NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011 - (Page 68)

BuILDING SuCCESSFuL AE ChAptErs BY STRAuDER C. PATTON IV, P.E., nsBe naTional alUMni exTension CHair “The success or failure of your chapter starts with your ability to attract and retain committed people.” M any NSBE–AE chapters do tremendous things in their communities: offering scholarships, excellent mentoring, stellar professional development and awesome networking, just to name a few. However, we need to acknowledge that there are also many chapters that are active but may be struggling to get their members to contribute and make an impact on their communities. Why are some chapters thriving and succeeding while others are not meeting their potential? Believe it or not, the answer is not in how great your programs are, how much fundraising you do or how many members come to your monthly meeting. These are just the derivatives of your chapter’s management. After working with NSBE professional chapters for many years in planning, programs, operations and finances, I have compiled a list of some typical problem areas for NSBE–AE chapters and how to avoid them. established for the chapter. Without clear direction, members eventually lose interest and motivation and search for other venues for their volunteer time. Setting strategic goals and implementing plans give your members clarity and motivation. They narrow your chapter’s risk of spreading resources too thin and guide your chapter’s decision-making. Start by performing an assessment of the needs of your community and membership and how your NSBE chapter can support those needs; then narrow your focus to a strategic goal that you want to achieve. A strategic goal can be anything from setting a target for the year to launching a Pre-College Initiative chapter or having a scholarship banquet. Along with your strategic goals come adequate planning and installing reliable metrics to ensure you are doing well in achieving your goals. I’ve observed that volunteer organizations often let good intentions get in the way of results. Benchmarks and measurements — such as number of members renewed, volunteers per event, donations per quarter, mentoring hours and finances — allow you to track Continued on page 70 www.nsbe.org LACK OF FOCuS ON STRATEGIC GOALS AND PLANNING A common misconception is that it is important to fill up your yearly chapter calendar with events and programs. I agree that you want to keep members engaged, but you need to ask yourself whether these events are supporting the main goals of your chapter. Many chapters run themselves ragged trying to cater to all of the ideas and wishes of members, and in the end have no good results to show for it — only burned out, uninterested members. In addition, many chapters struggle to get their members to volunteer or show up for events. That’s often because no clear goals or direction has been 68 • CAREER ENGINEER • fall 2011 • http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011

NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011
Contents
The Next Level
Achievement Finds an Ally
Leadership, Your Way
The Programs Zone
Dr. Philicity Williams of the National Security Agency
Chapter News
Membership News
International News
NSBE Advisor Makes History
Pack Out Pittsburgh!
Empowered by Vision
Top Officers
St. Lucian Students Thrive at IIT
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
SEEKing Excitement for STEM
What’s New?
NSBE Calendar
The Professional’s Perspective
Shifting to Renewables for Electric Power
Alumni Officers
The Japan Effect
AE Members on the Move
Golden Torch Honoree
‘Brother Founder’ Donates $100K to NSBE
XL’ent!
Building Successful AE Chapters
Advertisers Index

NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011