Module 2: Setting Your Chapter Foundation
A large part of running an organization is putting on events and hosting meetings. While we'll dig into these topics in more detail later on in the course, read below for a few high-level tips when thinking about planning events and running meetings within your chapter as you onboard.
Event Planning
Identify event owners: Identify and agree upon who is responsible for planning and executing the event. Consider creating an event committee depending on the specific event.
Develop a plan: The individual(s) responsible for the event should develop a plan to be followed leading up to the event. The plan should include: timeline, budget, necessary materials, additional resources needed, communication strategy, etc.
Facilitation: Within the detailed plan, ensure you have identified the individuals responsible for facilitating the event. Various facilitation roles include: attendance tracker, technology lead, speaker, copywriter, etc.
Back-up plan: Have a plan in place if things do not go according to plan (e.g., issues with technology, weather).
Meeting Management
Identify recurring meetings and stakeholders: Align on recurring meetings that should be held throughout the semester. Depending on the meeting topic, different stakeholders may need to be present. Keep this in mind when planning on timing and key contributors to the success of the meeting. Typical meetings include: standards board, executive board, new members, chapter, etc.
Develop a plan: Consider creating an agenda for meetings that identify who is facilitating the meeting and key topics you want to discuss. A few key meeting roles may include facilitator, presenter, and notetaker.
Communicate & Send Recaps: Be sure to send out reminders when meetings are happening and capture notes for those who may not be able to be present so they can catch up later. Capturing what occurred is also a good check and balance to hold your team accountable. Be sure to identify any action items coming out of meetings and assign owners and deadlines.
Communication
Identify appropriate communication channels: It may be necessary to use several different communication channels to stay in touch with your e-board and chapter members. Common channels are email, text, and GroupMe. Depending on the type of communication and timeline, consider which channel is most appropriate.
Align on communication cadence: Determine how frequently you should be in contact with you e-board members and with your chapter. Leaning on the side of over-communication is always better than not communicating enough. You don't want to leave chapter members guessing on plans or without enough information to make informed decisions.
Respect each others time and respond in a timely manner: A common rule of thumb is to always respond to a communication within 24 hours - even if you're 'busy'. Acknowledging that someone has reached out - even if you can't address the request - is best practice of any professional. Be sure to respond and let them know that you'll follow-up if you can't handle something immediately.