Year-End

What a wild year!

I am very thankful to exit this year's roller coaster as the 2021 edition offered my my most intense ride yet. I actually felt the highs and lows this time around. I noticed the new colleagues I met in the line ride beforehand and felt overwhelming grateful to the ones who were with me longer and grabbed my hand when the ride got rough. Thank you. I feel bad that I am not that mindful every year. Having a gaggle of kids with a ten year age span keeps you from getting into much of anything, let alone having "all the feels"--you can't let your mind wander off too much as you'll miss driving their friend home from the police station at 2:30 am when their mom can't get them or a hug from one when another sibling rips all her clothes off the hangers you just spent a couple hours hanging up because they went over the imaginary line that divides their closet space. Yes, if you lay around in this place you will get a Westie dog on your head and a kiddie toe in your eye.

I love the network that supports me and I wouldn't have made it through the year without the creativity, compassion and capacity the group provided. Those lows were depressing; I felt them in my gut and see that bump up on the sizing chart physically, too. Finding my first gray hair this year didn't help either! BUT. THE. HIGHS... they lifted me off the seat a few times and after over a year of feeling so disconnected I felt more "me" again. The lows made each high more three dimensional. I could see and taste and hear and BE in those moments. I started my own company... something I dreamed about for a long time. I took care of five clients. FIVE! I also got to refer another to a friend who was just getting started. I spent time to figure out what was important to me... and where the noise was coming from. I needed a nudge to take myself and my dreams off pause. I don't think I would've moved forward without the lows. Not yet. Over time, you become more curmudgeonly (is that a word?). Ultimately, my annual income was similar to that I was comfortable with in a traditional gig and for that I am very, VERY thankful.  But I know it's about the hustle and I have to start over again at the end of my current role! For now, there's a fork in the role... I opened myself up to a gig that would convert me to an employee again only because it is on point with some of the work I want to do. I am otherwise open to other interim executive director gigs, traditional consulting, and training and development building. My secondary area needs more research (creating an exposure pipeline for the next gen in association management). I'm pushing that one gray hair aside and chalking this year up as a win.

Not sure what 2022 will hold, but bring it on!

Enjoy the final days of the season!  Whoo hoo 2022!

Name changing: Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

 A rose by any other name would smell as sweet... but would it get the attention of GenNext?

Coming out of a pandemic is a great time to review your organization's synergies and name... does it truly reflect not only who you are but who you want to be?

Before the pandemic, the trend seemed to be shortening a group's name.  Sometimes the name would become the acronym of the old name.  You'd have to learn more in the "About us" or "History" section of a group's website to appreciate where it came from. Or, maybe talk to one of the seasoned members. Sometimes, it's done to forget the past. I can think of a group that evolved its name not only to merge with another group but in hopes of helping the public forget a lawsuit it once filed.  

One easy way to snag some spotlight and heightened relevance is to update your name.  Before the pandemic started, a leader of an association elevated the need to rethink the name.  The launch is supposed to happen in October.  

In Q1, I helped this group to facilitate a discussion with its staff leads around the world.  How exciting to see the orchestration happen!  The group has been very intentional about the evolution, trying to rally as many of its longstanding leaders on board as possible.  The bottom line is that the name change could allow more people to feel the group's relevance on its face alone. It also encourages those who shift from directly engaging in the industry to something peripheral to stay engaged and keep contributing from their new posts to keep the group relevant.  

Looking back, people will remember that part. But there was a lot of work that the staff had to do to make it all come together.  If they do it right, it will look graceful.  Know that for any of this to work, there has to be hours spent honoring the history that got the group where it is.  Your attachment to your organization's name, however, cannot be the same as the one you'd have for your child.  It has to resonate with the "parents" of the group in the future. 

Mary

This is Mary. She has been Tay's "handler" for as long as Tay can remember. She is the reason why I was able to work FT+ these past 6 years. It's crushing that it's time to move to the next phase of our story because it means not having Mary in our lives almost every day.

Mary is my kids' third grandma. Every single one of them feels that way.  We are so blessed that she was willing to be here for all of us all of these years! 

Although Tay was the focus, Kinzie has the best bond with her.  

 She may not have popped into Mary's pic for her birthday IRL but she was always quietly listening to what she said. 

Anyway, the best part about Mary is that she is open to adventure.  

When we moved to Elmhurst, we were two weeks in as a party of seven.  Taylor's big siblings were all daycare kids but the places I liked were full and we didn't know what the other kids would need in the transition.  Thankfully, Kevin's cousin Sarah nannied that first year.  When the next school year started, she announced that she would go back to school as well.  We had until Monday to get a new person in place! 

We didn't know where to start.  So Kevin went to the bathroom (to talk to the two women the cleaning company sent over).  Kevin asked if either of them had experience as a nanny?  No, but the other woman said Mary could do it.  Mary said she would be open to it and she had kids and grandkids of her own.  Kevin hired her on the spot!    I remember Mary calling me to ask if my husband talked to me? Because she was starting on Monday.  Oh yes, Mary came into our lives just like that!

Best connection ever.  Thanks Mary! #ittakesavillage #thirdgrandma #family

Summer Lovin'

The last weeks of August were amazing on so many levels... they reminded me that connecting with and reflecting on the familiar can really recharge you.  Bring on the Fall!

1. I reconnected with my mom and sister.  

2. I started a familiar interim position!

3. I brought a couple of pandemic connections full circle.

_____________________________

1. I reconnected with my mom and sister.  

My mom died 6 years ago, my sister 5, thanks to the BRCA gene. I did my best to keep busy (job change, move out of the city, kid activities, etc.) so I didn't lose it. Last week, I reminisced with people who knew them well and heard some really great clips about their interactions. It was a nice way to have the wave of remembrance hit.

This is Rick and Mary Jo. Growing up, I spent at least a night a week at their house or with them at ours. Their son was one of my best friends.  Rick and Mary Jo still live on the NW side of Chicago (we moved when I was 13) and getting to have dinner with them was really amazing.   Mary Jo's laugh, her way of talking... I just felt like my mom was right there with us.  Thank goodness for Facebook connections (Mary Jo and I connected there years ago) and retirement volunteer gigs (we realized recently that Rick helps our town's park district) that allowed us to reconnect in person! 

This is Mary.  She's my mom's favorite cousin's kid. I adored Mary growing up but personality-wise she matched best with my sister Michelle.  They were the life of any party, graduated from the same out-of-town college (Iowa) and successfully landed careers on a coast. Later in life, they bonded to manage the family BRCA gene.  This week, an article about Mary's medical journey came out and I ran into her at an event, where she was talking about the good times she had with Michelle.  I am thankful she moved back to the community her mom convinced my husband and I to move to. Now our kids go to school together. 

2. I started a familiar interim position!

After 8 months of roller coaster riding to get my consulting grip, I got a short-term spot on a comfy couch.  I spent the first 15 years of my career with the American Bar Association.  I'm serving another national association as Interim Vice President of Professional Membership Groups. I have a lot to think through to help the organization from this vantage point, but being in an environment that matches the one I "grew up" in is so welcome right now! The other cool thing is that there are a few people I know  and respect from the ABA and volunteer roles I've had that "live" here. I know they'll give me an inside scoop if I need it.  Your network will always matter!

3. I brought a couple of pandemic connections full circle.

This is Chris and Melissa.  They both run Association Management Companies (AMCs), a type of business I learned a lot about during the pandemic. One recruiter told me the association world was headed into the "golden age of AMCs," as the pandemic will have smart associations with standalone staff reexamine their expenses and streamline their staffing dollars.  Stars in my eyes, I went on a mission to learn more.  

My first stop was Melissa. She was already part of my peer group (created with people I met at my last pre-pandemic, in-person career event in Mar. 2020). She actually went to OU (my alma mater) and studied journalism (me too!) so we had a strong base out of the gate.  Her business has roots in festivals (Ribfest!) so it never offered just AMC services, which is neat.  She's been expanding options and I know it's just a matter of time before they all catch on!  

Through a series of online networking efforts (LinkedIn is AMAZING all career long!), I also connected with Chris.  After one meet up, I wanted to find a way to work with her (she reminds me of my mother-in-law, one of my fave people!). Her business follows a traditional AMC model and focuses on serving local chapters of national associations.  Thanks to her, I appreciate that these businesses must run lean to survive commoditization, so there are little resources to spend on things like innovation (I am good at finding efficiencies but need to balance doing that work with an innovation sandbox...).

Anyway, Chris joined the peer group and connected with Melissa.  They have so much to commiserate on!  During the end of August we met at the midpoint (Oakbrook).  Chris's office is 45 min south and Melissa's 45 min north with me in the middle.   Neither will give up their office and I need time to think through that piece.  When things open up again, who knows? The 3 of us may become the backbone of a bombshell joint venture that will blow up the traditional association setup.

#onlytimewilltell #connectionsconnections #networksmatter 

Deep Thoughts from Deep Water Aerobics

 

Meet Kathy.  She instructs the Deep Water Aerobics class in the summer at my park district.  Her class is the opener for the diving well weekday mornings.  It is one of the experiences that I put on my joy list (I don't mind getting my hair wet!). It offers a "surban" connection with nature (We watch the sun blaze its path, butterflies find the milkweed, a bunny family try to get out of the gated area, dogwalkers) before our neighborhood fully awakens.   It also rallies our capacity for the day (thanks to Kathy and her equally upbeat music selections, pool toy play, and creatively titled movements).  And the cherry on top for me is still the major rule break (you don't have to immediately head to the sidewall after jumping in).    

Raised a rule follower (Catholic school) and a pool rat (my dad was a lifeguard and so was I, even ran pools for a management company as a teen), being able to stay in the diving well for an hour is still exciting.  It has me thinking about the way the organizations I support can better serve their stakeholders.   Here, Kathy helped the park district engage those from the area who wouldn't have otherwise used the pool (swim lessons/lap swim/public swim)... and she did it in a way that elevated their sense of community (a class) without disrupting the park's regular schedule (offered outside of normal business hours).  For one local association I served, we similarly upped the ante by adding a member feature that allowed members to use our office space for their own gatherings when we didn't have something calendared.  It became an attractive service and helped build awareness to our offerings among individuals who only came to our space for a member's meeting. 

How can your organizations rethink their resources and better connect with constituents in a meaningful way?  

Finding Momentum in Natural Transition

 

Last month, we went to an easy-to-execute grill-out (hot dogs with condiments, bulk mini-chip bags/ separately-wrapped snacks, and water bottles) to ask questions about and consider joining a group created by the merger of the Elmhurst Swim Team and Elmhurst Water Polo team (an all-encompassing aquatics program dubbed Elmhurst Aquatics). 

The merger wasn't fueled by the pandemic. It was fueled by a retirement.   The retirement opened a door to allow change that had been requested for years.  It would also keep the sports from losing their following... and hopefully, attract new recruits with different needs.

It worked for me.  It meant my kids, who didn't want the heavy swimming commitment and were a little unnerved by the physical contact of water polo, could finally get their hair wet learning more about diving before high school.  

What can you do to help your group review why it exists and what collabs can make it stronger? What are the barriers that keep you from doing something about what needs to be done?

Showing NextGen our Relevance

 

I started my own business, which helps organizations maintain relevance through next-generation engagement and initiatives.  So, I thought, I should kick off by practicing what I preach!  Here is my oldest daughter, Paige, working a golf outing for the Midwest Wall and Ceiling Contractors with me.  Both of us learned a bit from it!  

The permanent director mentioned that the outing was the big event during her maternity leave and that in the past they hired an extra person to help.  I immediately asked if I could enlist my 16-year-old daughter. No issues there!

It turns out the issues were, like always, in the details.  First, what would she wear?  Let's just say golf fashion isn't something she studied.  She's wearing my hat and the smallest golf shirt I own.  Next, what about start time?  We had to be there by 6am.  Coming out of the pandemic, most of my kids became night owls and Paige was the lead. I had to go in multiple times to wake her up.  She eventually came to and we made it out before the sun was up!

Next, what was her role?  The volunteers were great with her.  She did a great job stuffing the bags...

And when that was done, she helped with registration: she ensured everyone got 2 drink tickets and a lunch ticket, along with access to the goodie bags. She learned if she just let people take the bags some would take two so if her job was to make sure we didn't run out, she needed to hand them out as well. 

After the 144 carts lined up and the golfers got out,  

she noticed there were enough no-shows that a few empty carts were left behind.

Her question, which I think was festering most of the morning:

DO I GET TO DRIVE A GOLF CART?!

She has a driver's license so I wasn't expecting the excitement. 

But yes, we let her drive. 

And then she drove us around to check in on the golfers.  

How was the pace?  

Did the drink cart come by?

Did they want to try to win an extra drink ticket?

  

Well before "dinner" (which was at 2:15pm), Paige was questioning the length of the event. 

I was worried I would lose her attention.  

I didn't know the hold golf outings had on many industries until I was almost 40!  

Near dinnertime, we sat Paige at the nametag table, 

where she worked on her pitch to get people to put them on before going into the banquet room. 

After that, she got food.  She chose to sit in the back away from the action.  

And then she got called on to help at the front...

She drew the numbers and took pictures with the prize winners. 

Twelve hours later, as we pulled out of the parking lot, 

the next-gen relevance of a golf outing was on my mind. 

"Mom, I get what you do now," Paige said. "And I don't want to do this again... 

unless I'm running the beer cart."

  

Creating Effective Collabs

 

Over the weekend my family attended Country Thunder. It was our second time there, and our first time at a concert post-COVID.  The crowd was super friendly and not too thick, the act variety was decent, and the best part was a surprise collab!  Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton got married just two weeks before and this was the first time they performed together since they tied the knot. Blake was a headliner and his huge country following and stage presence made him a great act on his own.  But WOW, having his spouse, a pop singer with a different and strong following, collab with him just elevated the experience on an unanticipated level.    It was the last day, last act of the whole weekend: What a note to end on! 

Anyway, whether they are a surprise or not, collabs are a great tool to elevate value.  Use them to breathe new life into tried-and-true collateral or create something totally new. An example is a local bar association's holiday social.  The group elevated the experience by inviting other bar associations to join in so it was a bigger, stronger, cheaper, and more diverse event. Attendees learned about the other associations in the community and expanded their personal networks.  A win-win!

What value are you trying to provide stakeholders? What other person(s) or organization(s) can you partner with to make that value even more relevant? 

Using an Interim Executive Directorship to cover Maternity Leave

The temporary passing of the Midwest Wall and Ceiling Contractors Association executive directorship happened in a Rosemont, IL parking lot today.  It came complete with a laptop, cell phone and brown paper bag that included nametags for a golf outing.

Best wishes to Andrea Harney, who is gearing up to have a baby at the end of the month!  It is an honor to support you and your association so you can take maternity leave. 

Until she asked me months ago for coverage, I never thought about executives who stood as the sole support for their associations and how it wouldn't be easy for them to take leave, maternity or otherwise.    I felt a swell of thankfulness for the good-sized association I served in that had a maternity leave policy in place.  When I would go on leave, there were plenty of people who could cover for me, from those on my own team to my boss to a peer serving in a similar role in another department.  I'd think Association Management Companies could provide EDs the same kind of delegation opportunities for coverage. 

But wanting to access a short- or long-term leave when you are the one person supporting a group?  That has to be tricky!  Andrea is a planner--she not only asked me to help out early, she also spent some time writing up processes and walking me through setups so I could just step in.  My goal: to not bother Andrea and continue seamless service to her group.  We will know in a few months how well it works. ;)

Anyway, I'd love to hear from the EDs out there who serve as one-person shows and took leave.  How did you or your organization provide coverage while you were away?  What would have been nice to have to support you and your group better during that time to keep you away from addressing work-related issues?   

Cheers to you, Andrea!  And cheers to all of you who find a way, whether through personal or association networks, like the ASAE or Association Forum, to uncover ideas to address leave.   You deserve to celebrate life's moments, @ work and @ home, and I hope you can find a way to enjoy them even when resources are slim.  

#worthit #maternityleave #standaloneassociations #executivedirectors

Elevating Women Contractors

Well, I am working to beome a business owner!  Managing Momentum, LLC will be my company name.  I will focus on helping organizations move to their 2.0 by engaging the next generation of leadership.  Step one: be more welcoming.  That means helping current leaders build their own networks. 

I was excited to do that today for a handful of women who run Chicagoland union mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) businesses. I invited the two dozen I could find to lunch.   Interest was high among those who made the organically grown list but the numbers that could come out were small...

AND mighty!  This little group of 7 (4 contractors and 3 advocates for women in the construction industry) lunched, laughed, and learned.  Networks were grown, frustrations were flagged, and what-ifs are still percolating.  This group could easily become an industry think tank!  What CAN be done to elevate WBEs/MBEs in the area? Some off-the-cuff ideas could help all subcontractors and others could help the union construction industry as a whole... Lots to think about!  

Anyway, I am thankful that I got to expand every attendee's network by at least 2 relevant contacts.  I am thankful for the helpful and patient server, Adrian, who took care of us as we chatted well beyond the suggested 90 minutes. I am thankful to feel support from the local MEP Coordinating Committee and the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force.   I am thankful that these women, who shoulder taking care of their employees' families daily, got to commiserate and share a delicious meal together.   

At the end of the day,  I am simply thankful these women showed up. 

As for the future, I am hopeful that these women will come back and talk more. I am excited to elevate them and their ideas to people who can do something beyond what each woman can do on her own. 

#lucky7 #gamechangers #bethechange #leadershipcollab #managingmomentum

Whoa, is this old!

It has been many years since my last post. A lot has evolved since then.

First, we found the house---the house to raise our kids within for the second half of childhood.  It is in Elmhurst.  It took 2 more kids to be born for us to get here!  

We came out with kid #5, Taylor Clarke, in 2014. Here she is now:

As for today's day-to-day we are in the middle of a pandemic. It's been going on almost a year now.  Not sure when it will end but hoping by the Fall so school for the kids can go back to normal (Paige and Madison are full remote, Chase is full in-person, and Tay and Kinz are hybrid, so they go in 2x a week).

Kevin has been working for Naperville since right before Chase was born.  He was able to work through the pandemic as an "essential employee."  I had been as well. We were remote from Mar 18-June 1.  We went to 4 days in and 1 remote optional until Jan when we went 5 days in the office.  I finished a term with the ABA of 15 years and now one with the MCA for 5.  It's time for a new chapter in my career!  Let me know if you have thoughts on that front!

#family #pandemic #remote #change