Acronym

As promised in a previous post, this is from Jeffrey Cufaude from Idea Architects. I think he does a wonderful job describing a life lesson on how to serve and delight that gives us something to think about in the way we interact with members. What do you think? Is there a treasure trove of missed opportunities to create meaningful membership experiences? How can you spot such opportunities? How can staff be trained to spot and respond accordingly?

Jeffrey's post:

Waiting tables in high school, I consistently made a killing because the person who trained me had instilled in me a key three-word phrase about delivering value: transaction, transition, transformation. I often think of this phrase in relation to membership value.

Similar to the food and shelter base of Maslow’s hierarchy, transaction reminded me that the first priority is to ensure guests get perfect execution on the key components of their transaction: prompt greeting, timely order-taking, good quality food, efficient and unobtrusive follow-up. I prided myself on scanning every table every time I was in my section, always looking for an opportunity to serve before someone had to flag me down. Doing that generally guaranteed a 15 percent tip.

Transition and transformation worked hand-in-hand to move a mere transaction into something of greater value, sometimes value the guests weren’t originally seeking. In the transition stage, I listened carefully and paid close attention to the interactions and conversation at my tables. I looked for an opportunity to connect with the guests on a more personal level they would see as appropriate.

If they responded well to such overtures, I’d then expand my interactions in an effort to transform their meal into more of a dining experience, one that would be enjoyable and memorable beyond just the food. Getting guests to smile and laugh almost always guaranteed a larger gratuity. But even more importantly, it made me feel more pride in our restaurant and my work.

I don’t think serving members is all that different. They come to us in a transaction mindset and expect it to be flawless. But that’s just the minimum threshold, the tangible exchange of value, and it won’t always build loyalty and retention when some of that value can be obtained elsewhere.

Association staff and volunteers need to attend more to the transition and transformation opportunities that deliver the intangible member value that binds an individual to the organization and not just its books and webinars. It means constantly scanning “your section” and always looking for opportunities to serve. It means building relationships with your colleagues that allow for transactions and transformations to occur. As a server I had little control over the kitchen, so it was in my best interests to have good rapport with the cooks and to do everything I could to make their lives easier, not more difficult. The same can be said for many staff and volunteer relationships.

In 2001 the ASAE Foundation released Exploring the Future, an environment scan identifying “Meaning Matters” as one of the seven strategic conversations associations needed to have: “Meaning is the ‘why’ that gives significance to all the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ and helps us make sense of our lives.” More of our attention should address the four elements of meaning the study explored: meaningful purpose, meaningful relationships, meaningful stories, and meaningful contributions.

Instead too much of our conversation is still about the stuff, the traditional benefits we promote as benefits of membership. Important as they are, they aren’t the complete value proposition. A good meal nourishes the body, but a great dining experience nourishes the spirit. We can (and should) be doing the same when serving members.