What I Really Did June-August 2022

Official quarterly reports never fully show what I do.

Note that this "quarter" was short- comprising only 10 weeks instead of the 12 or more of other "quarters."

Communications Officer

• Gave heads-up to Marketing and Membership Officers to think about National Advertising policy.
• Nudged CB about looking at the draft of the LG Comm Guide, since I’m stuck until staff goes over it.
• Worked website portion of the LG Comm Guide.
• Read all online July LG newsletters.
• Read all online August LG newsletters.
• Read all online September newsletters
• Gathered screenshots of incorrect boilerplates and indicia and prepared some AMC education.
• Reviewed August Bulletin.
• Reviewed September Bulletin.
• Requested update of AML website to reflect current version of Appendix 23.
• Long zoom meeting with Marketing Officer to talk about websites & social media.
• Wrote 3 volunteerism columns for Bulletin.
• Began deep dive review of LG websites.
• Introduced crowd-sourcing for LG Comm Guide to Digital Officers.
• Discussed website  section of LG Comm Guide with Tabby and Lana.
• Reviewed and asked questions re Consolidated Financial Statements.
• Nudged CB for the third time in two weeks to respond to my emails.
• Zoom with Lana re MC and web training topics.
• Mucked around with WordPress to figure out how to get started using Lana’s template.
• Gave up and began writing a section describing the status quo re LG sites.
• Discussed with a concerned member some amendments to a motion on the upcoming AMC agenda.
• Crowd-sourced beginning steps for creating a website.
• Forwarded phishing email to CB with a suggestion that a warning about it be included in the next Mensa Leader. Suggestion was not acknowledged.
• Asked Tabby & Lana for any info they might have collected assessing the skill levels of LG Webmasters.
• Long catch-up call with CB. Stressed that LG communications and I are being neglected and that we need to improve this.
• More work on web section of LG Comm Guide.
• Asked staff (again) to fix CommComm MP ad so it doesn’t imply all positions are full. Eventually figured it out myself.
• Began work on AML Branding section of LG Comm Guide.
• Attended AMC meeting and ABM at the AG.
• Gave two formal LDW presentations and led two other casual M&G sessions.
• Responded to member’s concern regarding moderation on MC.
• Discussed again with CB about making LG Communications more of a priority this next year.
• Nudged again for more useful topics in Mensa Leader and Wired.
• Reviewed report from Hearings Comm.
• Discussed with Bylaws Chair some issues with the amended MDA.
• Removed a thread in MC at the request of the RR chair.
• Drafted motion to fix the amended MDA.
• Discussed covid survey issue with Timmy and Trevor.
• Posted a covid exposure message to MWM community for a member having tech issues.
• Reviewed June Staff report and responded with questions and comments.
• Reviewed ExComm’s goals for Trevor and sent comments to Timmy. Did not receive acknowledgement.
• Long reply on a M-Leaders MC thread about newsletters.
• Bought plane tickets for Sept AMC meeting.
• Prepped and turned in expense reimbursement forms.
• Returned to reviewing and crafting Nat Pubs and Advertising policy updates.
• Informed staff that a link on the AML website was broken.
• Wrote long email to Trevor re why National Pubs and Advertising policy needs updating. Discussed that a better approach might be to start from scratch.
• Wrote thoughts on potential strategic goals for AMC planning session in Sept.
  
• Continued back and forth with member unhappy with MC moderation. Hit my patience limit; told him his options and that I’m a dead end for what he wants.
• Apprised the new Ombudsperson of the brewing situation re MC and the member unhappy with moderation policies.
• Requested help from staff to fix borked edit functions in Mensa Connect.
• Discussed with Membership Officer how to promote SIGs to members needing engagement opportunities and sent request to Hilary to create an ad for LG newsletters to use.
• Zoom with Membership Officer re shared goals, staff issues, and solutions.
• Requested meeting with Trevor, Mem Officer, Marketing officer at the Sept meeting.
• Added a topic to the AMC planning session of how to keep track of old research and reports that could be useful solving current problems.
• Asked Eric Werme questions about LG periodicals. Spent hours reading and writing educational explanations of the pros and cons of all endorsement options.
• Prepared and sent Summer Letter to Pubs Officers.
• Long call with CB re periodicals requirements for LGs, LG Comm Guide progress, Mensa Leader and Wired content , software, and nudged National Pubs and Ad policy, and using the AML website event calendar for virtual events hosted by LGs.
• Advised RVC1 about MC moderation challenges.
• Responded to a YM who wants to get involved.
• Nudged EWNI editor to the Pubs Officers library.
  
• Discussed formatting issues of Ombud’s column with Bulletin Editor.
• Discussed possible motion to expand and clarify (but not change at the core) ASIE regarding LG’s use of NO address and USPS Return Address Service.
• Discussed mutual projects and aid with Membership Officer.
• Helped a member find his LG newsletter on the website.
• Participated in AMC discussions on Mensa Connect.
• Pointed out  to IT staff that Pandemic RG is shown 3 times on the front page of the AML site.
• Discussed technicalities of adding an 11 yo to CommComm.
• Responded to Editors’ questions  stemming from the summer letter.
• Emailed Trevor and Timmy with thoughts about Strategic Planning.
• Weekly call with CB- listing and promoting virtual events, SIG promotion and authentication issues.
• Started thread in M-Leaders about how volunteering gives a sense of ownership.
• Forwarded change of address from a member.
• Sent summer Editors’ letter to a few people who didn’t get it via Mensa Connect.
• Alerted staff to repetition of an event every day for over a year on the National Events calendar.
• Drafted a motion proposal for the IBD ExComm to discuss regarding members’ rights vs members’ safety.
• Responded to a member trying to accept the new TOS.
  
• Sent Q Report reminder and other discussion topics to Nat Awards Chair.
• Responded on M-Leaders about correlations involving newsletters’ content.
• Alerted Staff to a surname misspelling on the AML Awards page.
• Requested help with Volunteerism articles for Bulletin from Nat Ombudsman and Membership Officer.
• Pubs Officer zoom call- 19 attended.
• Nudged Staff re Awards video and sending out certificates/plaques, and pins.
• Discussed Volunteerism column with Bulletin Editor.
• Wrote quarterly reports ( this actually takes an hour or more).
• Looked into adding SIG editors to the MC Pubs Officer community. Hit a precedence wall with staff so initiated a work-around.
• Questioned why content of Leader is repeated despite having given a long list of content ideas.
• Wrote a blog post about effective Leaders and Servants.
• Advised RVC7 and Denver LocSec regarding a FB administrative conflict.
• Long zoom call with CB.
• Long email to Trevor about several staff centric topics. 
• Filled out DiSC survey in preparation for AMC planning session ( I'm Dominant, focused on results, and easily frustrated and annoyed by others' perceived incompetence- no surprise there!

Communications Committee

• Drafted Big Audacious Goals for Mensa Communications
• Sent intro email to new committee members with BAG and little goals.
• Resent goals and what projects I hope each person will work on.
• Began assigning projects to committee members.
• Began assembling a spreadsheet of LG newsletters from which to gather and curate all virtual offerings that could be made more widely available to other members.
• Lots of discussion about  best methods for gathering and promoting LG virtual offerings.
• Shared another set of columns to be added to the Pubs Officers’ library.
• Began discussion of how to help LGs implement electronic voting. Asked LocSecs what they need.
• Began discussion  about how to improve LG websites.

Strategic Planning Committee

• Made suggestions for how the committee might remain useful after the AMC’s newest Vision Quest.

Marketing Committee

• 
  

Name & Logo Committee

• 
  

SIGs Advisory Committee

• Voted to approve a new SIG

National Awards Committee

• Nagged Staff about video and sending pins, plaques, and certificates as well as planning to do better next year.

Effective Leaders...and Servants

As an AMC person, I’m often labeled as a “leader” in Mensa. And while I do lead committees and discussions, most of my work is done as a servant to the members and organization.

 

I recently read an interesting article about being an effective leader:

 

 

 MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK

 If you want something, ask for it . . . Go get it.

 

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

Be passionate about the area you’re leading; how else can you empower and motivate teams around you?

 

IMPROVE YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING

Without the confidence to speak in front of groups or even infront of a small team you’re leading, it’s tough to effectively.

 

BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE

Habitual negativity is a slippery slope. Effective leaders shift their mindset to invoke positivity in those around them. Something that may have been an “issue” or “problem” can instead be an opportunity to improve. A positive influence is infectious—and makes the work more enjoyable for you and your employees.

 

BE HUMBLE

Let the work, results, and performance speak for themselves, rather than talking about how great you are. Leaders with big egos and self-centered behavior eventually hit a wall. 

 

BE WELL-ROUNDED

Effective leaders tend to be “good or better” in most or all categories of leadership, such as people management, the ability to sell and deliver or produce results, interpersonal skills, relationship-building skills, and more.

 

PRIORITIZE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Relationships are everything. That starts with being genuine, investing time in these relationships, respecting all opinions, and being mindful of how you treat people. 

 

COMMIT TO DEADLINES

Being committed to deadlines in addition to effort builds credibility and shows stakeholders that you are reliable and trustworthy, which often leads to additional responsibilities. 

 

 TAKE CARE OF YOU

Finding balance across mind, body, and spirit will keep effective leaders sharp, focused, and able to sustain their positive impact in the long term. 

 

KEEP RESKILLING 

Whether it’s training, reading, or side projects, even the most senior leaders never stop learning. Particularly now, in 2022, when technology is changing faster than most humans are capable of adapting, if you aren’t a continuous learner, you will eventually be left behind.

 

BE SELF-SUFFICIENT

Demonstrate that you can handle a role with minimal supervision. If you’re independently capable, a next obvious step will be to lead and guide others.

 

BECOME AN EXPERT IN SOMETHING

Covering many types of assignments and roles is useful to become well-rounded, but at some point, it helps to become a subject matter expert—the acknowledged go-to person.

 

You know what? All these steps make for better servants, too.

Brick Walls

Every project I set out to work on lately is running into a wall at the stage where I need information from someone else. While this happens all year long, it's particularly bad between April and June, when all of AML seems to shut down except for handling renewals and preparing for the AG.

That's a quarter of the year when progress on anything else grinds to a halt. I am beyond frustrated.

Lately I've been trying to work on the section of the LG Communications Guide that covers websites. There is ZERO training, and few resources provided by AML. Further complicating matters is the resources AML does offer are so outdated that they can't be used with the other resources developed by the Marketing Committee (WordPress templates). And those templates, while pretty and well-crafted, require a novice webmaster to know far far more than they do.

Everyone seems to be working in individual silos with no one coordinating and no one really considering their audience or applying appropriate education techniques. No wonder LGs are floundering.

Well damn, Robin, this sounds like a communication issue. If only AML had a proper Communications Officer to sort it all out.

Sigh.

What I really Did Feb-June 2022

The formal Quarterly Reports to the AMC don't really show what gets done on a granular level.  I keep track, and perhaps this will be helpful to future Comm Officers or Chairs trying to find a Comm Officer.

 February 25  — June 16, 2022

Communications Officer

• Created outline of Comm Guide & referenced pre-written sections
• Facilitated crowd-sourcing discussions with editors re what to include in a Comm Guide.
• Read 104 newsletters
• Requested meeting with NO staff regarding using AML resources to better help LGs create and maintain websites
• Asked Jennifer Jewel to review draft of Editors’ Survey.
• Corresponded with Editor of a small group about newsletter issues and options, including sending a mock up of a more efficient layout.
• Researched official AML pantone colors and fonts.
• Proffread Editors’ Survey before it goes out.
• Nudged on server / PHP upgrade progress I was promised last November.
• Directed member inquiry about SIGs to SiGs Officer.
• Discussed advertising policy for LG newsletters with Editors.
• Met with Charles in person regarding Communications topics.
• Attended March AMC meeting.
• Consulted with Ex Dir, Chair, and 1st VC on how to handle communications resulting from an Exec Session decision.
• Helped RVC1 with a MC moderation issue.
• Reviewed April/May Bulletin.
• Reviewed June Bulletin.
• Circled back with Staff on how to handle mention of paper directories in the bylaws, then passed the topic to the Bylaws Comm Chair.
• Responded to an RVC’s question about how CAN-SPAM and using Mailchimp fit together.
• Reviewed tasks handed out by the Strat Planning Comm and reported to AMC on my progress.
• Made suggestion to BAD and Timmy on a new approach to the Criminal Acts TF problem.
• Nudged AMC regarding cleaning up and tending to Vol MP listings.
• Reached out to a few people to dig up old Mensa Member demographics (for my LDW on volunteerism).
• Crowd-sourced input on photo-editing software options for Editors.
• Discussed with Bylaws Comm Chair and then AMC changes to the MDA as a result of March’s Appendix 15 motions.
• Intervened in Region 9 MC community to tend to an admin/moderation request from the RVC.
• Gently admonished a LG editor for political humor of questionable taste.
• Nudged about TOS update again. Nudged again a month later.
• Nudged a few people to respond to a member wanting to start a SIG.
• Nudged CB on a list of IT topics I sent a couple weeks ago.
• Long phone call with CB about several issues.
• Crowd-sourced suggestions for free clip art.
  
• Reviewed and summarized results of Editors’ Survey and identified action items.
• Requested help from Dan Burg regarding Guide section covering copyright and libel.
• Nudged AMC re MDA changes.
• Briefly discussed paper/printing price increases and options with Bulletin staff.
• Asked Eric Werme for help on Guide section covering newsletter distribution.
• Sent spring letter to Editors.
• Finished up Members’ Rights & Responsibilities document and shared with AMC.
• Tended to a complaint about moderation in the AG 2022  MC community.
• Tended to member’s complaint about being moderated again in Region 1 MC community.
• Discussion with Trevor re Bulletin Advertising policy & process.
• Nudged AMC about making use of the Vol Marketplace.
• Nudged AMC about finishing the Rights & Responsibilities (CoC) document.
• Purchased a pro-license for Zoom calling with officers.
• Responded to a LocSec regarding newsletter requirements.
• Participated in discussions with Editors about improving the MC library for sharing content.
• Long phone call with member about her concerns regarding MC administration.
• Reached out to a columnist about reprinting articles in other newsletters, and began uploading content to the Pubs Officers’ MC library.
• Pointed out out-of-date indicia to a few editors.
• Phone call with Timmy re next term and other issues.
• Responded individually to more than 20  queries about upcoming MC TOS update.
• Successful Zoom call with Pubs officers- 28 on the call.
• Contacted a couple columnists asking for articles to share with other newsletters.
• Disappointed a member pressuring me to override MC decisions made by her RVC. Several times. Suggested she preference to another region
• Long email discussion with Trevor about patterns of Board stalling on implementing large projects.
• Prepped and uploaded 33 articles to Pubs Officer library.
• Facilitated AMC online discussion of volunteerism report and ideas.
• Messaged all MC Admins regarding the TOS update and their administrative autonomy.
• Requested (again) that the Minimum Standards for ICS page on the AML website be updated per the March 2022 motion.
• Call with CB re Mensa Leader & Wired schedules & content.
• Requested I Made Mensa Better badge ribbons for the AG.
• Whipped up a basic template for new TJM editor and sent supportive information and documents.
• Recruited a few more clowns for MC Admin sandbox so I can figure out work-arounds for wonky threading when moderating.
• Asked Chip if he has any Bulletin content LG newsletters can use.
• Uploaded directions for downloadable graphics and ads for newsletters to use.
• Sent CB list of Wired & Leader content ideas I’d sent back in Oct.
• Posted link and graphic directions for navigating to the Pubs Officers’ Library.
• Uploaded more content to Pubs Officers Library.
• Call with Trevor re volunteer program and other issues.
• Zoom with LocSecs to talk about websites and SM options and pros/cons
• Posted links and info to LocSecs about MC instructional videos
• Mucked around in the Admin Sandbox testing moderation technicalities.
• Advised an RVC regarding a LG using membership addresses via Google Groups.
• Did more work on the Members’ Rights & Responsibilities document and motion to codify.
• Wrote article for Bulletin on national e-newsletters.
• Wrote  3 Bulletin Volunteer Spotlight columns.
• Researched newsletter distribution information.
• Phone call with Timmy regarding him driving AMC discussions and actions stemming from Vol TF Report (followed by no action).
• Requested editing help from Staff on newsletter distribution barcoding section of LG Comm Guide.
• Crowd-sourced Pubs Officers re e-pub distribution techniques. 
• Wrote up a motion to align the MDA with Appendix 15 changes back in March.
• Phone call with CB about Bulletin and other communications topics.
• Researched and wrote LG Comm Guide section about printing and web-viewing resolutions.

Communications Committee

• Sent Editors’ Survey to Staff for Survey Monkey formatting and implementation.
• Asked for input on graphic showing which content is appropriate for which communication venue. No response from committee members.
• Nudged on goals and projects. No response from committee members.
• Shared Editors Survey results summary. No response from committee members.
• Crafted and posted ad for 22-23 CommComm.
• Sent message to committee members thanking them, asking for feedback, and pointing them to the application for next term. No Response from committee members.
• Sent emails to potential CommComm members for next term.

Volunteerism Task Force

• Asked M-Leaders and LocSec MC communities to discuss Volunteer Categories—Time, Skills, Needs & Treatment
  
• Bumped topic for RVCs re cultural attributes of low-ranking groups.
• Added Mary Lee Kemper to the TF.
• Wrote up section on LG culture’s effect on volunteerism.
• Emailed three TF members who I never hear from to check if they’re still onboard.
• Solicited members from M-Hospitality who do NOT have much Mensa vol experience to be fresh eyes for the report and to generate recommendations.
• Drafted write up of conversation with Lora Mitchell regarding processes for members who drive off volunteers, then sent it to her for editing and expansion.
• Nudged TF members to generate recommendations.
• Hours and hours of typesetting and graphics tweaking.
• Guided and facilitated proofing process.
• Figured out how to incorporate a review of a paper-only copy of the old Leadership Retreat Guide.
• Reached out to a few more people for any lingering recommendations to include.
• Finalized report and shared with AMC.

Strategic Planning Committee

• Brainstormed possible measurements if we add Volunteerism as a tenet of the Strat Plan.
• Discussed and discussed if and how to incorporate Volunteerism into the Strategic Plan.
• Suggested education for the AMC about the finer hidden details of the SP. 
• Drafted motion wording to incorporate volunteerism as a focus of the Value component of the Strategic Plan.

Marketing Committee

• All committee work is done via a FB group instead of MC. I have not been added to the FB group, so I did not participate in any discussions or decisions.

Name & Logo Committee

• Finally got added to the committee in late May.

SIGs Advisory Committee

• Facilitated help for a member wishing to start a non-secular Bible study SIG.

National Awards Committee

• Sent reminder to Chair about quarterly reports.
  

The Solution to Everything: Form a Task Force

There is a pattern where information is requested, but no action is taken once it’s provided. Why is that? 

My thoughts:

Mensa is a social organization. The people running it are therefore most invested and knowledgable about being social.

The Board is comprises people who are there because they like being involved, and who enjoy the social aspects of Mensa, and are thus well-known to voters. We get few AMC people who are genuinely skilled at being board members. Few who are there because they get a kick out of doing non glorious often tedious work out of the public eye. Nearly half this current AMC ran unopposed and were just declared elected because no one else felt like taking the roles.

We are all good at identifying areas that need improvement—funding allotments, governance structures, communication processes, making members happy and motivated, managing assholes, etc. So with the best of intentions, the AMC declares that they will address an issue by forming a task force to... um... to well do task force things and... um... well you know, address the problem. There. The Board is tackling the problem. Yay Board!

They assume “someone” will do the work of looking up ASIEs or crunching the numbers or writing the communication releases. No one wants to be that someone.

Some task forces return with a list of how to solve the problem. But then that list is handed over and no one knows how to drive the next fifty million steps to implement any solutions because we usually don’t have leaders and drivers- we have popular socialites. Additionally, often the recommended solutions require change that will make the AMC members uncomfortable— either because they’ll have to face howling members or they’ll have to give up some privilege.

Occasionally they will dig around for the quickest easiest solution so they feel like they did something. Need a better funding formula? Meh— just give everyone an extra dime and call it a day. Board struct too unwieldy and ineffective? Just toss the past and past past chairs, congratulate yourselves on decreasing the cost of their travel, and pat yourselves on the back.

But tear apart the funding structure, managing a brand new never-done process, explaining the nuances of how it really IS fair even though it might look like some Groups get more and some get less to members who want and hate change... too much work.

Improve finances? Slice the biggest expense and get rid of a staff or two.

Alter processes so that genuine skill instead of popularity at RGs is what gets you the delightful free travel and fame and glory... um... who wants to plot their own demise?

Get the ball rolling on a change that will take three or four years to come to fruition (because of the timelines of bylaw changes at AML or Mil level)? Why bother when this board won’t be here to get the credit and glory for it?

Have the battle with the IBD to change the constitution to enable easier removal of bad apples... waaaay too intimidating a prospect.

But form a task force... that’s an immediate thing to do that doesn’t require any actual doing.

Why Do I Even Bother?

“We need a new formula for better LG funding."
Robin researches, surveys, crunches numbers, researches more, develops fancy spreadsheets and graphs.

“Here you go—a better way to fund Groups.”

... crickets.


“We need to improve our governance structure and systems.”
Robin researches , surveys, crunches numbers, researches more, develops spreadsheets and graphs.

“Here you go—a whole list of ways to improve our governance.”

... crickets.


“We need a comprehensive Code of Conduct.”
Robin gathers everything we already have and puts it into readable form.

“Here you go—a CoC that doesn’t require any additional motions.”

... crickets.


“We need to improve the quantity and happiness of volunteers.”
Robin researches , surveys, crunches numbers, researches more, develops spreadsheets and graphs.

“Here you go—more than a hundred ways to increase volunteerism.”

...crikets.