Association Leadership - May/June 2008 - (Page 21)

young professionals Positivity: Key to retaining young talent How to change this perception? Young professionals want the executive director to show a sincere interest in them, encouraging their goals and mentor them to achieve career aspirations. Young professionals do not want to be ignored and left alone, nor do they want their only interaction with leadership to be about venting in a negative environment. Executive directors should share rewarding aspects of a job and the cause of the organization and be a role model. Remember, young professionals are processing all they experience to determine whether theyÕd be fulÞlled in a senior position someday. Further, young professionals want expanded and meaningful responsibilities. Executive directors should make sure career paths exist and are clearly communicated. Then, the employee should be given every opportunity to succeed with new responsibilities and with senior staff mentoring and leading. A clear career path with increasing responsibility is not a guarantee, but it is guaranteed that employees will become frustrated and leave if they feel stuck with no vision or advancement potential. All associations should recognize the value of investing in an employeeÕs skill development. This not only leaves the association with more skilled and sustainable employees, but the employee feels an increased sense of worth knowing he or she is important enough for the association to make an investment. The lesson? It is wise to invest in the future, as the future is your employees. ◆ Bill McCausland is chief operating ofﬁcer of The Ex-Students’ Association of The University of Texas – Texas Exes. Mentoring, expanded responsibility makes association work more attractive I By Bill McCausland recently read an enlightening report by the or position. The grass is not necessarily greener outside the non-proÞt sector, and it will take just as much commitment Ð and the negatives that sometimes accompany commitment Ð to reach a senior-level position. There are no entitlements. Everyone has to pay dues, work hard to learn a position and prove value to the company. So, if issues are true for both nonproÞts and for-proÞts, letÕs take a closer look at what might be causing young professionals to jump to conclusions. Young NonproÞt Professionals Network, a 10,000-member 501 c(3) network supporting future non-proÞt leaders through professional development, networking and social opportunities. It conducted a study to learn more about career aspirations and barriers to its members. Nearly half of the respondents plan to leave the non-proÞt sector. This is not surprising because our society has changed greatly over 30 years, with company and employee loyalty not nearly what they once were. These days, changing jobs frequently is not only accepted, but is often expected. The days of going to work for XYZ company for 30-plus years before retiring are long gone. This is not just a non-proÞt phenomenon. ItÕs true in many companies and industries, large, small, private and public. However, what did surprise me were reasons young non-proÞt professionals are leaving and, even more so, why they donÕt aspire to the top positions at their associations. Call me old-fashioned, but this isnÕt necessarily a negative strike on the non-proÞt world. Rather, it is more about the expectations of young professionals. Many respondents pointed to long hours, frustration and lack of work/ personal balance as reasons they did not aspire to be executive directors of a nonproÞt entity. I donÕt know about you, but after working more than 20 years outside the non-proÞt sector, I can guarantee long work hours, frustration and personal life issues are byproducts of any company Image might not be everything. But it is very important. Perhaps some blame is to be pointed toward leaders of the non-proÞt entity, as much has been written about executive directors not doing themselves any favors in marketing their position. In many instances, their demeanor and the way they position their job is negative. And no surprise, that negativity comes across to younger, impressionable workers as less than desirable. Could it be the leaders are harping on the typical negative aspects of a job, and not spending enough time promoting the positive and fulÞlling aspects? LetÕs face it. Since non-proÞts generally offer lower compensation, presenting a negative view is the last thing senior leaders should be doing. The emphasis should be on the positive and on the intrinsic value to society or institutions that many non-proÞts offer. People like having something special to believe in, and thatÕs an important quality many non-proÞts have. That can be a powerful lure to retain employees, and it is critical for senior leaders to realize the impact they have on staff. May/June 2008 | Association LEADERSHIP 21

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - May/June 2008

Association Leadership - May/June 2008 Contents President’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions Cover Feature: Associations As a Profession Positivity: Key to Retaining Young Talent Perspectives Association Case Study TSAE Annual Conference TSAE's Newest CAEs New Members Community Spotlight Grand Membership Campaign Committee Thank-yous Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com The Lighter Side of Associations- New Feature

Association Leadership - May/June 2008

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