12/2/09var leadership conferencecharlottesville, va leadership success tips and tools (and a few...

12/2/09 VAR Leadership Conference Charlottesville, VA

Leadership Success

Tips and Tools (and a few

imperatives) for REALTOR® Association Boards of Directors


Why are associations important?

“We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

Benjamin Franklin


Communication Is The Key

1. The Committees

2. The Membership

3. The Staff

4. The rest of the Board


Committee Communications

1. Clearly defined roles

2. Systematic communications

3. Two-way communications

4. Everyone’s responsibility



1. Clearly Defined Roles• Written statement for each group

• Mini-Mission Statement

• Guided by Strategic Plan



2. Systematic Communications• Board Report Forms

• Board Delegation Forms

• Chair Reports to Board

• Summary of Actions to other committees



3. Two-Way Communications• Board Liaisons on Committees

• Committees on Board Agenda (if necessary)

• Board should ask (not tell) Committee

• Relationship between President and Chair


4. Whose is responsible to establish and maintain effective communications between the

Board and Committees?

EVERYONE!


Membership Communication

1. Listen to be heard

2. President’s Elevator speech

3. Multi-platform

4. Transparency



1. Listen to be Heard• Survey before Board debate

• Share results of survey

• Relate decisions to member input



2. President’s Elevator Speech• 2 or 3 simple/clear goals

• Condensed to 2 minutes

• Stay consistent• Repeat as often as possible



3. Multi-Platform Communications

• E-Newsletter

• E-mail

• Flyers

• Printed Newsletters

• Twitter

• Blogs

• Facebook

• VoiceShots.com

• Meetings


What is “transparency?”

“Candid, open, or frank. Free of deceit.”


What is transparency?

Transparency is more than telling the simple truth about what you did; it is the act of making known what you are thinking about doing, how you are planning to think about it, who is going to be involved, and why you are thinking about doing it. Then, after you have done it, telling what you did and why.


Transparency

It is no longer a matter of seeing through, it is now

about seeing into.



4. Transparency• Builds Trust

• Builds Interest

• Builds Credibility


Communications with Staff

1. Early and often

2. Establish rules of engagement

3. Follow team approach


The Ultimate Success

As a volunteer, you are in the real estate business. Staff is in the Realtor business.

You’ll know you had a successful year if at the end, this is still true.


Staff or Member Driven?

Neither! Strive to be driven by the Strategic Plan


Communications Within the Board

1. Volunteer Agreement

2. Knowledge-Based Decisions (not opinion)

3. Discussion before debate

4. Bobby’s Suggestions instead of Robert’s Rules


Communications with Board

1. Volunteer Agreement• Defines expectations

• Discourages opinions stated as fact

• Establishes separation agreement



2. Knowledge Based Decisions• What do we know

• What do we need to know

• Who do we need to consult

• What are the alternatives



3. Discussion Before Debate• Debates are confrontational

• Discussions are collaborative

• Most Board decisions are collaborative



4. Bobby’s Suggestions• Robert’s Rules are archaic (1876)

• Designed for keeping order, not making decisions

• Know Robert’s Rules, but don’t use them all the time


The Strategic Board

• Spend 80% of your time on strategic discussions

• Place strategic items early on the agenda

• Limit “reports” from committees and put them late on the agenda

• Avoid doing committee work


Resources

• ASAE’s CEO/CEO Symposium with Glen Tecker

• President’s Talk at Realtown

• NAR’s Leadership Field Guide

• NAR’s Association Models Tool

• Email me – [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

12/2/09var leadership conferencecharlottesville, va leadership success tips and tools (and a few...

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