Working with true believers
In a guest post on the “How to Change the World” blog, Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, talks about the difficult aspects of establishing a successful startup company. One of his points struck me as equally applicable to the association sector:
True believers go nuts at the slightest provocation. The best people at a start-up care too much. They stay up late writing Jerry Maguire memos, eavesdropping on support calls, snapping at bureaucracy, citing Joel Spolsky on Aerons, and Paul Graham on cubes. They are your heart and bones, so you have to give them what they need, which is a lot. The only way to get them on your side is to put them in charge.
In the associations where I’ve worked, not all members have been true believers—but those that were were either our biggest asset or our biggest headache (or both simultaneously).
I wonder if association professionals sometimes have a disconnect with true believers among the membership, because we can move from association to association without necessarily being true believers about any. It’s not that we don’t think that our members are doing great and important things; but we don’t always have the same personal connection that a true believer would have.
I also wonder if using this idea as a lens can help us better understand and work with those true believers among our members. If you find yourself working with folks who are “writing Jerry Maguire memos” and “snapping at bureaucracy,” remember that you’re dealing with true believers. Emphasize your understanding of the importance of the association’s mission and the profession/industry it represents. Look at how you can reduce that red tape that’s frustrating them (always a good idea, in any event). Remember that they are the heart of your association. And give them an opportunity to be in charge of something so they can run with that passion and channel it.
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Comments
Good thoughts Lisa. It is a great way to look at it. I would advise to exercise caution when giving a true believer something to be in charge of. Like you said earlier in the post, they can be your biggest headache. Be sure the project is something they can champion and see a positive end result. Try to avoid just making it a project that amounts to nothing more than an endless discussion. Those circular, go nowhere topics generally only lead to members feeling disenfranchised - the exact opposite of what you want to do with a true believer.
Posted by: Matt Baehr | August 8, 2007 2:59 PM
That's absolutely true, Matt. It's actually sad how many volunteer assignments (at associations and in other volunteer organizations) amount to nothing in particular. I don't think that's the way to get most people to feel engaged and enthusiastic ...
Posted by: Lisa Junker | August 8, 2007 3:52 PM
Lisa, this is a great example of where a true sense of management and leadership come into play in the association world. As an association professional, members need the staff to help them channel this passion (though they may not admit to it). It's the staff's responsibility to manage the true believer's expectations and offer leadership in connecting action to the organization's primary mission and goals.
There is one caveat, though. This direction for working with true believers has to be clearly communicated throughout the association - from the Board down to the most junior staffer. The most ineffective use of the true believer's passion has been to give it a free pass at whatever the member wanted to do...regardless of whether it was even possible or desirable in relation to the association's mission. That not only frustrates the member, it puts the staff in a near-impossible situation of trying to please everyone. Plus, I've seen true believers turn into micro-managers of staff just because it was *their* idea.
Posted by: Chris Bailey | August 9, 2007 9:33 AM