building productive partnerships with volunteers and chapters

8/12/2019 Building Productive Partnerships with Volunteers and Chapters

1/16

2012 Allen Liff

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BUILDING PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS

WITH VOLUNTEERS AND CHAPTERS

A Quick Guide for Associations

By Allen Liff, Consultant

Association Experience PLUSBlog.Getaliff.com

[email protected]

(202) 427-5294

GETTING

STARTED

The two questions you must ask!

GETTING IN SYNC WITH

YOUR PARTNERS

The most overlooked

stage in partnership

building!

ESTABLISHING AND

MAINTAINING TRUST

A systematic aproach.

MAKING IT

REWARDING

Satisfaction versus

disatisfaction.

FOUR COMPONENTS

TO PARTNERSHIP

BUILDING


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2012 Allen Liff

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Successful collaboration between staff and volunteers,

headquarters and chapters, the association and its commercial

members is an essential element of association success. The

process of building productive partnerships, however, can seem

confusing or daunting. To help guide you, I offer this simple

resource. Good luck!

ALLEN LIFF, CONSULTANT

Association Experience PLUS

In addition to my many years working with associations, I have a unique set

of experiences and skills that can help any organization build productive partnerships.

AssociationExperience

Served on the staff of twoassociations. Worked inmarketing, chapter relations andvolunteer training.

More than twenty yearsconsulting, working with boards,strategic facilitation, team

building and special projects.

Co-mananged the ASAEFoundation's EnvironmentalScan project to examine futuretrends. Co-authored two majorASAE publications.

PLUS

Trained as a community organizer.Worked in low-incomeneighborhoods , experenced incommunity problem solving.

Taught the principles of Trust-BasedLeadershipTMin a program for the

City of Fairfax Police Department.

Participated in the InnovationUniversityprogram, visiting leading-edge companies to learn, first-hand,their practices. Also certified in theBottom-Line InnovationTMprocess.

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2012 Allen Liff


There are four components to

Partnership Building.

Letsexplore each one of these...

GETTING

STARTED

The two questions you must ask!

GETTING IN SYNC WITH

YOUR PARTNERS

The most overlooked

stage in partnership

building!

ESTABLISHING AND

MAINTAINING TRUST

A systematic aproach.

MAKING IT

REWARDING

Satisfaction versus

disatisfaction.

FOUR COMPONENTS

TO PARTNERSHIP

BUILDING


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2012 Allen Liff


GETTING STARTED

THE TWO QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK

Fortunately, there is a simple way and effective way to begin. Asking two simple

but powerful questions at the onset will set the stage for a trust-based

partnership.

QUESTION ONE: LISTEN FOR THE DRIVERS OF SUCCESS

Helps you discover what volunteers and chapters need,

thereby laying the groundwork for a win-winrelationship.

QUESTION TWO: LISTEN FOR WARNING SIGNS

This question provides an early warning systemfor

problems that might derail the partnership process.

ASKING THESE QUESTIONS PROMOTES HONESTY

By asking these questions, you are taking the initiative to promoting an honest

conversation, at the start of the partnership, about potentially difficult topics.

What are the two or three most important things you want

me to know about your situation so I can help you succeed?

What are the biggest questions or concerns on your mindthat you need to share with me or someone else on staff?


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2012 Allen Liff

IS THERE CLARITY BEFOREWE PROCEED?

DO WE AGREE ON WHATSUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE?

ARE WE READY TO MAKE ITHAPPEN?

Do we agree on the facts?

What opinions or assumptions dopeople hold?

Are we clear about the roles ofeach party?

Do we share and are we committedto the same goals?

How will we know if and when wehave suceeded?

Do we agree on measurements,milestones and accountability?

Do we have the right mix ofresources and skills?


GETTING IN SYNC

MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE!

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to work with Bob Foxworthy, developer of

the Trust-Based Leadership MethodologyTM

. While conducting a training program

for a local police department, I was impressed by the amount of time invested

during the first stage to answer the types of questions listed below. It was anunhurried process; we made sure everyone was in agreement. It was time well

spent. Unfortunately, most organizations get impatient, overlooking or rushing

through this stage. Remember, building partnerships takes time!

SOME QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU GET IN SYNC


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2012 Allen Liff

Is thispersonsincere?

Is thispersonreliable?

Is thispersoncompetent?

Is this

personinvolvedwith me?


ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING TRUST

A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH

There is a logic to developing and maintaining trust (for more on this, see Building

Trust between Boards and Staff on page 11). A systematic approach to building

trust begins with these two techniques.

KNOW THE CRITERIA PEOPLE USE TO ASSESS TRUSTWORTHINESS

How does someone judge if you are trustworthy? Here are the four criteria most

often used: sincerity, reliability, competenceand involvement.

ESTABLISH AND INVOKE GROUNDRULES

Want to maintain trust? It helps to haveagreed upon ground rules you can

invoke. This is especially important when

conflicts or misunderstandings arise. To

create ground rules, use these questions.


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2012 Allen Liff


MAKING IT REWARDING

SATISFACTION VERSUS DISSATISFACTION

RULES TO MAKE IT REWARDING

1. WIIFVS AND WIIFCS: Ask, Whats in it for the Volunteer? and Whats in it

for the Chapter?

2. Catch them doing things right: Recognize success and hard work and show

genuine appreciation. Its okay for staff to be excited when volunteers and

chapters do a good job.3. Build bridges to the future:Invest the time, now, in building relationships that

will pay off a year or two down the road.

4. Write the dictionary together: Listen carefully to the needs, hopes and

aspiration of volunteers. Listen for the key words that define what success will

look like and build upon that vocabulary.

Want to make thepartnership rewarding? You

need to pay attention to what

motivates (i.e., drivers of

satisfaction) as well as what

demotivates (i.e., causes of

dissatisfaction)


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2012 Allen Liff


ARTICLES

A selection of articles I have written about

building trust and strong partnerships.

NINE QUESTIONS TO MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF THE HQ -

CHAPTER RELATIONSHIP

QUIT TORTURING YOUR VOLUNTEERS

A STORY OF HOPE IN REPAIRING TRUST

BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN BOARDS AND STAFF THREE REASONS YOUR CHAPTERS AND VOLUNTEERS MAY

NOT TRUST YOU


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2012 Allen Liff

NINE QUESTIONS TO MEASURE THE STRENGTH

OF THE HQ - CHAPTER RELATIONSHIP

What does it take to have a strong, vibrant relationship between HQ and Chapters? What questions

might you ask of chapter staff and volunteers to measure the strength of that relationship?

To answer that, I began with a set of questions from the book, First, Break All the Rules(it outlines a

study by the Gallup Organization that studied 80,000 managers in 400 companies to identify the

characteristics of a great manager). Gallup discovered these twelve questions give an organization the

most important information it needs to attract, focus, and keep the most talented employees. They are:

Do I know what is expected of me at work?

Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?

At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?

Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?

Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

At work, do my opinions count?

Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?

Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?

Do I have a best friend at work?

In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?

This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

Nine Core Questions

Using the above as a foundation, I have created a set of nine questions that can help you measure the

strength of the HQChapter relationship. If your chapter staff and volunteers are able to answer yes

for most or all of these questions, then congratulations, you have a healthy partnership!

Do I know what is expected of me at the chapter level? Are we in agreement about: a) which

activities and functions should be done only by the chapter; and; b) those activities and functions

that should be done only by HQ?

Does HQ provide me with the materials and support I need to do my work right?

Does HQ understand and appreciate the priorities of my chapter?

In the past three or four months, have I received recognition or praise, from HQ, for doing good

work? Does the staff at HQ seem to care about me as a person? Even better, do I have a friend at HQ?

Is there someone at HQ who encourages me to take on a new challenge or to learn from a failure?

Do my opinions count at HQ?

Does the staff at HQ feel the work of the chapters is important? Do they make me feel important?

In the last six months, has someone at HQ called to check in and see how we are doing and whether

the chapter is meeting its goals?


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2012 Allen Liff

QUIT TORTURING YOUR VOLUNTEERS

Oh, the things we ask of volunteers! But what happens when there is a misfit between duties of the

volunteers and their strengths or talents? Lets take a look at two association boards where thevolunteers found themselves in a torturous situation.

A Big Picture Board is Tortured by the Financial Details.

Here was a small association in dire financial straits; in fact, they were in danger of bankruptcy if they

failed to turn things around. To assess the Boards strengths and weaknesses, the Leadership Spectrum

Profile was used. The profile identifies six types of priorities a person is likely to favor and how that

priority influences his or her decision-making process:

Leadership Spectrum Profile 1998-2002. The Leadership Spectrum Profile. Enterprise Management Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Priority Actions

Inventor Innovation and survival Develop new ideas, products and services

Catalyst Fast growth Gain market share and win customers/new members

Developer Manage risk and establish orderBuild infrastructure, create systems and processes for highperformance

Performer Maximize resultsImprove processes and procedures for effective resourceutilization and return

Protector Maintain successDevelop committed workforce, build capabilities, & supportculture/identity

Challenger Position for the futureSurface assumptions, practices, and issues; and createstrategic options

As you can imagine, the associations situation required individuals who were Developers and

Performers. It turned out all the board members were either Challengersor Inventors. In other words,

they were big picture thinkers but not well equipped with the skill set or temperament to meet the

associations current challenge.

A Detail-oriented Board is Tortured by the Big Picture

In this case, the association represented the administrators for facilities heavily regulated by both the

state and federal government. No wonder a detailed oriented personality was required in order to be

successful in their work. Now imagine this Board, consisting of such individuals, being asked to

brainstorm about the future and envision multiple scenarios for success and develop a missionstatement and broad strategy. Yes, it was a jarring mismatch. As one board member said, This is torture

for us. Our minds just dont think this way. The lesson: at future strategy meetings, it was agreed to

invite outsiders with both industry knowledge and planning skills to coach the board.

The Bottom Line: After reading this article, ask yourself, are you torturing your volunteers?


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2012 Allen Liff

A STORY OF HOPE IN REPAIRING TRUST

Is it feasible to repair trust once it has been lost in an association? I believe so. It is a lesson I learnedfrom Bob Foxworthy, developer of Trust-Based Leadership (with whom I had the pleasure of working on

a project for the City of Fairfax Police Department). Bob is best known for his work in building a

partnership between Tropicana and CSX railroad. This case was discussed in Monty Roberts book, Horse

Sense for People. Monty is a world famous horse trainer whose Join Up technique with horses has

been a model for strengthening relationships in the workplace. Many companies, including Abbot

Laboratories, Volkswagen, AT&T, Toyota and Disney have studied Montys techniques for use in their

organizations.

As for the Tropicana/ CSX partnership, it was the story of a turnaround in a 28-year, bad-business

marriage. Orange juice, being a perishable product, must be shipped quickly from Tropicanas

processing plants to their distribution centers. Over a 28-year period, Tropicana had been dependent on

the rail carrier CSX for those deliveries. For a variety of reasons, it had not been a good relationship.

With Bob Foxworthys help, management at both companies formed a Partnership Committee to build

trust and focus on performance improvements. I know many readers will groan and say, Another

committee, big deal! However, the results were impressive: In the first year, they realized $0.8 millions

in increased revenue for CSX and reduced costs for Tropicana; increased the number of railcars shipped

out the Bradenton plant by 50%; and established a high-speed, cross-country delivery system cutting

delivery time from 12-to-14 days to seven days.

The keys to their success included:

Information was shared openly so both companies thoroughly understood each others business

nothing is sacred.

Partnership Committee members were given training in the principles and practices of trust-building

(i.e., they were given the necessary skills and tool-kit for practical application).

As part of the Partnership practices, all employee of either company were encouraged to catch

someone doing something right and present them with a peer award.

They developed a scorecard so they had metrics: that way they could track success, levels of

perceived trust, etc. In other words, they adhered to the maxim: if you want more of something,

measure it.

Simply put, they took a systematic approach to repairing and building trust. Four months into the

process, Gene Zvolensky of Tropicana addressed a meeting with representatives from both companies.

Weve been doing business with you for twenty-eight years, he said to his CSX colleagues. And in the

last four months weve actually been partners.

The Bottom-Line: This story serves as proof that it is possible to achieve a trust-based partnership, even

after years of poor relationships. If Tropicana and CSX were able to do it, then there's hope for your

association and its chapters.


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2012 Allen Liff

BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN BOARDS AND STAFF

Trust is the fundamental quality of a successful, productive and sustainable relationship. Without trust

between the board and staff, an associations ability to serve its members suffers. This leads to the

logical question, how can the executive approach, in a systematic manner, the challenge of building

trust to achieve performance? Here are some facts to consider:

Ninety-one percent of employees rated being trusted to get the job done as the most

important thing to them in their work setting (2001 Randstad North American Employee

Review)

A Watson Wyatt Worldwide survey found only half of employees trusted senior management.

Watson Wyatt also found that in terms of performance, companies where employees trusted

top executives posted shareholder returns 42% higher than companies where distrust was therule.

While I know of no research that documents relationship between trust and performance in

associations, I have no doubt there is a close correlation. The following shows the differences between

two organizations, one with high degrees of fear and distrust versus one where the culture is built on a

foundation of trust.

Culture of Distrust and Fear Culture Built on Trust

Minimal collaboration High levels of collaboration

Turf Battles Open Sharing of Information

Low Morale High Morale

Negative Gossip Positive Gossip

Ridicule Respect

Low levels of innovation High Levels of Innovation

Crisis Anticipation

Sabotage/Behind the Back Gossip Disciplined Communications

As I look over the left-hand column there is an air of familiarity about it. Sad to say, many of the

behaviors in left hand column are all too common in the realm of board-staff relationships.

Recently I had the opportunity to work with Bob Foxworthy, a consultant who has developed an

approach he calls Trust-Based Leadership. His work with companies such as Tropicana, CSX and

Hewlett-Packard has won awards such as the George Land Leadership 2000, World-Class Innovation

Award and Rail Business Magazines Railroad-Shipper Win-Win Award for customer-supplier

collaboration.


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2012 Allen Liff

My experience working with him on a leadership training program for a police department in Virginia

opened my eyes to techniques and approaches that can be used by associations. Here are three ideas I

would like to throw out for your consideration.

Idea #1: Develop and invoke a set of ground rules to build trust

Ground rules are a way to clarify and codify the answer to four questions:* How do you want to be treated?

* How do you think you should treat others?

* How do others think you want to be treated?

* How will we resolve conflicts?

Unfortunately, most associations have no ground rules to guide the relationship between board and

staff. And those with ground rules seem to pay them lip service. If people in an organization cannot

answer the four questions above, they will be seriously constrained in the ability to achieve levels of

performance.

While there are no off-shelf-ground rules (each association should develop its own set), the followingcontains a list of rules for your consideration:

Volunteer - Staff Relationship Ground Rules

1. Our number one purpose is to serve our members to the best of our abilities. All of our actions,priorities and words must be judged against that. Therefore, we conduct every board meeting as if theentire membership was watching and we ask ourselves, would our members be proud of how we haveconducted ourselves?

2. We seek to gather all the facts before entering into a discussion or making a decision. Weacknowledge that the quality of our actions and decisions are only as good as the quality of ourknowledge about the situation.

3. We believe in accountability, not blame. We acknowledge that mistakes and failures will occur andwe will use these as learning opportunities.

4. When a mistakes or failures occur, we remind ourselves of rule #1.5. We work hard to catch each other doing the right thing. We will celebrate our successes.6. Hidden agendas and gossip are forbidden.7. Each of us agrees to listen with full attention when another person speaks.8. We are careful to delineate the appropriate roles for board and staff by asking: What is it that ONLY the

board can do or should do? What is it that ONLY the executive (or staff) can do or should do? Whatareas require collaboration to achieve success? By asking these questions, we demonstrate ourrespect for each other's experience and expertise.

9. To improve board staff collaboration we agree to ask the following kinds of questions:- The board will ask the staff: What is the impact of our decision on you? Have we listened to your

perspective and wisdom about the implications of this?- When the staff brings forth an item for decision-making to the board: Have we explained this

clearly? Do you feel you have enough information with which to make a good decision? Have welistened to and addressed the big questions you have raised?

10. Every person takes responsibility for the successful outcome of a meeting or interaction. Theseground rules can be invoked by anyone whenever necessary.


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2012 Allen Liff

Idea #2: Develop a Set of Measurements

There is a maxim that whatever you measure, you get more of. So, if you want board and staff to be

clearer about their roles, do a better job of communicating, be more active in sharing information and

work together for a common goal then it makes sense to have a way to measure those things. Here

are some indicators you might use to measure trust in your association:

Clarity of roles:Are the roles of board members and staff clearly defined?

Communication:Are the lines of communication and process for communication between board

and staff clearly understood by all?

Open sharing of information:How well do board and staff share information vital to making

sound decisions?

Shared Purpose:To what extent do board and staff feel they are working towards to the same

set of goals?

It is worth emphasizing the importance of measurements. You can and should measure the factors that

shape trust in your association. Doing so allows you monitor wha t is happening, pinpoint trust

fractures and take corrective action.

Idea #3: Have an annual game plan

Trust is a perpetual process that must be continually renewed among people and within organizations.

Many times, I have heard an executive say something like this: When I was first hired five years ago the

board knew and trusted me. But now, due the turnover, I feel they no longer trust me.

With this mind, an executive director should have a game plan each year designed to build and maintain

trust between the board and staff. Asking the following questions will help you develop the game plan:

Are we invoking the ground rules for board-staff relationships? Do new board members (and

new staff) have the opportunity to explore and discover why the ground rules are important? Are we measuring and monitoring key indicators of trust? Am I using those measurements to

facilitate better communication and collaboration?

Am I paying attention to my personal leadership and communication styles? Are there aspects I

need to change or new skills I need to learn to become more proficient at creating an

environment of trust?

Finally, I would like to share, courtesy of Bob Foxworthy, seven characteristics of Trust-Based Leaders:

1. They work to build trust with others in all they do.

2. They demonstrate humility and authenticity when interacting with others.

3. They tell the truth to their peers and their followers, even when it is personally painful to do so.4. They are open, honest and direct in their communications.

5. The demonstrate respect to others.

6. They consistently act in an ethical manner.

7. They are courageous visionaries committed to becoming the best that they can be and /or

leading their organization to greatness (measurably defined).


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2012 Allen Liff

THREE REASONS YOUR CHAPTERS

AND VOLUNTEERS MAY NOT TRUST YOU

Are you trustworthy? Do your volunteers and chapters see you as sincere, reliable and involved with

them? Of course! you respond. The staff at HQ strives for professionalism and to earn the trust of

volunteers and chapters each time we interact with them.

Let us now ask this in a slightly different way: Given the context of their daily life experiences, what

might create the perception, in the mind of a volunteer or chapter executive, that you, or another staff

at HQ, are not trustworthy?

To answer this, I will present three examples, utilizing snippets from a day-in-the-life of a volunteer or

chapter executive, to illustrate how trust can be unintentionally undermined.

Why Jane doubts your sincerity

Jane is the chapter executive for the Terabitha Chapter (which is famous for its annual bridge building

contest). On Tuesday morning, she called customer support about a software issue. After numerous

rings, her call was put on hold with a message that began, Due to high call volume and concluded

with, your call is very important to us.

My call is important? Do you sincerely expect me to believe that? Jane muttered to herself.

That afternoon, she called to find out about a major policy change under consideration by the national

Board. Local members were concerned and she had been trying, for the past week, via email andunanswered calls, to get more information. Finally, she gets you on the phone and you tell her, I

sincerely apologize for not getting back sooner; weve had a zillion calls about this policy issue Jane

mutters under her breath, Yeah, due to high call volume.

You hear the agitation in Janes voice so you try to reassure her, Jane, I value your opinion as I do all the

chapter executives. At that moment, Jane is having a wicked bad flashback to her earlier call: all she

hears is, your call is very important to us.

Jane, for easily understandable reasons, begins to doubt if anyone at HQ sincerely cares about her

opinion.

Why Hank thinks you are not reliable

Hank is a volunteer with the Hyboria Chapter and serves as the Chair of the National Membership

Committee. Wednesday morning, he has a doctors appointment scheduled for 11:30. He knows, from

prior experiences, the doctor will not actually see him at 11:30. It will be more like 11:54 or sometime

after noon. As he sits in the waiting room, rereading the July/1995 edition of Sports Illustrated for the


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2012 Allen Liff

37th time, he recalls how, last week, the cable guy showed up 90 minutes late. People arent reliable,

he thinks to himself.

That afternoon, he checks his email. You had promised him the agenda and support documents for the

upcoming committee meeting by COB of that day. He calls and you apologize. You go on to explain, The

materials are almost ready. Unfortunately, there was an urgent request from a Board member yesterday

high priority so I was pulled in to work on that. I will have your materials to you no later than

tomorrow afternoon. That night, you work late so you can deliver the materials first thing in the

morning. It was delivered late, but heck, it was just a little bit late. Under the circumstances, you feel

okay about that.

Hank, meanwhile, has mentally put you into the same category as his doctor and the cable guy. HQ

staff arent reliable, he thinks to himself.

Why Harmon thinks you are not involved with him

Harmon is the new staff exec at the Narnia chapter. It is his first job in associations, a lot of issues and

problems are brand new to him.

Friday morning, he drops his car off for repairs. He has a new mechanic, Sal, who was recommended by

a neighbor who said, I totally trust him. Sal greets Harmon and says, Tell me everything you can think

of about the problem. He listens without interrupting. Then he starts asking questions , lots of

questions. Finally, he says, Chances are it is one of two issues. The only way I can be sure is if

That afternoon, Harmon picks up his car it runs perfectly. He reflects on Sals ability to listen, and

realizes it is the ability to ask lots of questions, the process of getting involved, that makes Sal a good

mechanic. Thats why his neighbor trusts him completely.

Meanwhile, Harmon has been struggling to get up to speed on association type issues. He calls you for

advice and begins the conversation by unloading all the background details. You realize his questions

can be easily answered with a series of FAQs you have written. Besides, your schedule is packed and you

conclude that a long conversation with Harmon is not the most efficient use of your time. You politely

cut the conversation short, directing Harmon to the FAQs. You hang up, rush to your meeting, thinking,

It would have been nice to chat, but thats why we have FAQs

Harmon, meanwhile, is comparing his experience with you to the conversation he had with Sal the

Mechanic. Unlike Sal, you didnt bother to ask a lot questions, you didnt take the time to get involved.

Harmon shakes his head and realizes he would rather talk to his mechanic than to you. He picks up the

phone, makes a call and asks, Hey Sal, what do you know about associations?

The Bottom Line: To build trust with another human being, you need to consider the context of that

persons daily life. Everyday, your volunteers and chapter executives encounter and assess the

trustworthy of a variety of people. Those experiences create a filter through which they learn to trust, or

distrust, othersand that includes you. The more you understand their context for assessing trust, the

more success you will have.

building productive partnerships with volunteers and chapters

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