Association Boards with a Youthful Influence
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 by Deirdre Reid
Which is better? A board that includes a token young member without any influence or a board full of Boomers? You don’t like either, do you?
Smart boards invite the influence of younger members. They listen and learn for good reason: Millennials are an even larger generation than Boomers. As cliché as it sounds, they are the future of our associations.
Boards benefit by asking young members for advice, opinions and ideas. Think of it as informal market intelligence to help you approach challenges and meet member needs in new ways.
Tap the knowledge of young members
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) launched a New Professional Task Force this year to help them engage, support and develop the next generation. Two task force members attend board meetings to advise how PCMA can meet the needs of young members. The task force also makes recommendations through regular reports to the board and executive committee. The board liaison to the task force is the PCMA Chairman who, Stacey Shafer, director of leadership relations, says “has been extremely accessible to the group, participating in regular conference calls and meetings.”
Four years ago the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) created a non-voting Board Associate position for an under-30 member to provide the Millennial perspective to the board. David Haas, regional sales and product manager at the Northern Illinois University Conference Centers is finishing up his 15-month term in that position.
As Board Associate, David also chairs the Emerging Trends Committee. He says it’s important to make a position like his the chair of a committee or task force that reports to the board so there’s a regularly scheduled opportunity to speak at meetings. “Create a job for that person beyond just sitting on the board.”
David adds, “The board does a good job at directing the conversation my way when they’re looking for the young professional’s opinion.” Staff and leadership also ask him to participate in other leadership conference calls so they can hear the next generation’s opinion.
Leadership lessons and successes
At PCMA Stacey has already seen the benefits of the new interaction between generations: “The Board has gained insight into the values and educational needs of younger members. They’ve also learned how to best communicate with young professionals in their own organizations.”
The task force influenced decisions on magazine content, career resources, educational programming and content delivery methods. PCMA’s foundation decided to provide financial assistance so task force members can attend PCMA conferences.
David’s committee at IACC created a nationwide internship program for conference centers and social media applications for their conference. He says, “When it comes to technology, they all look at me and say, ‘Can we talk to you guys about that?’”
He says the IACC leadership now knows not to make assumptions about younger members. “They’ve learned we can’t be defined by instant gratification and short attention spans like the generational horoscopes tell them.”
Making it work
Stacey recommends holding a networking breakfast or luncheon prior to board and committee meetings. “Informal conversation allows younger members to feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts. Also, it’s extremely beneficial to incorporate an agenda item that allows younger members to be the expert.”
Both Stacey and David stress that leadership support is critical. However, David advises picking someone for these positions who’s passionate about the association and industry, not someone who’s doing it for their resume. “If the board doesn’t pick the right person, the president won’t stand up for them.”
Bear in mind, no matter the passion, young professionals often have to change jobs to move ahead in their career, and new employers may not provide the support needed. David is only the third out of six board associates to make it to the end of the term.
Another critical ingredient is leadership’s willingness to be open to and try new ideas suggested by younger members. Stacey says, “Don’t be afraid to test their recommendations and try a new way of doing something.”
David advises his peers to “stand up and be heard. This is new territory for everybody in the room. It’s risky. They’ll either love or hate what you’re saying, but you can only learn by trying.”
Deirdre Reid, CAE is a freelance writer who is between generations — a member of Generation Jones.
Smart boards invite the influence of younger members. They listen and learn for good reason: Millennials are an even larger generation than Boomers. As cliché as it sounds, they are the future of our associations.
Boards benefit by asking young members for advice, opinions and ideas. Think of it as informal market intelligence to help you approach challenges and meet member needs in new ways.
Tap the knowledge of young members
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) launched a New Professional Task Force this year to help them engage, support and develop the next generation. Two task force members attend board meetings to advise how PCMA can meet the needs of young members. The task force also makes recommendations through regular reports to the board and executive committee. The board liaison to the task force is the PCMA Chairman who, Stacey Shafer, director of leadership relations, says “has been extremely accessible to the group, participating in regular conference calls and meetings.”
Four years ago the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) created a non-voting Board Associate position for an under-30 member to provide the Millennial perspective to the board. David Haas, regional sales and product manager at the Northern Illinois University Conference Centers is finishing up his 15-month term in that position.
As Board Associate, David also chairs the Emerging Trends Committee. He says it’s important to make a position like his the chair of a committee or task force that reports to the board so there’s a regularly scheduled opportunity to speak at meetings. “Create a job for that person beyond just sitting on the board.”
David adds, “The board does a good job at directing the conversation my way when they’re looking for the young professional’s opinion.” Staff and leadership also ask him to participate in other leadership conference calls so they can hear the next generation’s opinion.
Leadership lessons and successes
At PCMA Stacey has already seen the benefits of the new interaction between generations: “The Board has gained insight into the values and educational needs of younger members. They’ve also learned how to best communicate with young professionals in their own organizations.”
The task force influenced decisions on magazine content, career resources, educational programming and content delivery methods. PCMA’s foundation decided to provide financial assistance so task force members can attend PCMA conferences.
David’s committee at IACC created a nationwide internship program for conference centers and social media applications for their conference. He says, “When it comes to technology, they all look at me and say, ‘Can we talk to you guys about that?’”
He says the IACC leadership now knows not to make assumptions about younger members. “They’ve learned we can’t be defined by instant gratification and short attention spans like the generational horoscopes tell them.”
Making it work
Stacey recommends holding a networking breakfast or luncheon prior to board and committee meetings. “Informal conversation allows younger members to feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts. Also, it’s extremely beneficial to incorporate an agenda item that allows younger members to be the expert.”
Both Stacey and David stress that leadership support is critical. However, David advises picking someone for these positions who’s passionate about the association and industry, not someone who’s doing it for their resume. “If the board doesn’t pick the right person, the president won’t stand up for them.”
Bear in mind, no matter the passion, young professionals often have to change jobs to move ahead in their career, and new employers may not provide the support needed. David is only the third out of six board associates to make it to the end of the term.
Another critical ingredient is leadership’s willingness to be open to and try new ideas suggested by younger members. Stacey says, “Don’t be afraid to test their recommendations and try a new way of doing something.”
David advises his peers to “stand up and be heard. This is new territory for everybody in the room. It’s risky. They’ll either love or hate what you’re saying, but you can only learn by trying.”
Deirdre Reid, CAE is a freelance writer who is between generations — a member of Generation Jones.
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Deirdre Reid
Deirdre is a freelance writer, blogger and copywriter. The association community remains her professional home after spending ten years at national and state associations overseeing membership, vendor programs, marketing, publications, chapter relations and more. Away from her laptop, you can find her hiking, doing yoga, cooking new recipes, volunteering at the history museum, or relaxing in a comfy chair with a good book and glass of wine or craft beer.
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