'Tis the season to fill your organization with volunteers! I want to share a few tips on how to better communicate with the new folks you hope to recruit.
Reintroduce yourself - You should introduce and reintroduce yourself regularly. While part of your members know you, new people have no history with you. Think about how to reintroduce yourself in person and digitally. There are great opportunities to do both things, for example, set aside a few moments in the beginning of each meeting to tell the story of your organization. What is the history? What are the objectives? What do you hope to accomplish together with all of that in mind? New eyeballs are running into your social media content every day. Think about scheduling content that will appeal to new people and don't forget to close with an ask such as "apply today" or "join us at our next meeting."
Remember the first-time member experience - When was the last time you joined a group for the first time? It can be either a good or bad experience. The choice is up to you. I invite you to think about a new member's journey from typing your address in their phone to parking all the way to leaving. Are there any helpful things you could do to be sure the person comes back to your organization?
Go the extra mile to be sure new members feel included - You might be thinking "Cintia, I just took all of that time thinking about the new member experience. Why would you want me to make sure they feel included? Isn't it the same thing?" My answer would be no it isn't. It is possible to have an exemplary new member welcome just to feel left out. Sometimes, the other members do not speak with a new person. I've been in multiple places where a new person tells me after being in a meeting for a long time and passing multiple people "You are the first person who spoke to me." Make looking for newbies and making them feel welcome part of your organization's culture. And yes, that particular place had a committee responsible for making people feel welcome yet this group of people escaped them. Hospitality is everyone's responsibility. It needs to be modeled, taught, and encouraged. Regular reminders are also needed. Lastly, an organization where only a committee is responsible for welcoming new members while the older members are aloof to the new member experience is not a place most people want to belong. I know we can all make sure our organizations are warm and welcome to new members. It takes intentionality.
Ask new members for feedback - This will show openness and humility from you and your team. I am here to tell you most organizations miss the fact that new members have fresh eyes and fresh ideas to offer. Instead of asking a consultant or a sister organization for feedback, try asking a new member. Most of the time, the person will give you honest, timely, and real feedback about your systems. The information used as data can help your organization improve, continue or stop current practices.
Revisit your communication protocols and be ready to improve and simplify - Recently, I had to join a dynamic local organization. They are good at what they do. They have prestige attached to their name. I noticed their communication protocols are poor. As of today, there are 5 different ways to receive communication from this organization. Each communication portal seems to be critical to run this operation. A simple revision of how an organization communicates with members can be helpful. Ask:
What are the ways our members can receive communication from us?
How many communication platforms do we have? Do we adopt every App and website that exists out there? Are our communication efforts giving us the results we are looking for?
When it comes to communicating with members, clarity and simplicity win the day.
Consider signage - When my son was diagnosed with scoliosis, we took him to Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas, TX. The campus is enormous, yet the signage is very effective. I never really got lost there, even with the construction they had at the time. My guess is that someone planned the signage and trained the volunteers to be sure that parents and children knew exactly where they were supposed to go. Consider the signage your new members will see when they join you for the first time. You want to be sure it is easy to find you.
Consider tone - Leaders and their teams sometimes do not consider their tone. I am not speaking about the North and South thing as in "Oh, we are from up North so it seems like we are rude." Your tone comes from your heart, not from your place or birth. There are organizations out there who want new members but they want to obtain and maintain those members while having a rude tone. My least favorite excuse is "I just tell it like it is." I don't like it because if you say your organization wants to meet to do good, the words that come out of your mouth should reflect that. Let me tell you a secret: people "quiet quit" organizations that have a rude tone. If they don't quite, look for a documentary in the future with people saying how unappealing your language was. Considering your tone is not a way to put you in a box. It is a way to free you to communicate in a way that uplifts the people you want to join you. You can be honest and straight to the point without belittling your new members. The source of your tone is your heart.
Beware of acronyms - Most organizations have acronyms. Be mindful to explain them to your new members. Assimilation and adaptation become easier when new members don't feel like they have to spend 75% of their mental capacity decoding acronyms.
My hope is that your organization communicates better than before. Let me know which one of these tips you will apply first.
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