Innovate Rotary!

Thanks for the opportunity to serve

On June 30, 2009, I will complete 3 years as District 5950 Membership chair.  It has been a privilege to serve the clubs in this district and beyond.

During the past three years, I have met some incredibly talented and giving people.  I have learned about projects with exceptional impact.  I have also experienced a great deal of challenge and fun.  So what have I learned?

One of the most important things I have learned is that clubs that grow are led by people who choose to grow.  More specifically, growing clubs have one or more leaders who decide that growing their club matters and choose to do something to make it happen.  They take actions that are unique to their particular club and that leverage their talents.  Some reach out for help, some survey their members and take action on what they discover.  Many launch a campaign of some kind or they organize their stories so that new and prospective members can understand what they are about.  The really good ones make it fun and easy to join Rotary and make it easy and rewarding to create meaningful impact.

Clubs that grow set high standards for the kind of member they seek.  That does not mean that they exclude people.  I think that it goes to the core of what Rotary is about - ask successful professional people to represent their professions with high ethical standards.  Ask those same professional people to apply their time, talents, influence and resources to make a difference locally and globally.  So setting high standards is about finding people who are a bit more successful than most because these are people who can have more impact than most.   What that means to each club is a function of its community and its purpose.

Clubs that grow create peak experiences for their members.  One of my favorite exercises with clubs and at district training events was to ask members to recall their peak experiences in Rotary and to share words that describe those experiences.  Across many groups, you consistently hear words like effort, teamwork, passion, excitement, gratitude, courage, hope, learning, connection, impact, focus, quality and yes, fun.  These are not words that describe most people's average day, are they?  The growing clubs create meaningful experiences that keep people coming back for more.  It's a kind of positive addiction to impact!

Growing clubs create enough trust to get through the tough stuff.  Every club faces challenges from time to time.  Whether it be a few old guard members that refuse to consider change, projects that are no longer relevant, programs that are no longer compelling enough to get people to show up for breakfast or a feeling of entitlement that slows innovation and collaboration.  The successful clubs get past these obstacles because they have an important purpose and enough trust developed over time to get through the momentary obstacles.

There are too many people to thank to name them all here.  If you have helped me along the way or given me an opportunity to serve you in some way, please consider yourself on the list!  I am most grateful to you.

One of the wonderful results of my work as Membership Chair has been this weblog.   I started writing Innovate Rotary! as a way to reach out to district members on a range of Rotary topics.  I quickly learned that this medium is instantly global.  And I am happy that the messages and conversations here have had an impact well beyond District 5950.

As I pass my membership responsibility to others, I will be refocusing my efforts on soccer coaching, as my two daughters learn to play the sport that I love, second only to golf. 

As for future posts, let's see what inspires me from here!

Serve, smile, set high standards, make an impact, express gratitude and have fun!

Inspire, don't recruit.

I had a really valuable experience this weekend.  I was hired to deliver a keynote for a service club state convention - that was not Rotary.  I was struck by so many similarities between Rotary events and this one - passionate people doing unbelievable work, enthusiastic members who really enjoyed meeting each other and gathering to celebrate their accomplishments.

Both talk often of the challenge to attract new members, improve retention and add younger members.  I listened to several presentations as I waited for my turn to present.  And it struck me how hard we all work to find the next new member of our respective clubs.  And sometimes we try so hard with all of our tactics and techniques that we forget that it is not about the numbers.  It is about, as I have written many times, connecting people with their passions.

So I had a sudden insight that I offered to the audience yesterday:

What would it be like if we had conversations with prospective members that inspired them to live out THEIR individual passions in community service?  What if we were more committed to that person finding THEIR true outlet for service, even if it did not mean joining our particular club?

If you think about it, this kind of committed detachment might be just the thing that brings lots of new members to Rotary.  If we elevate the conversation, what might be possible?  The key is making sure that people serve somewhere!  And if Rotary is the right answer, and the timing is right, and if WE ARE TALKING TO QUALIFIED PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS, then maybe, just maybe, they will decide to join Rotary after all.

There are too many opportunities to make a difference in the world that, worse than not joining Rotary would be not serving anywhere at all!  Let go of the notion that everyone needs to join Rotary.  Play at a higher level.  We need more people serving our communities in all kinds of service - Rotary and otherwise.

What do you think?

Help Rotarians experience FLOW

The most committed Rotarians are not those who listen to great speakers every week or who have leveraged their Rotary network to grow their business.  That’s not to say that networking and great programs are not important.  They are critical to creating satisfied members.  The most committed Rotarians, however, have experienced something beyond that.  The most committed Rotarians have experienced FLOW at some time in their Rotary career.

 

Flow is when a person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing, with a feeling of energized focus as they create success in some activity.  Whether in Rotary or elsewhere, many of us have had that feeling of flow, where you get so absorbed in an activity that you lose your sense of time.  Can you remember a time like that?

 

Most of us experience flow in Rotary when we are engaged in worthwhile projects.  Great club members help fellow members create flow often.  So how do you create flow in your club?   Here are some starters:

 

1.    Set clear goals and expectations.  What are you trying to accomplish?  What are you doing to define what your club is about?  Do you have a goal and are you committed to it, or is it just a number on a page?  If you don’t have a clear vision for your club or your projects, start now.

2.    Focus.  Create opportunities for people to dive deeply into a project or club activity.  Balance “done in a day” activities with projects that require planning and time.  Think of Edina’s bike parade or the Safe Water initiatives.  People who get the most joy from these projects tend to be those who were most involved.

3.    Provide direct and immediate feedback.  When teams work well together, successes and failures are apparent, so team members can adjust as needed.  Are you creating trust in your club?  How do you learn from your successes and failures?  Are people still talking after a project is complete?

4.    Balance between ability level and challenge.  A walk around the block is not significant to you unless you have had a cast on your ankle for six weeks.  Although a slow economy can make it tougher to raise money or increase membership, many clubs find that they succeed anyway.  They succeed because they strike a balance between setting goals that are not too easy and not too difficult.  Are you stretching your members just enough?  Focus on what you want to achieve, not the challenges, reasons and excuses.

5.    Provide intrinsic rewards.  When activities have meaning, actions become effortless.  Are your projects meaningful to your current members?  What is the impact of your work?  What would happen if your club did not do that project?  That doesn’t mean that projects need to address a grave or serious issue.  Keep it fun, too.

6.    Lose status.  People who experience flow report that they found themselves working together where there seemed to be no leader, but the group was well-led.  People just rolled up their sleeves, contributed their gifts and stepped in where needed.  This explains why many people who are recognized for their great work simply respond by saying, “oh, that was nothing.”  How easy do you make it for new members to step in and contribute their talents?  Do you know what their talents are?  As a leader, are you committed enough to the impact of your project that you are willing to let someone else shine?

 

When trying to achieve goals, sometimes you need to hold course and sometimes it helps to shift the focus.  If you are attracting the kind of people you want in your club, keep it up.  If members are staying in your club, despite the economy, despite the fact that their employer no longer pays their dues, keep doing what you are doing.  If, however, your focus on inviting new members and keeping new members is NOT working, expand your focus beyond the act of recruiting and asking.   Help your members create flow.

 

This is how people who join Rotary become committed Rotarians.  How will you know one when you see one?  When you see the shine in their eyes!

Solving the Worldwide Problem of Flying Debris

Ok, time for a little Friday humor.  Here is the story of a new movement created to stop the senseless killing of people worldwide.  Flying debris is a serious problem, folks - and you can help!

Saving the world does not have to be serious all the time!

From:  theonion.com

Forget the statistics. Start talking with live humans.

Sometimes people hide behind a mask.  What happens when WE put the mask on others?

There has been a lot of discussion about generational differences - differences in orientation toward service, willingness to work hard, willingness to respect experience, etc.  And there have been plenty more about what that might mean for Rotary membership.  We have come up with labels like "next generation clubs."  Did people in their 30's choose that term, or was that a brainchild of an AARP cardholder?

Here is one simple way to sort out fact from perception:  start talking with live humans. 

Novel idea, right?  What if we stop excluding, assuming and prejudging because of what a professor's statistics suggest abou the average 34 year old's likelihood to serve?  What if we talk with qualified people, one at a time, about their interests, their best service experiences and how there might be a good fit with Rotary?  What if we saw qualified people, regardless of age?

You are not a statistic and don't like being labeled.  So don't assume a person's values based on the date on their driver's license.  Keep your curiousity about people! 

A great conversation is somewhat of a luxury, in our days of 140 character tweets and text messages.  Take the time to enjoy a good conversation with someone, no matter how young or old.  See what you discover about their ideal service experience.  See where it leads.

A Rotarian is . . . an ordinary person who creates extraordinary impact

I recently spoke to Bloomington (MN) Rotary.  During the Q&A after my remarks, one of the members asked if I had seen Past President Jim Lucas' essay, "A Rotarian is an Ordinary Person."  I have posted it here, with Jim's permission.

A Rotarian is an ordinary person who:

- wants to do something extraordinary - to rise above the daily routine - to make a difference in a community and in the world.

- takes on a small task with unusual enthusiasm.

- has a vision of a world at peace, brought about by goodwill and understanding.

- sees 3 million children each year die from disease and asks, "Why?"

- sees 1200 Rotary Foundation scholarships each year and asks, "Why not more?"

- believes that truth is a difficult and worthy pursuit.

- acts not out of convenience, but out of conviction.

- believes that "Service above Self" is more than an ideal - it is a belief that transforms an ordinary person into an extraordinary member of the world community.

Well done, Jim!  This is a great thought of the day for any club.

Attracting the Facebook Generation: Change your culture or start a new club!

As a facilitator of a number of Visioning sessions for Rotary clubs, I have noticed that one of the top membership attributes that clubs strive for is "younger members."  The kind of club that will attract men and women who grew up on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will be very different than the clubs we see today.  The question is this:  are your club and its members flexible enough to give younger members what they expect?

Strategist Gary Hamel, author of The Future of Management, recently wrote a blog post entitled, Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500.  In that article, he listed 12 characteristics of online life.  Online life is the life of the "Facebook Generation."  Text messaging, Tweeting and YouTube are not tools or channels of entertainment.  They are just the way life is.  As you read each of the 12 points, ask yourself how your club will make the Rotary experience attractive to folks who see these characteristics as "just the way it is."

1. All ideas compete on equal footing

2. Contribution counts far more than credentials

3. Hierarchies are natural, not prescribed

4. Leaders serve rather than preside

5. Tasks are chosen, not assigned

6. Groups are self-defining and self-organizing

7.  Resources get attracted, not allocated

8.  Power comes from sharing information, not hoarding it

9.  Opinions compound and decisions are peer-reviewed

10.  Users can veto most policy decisions

11.  Intrinsic rewards matter most

12.  Hackers are heroes

Can your club provide this kind of experience?  Can established members accept a world where new members expect to have an immediate say in club matters?  If not, perhaps creating a new club makes more sense.  Why create a new club? 

Sometimes it is very difficult to combine very different cultures within the same location.  When IBM saw a huge opportunity for midrange AS400 computer, they built a new plant in Rochester, Minnesota.  The located it far from IBM headquarters in Armonk, New York, because they knew that the AS400 was so different, that it would not stand a chance if it was too close to the IBMers who grew up with mainframes in their blood.  When IBM got into the PC business, where was its "Entry Systems" Division located?  Boca Raton, Florida. 

So if you want to attract younger members - and keep them, you have 2 choices.   Either change your culture, or create a new club.  And if you are going to creat a new club, don't think "Extension."  Think about applying the 12 characteristics above because you are not extending your existing club by any stretch of the imagination.  You are creating a NEW club that your current members probably won't recognize.

What's working to attract the Facebook Generation where you live?

Hey, Rotarian, what do you have that's worth Tweeting about?

What is the best thing you can say about your club right now, in 140 characters or less?  Share it with the world on Twitter.

Twitter is a social networking site where you can say anything you want and broadcast it to the world.  You can also link to your website, to a website of a partner or even to this blog, if you like what I am writing!  Twitter is taking the world by storm.  The number of Twitter users is up over 1400% during the last year.  Users tend to be younger, service-minded and eager to connect.  Sound like an audience you want to connect with?

How do you get started?

1. Go to www.twitter.com and sign up for an account, either as an individual or on behalf of your club.

2.  Think of something really positive to say about your club  and post it on Twitter.  For example, 

• Chanhassen Rotary just drilled hundreds of holes in the ice for the Chanhassen Feb Fest
• Edina Rotary is going to set a world record for its bike ride!

• Minnetonka Rotary just raised over $4000 to help feed the hungry

You get the idea.  Think of the kinds of things you do that might get non-members interested in learning more about Rotary.  What is really remarkable about you right now?

3.  Next, somewhere in the message, include the expression "@rotary"  This will make sure that the people who Twitter for Rotary International will see your post and will retweet your message to its followers.  (Kind of like forwarding to its subscriber list, in a way).  I know, that will use up 7 of your 140 characters, but we want to make sure you spread the word!  If your message is short enough, include me in your tweet by including "@InnovateRotary"

While you are at it, scout around and find out which of your members are Twitter users!

C'mon, Rotarians, which district in the Rotary world will be first to have each of its clubs with at least one positive Tweet?  The challlenge is on!

Happy World Water Day!

For more information on World Water Day (March 22nd), click here and here.

According to Haiti Innovation:

About 1.1 billion people still do not have access to safe drinking water, and two in every five people on the planet still have no access to a proper toilet.   The international community has become increasingly aware of the disastrous consequences of the status quo for public health and economic growth.  It will take more than awareness to change the current situation - it will also take political will, long term committment, and a new approach.

Water is a big focus for Rotary.  It is a big focus of the entire world, especially for those who don't have enough  clean water.  What projects are you working on that are most effective at bringing safe water to those who need it?

(Photo - Rotary Images/Alyce Henson)

How do you celebrate when Rotarians leave?

Rotary's "Your voice, your solution" asked for input on the following situation:  A Rotarian comes to you to say he is resigning his membership as his family life and work commitments are too demanding.  How do you convince him to remain a member?"

You will see my original response there.  Let me build on it a bit more here.

One of the key values that Rotary promotes is respect.  The Four Way Test is all about balancing internal versus external values and individual versus group needs.  So how do we apply that thinking to this situation?  

First, what is the truth?  If they are truly leaving for personal reasons, then respect their decision.  If they are leaving for other reasons than those stated, how will you find out?  You might ask, "If you were to come back, what would have to happen?"  There are likely two types of answers you will get:  when their situation changes or when your Rotary club changes.  Your club has no control over the first situation.  So celebrate their service, thank them for their contributions, wish them well and move on.  In the second case, the quality of their answer will really depend on how interested you are in their answer.

Are they informing you of a decision or asking you to explore possibilities with them?  What is the truth in the matter? 

Second, what is fair to all concerned?  Is it fair for a person to spend more time with their family, or making a living - especially in a recession?  Of course.  Maybe, if the club had made spouses and kids an integral part of the club experience, there would not be a forced choice.  What if the club made a greater effort to emphasize professional networking and development?  Yes, that was part of Paul Harris' founding idea of Rotary.  The key is how you do it.  And many clubs do a great job of both involving family and encouraging professional success.  How about yours?

Third, how can you create goodwill and better friendships?  In other words, how can you make sure the relationship lasts beyond this moment?  Joining Rotary is an important decision.  Leaving Rotary must be equally difficult.  If the member resigns but shows up at fundraisers and service projects, can your members welcome that person and celebrate those contributions?  Will this decision be one that the member feels good about, knowing they are appreciated, respected and missed?  Or will they think, "Thank goodness I quit.  I really did not expect that kind of reaction."  How does your club treat members who start to disappear, who don't show up at meetings?  Do you even notice?  How could you show how much you care before they choose to move on?

Fourth, will it be beneficial for all concerned?  When members resign, I often find Rotarians thinking about the club, its headcount and its goals - and how this leaving member represents failure.    But isn't Rotary about living high standards?  Shouldn't we celebrate the fact that a member has chosen to live his or her values regardless of what it means to us?  What if Rotary helped them reach this decision? 

I expect that Rotary leaders will find more and more members who find that for whatever reason they cannot continue in Rotary.  How will you respond?  Will you leave them with a positive memory?  Will you have a conversation that has that member eager to return?  If you have been reading this blog for some time, you have heard me emphasize this before:  Make it easy for people to bring out their best.  Make it simple, easy, convenient and rewarding to be in Rotary.

I have yet to see a club that celebrates when a member leaves.  Yes, what would it be like if we took a few minutes to recognize and honor the service and effort of every member who leaves?  What if we took that moment to recognize the best that the person had to offer, the difference they made and the stories that stand out?  What would be the effect on the remaining members?

Let's say it is a year from now and a friend of the former member asks, "I am thinking of getting involved in community service.  What would he or she recommend?"  Will that former member recommend Rotary?

• How do you create a great experience when members resign? 
• Have you had success bringing them back?