A Workshop Purpose: To present and discuss ideas to increase the number of younger members in Navy League councils and to stimulate their involvement. Learning Objectives: 1. Discuss the challenges of recruiting younger members. 2. Understand what younger members want from a volunteer relationship. 3. Discuss strategies for recruiting younger members. 4. Discuss strategies for retaining younger members. 5. Plan an Involvement Strategy for your council. 6. Understand the importance of leadership, measurement and recognition for execution of your Involvement Strategy. 7. Understand the importance of a positive approach to change. Agenda: Limit: 1. Brainstorm the Question: Why don t younger people join organizations?. 2. Present and discuss what younger people are looking for in an organization. 3. Evaluate strategies for attracting and retaining younger members. 4. Plan an Involvement Strategy for your council. 5. Develop measurement, feedback and recognition activities as part of your Energizing Strategy. 6. Plan next steps. One Hour during the Workshop WJW05/28/2010 1
What do we know about younger people? A popular topic of discussion in all volunteer organizations today is How do we get younger members to join and get active? For Navy League, younger is anyone below the age of fifty! You ll often hear the convenient excuse young people don t want to get involved ; they are incorrect in this regard and the proof is we all know of organizations heavily populated with young, active volunteers. Can anyone think of such an organization? Please share. We can all think of at least one, if not multiple organizations with active involvement of younger people. You are attending this workshop because you want to grow the membership of your Navy League council and rejuvenate your membership. Let s survey the collective knowledge of the group to determine how much we know about the desires of younger people. Take a minute to think about why a younger person might or might not want to get involved with your council. Write your ideas below and share them when asked during the discussion. Want to get involved Not want to get involved WJW05/28/2010 2
This list will be used for developing our Involvement Strategy later in the workshop. Before we start development, we need to review what younger people are looking for in a volunteer organization. Survey says! Many studies have been completed on this topic, so let s look at some summary results. The results are insightful and should help us design our involvement strategy for your council. Characteristics of the Post-Baby Boom Generation (Gen X) Here are some characteristics of people ages 25-40+, our target groups for recruiting (Millennials, or Gen Y are the under 25 set not a target, yet): 1. They are better educated than previous generations, but not in the same way. The Baby Boom Generation recognized education could lead to a better job and they wanted to work their way up the ladder of success, often by conforming rather than challenging their organization. Gen Xers are the offspring of the Boomers and they approach life very differently. They try to balance work, life and family. They are often thought of as spoiled. They want to use their education to improve the world and solve problems. They tend to Ask Why a lot and don t accept pat answers; they can be cynical. They learned in groups and prefer working in teams. They much prefer to learn experientially, rather than by lecture. 2. They are searching for meaningful impact in their lives. They are often described as self-centered, even selfish because they always seem to focus on the What s in it for me (WIIFM)? question. They need to understand how their activities will make a difference; they dislike rote activities or make work projects. They expect their ideas to be accepted and considered. They have no loyalty to an organization that doesn t meet their needs. In fact, predictions are that today s workers will average 10 employers over their careers. Finally, they want to be proud of the organizations they serve, including their own employer. 3. They are action oriented and often see themselves as messengers for a better quality of life (theirs as well as yours). They don t want to sit on committees; WJW05/28/2010 3
they prefer project teams. Just give me the job and get out of my way is their rallying cry! They are eager to try new things and often multi-task effectively. 4. They value their time and are effective time managers. Consequently they have little use for time wasters. They value technology for its impact on productivity. They don t need to meet face-to-face to be on the team and get things done. 5. As volunteers, they are looking for flexibility. In their attempt to balance work, family and volunteer activities, they may want to work unusual schedules. The internet provides them a 24/7 opportunity 365 days a year! 6. Finally, they want to have fun. If you want to recruit and retain younger members fun is not an option! What are the Gen X people looking for in an organization? There are 90 million volunteers serving over one million non-profit organizations in America today is your councils getting their share? If not, maybe you haven t addressed their needs. Here are some of the needs of younger members: 1. What s in it for ME? If you can t answer this question, you ll not attract younger volunteers! Younger members are motivated by three things: The opportunity to develop professionally; Evidence they can make a difference; and Family and community oriented activities. Most important, your council must appeal to all three motivations! 2. Progressive leadership. Younger members want to work projects with a lot of freedom to get the job done. Leaders must delegate effectively, as described in the NLUS Workshop Leadership in a Volunteer Organization. Surveys have documented that the #1 reason volunteers quit (72%) is poor leadership. 3. Short projects. Younger volunteers are not interested in long-term projects. They are seeking a relationship, not a marriage; they seem commitment phobic! As one volunteer coordinator described this phenomenon A lot of people seem to be more interested in the kind of experience where they can pick up a job, enjoy it, feel good about it and then leave it behind. However, if they have a good experience with WJW05/28/2010 4
an organization, if they find value, they will stay for the longer term and remain involved. 4. A meaningful cause. The Mission and Goals of the Navy League provide several opportunities to align younger members with causes they can support supporting the young men and women fighting the war on terror, supporting sea service families, and supporting the development of our youth to become responsible citizens. 5. Recognition. Younger members are no different than the rest of us they want to be recognized for what they do. But remember, using their ideas is one of the highest forms of recognition. What are Gen X people not looking for in an organization? The surveys are clear that younger people are put off by organizations that are: 1. Too rigid Younger people are multi-taskers and most are comfortable working in a multi-media world. They tend not to work projects in a linear manner, so they may resist too many mileposts. That s the way we ve always done it will quickly drive them away. They also will quit if they encounter micro managers. Just give them a specific task to do, negotiate a mutually-agreeable deadline, and let them do it! 2. Command & Control structure Younger people are accustomed to working collaboratively, frequently on project teams. They want to be able to use their creatively to find effective ways to get the job done. Giving them orders will not be well received remember volunteers vote with their feet! Ask, don t tell should be the guiding principle. And remember to say please! 3. Conflict with family obligations Younger people have been leading the way in the business world to make Corporate America more family friendly. If council activities are scheduled in conflict with family obligations, younger members won t participate. 4. Mundane work Younger people want to be challenged, to learn new skills, to be creative. Repetitive activities are not attractive to them. They despise make work projects. If you have mundane work that needs to get done, figure out a way to make it fun if you want them to participate. 5. 20 th Century Communications The telephone is a secondary means of communicating with younger people; they prefer email. Email can be dispositioned at WJW05/28/2010 5
their convenience, whereas the telephone intrudes. They hate telephone tag, so if you do use the phone, leave them a concise message as to the nature of your call (what do you need?)! 6. Wasting time Younger people won t stand for drawn out meetings with no agenda and no purpose. Councils should strive to set a strategic agenda and follow the guidance in the workshop How to Run Effective Meetings. 7. Organizations in Chaos Younger members want to be problems solvers, but not when the problem to be solved is in-fighting, cliques and other types of behavior that distract from the council s mission and goals. Now we need to recruit some younger members so we can apply our Involvement Strategy! Recruiting Younger Members The Navy League wants to recruit younger members who can become the present and future leaders of our League! Therefore, at must select target groups for recruiting that include a younger population. Most younger members are recruited from the following target groups: Parents of Youth Group participants; Parents and spouses of active duty personnel; Reserve personnel and their families; Corporate/Community Affiliate members; Civic organizations; and Separating active duty personnel. Let s discuss how we might reach each group. Parents of Youth Group Participants One successful strategy is for your council to sponsor a parent support group for each youth group supported. The adult leaders will welcome the council s sponsorship, as they often struggle getting parents involved. The parent support group is not a group of Navy leaguers, just parents who want to support the youth group by fundraising, arranging logistics, coordinating activities with youth leaders, etc. The parent s group can become a fertile ground for growing future council membership. The parents of all graduating youth should be asked to join the council to continue their support of the youth. WJW05/28/2010 6
Another approach is a direct recruiting campaign among parents. Your council should have the names/addresses of the young people in your youth groups. Verify the parent s name (it may not be the same as the youth), then invite them to join. The adult leaders of your youth groups should be members of the Navy League so ask them first, then get their help in recruiting the parents. If an adult leader or parent cannot afford to join, try asking an existing member (individual and/or business) to sponsor them for membership. Also, the adult leader or parent may be willing to help recruit their employer as a Community Affiliate member, with the adult leader or parent becoming one of the 4 individual members (a win-win)! Parents and spouses of active duty personnel If your council provides support to local sea service commands, you should ask the spouses of active duty personnel to join the Navy League. They are eligible for a reduced rate membership ($30). The active duty member may want their spouse to be a member and can convince them to join (often just to get Sea Power magazine). The spouses who join may be willing to assist your council in recruiting other spouses, but you must ask them. Parents of active duty personnel are harder to reach since their son or daughter usually is not assigned locally. One successful method is to give each crew member of your supported commands a stamped envelope with an Invitation to Join inside, as well as a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. Ask the crew members to address the envelope to their parents and other family members with a personal note telling their family members what the Navy League does for them. The ship/unit Commanding Officer must approve this method! Another method used by some councils is to sponsor a Family Appreciation Day in their community and identify parents through a registration process. Details on how councils do this can be obtained from your facilitator. Reserve personnel and their families The War on Terrorism has caused many reservists to be recalled to active duty, which provides opportunity for councils to provide services to their families and potentially recruit them as members. Families of recalled reserves are often without a military support system base facilities, Fleet Family Service WJW05/28/2010 7
Center, Navy & Marine Corps Relief Society, etc. The local reserve center may be their only link to the military family support system, and they can use our help. The contact point is your local reserve center commanding officer, who can advise you on services needed. Another opportunity to support the families of deployed military personnel, active and reserve, is to participate in supporting Operation Homefront. Please contact the Senior Director of Regional Activities for details on this opportunity. Community Affiliate members - A Community Affiliate member can be any business in your community that 1) wants to support the young men and women serving our nation in one of the sea services, 2) wants to support one of your youth groups, or 3) wants to build their business in your community. They may or may not have a business relationship with the sea services or your council. Navy League Corporate members are typically larger companies that do business with the Department of Defense and want to demonstrate their support of the sea services. A local branch, plant or office of a Corporate member may become a Community Affiliate member to connect with the local council. The levels of membership available to a business are described in the NLUS Guide to Business Awareness: Community Affiliate, Business Associate, Corporate Membership, which is the handout for the Recruiting Community Affiliate Members workshop. A Community Affiliate membership includes four individual members in your council. The individual members can become a source of new energy for your council, but you must engage them. Welcoming New Members is a council guide for engaging new members Civic organizations Establishing a Speakers Bureau is the most effective method for reaching civic/service groups. These groups are always looking for speakers, since many of them meet weekly. The Navy League Speakers Kit has prepared speeches that your speakers can use to tell the Navy League story, ask for support of your youth groups, and ask their members to join as individual or Community Affiliate members. The Navy League Centennial videotape (8-1/2 minutes) is an excellent program for a civic group, since it discusses the history of the Navy League and focuses on our mission and goals. A Navy League PowerPoint presentation is also available, which can be downloaded from the NLUS website and copied to a CD. WJW05/28/2010 8
Finally, a Navy League public relations speech is also available on the NLUS website. Separating Active Duty personnel Military personnel are processed through a Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which assists them in learning to survive in the civilian world. The Navy League has an agreement with the U.S. Navy to provide support to TAP through the Highline Program. Active duty personnel who participate in the TAP program are eligible to join the Navy League while still on active duty. Highline is the Council Guide for the Highline Program and can assist your council in planning to approach this group (you should also contact the Senior Director of Regional Activities for assistance in using TAP to recruit personnel separating from active service). Retaining Younger Members Retention is simple get them involved! The following guidelines are germane: Make sure your activities are interesting to the younger members you are recruiting. Provide a Member Interest Survey to tell them what the council does, to ask what they would like to do, and to recruit volunteers. Identify new leaders and get them involved. Most people (including yourself) will work hard for a short period if they can see the end and know a replacement is available to take over when they finish their commitment. Younger members prefer to work a task to completion with autonomy. To learn how to work with these members, schedule the workshop Leadership in a Volunteer Organization. Remember that the number one reason volunteers quit is poor leadership! Build a large Board of Directors include members from all your target groups. Select people for their expertise financial, administrative, accounting, business expertise, education, etc. Successful councils often have more than 30 Board Members! Develop strategies to get your rigid Board members to step aside. Reduce and/or streamline your Board meetings to keep them short and productive. Consider letting the younger members conduct an activity or program separate from your traditional program (e.g. speaker at a dinner or lunch meeting). Let them take ownership for organizing and scheduling these activities, but invite everyone. WJW05/28/2010 9
Establish a website and an email communication process. Younger members want to communicate in this manner and will take the lead to set up these processes. Participants in your youth programs may be willing to take on a project to establish a website (perhaps as a school project for extra credit). Encourage younger members to become recruiters if they are fulfilled they can sell others! Get your entire council onboard with the marketing message, which is developed in the exercise below. Recognize success especially your members who come up with innovative programs, or are successful recruiters. Tune in to your membership ask them what they want to do and then deliver. Establish the Council Involvement Strategy Getting started requires that we plan to involve the new, younger members before they join your council, using the ideas discussed in this workshop. Here is an exercise to accomplish this important step. Exercise Purpose: To prepare a Council Involvement Strategy. Action: 1. Identify who is available for the team that will develop the involvement strategy. 2. Organize the involvement team meeting and complete the following tasks: Establish a marketing message that answers the WIIFM question for your council. Address all three elements of WIIFM: 1. Personal/professional development 2. Making a difference 3. Family/community oriented Select the target groups from the list above; prioritize them if your council cannot recruit them all at the same time. Set a recruiting goal for each target group. Avoid over-reaching 3-5 goals should be your limit! WJW05/28/2010 10
Establish the recruitment leader for each target group (the individual who accepts responsibility for working to meet the goal). Establish your retention strategy using the material in this workshop. Document implementation action items below to establish activities not currently in practice at your council. Establish your strategy for contacting the target groups; schedule additional training/workshops, if needed (for example, Recruiting Community Affiliate Members). Complete the planning worksheet (Action Items), including the time allotted to complete each action item. 3. Schedule periodic follow-up meetings (at least monthly) to track progress. Reallocate resources or change deadlines, as necessary. Rigid plans are more likely to fail! Limit: This exercise should take one - two hours and may be conducted after this workshop. What actions do you plan to take? Who will help you do it? When will it be done? How will training be completed? WJW05/28/2010 11
Implementing the Strategy Before starting to implement your involvement strategy, there is one more issue to be addressed. Many councils underachieve because of the attitude of their members the been there, done that response that is used to shoot down new ideas. Here is an approach to overcoming underachievement: Recognize that resistance to change is a mind-set that can be overcome with a conscious effort by the Board. Resistance to change is often driven by a fear of loss your older members fear they will be forgotten and the type of programs they like will be dropped. Their fears must be addressed in the plan to gain the support of these members. Put your energizing strategy in writing, then publicize the plan and it s goals. Regular reporting and appropriate recognition is a critical element for success. Celebrate small wins to build confidence on your team. The Board must become a team and endorse the plan, even if they are not fully in agreement this is the definition of consensus! Board members should adopt the language of change (e.g. we will, rather than we ll try ) and remain positive. Challenge each other when any negative statement is made. Mutual support and a positive attitude are key elements when making changes. Develop the habit of self-critique as a Board. If your Board members are willing to critique themselves, they will be better able to respond to criticism from those not on the Board. The purpose of critique is to analyze and learn from your experience. If the plan needs correction, make the changes! Remember, critique includes both the things that are done well and the things that need improvement keep the balance. Now you are ready to implement your plan. We hope you have enjoyed this workshop. Please complete an evaluation form before you leave so we can continue to improve these workshops. Thanks for you interest! The End! WJW05/28/2010 12