Chapter 16
Ideas for Your ASTD Chapter
Do you give back to your ASTD chapter? Looking for ways to add spark to your meetings? Here are a few ideas shared by your ASTD chapter colleagues that will surely add some spark and commitment to the next meeting.
If you are not a chapter contributor, now is the time to start. Throughout your career you have most likely received support from others. Now it is time to give back to the profession. You could volunteer to serve on a committee for your ASTD chapter, speak at a local ASTD chapter meeting, mentor someone new to ASTD, run for a board position, volunteer to coordinate a meeting, or dozens of other things. Giving back to the profession is good for your soul and good for your chapter’s success. Find a way to volunteer today.
The two contributions in this chapter could not have come from chapters that are farther away! Kenneth Stein from the Space Coast chapter in Florida contributed “A Gift to Use,” a quick way to start a meeting that delivers immediate payback. It will have members coming back for more. “Between Meeting Meetings,” submitted by Mary Rydesky from the Anchorage, Alaska, chapter, is a great way for chapter members to network and meet other members between meetings. Both of these activities are great and highly recommended for use at your next chapter meeting.
By the way, if you are reading this book, check to see whether anyone from your chapter contributed to this book. The Chapters for Chapters contest invited all chapters to contribute activities that could be published. We were looking for road-tested ideas—those that trainers have tried over and over and that continue to deliver good results every time. We asked and we received many more activities than we expected.
Thank you to every ASTD member who contributed to make this book a success and to all the volunteers who invest themselves into the success of ASTD and your chapter.
Overview
This activity offers many uses beyond its simple structure with give-back opportunities that range from sharing the latest in professional practices to important networking and social connections.
Objectives
- To provide immediately usable information to chapter members
- To provide an opportunity to practice a presentation
Audience
All those attending an ASTD chapter meeting
Time Estimate
10 minutes or less
Materials and Equipment
- As required and provided by each individual presenter
Area Setup
Normal seating as required for the meeting
Preparation
Ask someone to volunteer to provide the Gift to Use at the next meeting. Ensure that the person understands the rationale and that it is meant to be short and practical—no advertising.
Process
1. Open the meeting and introduce the Gift to Use concept for those who might be new to chapter meetings. Explain that the purpose of this activity is to open the meeting with a quick presentation on some topic that the attendees can use immediately. It may be an icebreaker, overview of a book recently read, website, personal success or failure story, or a business lesson learned. It is designed to ensure members leave each meeting with a valuable tool. Explain that it also is a way to demonstrate the best practice of information sharing. Because it is designed to give chapter members presentation practice without extensive preparation time, encourage anyone who is interested to let you know.
2. Introduce the presenter and as much as the presenter wants you to say about the activity.
3. Support the presenter in any way that you can, answer questions, process handouts, help with introductions. In addition, watch the time. Maintain tight control on the time limit to keep the presenter focused and the activity moving quickly.
4. Lead applause for the presenter and distribute evaluations if desired.
InSider’s Tips
- Ensure the topic is immediately usable. Examples of good ideas include: icebreakers, key learning from a book or conference, applicable story with a lesson learned, job aid, or overview of a useful website.
- This is designed as a free-form open dialogue. Participants should be encouraged to use their creativity and imagination to make the information exchange exciting and practical.
- Strictly enforce time limit (we use 10 minutes). Keeps the presentation focused and fast-paced.
Overview
This unique take on “pass the hat” pays benefits to everyone in the audience who drops in a card and takes out a potentially valuable and rewarding connection.
Objective
- To increase the personalization of membership as a benefit to local ASTD members
Audience
Two or more
Time Estimate
10 minutes
Materials and Equipment
- Basket
- Blank index cards and pens
- Printed sign that says “Add a Business Card for a Between Meetings Meeting and Networking” on the front and “Take One and Pass It On” on the reverse side. Sign should fit neatly in the basket.
Area Setup
Normal seating as required for the meeting
Process
1. At an appropriate time during an ASTD chapter meeting, show the basket and start circulating it while introducing the concept.
2. Explain that a benefit of local membership is creating relationships with other trainers. Provide a personal testimony of how this helped you. Explain that cards will be added and that the basket will circulate again prior to the end of the meeting. State that there are blank cards should an attendee not have a business card. Each person who put one in will draw one out (randomly), agreeing to contact that person within two weeks. Contact may be a telephone call or an email. Tell them that meeting for coffee or lunch is encouraged, and making the personal contact prior to the next scheduled ASTD meeting is the expectation.
3. Near the end of the meeting, circulate the basket one last time.
4. Appoint a member to accept the basket at the end of the round and to change the sign to the “Take One and Pass It On” side.
5. Circulate the basket again, telling those who put cards in to pull one out. Repeat the agreement to contact that person and use this as an opportunity to promote the next meeting date and time.
InSider’s Tips
- This low-cost tool improves the development of collegial relationships among members. Invite guests to participate, too, to heighten their interest in joining the chapter.
- Make this a feature of every meeting so that the chapter becomes known for its commitment to building a friendly network for its members.
- This could easily be adapted for your organization to encourage follow-on learning and networking after a training session.
1Kenneth R. Stein, Ed.D., CPLP, is with the learning organization of the Boeing Company. He has presented programs at American Society for Training and Development international conferences, been involved in live television and talk radio, and participated in numerous learning events. Kenneth is a past president and serves on the board of directors for the Space Coast chapter of ASTD. He is part of the OneVoice Team, winner of the 2009 ASTD Volunteer-Staff Partnership Award. Kenneth has a doctorate in adult education from Nova Southeastern University, is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP), and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
Kenneth R. Stein, Ed.D., CPLP
430 Messha Trail
Merritt Island, FL 32953
(321) 704.9384
Email: [email protected]
ASTD Chapter: Space Coast
2Mary M. Rydesky has been in ASTD for many years and in Alaska chapter leadership since relocating from Texas in 2003. A well-known trainer and speaker, she currently heads Transition Management, a change management consulting company). Transition Management manages the Alaska Distance Learning Network (www.akdistancelearning.net), providing distance delivery options in support of trainers and businesses wanting a lean approach to training. Mary also runs JarviHomestay Bed & Breakfast in Anchorage.
Mary M. Rydesky
1432 Jarvi Drive
Anchorage, AK 99515
(907) 561.3349
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website: www.transitionmanagement.us
ASTD Chapter: Alaska