From the March 2004 issue of IAAP international membership newsletter
Some chapters are always noted for hosting outstanding chapter programs, while others seem to have difficulty selecting interesting topics and finding dynamic presenters. What’s the difference? How can every chapter be recognized in the community for professional and pertinent programs? Here are a few suggestions:
• Establish a committee whose members volunteer to peruse relevant publications and clip articles of interest to the admin profession. The issues discussed in these articles can be used as table topics during the meal function. Off-shoring is a good example of a hot issue that admins ought to be following.
• Go to the Web site of the National Speakers Association at www.nsaspeaker.org and do a speaker search for your city. You may find a number of professional presenters who live in your back yard and would like the local exposure.
• Contact the American Society for Training and Development and see if they have a chapter in your city. ASTD Members are corporate or freelance trainers, or producers of training materials. Wherever there’s a chapter, you’ll find a wealth of business resources.
• Call the business and technology departments of your local voc tech schools, community colleges, and universities. Instructors make excellent presenters and are usually happy to talk about their programs and their areas of interest.
• Visit your proprietary business schools, like DeVry and Vatterott, and get to know the admin and business instructors. This might also be a good site for creating a Student IAAP chapter, as well as possible speakers.
• Look for community programs that are offered for free. Good places to start are: the banks and their trust departments; hospitals and community education divisions; nonprofit groups with community ties, such as Habitat For Humanity, United Way, Goodwill Industries, etc.
• Check with area vendors that sell organization materials, business furniture, computer hardware and software, etc. They will most likely be willing to talk about their products and services.
• Make use of the free presentations offered by IAAP partners OfficeTeam, Avery Dennison, MeadWestvaco, and others. A list of the available programs is available in the "Members’ Place" section of the IAAP Web site. But plan early if you expect a rep to travel to your chapter.
• Look to local experts in the fields of medicine, law, finances, social security benefits, the travel industry, manufacturing, sales, and small business owners. Their knowledge and insider information could be invaluable in helping you understand issues and trends.
• Take the bold step of using an already-prepared presentation from IAAP for a 1½-hour session (or shorten it with some strategic cutting). Tried and proven at past IAAP District Conferences, the presentations come with a script, visuals, handouts, and everything you need to do an A+ job. Topics can be found in the "Members’ Place" section of the IAAP Web site (see link under "Helpful Tools").
• Don’t be afraid to do something as different as having a book discussion. Select a book that a number of members are interested in and then have someone serve as discussion leader. Questions can be prepared in advance of the reading, or asked impromptu. A few suggestions for good books are:
• Love It Don’t Leave It: 26 Ways To Get What You Want At Work by Beverly Kaye
and Sharon Jordan-Evans, Berrett-Koehler Pub., 2003.
• Peak Performers: How To Get The Best From Yourself, Your Co-Workers, Your
Staff by National Press Publications, 2001.
• Successful Negotiating: Letting the Other Person Have Your Way by Ginny Pearson Barnes EdD, National Press Publications, 1998.
Think outside the box and you can beef up your chapter programs and you’ll have guests beating down the door to join you.
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