Innovate Rotary!

Mission Complete

This is my final post here at Innovate Rotary! 

I am very proud of the body of work I have written, the impact it has had on clubs and members around the world and for the recognition it has received.  Innovate Rotary was featured several times by Rotary Interactive's "Links we LIke" segment.  The blog was also recognized as one of the Top 100 Leadership Blogs. 

Many of you have referenced it, linked to it or shared it with others.  In three years, this blog has been viewed nearly 18,000 times. Many of you sent me messages telling me how you put these ideas to work.  I am grateful.

I am mapping out a new weblog strategy for my "business" blog, Create Value Innovation. For ideas on innovation, strategy, leadership and high performance, look for it at http://changeagentgroup.typepad.com.  There will surely be plenty of ideas there that you can apply to Rotary and other areas of nonprofit service.  Great leadership, great organizations and creating authentic value are universal.

For now, I will keep all of the past stories active and available so that people can continue to use them.

I will also not renew registration to the website address or web forwarding from www.innovaterotary.com.  So starting November 1 or so, you will have to access the blog directly at  http://changeagentgroup.typepad.com/innovate_rotary/.

I have always approached this blog with the idea, "Say something worthwhile, or say nothing at all."  Since I completed my term as District 5950 Membership Chair, I find that I draw energy in other areas.  So it's best to move on

Keep moving forward, create big impact and make it easy for others to join you.

Cheers!

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

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!

President Obama has set the table. Okay, Rotary, it's your move!

President Barack Obama's inauguration speech called upon Americans to explore volunteer service.  He also emphasized the need for investment in nonprofit innovation.   What could this mean for Rotary?  (Note, this is a particularly American perspective, though if you think of your role as citizen of your own community and country - and a world peacemaker, perhaps this will be relevant to you, too, even if you are not an American)

First, consider a couple of passages from the speech:

 Because your own story and the American story are not separate, they are shared. And they will both be enriched if together, we answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century.

He speaks of his own volunteer service experience:

Through service, I found a community that embraced me; citizenship that was meaningful; the direction I'd been seeking. Through service, I discovered how my own improbable story fit into the larger story of America.

He speaks of the nobility and higher purpose of service, both in military and civil service as well as that of a volunteer:

When you choose to serve - whether it's your nation, your community, or simply your neighbor - you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That is why this is a great nation. Because time and again, Americans have been willing to serve on stages both great and small; to draw on the same spirit that launched America's improbable journey to meet the challenges of each defining moment in our history.

While he speaks of the importance of military service, he emphasizes service potential for everyone and offers to make it easier for people to find opportunities to serve that align with their passions:

And we'll use technology to connect people to service. We'll expand USA Freedom Corps to create an online network where Americans can browse opportunities to volunteer. You'll be able to search by category, time commitment, and skill sets; you'll be able to rate service opportunities, build service networks, and create your own service pages to track your hours and activities. This will empower more Americans to craft their own service agenda, and make their own change from the bottom up.

He also talks about supporting nonprofit innovation through additional investment, just as we invest in innovation in the private sector.  So Rotarians, the President has called on the country to serve.  Millions of non-volunteers could choose to explore a path to service.  Given this extraordinary opportunity, ask yourself and your fellow leaders how they can be ready for this potential tsunami of volunteers:

- How easy is it for volunteers to find your club?

- How quickly and effectively can they learn what you are about?

- How can they decide easily whether there is a fit between your club and the volunteer's passions?

- How easy is it for them to get involved?

- How easy is it for volunteers to make meaningful impact through Rotary (whether they are Rotarians or not, by the way)  How fun and engaging will it be compared to other service alternatives?

- How do you help your members feel appreciated?

This is a historic moment in so many ways.  Whether you voted for him or not, whether you agree with his policies or not, there might be some new possibilities here.  The President of the United States has made your service as a Rotarian (or any other kind of volunteer service) a national priority.  Are you ready to accept the flood of energy and talent?  What's your next move, Rotarian?

What is your peak Rotary experience?

Yesterday, Rotarians in District 5950 launched a movement.  We want to build on the peak experiences of Rotary members.  We want to make it possible for others to join us and create their own peak experience in the spirit of Service Above Self. 

The way we will do this is to identify and celebrate what is best and positive about Rotary here in our district - and to build on that to create greater membership success and impact. As we strive to grow membership, we will do so by identifying the best that we are, what we do and what we offer.  We will not succeed by focusing on our deficits, failings and shortcomings.

Early in our fall membership seminar, we asked members to identify the qualities of their peak experiences in Rotary.  The moment in the room was nothing short of magic.  Download qualities_of_peak_rotary_experience_9122008.jpg for a summary of what they said.

What is remarkable is that these qualities have no age requirements and no age limits.  These experiences are available across professions, neighborhoods and communities for both men and women.

Any Rotarian is capable of creating an exceptional moment for themselves, for their club and most important, in service to others.  Rarely does this happen alone.  Rotary provides the values, the financial resources, the fellowship, fun and the history of tremendous success to draw upon to indeed, make dreams real.

What would happen if we planned every Rotary event, every committee meeting, every club meeting as an opportunity to create that next peak experience for someone?

Welcome to the movement!

Signing off for the summer

It's midsummer and time to take a break from writing for a while.  So I won't be writing any more posts for the time being.  If the inspiration comes again in September, I will write a post or two at that time.

For now, I will keep all of the existing stories up on this weblog, so enjoy some of the "re-runs."

For those of you in the northern hemisphere, enjoy your summer.  For those of you in the southern hemisphere, stay warm - the days are getting longer now!

Cheers!

Get members engaged - give them a vote!

How do you get members to care about about your grant-giving process?  How about giving everyone a vote?   American Express does!  For the second consecutive year, the American Express Members Project (r) gives cardholders the chance to decide where $2.5 million dollars will be invested to improve the environment, arts & culture, community development, education and health.

Last year, cardholders voted to invest $2.5 million to provide safe drinking water for people in Africa.  You can find a link to the project video here.

So what can you learn from this project that might work in your club?

"We have always done it that way"

Rotary is rich with stories of impact, fun, and dramatic change.  Our biggest block to future success is our inability to see things differently, to challenge conventional wisdom.  What would happen if we turned conventional wisdom on its head?  How would a new perspective create new success?

For example:

• "We must have high retention."  What if we approached the community relations department of a large company seeking executives to guide an important 2-year project in our club or district?  If they stay after that, terrific.  If they choose to move on, we thank them for their skills, leadership and impact and wish them well.  Most clubs would consider that as a loss of an active, contributing member.  The people we serve see that as a shining example of success.  The executive walks away with a terrific experience and a fond love for Rotary, even as a non-member. How could we view this as a success?
• "You have to work your way up the leadership chain."  What about Generation X?  Folks in this age group are less interested in moving up than they are in moving across - developing broad experience.  That's good news for clubs who need leaders with broad perspective.  What are your assumptions for membership development and succession and how does it relate to members' interests?  How can you appeal to a variety of interests?
• "Prospective members need to attend 3 meetings."  Have you ever asked a new member about their experience during those 3 weeks?  What were their goals and expectations versus actual experience?  What were the things that they tolerated, that blocked their ability to meet their objectives?  Effective clubs do a great job of creating a consistent approach for new member introduction and induction.
• "Don't survey the members.  Asking questions will only emphasize our weaknesses"  Who are your "soon-to-be non members" and what blocks them from having a great experience?  It is far better to find out in a member survey than an exit survey.  Even better than that, interview former members and non-members to find out why they are not in Rotary?  If you want to learn something, really listen, don't sell.
• "Change is hard."  What if change was fun?  What if you helped make change simpler to understand, more meaningful to the members and simpler to do?  If you want to launch a new project, what would be some early wins?  No one needs more work.  But they might want more fun, more intensity, more connection or even some fun competition.  How would you like your change to be?

At your next board meeting or your next project team meeting, notice the conventional wisdom, the rules that worked in the past.  And then ask,what if we assumed the opposite?  What if we saw it from a non-member point of view?  Your club is doing great things for your members and the community.  Keep your club strong and relevant by challenging conventional wisdom.

How welcoming is your club?

I recently spoke about innovation to a group of Chamber of Commerce executives.  Like many Rotary clubs, Chambers of Commerce can fall into a fairly predictable rhythm unless one or more leaders decides to launch controlled experiments, attract new energy and keep their organizations relevant.

As I prepared my comments, I came across this video from the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, entitled, "Greater Omaha is Good to Go."  I was struck by the energy of this piece.  Take a look and listen!