The Ideal Chamber - Summer 2010

The Ideal Chamber newsletter is published quarterly by former Chamber Exec turned Visibility Consultant, Mary Kurek. It's free to Chambers or anyone, so hit the subscribe RSS feed button bottom left to keep it coming.

Chambers Without Borders - Becoming Community Change Agents

We're heading into the last quarter of 2010. The projections in 09 by some folks about seeing economic improvement and the climb toward recovery are viewed by many as a total miscalculation.

Regardless of whether you believe we've seen a snail-paced crawl toward good news or not, what does seems to be evident by everyone is that change is needed. Deep-reaching, wide-spreading, action-based, get-on-your knees kind of change.

You may think I'm talking about large corporate change or governmental change. And, I am, but I'm also talking about you. I'm talking about those of you who influence small business owners.

You can't champion large scale, sustainable change without showing the way. You have to be a part of that change.

So, what do you do? You take everything that you are doing and look at it with fresh eyes and a new mission.

Who are you serving? Why? How? Who are your investors...really?

Who are your leaders? Not every leader is a change agent - so look past the obvious and identify those that really are the movers and shakers. Who are the influencers? How are they influencing? Where are the new pools of investors coming from? Are you interacting with them in a productive way?

What kind of programs are you offering? Are they reaching the right groups? Are they meeting the right needs and are they self-sustaining?

Maybe you look at how you are structured and how you view your staff roles. Are you keeping up with technology and the ways people communicate-or are you stuck in old ways? Lots of you have poor web sites with almost no marketing and terrible potential for interaction. I know because I've personally reviewed hundreds. Given the way that people use the Internet these days, that's a waste. If you're a true change-agent (a leader in creating meaningful action) use of technology and online sources should be a priority. In that light, you need a dedicated staff member - a CTO of sorts...someone who can put the pieces in place and keep them functional.

Perhaps you need to rethink your member recruitment/retention roles. It could be that your Membership Director really needs to be a Community Manager, now. Do you even know what that role is in other industries?

Maybe your Ambassadors could shift from delivering directories and attending ribbon cuttings to mentoring and creating introductions to resources.

Maybe your change-agent role in the community means that you don't leave it up to members to figure out how to collaborate on their own...you go out to them - find the match between need and solution and create the connection (even if the right connections lie outside of your membership). And, you market the heck out of it.

So, you are wondering how do you get a tired, underpaid staff to do more. It's not a matter of providing more services, but changing and strengthening the quality of what you are providing. All the while, you are creating a sense within the community that a bigger, bolder mindset is making positive things happen.

Make it authentic, make it charismatic...make it trending...and make yourself a "Chamber Without Borders."

--------------------------------------
Here's your reprintable article, courtesy of Javier Munoz. Please reprint with his credit at the bottom.
--------------------------------------

The Keys for your Personal and Business Expansion

The economic recession we have experienced worldwide during the last two years is just a symptom of a much deeper trend that will ultimately result in an unavoidable shift in our current growth paradigm. The very foundations of our system are questionable, the productivity model is unsustainable, and energy and water resources are scarce. You may think these are macroeconomic issues that have little impact in your ongoing business operations. However, this view is at the heart of what needs to change to prepare ourselves for true expansion in the next era of growth.

Although a regular business day is hectic enough to leave any time for contemplating existential questions about the present and the future, I am sure you all have a little voice that tells you that life cannot continue as is for much longer. Have you asked yourself what factors could change your current business scenario for good? Have you visualized what will your industry look like in ten or twenty years? Most importantly, are you currently taking any action to address any disruptive changes in your business model to prepare the inevitable shift already underway?

In the past, paradigm shifts were given by new technologies or discoveries that made humanity change their beliefs or their daily activities drastically. There are many examples, from Copernicus’s debunking of humanity’s geocentric beliefs in the Middle Ages, to today’s widespread use of information technologies to run our lives. All have contributed to deep seated changes in our worldview and our potential to generate value. However, the current paradigm shift will not be powered by a single technology or discovery, but by an all-encompassing comprehensive transformation that will have its start deep within you! Yes you! The next paradigm shift won’t be driven by only the mind, but by a holistic mind-body-soul approach where you should start asking questions and experimenting with the answers.

To build the next foundation for human development and expansion, developed societies will have to undergo a profound process of transformation. Solving the challenges ahead will require your best creative expression only possible from your highest self. Innovation and creativity is the bread and butter of all expanding people and companies, and as such it has to be incorporated in all business processes and operations. All businesses, (even a bakery!) can benefit from incorporating renewal and innovation. There are infinite opportunities to improve what you do either by running more sustainable processes or by differentiating your current products and services. The sky is the limit, and it must be pursued.

I realize you may find this article a bit idealistic; however, that’s what I do. I help people and businesses address their current and very real problems in industries that are dramatically changing. I challenge you to look around and tell me what industry is going to be left untouched for the next 20 years without a profound change. My system, called Just Action (justaction.com), is a “serious” game that helps people create and perform personal scenarios allowing for playful experimentation. I provide a sort of “playground” where you can play out your ideas with the support of coaching professionals and other Just Action participants. The idea is that your personal capacity to cope with change and thrive will be born primarily from your ability to imagine and realize through “serious play” different scenarios. As I said before, the next paradigm shift will be powered by your mind-soul, as you learn not only through your mind’s eye, but also through your spirit’s insights. A great way to continually stimulate this process is through coaching and guided play bringing back what you did when you were a child.

This guided play will help you re-tune to what you love to do, to your strengths, to your sense of service, helping you formulate a renewed mission along with the specific actions to realize progress. Your inner voice will be awaken and heard loud again. This empowering process provides you with a sense of clarity that will serve as foundation for any new undertaking. You will come up with ideas not only as an intellectual process, but also as a practical exercise allowing you to own what you have learned through insight and tangible results.

The benefits of such a personal introspective process are compounded when doing this in teams or whole organizations. A team’s ability to collectively tune into its authentic mission or Personal Legend, as Paulo Coelho calls it, would set the stage for extraordinary results, either providing the resources to adapt or to lead change. Your best competitive advantage won’t result from implementing what the experts have to say, but from tuning into your heart and into your authentic mission.

Javier Munoz is a Coach, Speaker, Writer and Innovation Catalyst - Founder and CEO of Just Action, a social game for personal and business transformation.
http://www.justaction.com | You may also follow Javier in Twitter: http://twitter.com/justaction

-------------------------------------

ChamberFix

Q: How can we best inspire leadership among our members?

A: Instituting a leadership program, like many other Chambers have done, is the first thought. A quick Google search should point you to some good models. And, openly brag about your members' leadership accomplishments. Second thought is to do a thorough job of recruiting board members who are good "leaders." Create board job descriptions to get the best candidates. Third thought is to provide Committee chair training. Don't just assume your chairs will do a good job - prepare them for success. And, lastly, promote the Chamber's own leadership by showing how it has taken that role into the community. Keep a running tally of these leadership accomplishments on your web site.

--------------------------------------

Getting the Most from Institute

If you have spent a few years attending Institute, spend a few minutes giving some feedback to Institute leaders. They need to hear if what they are providing you is working. Are you using the education? If you are...tell them specifically how it has made a difference in your Chamber and in your personal career. Giving feedback is an important leadership skill and one that helps everyone get more out of Institute.

--------------------------------------

Chamber Resources

From Fast Track/SC (New Business Idea Contest w/ a $5k prize attached)
http://www.newideassc.com/

Venue Gen for Virtual Meetings
http://blog.venuegen.com/?p=42&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Sure to Meet to schedule/track/monetize meetings
http://www.suretomeet.com

Designing a Training Manual for Volunteers
http://www.helium.com/items/1804918-designing-a-training-manual-for-volu...

Measure Social Media ROI
http://www.bitrebels.com/social/measure-social-media-roi/

How to Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
http://mashable.com/2009/12/28/social-media-business-strategy/