This blog is Part I of a two-part series highlighting the NAPO Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter and their recent recognition as the Chapter of the Year.  Winning this award during its inaugural year has put NAPO-DFW in the spotlight and illuminated the efforts that were made by the Chapter over the last year to achieve some measurable goals.  During this two-part series, Awards and Recognition Chair, Sara Skillen interviews NAPO-DFW President Shirley Falls to discuss what it takes to not only imagine change, but to produce it.

NAPODFW President, Shirley Falls and Awards & Recognition Committee Chair, Sara Skillen at NAPO2018

Sara Skillen: Your chapter business plan (and the detail it provided) was one of the things that initially caught the attention of the Awards & Recognition Committee. Can you tell us a little bit about how it came into being?

Shirley Falls: I attended the NAPO2017 Leadership Forum during which Megan Patton with ODA Strategy gave a presentation on “Board Basics & Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Board.” It was perfect timing! I was entering my first year as Chapter President and my hope was to create objectives and goals that focused on members, potential members, and the public. I had previous experience with developing business plans in corporate America and Megan’s presentation gave me the excitement and inspiration needed to try it with the Board of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter (NAPO-DFW). The business plan was part of the agenda for each board meeting and kept us on track throughout the year. The Chapter was periodically updated with the status of our goals.

Sara Skillen: Chapters generally set new goals for each year, but yours were particularly detailed and targeted. What was your process for identifying objectives and setting goals?

Shirley Falls: During our strategic planning meeting for 2018-2019, the Board worked as a team to develop a vision statement and to re-design our Mission. We came up with three objectives that we as a group felt would support the vision and mission of our Chapter. We then broke into small groups to define the goals and tasks for each objective. We determined SMART goals which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound. As an example, one of our goals was to increase membership by 10% over the next 12 months. I am happy to say we exceeded that goal!

Sara Skillen: Can you walk us through how your 30-day New Member Support Program works?

Shirley Falls: Our new 30-Day Member Support Program was implemented in January 2018. The purpose of the program is to improve member satisfaction and retention, make our chapter more appealing to recruits, train our future leaders, and foster relationships. While some of the questions from a new member may be related to organizing or how to start a business, the program is not intended to train someone on how to be an organizer. It is to establish a sense of community between the new member and the Chapter.

Potential members are informed by the Membership Director about the program and an email is sent to new members when they join. Participation in the program is voluntary at this time. Once a new member decides to participate, the Membership Director will assign a veteran member to support the new member for a period of 30 days. The support person is to ensure the new member understands the purpose and process of the program. The program content includes chapter information on member benefits, the business plan, volunteer and leadership opportunities, policies and procedures as well as links to business tools and NAPO affiliates.

Sara Skillen: Working with Business Partners in the community can be a great opportunity to collaborate and raise awareness of our profession. What is your chapter’s approach to outreach with Business Partners in your area, and how do you stay engaged with them?

Shirley Falls: Our Business Partner Director solicits suggestions for potential business partners and maintains a list of prospective members. This Director provides them with information regarding upcoming meetings, chapter benefits, and how to join the chapter. Business partners are included in a directory on our website, encouraged to post on our public and private Facebook pages, and can utilize our logo. Their marketing materials are displayed at chapter meetings. Prior to chapter meetings, during our networking time, we loop a slide show featuring our business partners. Each business partner attending the meeting is allowed to give a 30-second presentation about their business. New benefits for the upcoming year include sponsorship of a chapter meeting with the benefit of a 15-minute presentation by a business partner. Also, business partners will be given the first right of refusal to speak on a program topic selected by the Board that involves the services/products provided by the business partner(s). We will hold our 2nd Annual Business Partner Appreciation Dinner and we are planning to hold a Business Partner “Speed Dating” Experience for chapter members.

To hear more about the efforts of the NAPO DFW Chapter and learn more about the benefits of strategic planning and the ability to achieve desired change, be sure to subscribe to the NAPO blog in order to receive Part II of The Power of Strategic Planning.