perspective differs from theirs or that we are ineffective simply because those we represent are not standing behind us at every press conference. How do we sustain our confidence without being over confident? How do we constantly evaluate our goals and still maintain a straight and true path for carrying out our objectives? How do we gauge a person's involvement and commitment to a common cause? How do we retain the strength of seasoned champions while constantly seeking to bring new energy to the table? How do we keep our long-range vision in sight while overcoming the hurdles presented in day to day details? How do we determine when we have veered off course and need to rethink our direction? These are tough questions with no predetermined answers - perhaps no answers at all - or perhaps answers that will change every time the questions are asked. I certainly do not have all the answers. But we need to ask the questions, cast our votes, set our priorities and work together to take care of the business at hand.
Cathy Burton send comments
to webmaster@mcanaindy.org |
|||
2004
