Cherish One Another



"They were absolutely lovely, and in their presence, so was she". 

- Ann Brashares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

I am writing this two days early as I will be deeply engaged with my fellow board members on Friday as we convene at our retreat.

 

The women whom I am blessed to have walk beside me on this journey are due to arrive here in Calgary tomorrow and then we are heading out to Lake Louise in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.  A huge thank you to member firm The Fairmont Lake Louise for all their assistance in planning this retreat.  I am very excited to be welcoming the board members to my world, so to speak! 

 

The excitement I am feeling however is not just about reuniting with all these absolutely lovely women who are so passionate about EWI, it is about the way I feel about myself when I am in their presence; fulfilled, joyous and oh, so grateful!  The prospect of gathering as a team to work together in discussing, planning and reviewing tactical strategies that support our strategic plan gets my heart pumping too! 

 

Whenever I gather with members of EWI I am energized and come away ignited not only about our organization, but about life in general.  For me, that invigoration is a key benefit of being a member representative. 

 

The time we spend together as a board is never enough.  It seems like LCAM was six months ago!  That is one core difference in being on a Chapter board versus the Corporate board.  Sadly, we can't just get together face to face over lunch or dinner...although Skype does help!  It always amazes me how each board year seems to speed by, but this year I am really trying to "live" in each moment fully so that I can walk away with lasting memories that are rich in detail.

 

I cannot wait to hear this months update from each of the board members in what work has been accomplished and what is well underway. How their committees and their "Fleet" of Chapters are doing, what issues are they facing and how can we better assist Chapters and member representatives?

 

We have a full slate on the agenda and I cannot thank Darlene Banogon, our Corporate Secretary/Treasurer enough for all that she does to keep us on point.  

 

My wish for this coming weekend is that we can discuss and debate issues with full respect for one another, coming to consensus and always making sure that what is best for EWI is the top priority.  I know that we will be forming bonds that will last a lifetime, to be sure.

 

This issue of my blog is a light one, but I know I will have lots of news to share next week!  Be sure to check back, won't you?  I must say it has been fun to track the "views" on this page since I started this and today, it broke the 1200 mark!  As such, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this weekly blog and for passing on your comments and thoughts. 

 

Have a wonderful week EWI!

 

- Karen

 

 

 

Survey Says...

 
"If speaking is silver, then listening is gold".

 

 

- Turkish Proverb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

I hope this finds the vast majority of you well rested after a joyous Thanksgiving Day with family and looking forward to leftover turkey sandwiches today!  For those of us in Canada, we can take comfort in the fact that it is Friday and that we have the proverbial East vs. West football showdown this Sunday for the 100th Grey Cup!  Go STAMPS Go!

 

Yesterday, I sat down and reviewed the results from the recent demographic membership survey we conducted.  What a pleasure it was to see that almost 400 of our member representatives took the time to respond.  THANK YOU!  It is only through the consistent collection and study of member feedback that we will thrive as a member-driven organization.

 

First and foremost, please know that we are listening!  We sent this survey so that we establish updated demographic details for our collective marketing purposes.  I share with you these stats now so that you may start to incorporate them into your personal elevator speech about EWI.

 

Of those that responded:

• 76.5% are 46 years of age or older
• 96% female
• 88.7% had either some college, a Bachelors Degree or an Advanced Degree
• 51.6% have been involved with EWI for 8+ years
• 39% are Executive Assistants
• 41.6% make buying decisions for their firm with 17% of those purchases being $50K or more annually

These stats seem consistent with those of our overall membership demographics, so no real surprises at first glance.  Where this gets interesting is when you compare these results with the last demographic survey we did in 2009.  There are shifts occuring; some expected such as a growth of 7% in members being 46+ in age.  What is interesting is that we are showing a growth of 8% of our  responders being Executive Assistants and only a 1% growth in the number of Entrepreneurs.

 

The board will be reviewing the survey results in great detail next weekend at our board meeting, and we will report a complete summary of the results to the membership in the January Connect.  Part of that process will be to compare these survey snapshots against the entire membership database.  For example, the ratio of EA's to Entrepreneurs may be skewed as it could just be reflective of those that had sufficient time to respond. 

 

However, I can state that we can safely identify that our member representatives are comprised primarily of highly educated, mature women who hold positions of trust within their firms.

 

The second part of the survey asked for commentary from you on a variety of questions.  I thank you for your honesty and candor.  To quote Winston Churchill, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen". 

 

To my dismay, we had one member respond as "Anonymous".  To that member, please know that I will personally try my utmost to rebuild your trust in EWI this year so that you feel comfortable in having your voice heard.

 

I was thrilled to see so many of you refer to your Executive as being a key driver in the decision for you to be a part of EWI.  That bodes well for my upcoming discussions with International Executives Association!  The overwhelming majority responded that it is the connections they have made with other members that keep you involved.  In fact, there was a 6% jump since 2009 in listing Networking/Referrals as the number one priority.  Professional Development grew by 10% and Community dropped by 15%.  We are thus on track by re-focusing our attention to our first C, "Connections"!  

 

From a marketing perspective our three C's are still labelled in the correct priority, however this has not yet filtered down to the Chapter level in our daily practices.  As I have stated before, please make Connections and recruitment are your number one priority.  20 Mile Marching!  When you better secure yourself as a strong Chapter with a healthy number of member firms and representatives, you will have the manpower to focus on Community efforts.  We must stop killing ourselves, burning out our leadership and members with so much fundraising.  It is honorable of course, but let's take care of ourselves, first and foremost.

 

There are a myriad of opportunities for us to partner with other organizations to impact literacy and the board is investigating those, with the ultimate goal of raising our profile by building our brand awareness and simultaneously easing Chapter operations.

 

On that topic and as today is "Black Friday"...I encourage you to look at some amazing, alternative gifts that can impact the lives of others.  This year, we have decided that instead of buying gifts for our siblings and adult nephews and nieces, we would make a donation in their name with Plan Canada.  For $125.00 we can provide a literacy scholarship to two girls living in poverty.  They are just one charity that have programs like this.  CARE also has a program dedicated to scholarships.  If you would like to understand the issue in greater detail, then I personally recommend you take a look at "The Girl Effect" video by the Nike Foundation.  Changing the world and the status of women all starts with a 12 year old girl. 

 

In closing today, I share with you this quote:

 

"The Connections between and among women are the most feared,

the most problematic,

and THE MOST potentially transforming force on the planet"!

 

- Adrienne Rich





 

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

- Karen

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



Being a Curious George!

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots".

- Marcus Garvey

Good Day!

Have you ever had the experience of knowing you are on the brink of discovering something profound?  Goosebumps, a flutter in your tummy, adrenalin rushing at what you are sure is going to an "AHA" moment?  Well, this week I had that wonderful experience and I am so excited to share it with you today!

Last week I was on Facebook and saw a post by Anne Marie Poltarek, EWI of Detroit-Windsor.  It was a picture of her at a local event hosted by the Detroit Executives Association, toasting an Executive from one of their "member firms", the Detroit Red Wings.  Now, granted I am a Wings fan when my Calgary Flames don't show up to play, which sadly is more often than not, even when there is a hockey season!

What struck me about Anne Marie's post though was the association...Detroit Executives Association.  I emailed her and asked, "Do you think this could be the original association that our Founder Lucille Johnson-Perkins modelled Executives Secretaries after in 1938?  We know Lucille was encouraged by her Executive, who was a member of the San Francisco Executives Association.  I decided to be a "Curious George" and do some investigating.

Yes, indeed, Detroit Executives Association is part of International Executives Association, which was founded in San Francisco in 1916.  They now have 110 "Chapters" worldwide.  When I found the website for IEA (www.ieaweb.com) I was immediately struck at the similarities between them and EWI.  The language and concept is so similar....one firm per business category, a mission to support each other's firms and like us they also received a citation for war bond sales during WWII to name just a few.

I was even further blown away when I looked at where they are located.  In Edmonton, Alberta, just a three hours drive away from me.  Even more exciting is that two of their Corporate Board members currently serving are from Calgary.

On Tuesday, I reached out via phone call to their Managing Director, Betty Adams.  She had no idea of this history but did confirm that National Lead was a member firm of Executives Association of San Francisco back in 1938.  They too used to meet at the Drake Hotel. 

So, after a long conversation sharing each other's history and current state, we determined that Betty would come down one Wednesday for an EWI of Calgary Chapter meeting, but in the meantime, would put me in touch with the two Corporate Directors for IEA here in Calgary.  She agreed there is such a profound potential for a strategic alliance between the two organizations.  They need Executives and we need firm representatives.  Cross-promotion, advertising, guest speakers are just a few potential ideas we came up with in just a few minutes.

Another intriguing practice their Chapters have is that they post those industries where they currently have openings on their website.  Something we too should be doing at the Chapter level.

Lucille grew Executive Secretaries by writing letters to Executives in other Chapters of IEA.  I always wondered how we grew so fast and established Chapters overseas, and I am sure it was largely due to the support members of IEA gave.  How exciting that we can perhaps re-establish that partnership and common endorsement of one another!  I will be sure to keep all of you up to speed as things progress with IEA.

So, curiosity does not always kill the cat!  Sometimes it pays to delve into something without knowing the outcome.  Why not take the opportunity of the upcoming holiday season to reach out to those firms who helped build your Chapter's history?  Thank them for their past support, share with them some of the exciting things you have happening in your Chapter's and invite them to re-connect with EWI!

In closing, I want to wish all of our American members a glorious Thanksgiving next week.  May you all be surrounded with your loved ones!

- K

What's In Your Toolbox?

 

"Knowledge is power."- Francis Bacon

 

 

Dear EWI Representatives,

 

 

Today I am thrilled to be able to share with you my experience at the Midwest Board Forum last weekend.  What a fabulous, energetic group of passionate women we had gathered for the day at Wayne County Community College!  A huge thank you to all those who welcomed Cortney and I and to EWI of Detroit-Windsor for being such amazing hosts!

 

We started out the weekend at a wonderful Greek restaurant on Friday night and then had time to catch up with one another back at the hotel...the historic and beautiful Westin Book Cadillac.  Saturday morning was led by an outside facilitator who led us in vigorous discussions to identify the challenges facing EWI today.  We then finished off the afternoon sharing best practices - always a useful exercise that gives you lots of takeaway ideas!

 

One of the key issues I heard repeatedly was that Chapters are not aware of the marketing and recruitment tools we have available.  Yet again, we are not educating our membership adequately.  That is something I take to heart very seriously, as really, if no one knows what we create, or if it does not meet the needs, what is the point?  I came away more determined than ever that we need to be hosting a New Member Webinar monthly at a set day and time.  This needs to be part of a new member's orientation process.  It was also suggested that we hold a Chapter Development Webinar on reviewing the tools we have in place, or that we are currently working on.  I will make sure this gets on the slate as soon as possible.

 

In the meantime, I would like to invite each of you to build your knowledge NOW!  The next time you find yourself at your computer going to play a game of solitaire or peruse Facebook, instead why don't you take some time to poke around the corporate website at www.ewiconnect.com?  There is a tonne of great tools ready for your use at Chapter level;  press releases, phone scripts, recruitment postcards, brochures, letters to Executives, etc, etc.  Please let me know if there is something specfic you would like to see that is not currently developed and we will work hard to ensure it is delivered.  The staff is currently refreshing some of these pieces so be sure to take a look soon.

 

I would like to thank the staff for always being cognizant of potential savings that we can realize in running more efficiently.  They regularly bring these to our attention, and that, to me, is great leadership!

 

We will be posting the ED position next week.  Watch your inbox!  I know there are quite a few interested candidates amongst the membership and we eagerly await your replies.

 

As we enter into this weekend of remembrance, please do take the time to pause on Sunday the 11th at 11:00am for a minute of silence.  We should never forget to honour those that gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have in both countries.

 

The freedom to vote comes to mind of course given the US election this week.  I for one, as a regular watcher of Detroit cable TV, am happy that Prop 3 was turned down (thanks Renea for educating me that if you wanted the new bridge you had to vote "No"!).  Confusing?  WOW...how counter-intuitive is that? 

 

Enjoy your weekend everyone and remember - take time to familiarize yourself with our website.  It is there for you to draw upon when building your own EWI Toolbox!

 

Kindest Regards,

 

Karen

 



 

 

 



 

Trusted Advisors

 

"Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind."

-Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

 

 

Dear EWI Member Representatives,

 

 

I am writing this a day early as tomorrow I will be flying to Detroit to join in the second annual Midwest Board Forum, hosted by EWI of Detroit-Windsor.  I am so excited and looking forward to spending time with each of the six participating Chapters... Detroit-Windsor, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee , Fort Wayne and Chicago!

 

What a phenomenal event Board Forums are within the EWI organization.  The ability to gather and share challenges and best practices is a wonderful exercise.  If you have not yet participated in, or currently do not have a forum in place with neighboring Chapters, I encourage you to investigate the possibility.  Deb Saldana, EWI of San Antonio is Vice Chair of Board Forums and would love to chat with you about the value.

 

Forums started as a Chapter initiative and have grown organically since then.  I am always excited to receive an invitation to attend.  Cortney Ewald-Ihde and I will be there this weekend, representing the Corporate Board. 

 

Being able to take the advice of another is not always easy, but I find, it is always thought provoking.

 

This week I can definitely attest to the value of listening to trusted advisors.  What would we do without having someone to turn to in moments of indecision or to bounce ideas off?  I am so grateful to the advisors I have within EWI!  You know who you are and I cannot thank you enough for the feedback I received from all of you this week.  When one is passionate about something, it can be very hard to put a reign on things, sit back and evaluate from another perspective. 

 

The thing I find with advice, is that it is all about how it is delivered.  I love this quote at the top of the page...something to keep in mind when we are asked to deliver advice, to be sure!  Thankfully, I was covered in gently falling snow!

 

Sadly this week, we accepted notice from EWI of Tampa Bay that they are dissolving their Chapter.  We are so saddened and hope that the members might consider staying involved as Members At Large.  I would like to thank the firms and member representatives of EWI Tampa Bay for all of their dedication and commitment to EWI over the years.  You will be missed.

 

On the office front, conversion to our new database is today and so far, so good!  The staff are all in training today with MemberPoint.  We cannot wait to see what this new technology can deliver for all of us by way of easing Chapter operations!

 

I want to thank Kim Fankhauser for stepping in to the role of Expansion Chair.  Kim, you are a godsend!  Thank you Benita for running this Committee until we had someone in place.

 

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!

 

- Karen