The new
#IABC1720 strategic framework
debuted at the IABC Annual General Meeting (AGM) that took place at the World Conference in June. The three pillars of the strategy are to advance the profession, create connection, and develop strategic communicators, all of which are a part of the role of chapters.
During the August Leadership Forum, Hayley Westwood, president of IABC Tulsa, and Roland Pajares, president of IABC Manitoba, joined the call to share what their chapters have done as a part of their #IABC1720 strategic planning. Both chapters used the
chapter game plan template
to align their goals with the three pillars, as well as to help identify opportunities and overcome challenges. Keep reading for tips from each of these leaders on how their chapters developed its strategic plan.
IABC Tulsa
In Tulsa, the chapter appreciated that the strategic framework allows chapter leaders to develop a plan at the local level that will have an impact on the global organization. The Tulsa chapter started by going over the new value proposition and then began working on the chapter game plan by breaking it down into the three pillars. The chapter wanted to keep the Global Standard in mind and appreciated that the game plan allowed them to dream big and work out what obstacles they might face while aiming for their goals.
As the chapter started planning, they focused on the three pillars. They felt that the questions on the first page of the planning template were helpful in their planning
—
questions like: Does this support our purpose? Does this enhance member experience? Does this help align, develop and engage leaders? Does this advance organizational excellence? Any time the discussion started to stray, the chapter used these questions to pull the discussion back into focus.
For “advancing the profession,” the chapter focused heavily on creating a narrative for chapter members. They used the value proposition as they worked through their planning and considered how to better engage members and non-members. The leaders asked themselves, What is IABC doing for members and how does my membership benefit my company? They wanted to focus on creating that narrative so that members and non-members could share the value of an IABC membership to their employers and their community.
When discussing how to “create connection,” the chapter discussed reengaging longtime IABC members who have pulled away from IABC. The chapter discussed planning a speed-networking event, which would pair senior members with younger members to engage both groups, as well as asking senior members to serve on a panel during luncheon meetings. Additionally, they realized the importance of the board reaching out to senior members individually to re-engage and encourage them to get involved again. Lastly, they have decided to focus on creating committees and smaller volunteer roles to engage members who might not have the capacity to committee to a full-term board role.
“Developing strategic communicators” began with a discussion of certification. The chapter talked a lot about how board members should consider leading by example and getting certified. The chapter would be interested in forming study groups and planning sessions to help others feel more comfortable with the process of certification. The chapter sees this as an opportunity for its leaders to support the Global Standard.
IABC Manitoba
The Manitoba chapter was excited at the opportunity to build a three-year plan. They were excited by the challenge of planning for a longer period of time and to think about what will be taking place in three years. The chapter build a strategy that incorporated everyone's opinions, completed a SWOT analysis, and then took the top issues and built strategies around those issues.
The chapter determined that their three main goals would focus on brand awareness, engaging members, and generating increased revenue. The SMART objectives in relation to increasing brand awareness are to maintain membership by 90 percent between 2017 and 2018 and increase the number of non-members that participate in events by 10 percent. In terms of engaging members, the chapter's goals are to increase the membership satisfaction by 2 percent, increase the number of chapter volunteers for 2017–2018 by 10 percent, increase attendance at events by 5 percent, and increase participation in the annual member survey by 5 percent.
The SMART goals that have been developed for generating increased revenue are to create a surplus of a CDN$1,000 as a part of its goal to generate increased revenue. Additionally, they are aiming to reduce overall expenditures by 10 percent. These goals were developed by the executive team after thorough discussion of what was achievable and what was attainable.
During their strategic planning session, the chapter discussed the past, the present and the future. They considered how things were done before and how it’s different from how things are done now. This allowed for consideration of what their chapter could be in three years, while building around the foundation of IABC.
IABC Manitoba is also interested in building on the importance of the Gift of Communication. They see this as an excellent opportunity to start something new and give back to the community. The chapter volunteered to sit on committees for the Canada Summer Games and offered their expertise in crisis communication and marketing planning for the event.
