Teachable Moments...

We heard it the other night and i would hope the board/membership not gloss over the importance of committee work. We know it was minimized over the past 15 years and returning to "normal" has been really difficult. We know the board has been encouraging members to "trust" them and give them a chance. Okay, how about returning that trust and allowing committees to have more skin in the game?

I can tell you from a truly personal perspective, there is nothing more disheartening than putting in countless hours on a committee, come up with recommendations and then watch as board members decide to just do what they think is important. I've written countless numbers of times, the committee's value was the fact they were often better connected to the members than the board who often takes a more myopic view of what's important.

All of which mushrooms off into a broader coalition throughout the community. There's nothing magical or even mysterious about it; it's simply the ability of a larger segment of the population reaching out and touching more members. It was why all of the activities, promotions and interactions with members Meeker/DEVCO did was so effective. They grew the circle.

Imagine on the night of the massive membership turnout we had community hosts and hostesses meeting and greeting members as they entered? Imagine if they were passing on information of why it was so important members attended and why their continued support would help pave the way for Sun City to evolve and become more welcoming. The list of possibilities is nearly endless.

Sadly, we don't think that way any longer. While some lament my clinging to the past, most of you know/understand those values many of us hold dear to are also attachment points for newcomers and long time members alike. It's why i call the annual membership meeting a "teachable moment." It's also why my training was such that after any/every event or gathering, we did an evaluation on what we did right, wrong and ultimately how do do it better the next time.

All of which brings me back to our the lingering question...what about the future?

 

Bill,
Are you suggesting we actually make the members feel welcomed and valued when they come to a meeting? That we treat them like we want them to be feel valued and appreciated? Okay, dripping with sarcasm and not called for but when did it become okay to ignore the people that support you on a yearly basis? No cookies offered and not even a brochure to highlight the benefits of why it’s a good thing to be a member of the community. It appears to me that we are trying our very hardest to make sure members feel uncomfortable when attending their business meeting. I would take it a step further and say unwelcome. I can’t think of a time within the recent past when the RCSC has tried to be welcoming to the members during a meeting.
A teachable moment indeed. The opportunity to impress upon the membership their value to the organization is unwavering and we ignore it.
Perhaps it was an oversight by the person responsible for organizing the event. Making members welcomed was a missing bullet point to check off the list.
It’s clear the RCSC needs to do a significantly better job of making sure members know they are valued. Currently, I see no efforts being taken by the RCSC to make any outreach efforts to the members.
I think this topic has been addressed more than once. There has been discussion about how this situation needs addressing. Trouble is, who is going to listen? Does anyone on the board care about member relations? Or will this be another topic for referral to an ad hoc committee?
Okay, so how do I get the message to the board members that they really need to step up and pay attention to the members? How do I convey the idea of making members a priority again? How do I make them aware of the situation created by not acknowledging the value of the membership? And within the allocated time? This issue is bigger than a breadbox yet needs to be addressed soon. I am not capable of speaking that fast. And I feel that the topic is serious enough that it will need explaining and expansion of each point of reference. The last time I was at a meeting, the microphone is shut off once your allowed time is up. I have a voice that carries quite well, so turning the microphone off is a non issue for me. But I would like to say what needs to be addressed and be heard without causing a problem. So, what suggestions are offered knowing the context of what I want to present, do it in the allotted time and be kind and effective with the information to be presented? I am open to any suggestions and ideas, really.

 

Here Here Carol!

 

The GM was there, if that's what you're interested in?

 

I agree with all of this too. The impression it gave me watching online last night was, let's hurry this up so we can fold the tent, and go home. I also think some welcoming PR was truly missing there. Kind of sad, really.

 

I am developing a presentation about how and why the members matter. It will be interesting in my opinion, as I have a preliminary outline and the very beginning starts with the articles of incorporation. The beginning document, Article III
Article III
The general nature of the business in which the Corporation is engaged is as follows:

To do anything and everything lawfully necessary in the interest of the Members of the Corporation,

That right there is the definition of this corporation, perform in the best interest of the members. This is the definition of the purpose of the RCSC. The members are the core of the organization. The RCSC as an organization has chosen to alienate the members and this has got to stop now. The board of directors are responsible for governance, but somewhere the fact that they, too, are members as well has been lost. Granting a title upon someone doesn’t negate or elevate their status above anyone else. I repeat, they are members and as such, need a reminder of what they need to focus on. The membership is them and they are the membership. It’s time to elevate the membership to being the most valuable asset the RCSC has and value our members as the best thing the RCSC has. What will it take for this board to become the most powerful group of leaders to turn this organization around to a member focused organization and place the members as a primary focus moving forward? Does this group of leaders have the capacity to become a driver of change for the organization and seek ways to redefine the membership as a priority moving forward?
Enough for now. I hope this gives an idea of the direction I hope to proceed with. Any thoughts about how it sounds are appreciated. Yes, it is rough, these are ideas as a way to get a starting point.

 

Bill calls them "teachable moments." I call it "Lessons Learned."

On Facebook, some Members are doing a great job of stating their thoughts and feelings about the Annual Membership Meeting - anywhere from "should have served cookies" to "did not make me feel welcome" to "where were the financials?" I hope someone from the Board is reading them, keeping track, and acting. Otherwise, as several said, "another wasted three hours of my life." And, that, fellow readers, is why they stay home, stay quiet, and "just have fun."
Jean

 

The "teachable moments" labels reminder i like to use Jean is applicable across most of life's trials and tribulations. Unfortunately, in today's fast paced, meme driven world of social media frenzy, we race from crisis to crisis whining but seldom fixing anything. Heck, we don't usually take the time to reflect back on what we did well or poorly.

In your remarks above Jean, you mentioned comments made by attendees of the annual membership meeting. That's a good thing, because it gives instant feedback and hopefully those responsible (the board) are paying attention. You know...a teachable moment.

What's more instructive (for me), are the remarks and responses expounding how great life was under the former general manager(s). The memories of just how good it was intrigue me. Most interesting are those remarks reminding us how cheap everything was back then and how well run everything was. Really?

Arguing the point has little value. Nope, everyone has their own take, what is indisputable is what is happening now and more importantly into the future. Each and everyone one of us is experiencing the crushing impact coming out of the pandemic. Supply chain ruptures caused major increases in everything. They still are brutal to our home budgets and cost of living. Then, just for shirts and giggles, take a look at your insurance costs for home and auto; absolutely bonkers and clearly they will continue to soar as severe weather events will drive them even higher.

Sorry for the nasty trip coming out of Covid19, but do you even begin to understand those same crazy increases hit the RCSC just as hard? Or, harder? Or, the state mandated increases from the state minimum wage (which was $7.50 an hour in those glorious years i was on the board) has now doubled. Imagine what that did to their (the RCSC's) budgets with 450 employees.

Teachable moments, all of the above. The problem of course is when they say it, they sound like whiners. We read a lot about messaging these days and sadly we know the RCSC/board/management could improve in that capacity. We also know, people in general have short attention spans and listening is a skill set some lack. We also know there are ways to make the messaging both more interesting and more digestible.

The question becomes: Are we able/capable of doing that...going there?

And just for and even more enticing thought...what about the future? I'm not talking next week, next month, not even next year. Where will we be in 10 years? Will we need 8 golf courses? 7 lawn bowling venues? 2 bowling alleys? 40 plus pickleball courts? 3 tennis venues? Room for 125 clubs?

I know it's mind-numbing to even begin to think about and for the past 22 years (we've lived here) we didn't bother or even try. We just assumed everything would remain the same. Bad assumption? Think in these terms before you answer: Over the next ten years, with an average home sales per year of 1500, more than half the 27,500 rooftops will turnover. We can only guess, so let's stay conservative and say 30% of them will be sold to Generation X with a good share of them still working. What do you think that does as far as amenity needs?

Sorry, but as we try and come out of an annual membership meeting with some anxiety about how it was handled, we simply have to understand the problems we are facing will only get worse...all of which tells me, we have to get better at how we address them.

A teachable moment indeed.

 

As I was rereading some of the talking points, I realized I was asking for change, but not offering possible solutions. The adage of you can be a part of the solution or a continued part of the problem stuck with me. I am not relying on the word “communication” as it’s vague. I want outreach for starters. The example I offer is when the board became a part of the community outreach team in regards to the new dog park. In providing a framework for the community to share and support each other’s opinions, the two meetings generated a comprehensive understanding as to how the dog park was going to operate. It also created a club that supported the new venture and members stepped up in the meeting to support the new park.
Can the prospect of conducting a community outreach meeting sound daunting? Of course, which is why a particular topic of limited scope is selected but have the potential to expand the idea. Example: I like the idea of having a community newspaper delivered again, once a month, to every home who wants the paper. The population of Sun City has an 11% rate of poverty using a means test as reported by the Census Bureau. This would mean, to me, there exists a certain level of the population that cannot afford internet access. Add to this, those that fall into the “old” and “very old” populace, and this further expands the amount of members we can’t reach by electronic formats. I know the intention is not to ignore this segment of the members, they are just not factored into how the RCSC reaches out to them in a meaningful way.
These are two examples that could be used to create an effective outreach strategy for the community. There are numerous others I could describe, but I think the board members understand what needs to be done.
Something as simple as a plate of cookies at the member exchange meeting says we want you here and are thankful you’re came.
Next I am going to work on a new portion of the presentation, the need to rebuild the trust within the membership. Again, I will stress this is a very rough draft with the need for refining and getting additional feedback on suggestions from others. I can continue in the direction I am going, and probably need to move this to its own thread. Next task for today. Thank you all for your patience with me as I attempt to create a plan that can fit into a short window for presentation. I don’t want to be removed from the auditorium because I overstepped my time limit.

 

I worked as a corporate receptionist my entire working career for large companies. I did not like the tone of that meeting. I think you should of had people outside greeting and giving some kind of goody bags to all attendees to start. I think we need to go back to former days to get this right. We are the community. I do think we need a PR ambassador of goodwill training and otherwise to cheer up the community. I will volunteer my services as a permanent greeter. I am feeling an us versus them mentality has set in. We need to go back to basic principles. Yes, the 1960s. Life was simpler, but people seemed less stressed and happier. Let's think about getting some goodwill ambassadors. Please sign me up!

 

Your remarks are important because as we get lost in the aspect of "board training," we lose sight of the critical nature of member training/education. I suspect we could have the debate about the chicken and egg and which came first, but for my money, both are essential. Sun City was built on the basis of a partnership.

Some argue that's not germane any longer, i disagree. In fact, if Sun City is ever to regain it's true footings, we have to become invested in one another. The problems and difficulties we will be facing are large and while some want to pretend they won't impact us, that's folly.

Outreach across so many platforms actually makes it easier, but as Ben always stressed, first set a goal and then devise a plan that is measurable.

What a novel freaking idea eh?

 

Bill, I agree that the community needs a training program that supports all who would be interested. What did the research you were seeking about the TORCH program produce?
Once I feel comfortable with the research I have done to present to the board, I will see what you have discovered plus seek additional information about the ASU program and if they do customization for the curriculum to meet the community needs. Plodding through this as fast as possible while trying to formulate ideas and concepts. So many ideas, so little time.

 

Curious, what training programs do homeowners need?

 

Eileen,
I am so grateful for your support and your offer to help with the goodwill ambassador program. I am not familiar with the program first hand, but since you bring the knowledge and skill set needed, I see you as a great resource to be a project leader. You know the training, the knowledge required for success, as well what makes the program successful. So happy to see another avenue of collaboration for outreach to existing and emerging members. Kudos to you for your efforts to help make this community heat again.

 

Please read what I wrote. I stated the community needs a training program for those who might want to participate in. I never said homeowners needed training. Please don’t try to twist the truth of what I write into a narrative I did not create

 

Perhaps Josie P was only referring to the TORCH program, which everybody seems to believe and agree, that it could educate the average, interested, homeowner as too how the organization runs?

Just say'n!

 

I was very serious. Community means residents to me or homeowners. Those who live here. After watching the 2 meetings this week I thought maybe I would want to get involved. To quote Bill We were trained and taught that those sharing their remarks (written or verbal) were the ones held accountable for what they said. Ultimately if you don't give a shit how you come across, the that's on you."

COMMUNITY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

 

I'll be at a Life Long Learning program next Weds put on by a Museum board officer/member who went through TORCH, served on the RCSCW board and he will explain the program in detail. It is being recorded and once on the museum website i will post a link.

 

I was referring to the word community. Miriam Webster:
b
: a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society
a community of retired persons

It is now clear to me the board, former board, committees, former committees are akin to the cool kid Frat and Sorority houses from the Animal House era. One person does not like another so no one does. I was not being trite; however I get it now. Good luck getting people involved, and remember the newbie who just moved here and is already sorry.

 

Godspeed Bill, I know it will be a bitter sweet.