Best Practices for Section Leaders - Join us at #STLE2012

Panel Discussion on Best Practices for Local Sections
Sunday May 6, 2012, 5-6:30 p.m., Room 230, America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri (USA)

We've previously hosted 2 sessions to get a feel for what local sections are doing: here is an article with a summary of those two presentations, and below, you'll find some extracted ideas to try at your section this coming year. The panelists for the session include Robert Austin (Philadelphia Section), Jerry Byers (Cincinnati Section), Charles Paxton (Detroit Section), and Kuarlal Rampersad (Caribbean Section). We will also have input and ideas from sections unable to participate in the panel, including the Toronto, Hamilton, Portland, and Central Illinois Sections.

1. Try a new schedule. If you find attendance is dwindling at your monthly meetings, try mixing it up: try a different day of the week or a different time of day. You have lots of options - just be sure to check with your membership to see what they'd prefer. You can try a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening; try a morning meeting ("Early Bird" session), a lunch option, if you're close to many members and their offices; or try a mid-afternoon meeting, giving them flexibility on having a meal, but staying within the work day if they have social plans or wish to get home to their family. A mid-afternoon meeting could work on a Friday when members might head home early, so it works within their schedule.
2. Utilize social media. Set up a group on LinkedIn (as a subgroup to STLE's LI group). It's easy to setup, and a great way to get started online and on social media. You can also set up a Facebook page, but some companies do not allow their employees access to that site.
3. Find new and reward current members. Contact HQ and get a new membership list for your area each month - that way, you can update your list and reach out to potential new members. You can also keep track of long time members (5, 10, 15, 25, 50 years), and those who have recently obtained their certification. Once members have reached one of these milestones, have gifts planned and announce it at your meeting as part of your member recognition.

More ideas like this will be covered in this session and we'll soon have a resource that is chock-full of new ideas. If you're interested in viewing the past two sessions we conducted on best practices, as well as some other administrative resources (on how to conduct meetings/committees), see below.

Click here to view the recorded "Best Practices" presentations:

Large Sections Panel Discussion (<100 members)

Small Sections Panel Discussion (>100 members)

Other resources available:

Committees That Work!

Keys to Leading Productive Committees: Part I & Part II

Need something specific or have suggestions for how we can better assist you to administer your section? Tell us! Email us at information@stle.org.