4/15/2011
What makes a viable professional association?
For my IAAP friends, we'll discuss the specifics behind proposed amendment one in a minute. FOr those outside of IAAP, there is an amendment to the IAAP bylaws up for vote at this year's Annual Meeting to require IAAP local chapters to maintain a minimum of 15 members, the same number that is required to charter a new chapter. Any chapter that has less than 15 members faces being disbanded by IAAP HQ. It brings to mind a larger question: What constitutes a viable professional development organization? I am a member of just two - IAAP and Toastmasters. In both groups I have seen the mission of the organization get buried under politics. In both, I have seen individuals come to believe that they, as individuals, are bigger than the organization, that all actions at the local level must run through them, and that there are two ways to accomplish a task - "my way" and "the wrong way." I have been witness, again in both organizations, to groups at the local level become little more than poisonous units where nothing of value is accomplished. Today, IAAP is completely powerless to stop it, and Toastmasters is very limited in stopping it. So again, what makes a professional development association viable and valuable? IAAP and Toastmasters have excellent mission statements and expect local chapters/clubs to uphold them and live by them. That is part of what keeps me involved. I absolutely have no bloody idea why someone would join a professional association for no other reason than to have it appear on their resume. Yet we all know they are out there - they pay their dues, come to a meeting or two, if at all, assume no leadership roles, and won't even work on a leader's committee. When you press them to be more involved, the vast majority of the time they respond, "No, I don't have time." What is the point in this? If you apply for a job in a corporations communications department, and the hiring manager sees that you are a member of Toastmasters in addition to your communications or journalism degree, and that might be the thing to get you the job. But won't you, the hiring manager, and your colleagues get very frustrated very quickly when they find out there is nothig extraordinary about your communication skills vs anyone else's, because you haven't been to a Toastmasters meeting in 6 months and haven't given a speech in a year? Personally, if I had these associations on my resume and was using those memberships to advance my career, and yet was not participating in anything the associations were doing, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. To me, you are essentially lying on your resume, and the expected extra skills that turn out not to be there will find you out. And probably bite you hard on the backside. Apparently, as far as these "under 15" chapters is concerned, IAAP HQ has had enough. The International Board of Directors has proposed the amendment mentioned at the top of the post. For the first time in 5 years, I will not be attending the meeting, and this news adds to my sorrow for missing out. This promises to bring out a debate every bit as vigorous as the debate to increase international dues by $25 at the 2009 Minneapolis meeting. I have already seen opposition to the amendments in the social media universe. Some are worried that very viable chapters, with membership levels decimated by members losing their jobs, will be wiped out without just cause. There is angst about chapters that have been around for decades being unceremoniously disbanded. Those are definitely legitimate concerns. However, I am in favor of the amendment. I look at my own local chapter and there is plenty of evidence for it. As I've mentioned in my IAAP testimony before, I and one other IAAP member decided in spring 2005 to try to start a chapter in downtown Charlotte. The way new chapters must be chartered quickly puts you into a catch-22 - I lost track of how many times people told me, "As soon as you charter, I'll join," but of course I needed 15 people to join to charter the chapter. As I'm sure you can imagine, it got very frustrating. I would go home and literally bang my head against the wall on many a night. When I finally crossed paths with the crew at The Shaw Group who joined in, we got to 10 commitments and I thought we were home free. But then we hit another wall. I would privately share with my wife that I thought this setup was wrong - that there were a number of nearby chapters that had less than 15 members, and why do they get to continue to sail along and I have to out-do them in membership to get something started? Fortunately, I eventually got a meeting with some admins in the Bank of America legal department, where there were willing members and a willing executive sponsor, and the chapter was off and running. This coming Monday, April 18, it will have been exactly 2 years since our chartering. We chartered with 18 people. How many do we have today? 18. We have lost a few and gained a few, and the last 2 that joined have immediately plunged headlong into leadership roles and have quickly built some badly-needed momentum. After serving as President the first year, I rolled off this year and have assumed the Past President role, which in our chapter keeps you on the board of directors, but only as an advisor and carrying no vote in decision-making matters. Our Past President is also in charge of the next year's elections. At our meeting next Wednesday, I must present a slate of candidates for officers for the new year. Up to yesterday, I had none. For any office. A few key people are now engaging in coaxing, encouraging, and outright arm-twisting to ensure we will have a full 7-person board for the coming year. It is often said that in any volunteer organization, 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. I have always observed that to be true. So if you have 10-12 people in a chapter or club, you probably have 2 or 3 people doing all the work. It must be unbelievably frustrating and exhausting for them. Trying to believe the best in people, I would like to believe that passage of this amendment would motivate enough people in chapter on the borderline of disbandment to jump in and do the work needed to get the chapter not only to the required 15, but well beyond. There might be initial pain of some chapters that get the axe, but I think could inspire enough in others to get them growing again, and the association as a whole will be the better for it. What say you?
4/09/2011
Throwing myself into social media
Well, I finally did it. After years of making fun of its users, and for the technology for being nothing more than an annoying tool for narcicists to tell everyone what they are eating for breakfast, I signed up for a Twitter account. It wasn't entirely my idea. It came about from one of IAAP Charlotte Center City chapter's newest members, a lady I had been recruiting for a couple years while trying to line up the required 15 members to start the chapter. She never did join at that time, but our current president made contact with her and she joined us. Prez put her to work right away; she's in charge of our chapter newsletter. She saw our long-dormant Facebook page and it was suggested I give her admin rights, which I did. She also set up a Twitter feed for us. So I decided to be a team player and sign up. You can follow us @IAAP_C4. While we are on a roll, I set up a chapter group on LInkedIn for us as well. Social media marches on. I decided not to get left behind. I do promise not to bore the world with tweets about what I'm eating for breakfast though.
Hitting the re-set button again
The home PC was out of commission for several months. Now that it's back up, I mean to get back to posting regularly again. I'm working Tue-Fri 10 hour days now. I think that's going to help. We have convinced all our doctors to see us on Mondays, so I have that day off and won't need to take PTO to see doctors any longer. YES!
8/10/2010
IAAP and Toastmasters
While I was still searching for the needed 15 people to charter the IAAP Charlotte Center City chapter, I had lunch with a lady named Marcia who I was attmpting to convince to join the effort. Turns out she had a recruiting mission as well. She couldn't finanically commit to IAAP, but she was involved with a fantastic professional development organization that she wanted me to check out. That organization was Toastmasters. I figured since she listened to my sales pitch, it was only right that I listen to hers. I went to the meeting that week. I was extremely impressed. Most people have heard of Toastmasters, since it's been around since 1924, there are thousands of clubs, and well over 200,000 members, and it has a well-established reputation for helping people polish their verbal communication skills. But it also has an excellent leadership development program. Upon my third visit, I concluded that both development tracks would give me skills that would be very useful in leading a new IAAP chapter. So I joined the High Energy Toastmasters Club on December 1, 2008.
I jumped headlong into the communication program, and completed the first manual of speech projects, the Competent Communication manual, 11 months later. The cool thing is that once you finish the CC manual, you get to go on to work on advanced speaking manuals. Each advanced manual has 5 speech projects, so each time you complete 2 manuals (and in some cases, other requirements), you can be an Advanced Communicator Bronze, Silver and Gold. I'll finish the bronze level in November of this year, Lord willing and I can stay on the schedule I have set for myself.
On the leadership track, there is an opening manual called Competent Leadership. There are 10 projects that help you develop key leadership skills, such as listening, facilitating and team building. These were particularly helpful skills once the Charlotte Center City chapter was chartered and I found myself facilitating board and chapter meetings. It was a bit rough at first, but by the time my term as chapter president ended in June of this year, things were running smoother.
Now I'm working on some official leadership positions in Toastmasters. I am the High Energy club's Sgt. At Arms this year, and I will likely run for a higher office next year, and eventually run for club president. I'm also serving as an Assistant Area Governor. (For the uninitiated, the Toastmasters organizational structure goes like this: 3-4 clubs make up an area, 3-4 areas make up a division, and the divisions roll up to districts, which is basically the state level. Districts roll in to regions, to the international leadership.) Our club's VP of Public Relations is Area Governor over 4 clubs that meet in uptown Charlotte. As his assistant, I'm accompanying him to visit each of his clubs over the next week - one today, one tomorrow, one Thursday and one on August 23.
As for Marcia, she never did join IAAP, but one other member of the High Energy club did.
I know there are a number of people who are in both IAAP and Toastmasters. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how one has helped the other.
I jumped headlong into the communication program, and completed the first manual of speech projects, the Competent Communication manual, 11 months later. The cool thing is that once you finish the CC manual, you get to go on to work on advanced speaking manuals. Each advanced manual has 5 speech projects, so each time you complete 2 manuals (and in some cases, other requirements), you can be an Advanced Communicator Bronze, Silver and Gold. I'll finish the bronze level in November of this year, Lord willing and I can stay on the schedule I have set for myself.
On the leadership track, there is an opening manual called Competent Leadership. There are 10 projects that help you develop key leadership skills, such as listening, facilitating and team building. These were particularly helpful skills once the Charlotte Center City chapter was chartered and I found myself facilitating board and chapter meetings. It was a bit rough at first, but by the time my term as chapter president ended in June of this year, things were running smoother.
Now I'm working on some official leadership positions in Toastmasters. I am the High Energy club's Sgt. At Arms this year, and I will likely run for a higher office next year, and eventually run for club president. I'm also serving as an Assistant Area Governor. (For the uninitiated, the Toastmasters organizational structure goes like this: 3-4 clubs make up an area, 3-4 areas make up a division, and the divisions roll up to districts, which is basically the state level. Districts roll in to regions, to the international leadership.) Our club's VP of Public Relations is Area Governor over 4 clubs that meet in uptown Charlotte. As his assistant, I'm accompanying him to visit each of his clubs over the next week - one today, one tomorrow, one Thursday and one on August 23.
As for Marcia, she never did join IAAP, but one other member of the High Energy club did.
I know there are a number of people who are in both IAAP and Toastmasters. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how one has helped the other.
8/04/2010
2010 EFAM Review, Part VII – Post-EFAM thoughts
For those that have attended EFAM, you know why it’s a can’t-miss event. If you haven’t attended or if you aren’t an admin, it’s hard to put into words what it does to you. I’ll give it a shot.
I don’t know about other professions, but when administrative professionals gather in one place, the camaraderie is instantaneous. Every profession has its rewarding part and the parts that dance all over your last nerve. With admins, we seem to have an innate ability to pass that “I feel your pain” vibe to one another. If you are even the slightest bit open to others, you can become fast friends with almost anyone you spend time with. So you bond with people very quickly. This is also what makes the end of EFAM so dadgum heartbreaking. You bond with folks and then you have to part ways, usually until next year at EFAM. Many people voice their dismay at how you wait and plan for EFAM all year, then when you get there, it seems like it’s over barely after it begins. And along with the bonding is the encouragement. As admins, it is easy for all our “behind the scenes” work to occasionally be taken for granted. In a convention center full of admins, encouraging words and pats on the back provide a much-needed emotional lift. After my very brief speech on Monday opposing proposed bylaw amendment 2, I received several compliments each day for the rest of the conference, many calling my remarks “spot-on” and thanks for speaking up for many non-delegates in the audience who also disapproved of the new requirements.
Another great aspect of EFAM is all the educational opportunities. It’s nice to get away from the daily grind and spend some time on your own professional development. In turning down my request for company funding this year, my boss cited “all the good development opportunities of in-house training classes.” Quite frankly, our in-house stuff isn’t really all that valuable. And after 2 years of not getting any more than 5-10 people to sign up for any classes, they dropped the admin-specific classes. (That especially sucked, because I was usually one of the 5-10 people that signed up.) Granted, EFAM has trotted out a few clunkers, but generally speaking, the workshops have been top-notch. Laura Stack (AKA The Productivity Pro) comes just about every other year and never does anything halfway. Most of the other instructors are experts who give valuable things for us to take home.
And no company in the world can replicate the Office Expo in-house. This enhances us as experts back home, because we see the new products first at the Expo and can train others on their use when we get back to the office. It’s so much more than a chance to get free stuff. It’s also a chance to meet with real people at the companies where we buy supplies, give them valuable feedback on their products, and to build relationships with them.
I made a decision before departing for Boston that I was going to make this my best EFAM yet by concentrating on making the most of the opportunity. Each day I strove to drink it all in, to really “be in the moment.” I think I managed to do that pretty well. I absorbed much in the networking, the education and the general atmosphere. I made sure to show appreciation for the friends I have made at these past 5 EFAMs. And, as icing on the cake, I brought home 12.5 recertification points.
I’m glad I put in that effort to appreciate EFAM, because it’s is going to take nothing short of a God-autographed miracle for me to go to Montreal next year. The costs of transportation and accommodations will be significantly higher than they were for me in Boston. The Band-Aid we put on our fickle, 25-year-old HVAC unit may not last to the end of summer, so it’s pretty certain that all tax refund and bonus money will be devoted to its replacement. About the only way I can see me making it is if the company agrees to pay all expenses. And unless the economy takes off in a way no one is predicting, the purse strings will probably remain very tight.
But there is plenty of time for a miracle to materialize. For now, I’ll just bask in the great memories of the 2010 EFAM in Boston.
I don’t know about other professions, but when administrative professionals gather in one place, the camaraderie is instantaneous. Every profession has its rewarding part and the parts that dance all over your last nerve. With admins, we seem to have an innate ability to pass that “I feel your pain” vibe to one another. If you are even the slightest bit open to others, you can become fast friends with almost anyone you spend time with. So you bond with people very quickly. This is also what makes the end of EFAM so dadgum heartbreaking. You bond with folks and then you have to part ways, usually until next year at EFAM. Many people voice their dismay at how you wait and plan for EFAM all year, then when you get there, it seems like it’s over barely after it begins. And along with the bonding is the encouragement. As admins, it is easy for all our “behind the scenes” work to occasionally be taken for granted. In a convention center full of admins, encouraging words and pats on the back provide a much-needed emotional lift. After my very brief speech on Monday opposing proposed bylaw amendment 2, I received several compliments each day for the rest of the conference, many calling my remarks “spot-on” and thanks for speaking up for many non-delegates in the audience who also disapproved of the new requirements.
Another great aspect of EFAM is all the educational opportunities. It’s nice to get away from the daily grind and spend some time on your own professional development. In turning down my request for company funding this year, my boss cited “all the good development opportunities of in-house training classes.” Quite frankly, our in-house stuff isn’t really all that valuable. And after 2 years of not getting any more than 5-10 people to sign up for any classes, they dropped the admin-specific classes. (That especially sucked, because I was usually one of the 5-10 people that signed up.) Granted, EFAM has trotted out a few clunkers, but generally speaking, the workshops have been top-notch. Laura Stack (AKA The Productivity Pro) comes just about every other year and never does anything halfway. Most of the other instructors are experts who give valuable things for us to take home.
And no company in the world can replicate the Office Expo in-house. This enhances us as experts back home, because we see the new products first at the Expo and can train others on their use when we get back to the office. It’s so much more than a chance to get free stuff. It’s also a chance to meet with real people at the companies where we buy supplies, give them valuable feedback on their products, and to build relationships with them.
I made a decision before departing for Boston that I was going to make this my best EFAM yet by concentrating on making the most of the opportunity. Each day I strove to drink it all in, to really “be in the moment.” I think I managed to do that pretty well. I absorbed much in the networking, the education and the general atmosphere. I made sure to show appreciation for the friends I have made at these past 5 EFAMs. And, as icing on the cake, I brought home 12.5 recertification points.
I’m glad I put in that effort to appreciate EFAM, because it’s is going to take nothing short of a God-autographed miracle for me to go to Montreal next year. The costs of transportation and accommodations will be significantly higher than they were for me in Boston. The Band-Aid we put on our fickle, 25-year-old HVAC unit may not last to the end of summer, so it’s pretty certain that all tax refund and bonus money will be devoted to its replacement. About the only way I can see me making it is if the company agrees to pay all expenses. And unless the economy takes off in a way no one is predicting, the purse strings will probably remain very tight.
But there is plenty of time for a miracle to materialize. For now, I’ll just bask in the great memories of the 2010 EFAM in Boston.
8/03/2010
2010 EFAM Review, Part VI – Thursday, July 22
There was still an agenda item for Thursday, even though EFAM was officially concluded. Chapter and Division leaders could attend the Leadership Workshop (non-leaders have the option of signing up for a post-EFAM workshop as well). It started with a presentation by Bretthauer and Rannals on fiduciary responsibility as IAAP leaders. Then came the learning opportunity I never expected – a presentation by Stephanie D’Amour, “Embrace Your Lazy Leader.” The idea is instead of working at a 12 on a scale of 1-10 by yourself, you should work at a 5 on that scale, and get 3 others to join you doing the same, and for those 3 to each get 3 more to work at the same level. As a result, you have 10 people working at a 5 rate instead of 1 person working at a 12 rate.
But what about the 90% of your chapter members that say, “I don’t have time?” It’s all in how you interact with them. If you ask them to do something and they can sense dread in your voice, they’ll assume it’s a mountain of work and decline. Or, you may have asked them to do something and it’s not something they want to develop. Instead of approaching them with what you think you can offer them, find out what they want to do. Maybe they do boss calendaring all day and desperately want to do something creative. Well, that’s when you offer them to work on the chapter newsletter or publicity efforts. Maybe they spend all day in Microsoft Office and really want to do event planning. Then you can put them in touch with the Programs and/or Events committee. The key is to find out what they want to do, and offer them a chance to do it.
Oh, man, I can’t wait to get in front of our chapter’s new board and share all this! They’ll be thrilled they paid half my registration fee.
Now, after a few more final goodbyes, it was off to catch the shuttle to the airport and get back to Charlotte. I had to very quickly change hats from IAAP member to husband – July 22 was our 10th anniversary. I cashed in some Hilton Honors points for a free weekend at the hotel downtown. On Monday, I’ll go back to work where I can get some rest.
Next up, some final thoughts.
But what about the 90% of your chapter members that say, “I don’t have time?” It’s all in how you interact with them. If you ask them to do something and they can sense dread in your voice, they’ll assume it’s a mountain of work and decline. Or, you may have asked them to do something and it’s not something they want to develop. Instead of approaching them with what you think you can offer them, find out what they want to do. Maybe they do boss calendaring all day and desperately want to do something creative. Well, that’s when you offer them to work on the chapter newsletter or publicity efforts. Maybe they spend all day in Microsoft Office and really want to do event planning. Then you can put them in touch with the Programs and/or Events committee. The key is to find out what they want to do, and offer them a chance to do it.
Oh, man, I can’t wait to get in front of our chapter’s new board and share all this! They’ll be thrilled they paid half my registration fee.
Now, after a few more final goodbyes, it was off to catch the shuttle to the airport and get back to Charlotte. I had to very quickly change hats from IAAP member to husband – July 22 was our 10th anniversary. I cashed in some Hilton Honors points for a free weekend at the hotel downtown. On Monday, I’ll go back to work where I can get some rest.
Next up, some final thoughts.
8/02/2010
2010 EFAM Review, Part V – Wednesday, July 21
While the official program at EFAM has undergone some changes each of the last 2 years, Wednesday has always remained the day of nothing but educational workshops. Totally by accident, I signed up for 4 Wednesday classes all in the same room. First up was “Administrative Professionals Today,” discussing workplace trends. The speaker brought no handouts, citing her love of recycling and saving trees. Of course, if I had known that up front, I’d probably have sat up front where I could see the presentation on the screen. So I got little out of that.
The rest of my classes were taught by Lisa Olsen, a former IAAP member in California. “The Power of Professional Integrity,” “Keep your eye on the target – remaining focused amid chaos and change,” and “Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace” were all outstanding. She did bring handouts, and kept the classes interactive so nobody could doze off.
So, with only 1 real dud among my workshops this year, I can conclude that the workshops were better than last year. (I had 3 phenomenal Laura Stack workshops last year, but also had 3 that were complete wastes of time.)
After a full day of stuffing your brain full of new knowledge, it was time to go back to the hotel and prepare for the banquet. This was also a good time to get as much packing done as possible, so as not to have to do it in the morning.
The dinner itself had some bumps. Our server sure seemed like she would rather be anywhere else but where she was. She stopped serving entrees to our table after serving 6 of the 10 of us. We had to beg for help again to get our entrée plates cleared and dessert served. And unfortunately for me, I was at a table full of people who despise beef that isn’t well done, with a fiery, burning passion. I had no problem with the rare cut of beef – for me, when the cow stops mooing, take it off the grill.
The presentations at the final night banquet are usually ho-hum, not very exciting stuff. This year was better than typical. The 2 companies that received the IAAP Award for Excellence – Oak Ridge Universities and Pfizer – were genuinely excited and appreciative of the award. Of IAAP’s 35 districts, 20 of them achieved Division of Excellence status. New President Ramsay-Drow got us all revved up for the new IAAP year by speaking on this year’s theme, “Passion & Purpose.” This is also a time to say goodbyes and get pics before you part ways for another year. The reception after the banquet gives a chance to interact with the newly-installed International Board. As an added bonus, one of my friends invited me for one last round at the hotel bar. She didn’t have to ask me twice.
Coming up next, Thursday activities, including getting some knowledge I never expected that could have a wonderful effect on the chapter at home.
The rest of my classes were taught by Lisa Olsen, a former IAAP member in California. “The Power of Professional Integrity,” “Keep your eye on the target – remaining focused amid chaos and change,” and “Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace” were all outstanding. She did bring handouts, and kept the classes interactive so nobody could doze off.
So, with only 1 real dud among my workshops this year, I can conclude that the workshops were better than last year. (I had 3 phenomenal Laura Stack workshops last year, but also had 3 that were complete wastes of time.)
After a full day of stuffing your brain full of new knowledge, it was time to go back to the hotel and prepare for the banquet. This was also a good time to get as much packing done as possible, so as not to have to do it in the morning.
The dinner itself had some bumps. Our server sure seemed like she would rather be anywhere else but where she was. She stopped serving entrees to our table after serving 6 of the 10 of us. We had to beg for help again to get our entrée plates cleared and dessert served. And unfortunately for me, I was at a table full of people who despise beef that isn’t well done, with a fiery, burning passion. I had no problem with the rare cut of beef – for me, when the cow stops mooing, take it off the grill.
The presentations at the final night banquet are usually ho-hum, not very exciting stuff. This year was better than typical. The 2 companies that received the IAAP Award for Excellence – Oak Ridge Universities and Pfizer – were genuinely excited and appreciative of the award. Of IAAP’s 35 districts, 20 of them achieved Division of Excellence status. New President Ramsay-Drow got us all revved up for the new IAAP year by speaking on this year’s theme, “Passion & Purpose.” This is also a time to say goodbyes and get pics before you part ways for another year. The reception after the banquet gives a chance to interact with the newly-installed International Board. As an added bonus, one of my friends invited me for one last round at the hotel bar. She didn’t have to ask me twice.
Coming up next, Thursday activities, including getting some knowledge I never expected that could have a wonderful effect on the chapter at home.
8/01/2010
2010 EFAM Review, Part IV – Tuesday, July 20
Tuesday, July 20 was a day of educational workshops, bookended by morning and afternoon keynote speakers. This is a change for EFAM, as Tuesday evening was always the spot for an evening of entertainment. I wasn’t sorry to see that go; the EE was almost always some tribute band playing 60s music, and that doesn’t do much for me. Having an additional keynote – and an additional recertification point – was OK by me.
First, let’s cover the workshops. I attended a morning workshop on developing an admin processes & procedures binder. Developing such a binder will be a big benefit to anyone who may have to cover for you if you are out, or as a training guide for your successor. This tops my list of August projects. I was also seminar monitor for a class on creating dynamite newsletters. I brought a handout back for our new chapter President, who is taking on the responsibility of publishing our chapter newsletter.
In the afternoon, I took a class on “More Time for You,” a class on breaking the cycle of too much to do and not enough time to do it. Some basic time management techniques were covered. It was a good class, but because I have taken enough classes and read enough books by Laura Stack on this subject, everyone else pales in comparison. I’d rate these 2 classes a 7 on a 1-10 scale.
The keynote addresses, however, were an entirely different matter.
The morning keynote was Vernice Armour, the first-ever African-American female Marine Corps pilot. Her childhood dream was to be a police officer. By age 24, she had accomplished that feat. She joined the Marines basically on a challenge from a friend. She told harrowing stories about life in the police force as well as life on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. She challenged us to acknowledge our obstacles, but to not give them power. Like many motivational speakers, she used an acronym to spell out her message – MENTOR (Mentor/mentee, Education, Networking, Teamwork, Outstanding leadership, Role model). She also used her attire for dramatic effect – she came out dressed in her fighter pilot uniform and toward the end of her talk, she took it off, revealing a normal business suit underneath. She said it was to illustrate that she was a regular person like everyone else. Of course she’s not like everyone else. She is very dynamic and inspirational.
The afternoon keynote at 5 PM proved to be equal to the task of following the morning keynote. Erin Brockovich, it can be argued, is the most famous admin of all time. If you have seen the Julia Roberts movie that bears her name, you are familiar with the story. For those that haven’t seen it, here it is: She married young and had some kids, then divorced, and eventually decided she wanted to live in California. Once there, she was in a terrible car accident. She got help from a nearby law firm, and they eventually hired her as a file clerk. One day, during the course of her work, she encountered some suspicious documents that implicated that the local utility was knowingly discharging toxic chemicals into the river that a nearby town used for its water supply. Brockovich pursued the case and, with the help of an attorney at the firm, eventually forced the utility into the largest lawsuit settlement in US history. Brockovich told of the pitfalls of becoming a sudden celebrity, the personal satisfaction of standing your ground, and the need to press onward and not read too much of your own press. She concluded by challenging us to “go out there and kick some serious ass!” (Yes, her language was a bit salty at times, which was a big shock to some of the older ones in the audience.)
IAAP couldn’t have done better in bringing these 2 fabulous speakers in. Armour’s keynote was the best I have heard in 5 years of attending EFAM. Brockovich ranks up there next to Simon T Bailey’s keynote in New Orleans in 2008. You want a 1-10 scale for these keynotes? A 12, for both of them. Afterward, I didn’t hear anyone bemoaning the loss of the evening of entertainment.
Next up will be a review of Wednesday, the last official day of the conference
First, let’s cover the workshops. I attended a morning workshop on developing an admin processes & procedures binder. Developing such a binder will be a big benefit to anyone who may have to cover for you if you are out, or as a training guide for your successor. This tops my list of August projects. I was also seminar monitor for a class on creating dynamite newsletters. I brought a handout back for our new chapter President, who is taking on the responsibility of publishing our chapter newsletter.
In the afternoon, I took a class on “More Time for You,” a class on breaking the cycle of too much to do and not enough time to do it. Some basic time management techniques were covered. It was a good class, but because I have taken enough classes and read enough books by Laura Stack on this subject, everyone else pales in comparison. I’d rate these 2 classes a 7 on a 1-10 scale.
The keynote addresses, however, were an entirely different matter.
The morning keynote was Vernice Armour, the first-ever African-American female Marine Corps pilot. Her childhood dream was to be a police officer. By age 24, she had accomplished that feat. She joined the Marines basically on a challenge from a friend. She told harrowing stories about life in the police force as well as life on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. She challenged us to acknowledge our obstacles, but to not give them power. Like many motivational speakers, she used an acronym to spell out her message – MENTOR (Mentor/mentee, Education, Networking, Teamwork, Outstanding leadership, Role model). She also used her attire for dramatic effect – she came out dressed in her fighter pilot uniform and toward the end of her talk, she took it off, revealing a normal business suit underneath. She said it was to illustrate that she was a regular person like everyone else. Of course she’s not like everyone else. She is very dynamic and inspirational.
The afternoon keynote at 5 PM proved to be equal to the task of following the morning keynote. Erin Brockovich, it can be argued, is the most famous admin of all time. If you have seen the Julia Roberts movie that bears her name, you are familiar with the story. For those that haven’t seen it, here it is: She married young and had some kids, then divorced, and eventually decided she wanted to live in California. Once there, she was in a terrible car accident. She got help from a nearby law firm, and they eventually hired her as a file clerk. One day, during the course of her work, she encountered some suspicious documents that implicated that the local utility was knowingly discharging toxic chemicals into the river that a nearby town used for its water supply. Brockovich pursued the case and, with the help of an attorney at the firm, eventually forced the utility into the largest lawsuit settlement in US history. Brockovich told of the pitfalls of becoming a sudden celebrity, the personal satisfaction of standing your ground, and the need to press onward and not read too much of your own press. She concluded by challenging us to “go out there and kick some serious ass!” (Yes, her language was a bit salty at times, which was a big shock to some of the older ones in the audience.)
IAAP couldn’t have done better in bringing these 2 fabulous speakers in. Armour’s keynote was the best I have heard in 5 years of attending EFAM. Brockovich ranks up there next to Simon T Bailey’s keynote in New Orleans in 2008. You want a 1-10 scale for these keynotes? A 12, for both of them. Afterward, I didn’t hear anyone bemoaning the loss of the evening of entertainment.
Next up will be a review of Wednesday, the last official day of the conference
7/31/2010
EFAM Review, Part III – Monday, July 19
Monday morning was voting time. Following the advice of the IAAP parliamentarian, I decided to forgo trying to get in the line before the polls opened at 8:00, and chose instead to arrive at 8:25. Worked like a charm. I was only in line a couple minutes, and I emerged from the polling place at 8:34, a total of 9 minutes to vote. There was only 1 office with 3 candidates, and that was for Southwest District Director. So, I did not have to return to the polls for a second ballot. After meeting up with the rest of the North Carolina Division attendees for our group photo, I returned to Office Expo to make sure I didn’t miss a booth.
Next up was another delegates briefing before the next business session at 2:30. This briefing reviews the process for voting on bylaws amendments. The business session delved right into the 7 proposed amendments to the IAAP International bylaws, followed by 10 amendments to the Retirement Trust Foundation (RTF) bylaws. We would vote yes or no by standing at the appropriate time. First off was an amendment to remove “full-time” from the employment requirement to serve as an International officer. This passed quickly & quietly.
Amendments 2-4 were the most controversial. By passing these amendments, it would prohibit district directors from running for President or President-Elect, require a term as District Director to run for VP, Secretary or Treasurer, and requiring a District Director to have been a division president. I opposed all 3, not being in favor of making running for office more restrictive. I rose and spoke in opposition of Amendment 2. Proponents said a District Director did not have enough experience to run for the top spot, and should serve as VP, Secretary or Treasurer first. In my verbal argument, I stated that if 2 years as a District Director did not provide the necessary experience, but 1 year as VP, Secretary or Treasurer did, why do we even bother to have District Directors on the International Board? Despite the efforts of those of us on the opposition side, Amendment 2 passed by about a 3-1 margin (2-1 is required). Amendments 2-4 were basically a package – in order for the qualifications of these offices to make sense, you had to either pass them all or vote them all down. With Amendment 2 passing, 3 and 4 passed nearly unanimously. I stood my ground and voted no on all of them.
Amendment 5 was to remove the requirement for the Bylaws & Standing Rules committee to recommend adoption or non-adoption of amendments, Amendment 6 was to remove the requirement that EFAM be booked 6 years in advance, and Amendment 7 was require a voting delegate of a chapter or division to be a member of the unit they were voting on behalf of. All of these passed nearly unanimously.
The 10 RTF bylaws were mainly housekeeping items to clean up the bylaws to reflect the RTF’s new mission statement and to provide clarity that the RTF is a business unto itself, rather than a part of the business of IAAP. The parliamentarian pointed out to the RTF trustees that there were some wording inconsistencies in amendments 4, 5, 6 and 8. So, we had to amend those amendments by voting on the changes to the amendment, then vote on the amendment as amended. Keep in mind that we’re standing up and sitting down to vote each time, so by the time we voted on RTF amendment 9, we had stood to vote and sat back down 20 times. My arthritic knees were screaming in pain. Finally, on RTF amendment 10, President Shamali realized all the RTF amendments and amendments to amendments were passing unanimously and only called for a voice vote. My raggedy knees sure wished she had caught on sooner.
Finally, amendments were done and it was on to election results. District Directors are elected to 2-year terms, so each year 3 are elected while 3 others continue their terms. President-Elect, VP, Secretary and Treasurer are elected every year. In addition, this year would bring the election of the Affiliate Representative, a person on the International Board who would represent that administrative professionals organizations in countries outside the US and Canada.
As last year’s President-Elect, Mary Ramsay-Drow automatically ascended to the office of International President. Tamra Goodall (President-Elect), Karlena Rannals (VP), Judie Yannarelli (Treasurer), Bianca Constance (Northeast District Director) and Leanne Fisher (Affiliate) were running unopposed and assumed their offices. Antoinette (Toni) Smith won Secretary and Kristi Rotvold won Northwest District Director. None of the 3 candidates for Southwest District Director got 50% of the vote on the first ballot, so the third-place candidate was eliminated and a second ballot was cast with the remaining 2 candidates. Dortha Gray won the second ballot. Sharron Butler (Canada District Director), Wendy Melby (Great Lakes District Director) and Virginia Boyd (Southeast District Director) continued in their offices for the second year of their 2-year terms.
After the election results, we heard from IAAP Executive Director Don Bretthauer on the state of the administrative profession. Trends seem to indicate companies are very slowly inching back to adding workers, primarily through temporary staffing agencies. So the worst appears to be behind us.
That concluded the official list of activities for Monday, but of course we had our second e-Groupies social gathering that evening. Again, we had a great time of bonding and came away with stories to tell all our friends back home (the funniest are too… er, uh... adult to put in print.)
Next up, the events of Tuesday – and the best keynote addresses we could have hoped for.
Next up was another delegates briefing before the next business session at 2:30. This briefing reviews the process for voting on bylaws amendments. The business session delved right into the 7 proposed amendments to the IAAP International bylaws, followed by 10 amendments to the Retirement Trust Foundation (RTF) bylaws. We would vote yes or no by standing at the appropriate time. First off was an amendment to remove “full-time” from the employment requirement to serve as an International officer. This passed quickly & quietly.
Amendments 2-4 were the most controversial. By passing these amendments, it would prohibit district directors from running for President or President-Elect, require a term as District Director to run for VP, Secretary or Treasurer, and requiring a District Director to have been a division president. I opposed all 3, not being in favor of making running for office more restrictive. I rose and spoke in opposition of Amendment 2. Proponents said a District Director did not have enough experience to run for the top spot, and should serve as VP, Secretary or Treasurer first. In my verbal argument, I stated that if 2 years as a District Director did not provide the necessary experience, but 1 year as VP, Secretary or Treasurer did, why do we even bother to have District Directors on the International Board? Despite the efforts of those of us on the opposition side, Amendment 2 passed by about a 3-1 margin (2-1 is required). Amendments 2-4 were basically a package – in order for the qualifications of these offices to make sense, you had to either pass them all or vote them all down. With Amendment 2 passing, 3 and 4 passed nearly unanimously. I stood my ground and voted no on all of them.
Amendment 5 was to remove the requirement for the Bylaws & Standing Rules committee to recommend adoption or non-adoption of amendments, Amendment 6 was to remove the requirement that EFAM be booked 6 years in advance, and Amendment 7 was require a voting delegate of a chapter or division to be a member of the unit they were voting on behalf of. All of these passed nearly unanimously.
The 10 RTF bylaws were mainly housekeeping items to clean up the bylaws to reflect the RTF’s new mission statement and to provide clarity that the RTF is a business unto itself, rather than a part of the business of IAAP. The parliamentarian pointed out to the RTF trustees that there were some wording inconsistencies in amendments 4, 5, 6 and 8. So, we had to amend those amendments by voting on the changes to the amendment, then vote on the amendment as amended. Keep in mind that we’re standing up and sitting down to vote each time, so by the time we voted on RTF amendment 9, we had stood to vote and sat back down 20 times. My arthritic knees were screaming in pain. Finally, on RTF amendment 10, President Shamali realized all the RTF amendments and amendments to amendments were passing unanimously and only called for a voice vote. My raggedy knees sure wished she had caught on sooner.
Finally, amendments were done and it was on to election results. District Directors are elected to 2-year terms, so each year 3 are elected while 3 others continue their terms. President-Elect, VP, Secretary and Treasurer are elected every year. In addition, this year would bring the election of the Affiliate Representative, a person on the International Board who would represent that administrative professionals organizations in countries outside the US and Canada.
As last year’s President-Elect, Mary Ramsay-Drow automatically ascended to the office of International President. Tamra Goodall (President-Elect), Karlena Rannals (VP), Judie Yannarelli (Treasurer), Bianca Constance (Northeast District Director) and Leanne Fisher (Affiliate) were running unopposed and assumed their offices. Antoinette (Toni) Smith won Secretary and Kristi Rotvold won Northwest District Director. None of the 3 candidates for Southwest District Director got 50% of the vote on the first ballot, so the third-place candidate was eliminated and a second ballot was cast with the remaining 2 candidates. Dortha Gray won the second ballot. Sharron Butler (Canada District Director), Wendy Melby (Great Lakes District Director) and Virginia Boyd (Southeast District Director) continued in their offices for the second year of their 2-year terms.
After the election results, we heard from IAAP Executive Director Don Bretthauer on the state of the administrative profession. Trends seem to indicate companies are very slowly inching back to adding workers, primarily through temporary staffing agencies. So the worst appears to be behind us.
That concluded the official list of activities for Monday, but of course we had our second e-Groupies social gathering that evening. Again, we had a great time of bonding and came away with stories to tell all our friends back home (the funniest are too… er, uh... adult to put in print.)
Next up, the events of Tuesday – and the best keynote addresses we could have hoped for.
7/30/2010
2010 EFAM Review, Part II – Sunday afternoon and evening
The opening business section ended right on time at noon. Then it was off to Office Expo, the highlight of the conference for many. As usual, Avery and 3M had huge booths, displaying their latest and greatest. Avery is sponsoring a “box top challenge,” where chapters can compete to collect the most cereal box tops that are used to get donations to schools. Winning chapters get extra donations to their school of choice as well as to their chapter treasury. Over at the 3M booth, biodegradable pens, new pen designs and colors, and an adhesive name badge that you can put on clothing without the typical failing of the adhesive were big hits. I was also drawn to the Baudville booth. This company specializes in recognition products – small items that can be used for day-to-day recognition, such as Post-It pads, a keychain with a small puzzle, pens, etc. – all with recognition slogans like “you’re on top of your game,” “job well done,” and “you’re the best.” The host committees for the 2011 EFAM in Montreal and the 2012 EFAM in Grapevine TX (outside Dallas) had booths. The Montreal booth folks were telling everyone that if you save $4 a day starting now, you will have nearly $1,400 by the time you leave for Montreal. They were selling small piggy banks for you to stash your daily $4 in. Fairmont Hotels, Smead, Quill.com, OfficeTeam and Adecco had booths also. And as usual, Madison Area Technical College was there to promote their Associates degree in Administrative Assistance.
Sunday afternoon also was the time for district caucuses, where Chapters of Excellence were recognized and the District Director introduced the outgoing and incoming division presidents. There was also a candidate forum where you could meet the candidates for international office.
In the evening, it was time for the Evening of Welcome. This is really just a big party with a theme. This year’s theme was “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Everyone was encouraged to wear baseball clothing; the gift bag was filled with ballpark snacks and on the dance floor, beach balls with baseball designs were being batted around. I took this opportunity to wear the hot-off-the-press official Charlotte Center City chapter t-shirt. (I’ll work on getting a pic to post here.) The shirt got rave reviews. And yes, there was plenty of dancing. I even managed to drag my raggedy self out there and dance with one of the most famous EFAM attendees, Anita from Puerto Rico. She has this straw hat she wears throughout the conference, so it’s easy to spot her. Over the last 3 years I have been able to spend a good deal of time with her at the conferences and she’s a ton of fun. I left a few minutes before the party was scheduled to break up, and got my one and only full night’s sleep.
Next up, the day I like to call “Monday Madness.”
Sunday afternoon also was the time for district caucuses, where Chapters of Excellence were recognized and the District Director introduced the outgoing and incoming division presidents. There was also a candidate forum where you could meet the candidates for international office.
In the evening, it was time for the Evening of Welcome. This is really just a big party with a theme. This year’s theme was “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Everyone was encouraged to wear baseball clothing; the gift bag was filled with ballpark snacks and on the dance floor, beach balls with baseball designs were being batted around. I took this opportunity to wear the hot-off-the-press official Charlotte Center City chapter t-shirt. (I’ll work on getting a pic to post here.) The shirt got rave reviews. And yes, there was plenty of dancing. I even managed to drag my raggedy self out there and dance with one of the most famous EFAM attendees, Anita from Puerto Rico. She has this straw hat she wears throughout the conference, so it’s easy to spot her. Over the last 3 years I have been able to spend a good deal of time with her at the conferences and she’s a ton of fun. I left a few minutes before the party was scheduled to break up, and got my one and only full night’s sleep.
Next up, the day I like to call “Monday Madness.”
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