Be Prepared!

"To achieve great things, two things are needed:  a plan and not quite enough time!"

- Leonard Bernstein

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

Well, I am not sure about the rest of you, but my pre-LCAM to-do list seems to be getting longer, not shorter!  I am very thankful a long weekend is ahead with no commitments other than me and "my list!"

 

Please note, I am not complaining, just really in awe of all our Past Corporate President's who have gone through this process before me!  There are so many minute details as you can all imagine, and yet...my role is so insignificant in the planning department vs. our staff's.  A huge thank you to Wendy and her team for keeping me on point and for always making this seem effortless to those of us who attend!

 

I want to make sure though that you, the attendee are also well-prepared for LCAM!  If you are attending you too have a long list I am sure!  If the following points have not yet made it to your list, you may want to add them now:

 

• Do you have your 1930's hat/outfit lined up for the Opening Reception?  Remember when choosing your attire that this event is being held outdoors.
• Does your Chapter have their stamps or stickers prepared for the Passports?  This was really fun last year so we have brought it back again!
• Have you ordered the corsage for your President and any VIP's from the Chapter for the Saturday Gala event?  There is a special discount for corsages with our official florist and they will deliver them to the hotel, as usual.
• Have you booked your ticket for the tour/dinner cruise on Thursday night?
• Have you booked for any of the special tours of San Diego being offered?
• Have you ordered a pin for your outgoing or incoming President?
• Do you have a budget in mind for the purchase of any EWI board installation gifts you might buy?  Speaker gifts for the year?
• Have you jotted down some burning questions/challenges you have that you want to bounce off other members/Chapters?
• Have you got any great success stories/best practices to share with others at LCAM?
• Do you have a list of people you want to connect or re-connect with?
• Has your Chapter made plans for the Friday night?

And, MOST IMPORTANTLY:

• Have you familiarized yourself with the Annual Meeting materials?
• Have you discussed the materials with your fellow Chapter members?

 

Being prepared to make informed decisions at the Annual Meeting is critical for the organization.  The Annual meeting is the primary purpose for our conference, so if you are serving as your Chapter's delegate, please come prepared.  We will be dedicating Thursday afternoon to our Town Hall session, followed by the Delegate session.  Both sessions are avenues to ask questions of the Corporate Board and staff about our current state, about our future and of course about the agenda items for the Annual Meeting.

 

I am really looking forward to celebrating this special LCAM in honor of our 75th Anniversary with you!  In just three weeks time we will be well into convention week, making new friends, reacquainting ourselves with other members and hopefully, enjoying a wonderful week of fellowship!

 

Until then, keep ticking off those items on your list, whatever they may be!  It will be here before we know it!

 

Have a wonderful long weekend everyone!

 

- K

 



Silver Linings

"We'll be friends forever, won't we Pooh?" asked Piglet.  "Even longer," Pooh answered.

- A.A.Milne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

Well, yet again, my Friday seemed to get away from me, so I am penning this early Saturday morning before I head north to Edmonton to watch the LPGA's CN Open for the weekend with my dear friend and our Corporate Advisor, Lisa Stokes, who is visiting this weekend.  Our agenda is all about golf this weekend; a round at my home course yesterday with our Calgary Chapter President Jacquie Stephens, the LPGA today and then representing EWI on Monday in a celebrity charity tournament for our local Children's Hospital.  We were blessed to have a team in EWI's name donated to us and we will be playing in this National Canadian women's tournament that hall-of-famer Sandra Post organizes each year.  Lisa, Jacquie and I are all very grateful and excited for this opportunity. 

 

On top of all this, of course, is the chance to spend some quality time together reflecting on this past year, sharing our dreams and laughter too.  Like is so often the case in EWI, it is the relationships we form with one another that keep us engaged and provide that priceless value inherent with membership. 

 

Whether it be friendships formed through Chapter meetings, Chapter board or committee work, Corporate board service or at LCAM, there is an invisible thread that binds us together in one common shared purpose...EWI!

 

Quite often, when I am asked to describe EWI, I use the analogy that membership is like belonging to a sorority....you have a group of women for life that you know you can count on to support you through times of joy or sorrow, encourage you to succeed in whatever goals you set and hold your hand when the road gets bumpy.  As I said, that is a priceless benefit of EWI. 

 

Finding true friends is one of the hardest things in life to accomplish and how blessed are we all that we have an avenue to do so through this great organization?

 

LCAM is now just three weeks away!  I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by!  As we enter into these final weeks, we are busy at both the Chapter and Corporate level, preparing to hand the baton to the next group of leaders stepping up to the plate to assume our responsibilities.  I know this can be bitter sweet but it is the start of entering into that third stage of Learn, Lead and Mentor...mentoring. 

 

As I have said before, mentoring is probably the most critical piece and a huge responsibility.  Share what you know gladly and without reservation as it will only make us stronger.  Like the goose video I played last year at LCAM, it is now time to fall back in line and let another set the course...however that course cannot be reached unless you stay engaged by providing added encouragement.  Geese do this by honking.  We can best do this by cheering on those who will now lead, with our true respect for their servant leadership.  Remember, we want to empower others for positive change...not only in themselves but also in what is best for EWI!

 

I wish all of you a wonderful weekend as we wind down summer! 

-K

 



Ready, set, GO!

 
 
 
 
 

"The future depends on what you do today."

- Mahatma Gandhi 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Good Day EWI!

 

My apologies for writing this a day late everyone!  After a wonderful trip last weekend to my families cottages, I returned to a week of technical madness which was not  resolved until last night, with just a few more wrinkles to iron out next week.  Not being one for dipping my toe into things, I went all out and moved to a new Android phone along with a new Ultrabook laptop with all the latest programs on it....touchscreen via Windows 8, Office 2013, etc.  Shaking it up completely!

 

You see, the reason I had this mess to deal with and had no choice but to jump into a new learning curve, is that I was clinging to the past with Office 2003.  Un-beknownst to me, 2003 is not compatible with Office 365, our companies new server system.  Not a fun experience when you suddenly have 14K emails trying to download into your inbox!  I was so adamant when I got my last laptop with Vista to hold on to my "old and familiar" Excel and Word.  Now that I have the new versions, I am not sure what I was so scared of, other than the change itself?

 

Amidst all this chaos this week, I was SO heartened to receive an email back from the Chapter President we had a board to board call with last week.  As I reported last week, they are struggling with <25 firms and were looking for suggestions and strategies of how to get back on track.

 

In her email to us this week, she shared that her board had a special meeting and implemented many new changes.  They hit the proverbial "Go" button with strategies laid out to:

• Use some of their reserve funds to invest in their Chapter's future by sending a second representative to LCAM.
• Eliminated their Fundraising Director role and voted to just proceed with two long standing initiatives;  poinsettia and spring flower sales which is handled by one of their member firms.  Reps just need to place their orders.  Combined this raises about $2K for them which they will use for their scholarships. Simple and effective!
• Increase their membership by 50% next year through improvements to their website and social media presence, targeting new businesses from the list that Corporate forwarded for their area, involving their Executives through Connect interviews, meeting attendance, guest speaker engagements, etc.  They are also going to revamp their Connect to meet the current standards and most importantly, ensure their monthly programming focuses on one of our 3 C's.
• A move to accept credit cards for meeting fees.

Talk about change!  Kudos to her and her board for making the decision to refocus their efforts, simplify and move forward!  I cannot wait to see the outcomes!

 

We also had another change to deal with this week in one of our LCAM speakers, LeVar Burton having to cancel.  He unfortunately has to be on set for filming that day now.  However, being a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, I am SO happy that we have been able to confirm Mark Shriver as the replacement!  Mark, like all the Shrivers and Kennedys, is very focused on giving back.  He acts as a VP for Save the Children U.S. and will speaking to us on domestic literacy issues.  Very exciting!

 

Next week is a busy EWI one for me.  Monday we have our Chapter's annual Charity Connect Classic golf tournament which is always a fun day.  Tuesday is the call with Delegates to review the proposed Bylaw amendments and Operating Budget for 2013-2014.  If you are a delegate and unable to make the call, or have any questions about any of the materials for Annual Meeting, pleas do not hesitate to reach out to any of the board members or staff.  We are more than happy to hear from any member that has any questions!  Wednesday is our board meeting, so as I said, a very busy EWI week ahead.

 

In closing, I encourage you to embrace change and hit the "Go" button in your world too!

 

Have a great weekend!

K

 

 

 



Mentoring Matters



"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."

- Benjamin Franklin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

I am penning this a day early as tomorrow I am off to my family's cottage for a relaxing weekend with loved ones.  I am nervous though, as it will be our dog Emma's first flight on a plane and since she is now three years old, I am not sure how she will do.  Please send me your thoughts and prayers for a quiet and smooth hour-long flight!

 

Tonight, I had the pleasure of participating in a board to board call with one of our Chapter's who are currently with <25 member firms. The issues and predicament they are in was all too familiar.  As always though, what was heartening was to hear the pride and commitment these board members have to their Chapter and to EWI, as a whole.

 

Sadly, I fear we have become an organization of fund-raisers.  On the call, my corporate board colleagues, our ED/COO and I shared some winning strategies that we have been seeing utilized by other Chapters to simplify and refocus on recruitment.  It was a mentoring session at its best, and as with any mentoring relationship, there were things to be learned by each party.  Sharing with a true intention of listening is such an amazing exercise!

We spoke of retention strategies for brand new member representatives and one of the most compelling acts of engagement you can undertake is to assign a seasoned mentor to that shiny, new, and perhaps young, member representative.  The simple act of calling someone up and asking if they are going to the meeting, or asking if they need a ride can go a long way to establishing engagement.  As Director Mary Helen Johnston shared, the best thing we can do after a meeting is to phone those members who did not attend and say, "We missed you tonight!"

One of the best practices that I have witnessed the success of is wherein Chapters set aside operating funds to offer a grant to member representatives to attend LCAM.  EWI of Chattanooga has done this successfully for years and attributes this very activity to their ultimate success in growing their Chapter.   This particular Chapter we spoke with tonight, while having only 22 member firms, has over $40K in their operating account.  What on earth for?

Yes, a nest egg is nice to have but perhaps $10K would suffice?  A general rule of thumb is to have at least one full year's expenses covered.  Given this relative healthy state, we encouraged them to make the investment in their Chapter by sending not one, but two representatives to Leadership Caucus and LCAM...preferably one of their newer members who has not been before.  I hope that happens as there is nothing more invigorating for us as members than to attend that glorious week in September when we gather and mentor one another;  Member to Member, Chapter to Chapter.

The other message we tend to impart in conversations such as this is to encourage the Chapters who are struggling to cease fundraising activities, or at least scale back so that the work is not too onerous on those few member representatives they do have.  There is nothing that will kill a Chapter faster than the "Eco-Board" syndrome...having not enough hands to serve and thus burning out those that do, over and over again.

We must all remember the phrase my Chapter uses to describe the role of an EWI member... "Learn, Lead and Mentor"....the most important of which, for the greater good of all, is mentoring.  Share the knowledge and passion you have for EWI with someone sitting next to you!  Guaranteed, you will learn from the experience too!

We must also make sure we are focusing our priorities on the 3 C's of EWI; Connections, Careers and Community, in that order!  Especially if we are struggling with a lack of member firms.  Recruitment is every one's responsibility, not just the R&R Director's.  So, in keeping with the last few blogs...here is this month's challenge...invite at least one guest to your August meeting, introduce them, thank them and then follow up with them.

Before I close I want to send a special thank you to all the Chapter Presidents who took the time to attend the Open Forum call on Wednesday. I sincerely appreciate your ongoing engagement, support and dedicated service.

It is hard to believe that LCAM is just five short weeks away!  Have you found your special 1930's hat yet for the opening reception?  I wish you lots of fun shopping for that!

Have a marvelous weekend everyone!
- K







Patience Is A Virtue

"It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop."

- Confucius

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

First and foremost today I want to thank all of you who responded to my call to action and birthday wish to increase the "Likes" of our Corporate Face book page!  While we did not crack 1000, or the modified 600 I asked for by the end of July, we did break 500!  That in itself is huge gain, so thank you to all who participated!  Our webmaster Bonny Steele and the office staff work so hard to post relevant and newsworthy items of interest on that page and I know they will be heartened by the increase.

 

Speaking of numbers, I owe a huge thank you to all of you who read this blog!  We have had over 4700 page views of the blog site!  WOW!  I am amazed!  Thank you to all of you who take the time to visit the site.  I am sure that by the end of my term it will have surpassed 5000 views.

 

We also had great engagement with the recruitment campaign which ended on Wednesday.  Thank you SO much to all of you whom referred a new member to EWI!  I am sure the winner of the LCAM trip will be announced in the Connect due next Wednesday, August 07th.  It will be exciting to see the winner's name, but congratulations to all of you who were entered.  Your efforts are propelling your Chapter and this organization forward!

 

If you were thinking of attending LCAM, now is the time to register!  Our room block is gone in a couple of weeks and the registration fee goes up after the 12th of August.  Don't hesitate!  I know of two members who I chatted with this week that were thinking of going but needed a room mate.  If you are in that situation, just let the office or a board member know and we will try to match you up with someone, if at all possible. 

 

Well, I got the BEST birthday gift ever on Monday in the form of an email from our Attorney.  He had received notification from the Attorney Generals office of Utah that charges have been laid against our former Executive Director.  Good things do come to those that are patient and persevere!  When the board made the decision to pursue all legal avenues, we did so knowing it would take time and money to see it through.  What propelled us though was that we felt we could not allow any other non-profit to be a potential "next" victim.  I am thrilled to see that decision proved to have been the correct one.

 

The perseverance required to see a goal through to completion is often difficult, but it does make the success all that much sweeter.  We must persevere in our "20 Mile Marching" and grow our organization.  I look forward to celebrating 5,000 engaged members one day, as I know you do.  One step at a time and as this quote says above...never stop!

 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

- K

 

 

 



"To Boldly Go"



"Be courageous.  It's one of the only places left uncrowded."

- Anita Roddick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

There is something about this quote that makes me laugh...not because it is an absurd thought, but rather because it is so true!  If we use the current scenario unfolding in most Chapters right now wherein incoming Presidents are struggling to fill their boards I think this quote is most apropos for today's blog. 

 

I also LOVE this photo...can you close your eyes and remember what it felt like your first time on a diving board?  Sweaty palms as you climbed the ladder, hoping the kids in front of you would not jump too fast.  Feet slipping on the wet rungs and that awful feeling in your stomach?  If you were brave enough and actually got to the top, you then had that long walk to the edge. The board was wet, slippery and oh, so high!  I can see it and almost still feel it, but what we all now know is that incredible feeling when you actually gathered up your courage (mostly because the kid behind you was whining for you to hurry up) and jumped!  The water felt so good once you were in.  Exhilarating....so much so that you swam to the edge, busted a grin, patted yourself on the back and then rushed to line up to do it all over again!

 

Stepping onto a Chapter board may not be quite so intimidating and scary as that first jump for all, but I think it can be for many of us.  Remember the rewards...because, guaranteed you will have a treasure chest of them when you come out of the "pool" on the other side!

 

You may be hesitating in accepting that nomination or request from your Vice President, thinking, "I don't know how to swim".  Well, like any dog who gets thrown into water, everyone learns pretty easily how to swim or float their way through board service.  Having reaped so many benefits, new skills, friendships in my own service with EWI, all I can say is, "Jump!"  Like that feeling of cold water at the end of a dive, stepping into board service is refreshing, invigorating and full of essential life lessons and skills to be learned.

 

Well, I am tuning 50 on Monday.  I think I also loved this quote and image because that is the stance I am going to take heading into this new decade of life.  Embrace it and love what comes because what choice does one have, really?  A friend asked me this week if I was upset or anxious about this birthday and really, I have to say that I am okay with it!

 

When I think back to the one birthday that really slayed me (26th), what made me feel that way is that I had this "master list" of all the things I wanted to have accomplished by the time I was 25 and when I hit 26 and did not have most of them checked off, I crumbled.

 

Now, I count my blessings each and every day and am so thankful for all that has been bestowed upon me at this stage of my life, including this honour of serving as your Corporate President.  Which, by the way, all started with me taking the jump 10 years ago and saying, "Yes, I will be the Program Director for my Chapter."

 

So, in closing, my fervent wish is that every member of EWI is offered the opportunity to serve at the board level.  Collectively, we offer over 600 board positions a year..are you going to be in one of those? 

 

Have a great weekend everyone!  Go for a swim...looks like too much fun not too!

 

- K

 

 

 



Changes Ahead



"Your fear is 100% dependent on you for its survival."

- Steve Maraboli

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Day EWI!

 

Well, here it is the end of yet another very busy week for EWI!  The Board met on Monday and the meeting ran to almost four hours.  Many, many thanks to the board members and Wendy for their patience and perseverance.  We had the final revisions of all bylaw changes to review after our Legal Counsel and Parliamentarian had weighed in on the proposed amendments from the Bylaws Committee.

 

I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our Vice Chair, Bev Kennedy, EWI of Minneapolis for leading the Bylaws Committee this year.  She had some terrific expertise at her side;  Sylvia Napper, Judy Russell, Karen Kuhn, Carolyn Feltus, Karen Jorgenson, Peggy Quade and Jennifer Thornton.  In addition, I want to thank Darlis Vauble, Chair of Board Governance and Lisa Stokes, board liaison.  Thank you ladies for all of your dedication and passion!  I think I lost count of how many revisions were made, but I never feared that it would all come together and be delivered on time because of your efforts.  This from a very naive new President who, nine months ago, vowed there would be no bylaw changes this year! 

 

The delegate package will be distributed on Monday and while it will appear daunting (I can hear the groans already...lol!), please know that each and every suggested amendment was arrived at with great purpose ...to support the critical growth we need and as such, to do what is best for the health and long term sustainability of EWI.

 

We will be holding a call with all Chapter Presidents on August 06th to review the proposed 2013 - 2014 Operating budget, and then the webinar for all Delegates and Alternates will be held on August 20th.  These sessions will allow you to have meaningful conversation at the Chapter level before arriving in San Diego.  Should you have any questions in regards to the proposed bylaw amendments or the budget, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the board members, the respective committee members or to our ED/COO, Wendy Cowley.  We are here to assist you in any way we can.

 

As we gear up for LCAM, I thought I might also share what is appropriate "gear" for the week.  I have had some inquiries this week from members asking about dress code.  The Opening reception on the Wednesday night is a 1930's era Garden Party.  You might want to start searching for the perfect costume and/or hat!  The 75th Anniversary Committee has planned an exciting evening for us on the lawn of the hotel...badminton, croquet, and lots of networking!

 

The remainder of the week is of course business/business casual attire.  Our Gala evening on Saturday night will be formal/cocktail attire, as usual.

 

Registration numbers are coming in fast and furious and it is so exciting to see it all come together.  I cannot wait to see you all in sunny San Diego, gathering with One Voice and One Vision!

 

I had the pleasure of speaking with quite a few of our Past Corporate President's this week.  What an amazing group of leaders they are!  How they are staying engaged with the organization by serving on committees is a huge inspiration for me.  Thank you ladies for your support and encouragement this year!  I look forward to touching base with those of you whom I did not get a chance to chat with this week.  I will endeavor to pick up the thread again when I return next week from Montreal.   

 

Before I wrote this I checked the EWI Corporate Facebook page and see that we have grown by 10 more "likes' of this page!  THANK YOU!  We are now at 477.  Let's really try to get this to 1000 by the month's end please.  Send out a notice to all of your EWI Facebook friends and remind them to like our page.  WE CAN DO THIS!

 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!  I hope, that for those of you in the midst of the eastern heat wave, you can find some air conditioning and for those of you in the rainy areas, that the sun does come out!

 

- K