Who Starts the Engagement Ball Rolling?
“I was a little nobody at the time, and this luminary in the industry was talking with ME!”
The story continues:
“At the time, I didn’t know it, but part of the role of the organization’s board members is to mix and mingle at registration. They are especially supposed to welcome new faces. Well, at my first annual conference, I was one of those new faces. We only exchanged two sentences, but that quick conversation had a profound effect on me. I figured with a welcome like that, this group must be very friendly, so I found myself acting more extroverted than usual over the next few days, and you know what? I made friends in the industry that I still have today.”
While conducting 477 interviews with members of all sorts of associations, I always asked, “What was the first spark of engagement for you?” The answers were nearly always a person and most often, a volunteer leader.
First-time attendees talked about volunteer leaders milling around the registration area, as in the story above. Or they talked about the very nice person they met at the registration table. They talked about welcoming teams just inside the door or at receptions to soothe first-time jitters.
The best chapter experiences start with a warm welcome and maybe, a quick chat with a volunteer leader or another member, or even a 1-minute tour of the room.
In these conversations, I heard about volunteer leaders connecting virtually with phone calls, heart-warming online community replies, and warm welcomes in the online meeting chat.
These encounters may seem small and easily dismissed, but the members I spoke with recall them from when they joined, as long as 20 years ago.
Often, when I have the opportunity to speak with a volunteer doing this kind of work, they say they love it! Sure, they might already have quite a big network, but it’s always fun to meet new people. They love connecting and introducing people because it is a great way to give back to the profession, industry, or cause.
These individuals may not realize it, but the role of a welcomer may be the most crucial volunteer role of all. They are sparking engagement among newcomers, who go on to make the event and their membership meaningful for themselves. Those newcomers might even go on to welcome and connect with other newcomers, and so the cycle continues. (I call this contagious culture. Want to read more about contagious culture? I wrote a mini-book about it!) You can feel the positive energy in member organizations where many members self-identify as welcomers.
Want to engage members more? Prioritize warm welcomes for everyone, including the newest faces and names, at meetings, events you attend, and even online. Find more ways for you and your volunteer colleagues to welcome, connect with, and connect with other members. Pick an upcoming meeting and give it a try. Or talk with your volunteer leader colleagues and make a plan.
