IYK,YK

 

Shower Thoughts: Resources and Strategic Priorities

It occurs to me that we spend ~50% of our staff resources on services that benefit maybe 5% of our membership.

Why does the AMC spend so much time pondering

What's the best term—Ombudsman, Ombuds, or Ombudsperson?

instead of

What percentage of our resources should be allocated to which of our strategic priorities?

Getting Members & Putting on Big Events—that's all

I have several projects in progress, and every single one grinds to a halt when I get to the point of needing staff input. I’ve nagged and kvetched and nagged, to no avail. At last I’ve discovered why I can’t get anything to the finish line.

It’s not that staff disapproves of my initiatives. It’s not that they don’t like me personally. 

 

The problem is that the staff has been given other priorities that take up all their time all year long:

 

January to April — Renewal season. 

April to July — AG preparation and implementation. It’s the big event and every year more and more has to be done by staff.

July to September — Post AG catch up and perhaps a vacation or two.

September to November — All the tech work for the next AG, MindGames, and Colloquium.

November to December — More AG/MindGames, & Colloquium work.

December to January —Holidays, vacations, and prepping for renewal season.

 

In other words, we’ve only hired enough staff to tend to getting members and making the big national events happen. That’s it.

 

There are no man-hours available for improving websites, creating new this or that, or even having thick discussions about how current processes and policies could be improved.

 

The solution is to either allocate more money to hire more staff OR to reassign some of the work to volunteers. Unfortunately, the first option doesn’t sit well with the members or the AMC, and the second option doesn’t sit well with the staff.

 

And we wonder why AML seems so clunky and behind the times.

Free Speech

 

My TO DO LIST for Mensa

Did I mention that I'm hyper organized and a list-maker? And I set lofty goals?

Ongoing:

• Review National e-newsletters’ content and subscriber processes & numbers to generate improvement ideas (on-going).

• Continued education and support for LG Pubs Officers (on-going).

By September 22:

• Prep for meeting w/ Trevor.

• Work on server upgrade justification.

• Energize engagement of LG webmasters and Social Media coordinators.

• Write 3 more “articles” for Leader & Wired.

 

By October 22:

• Update spreadsheet review of all LG websites.

• Follow up on Jean B & Matthew conversation from 12-12-21 re e-newsletters & LG contact flag.

• Write 3 more Bulletin columns on Volunteerism.

• Prep & send fall Editors’ Letter.

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

• Get going on Pubs Policy crafting.

 

By November 22:

• Arrange a virtual panel discussion with experts on Discord, Twitter, MeetUp, Instagram, and Mensa Connect.

• Create some instructions for community admins about the app and about the calendar feature.

• Promote the long list of web tools on the AML website so Webmasters don’t have to spend funds on outside vendors.

• Curate and promote all LG Zoom offerings on the National Site.

• Prepare persuasive argument for server upgrades.

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

 

By December 22:

• Arrange a virtual panel discussion specifically for Circulation Managers.

• Draft a Local Group Communications Guide (to replace the nearly 20-year-old Editors’ Handbook).

• Revise Publications Policy (Appendix 10).

• Energize engagement of LG webmasters and Social Media coordinators.

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

 

By January 23:

• Review onboarding message sent to new Editors & Webmasters & make note of any edits I want to see. Possibly re-send to all editors & webmasters, including reminder to update LG info on the AML listing page. Include reminder to update return address & why.

• Develop policy for how to communicate to the membership when big issues crop up.

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

• Prep & send winter Editors’ Letter.

• Investigate how Mensa might embrace MailChimp’s methodology for maintaining multiple lists.

By February 23:

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

• Bring up revision of ASIE  Finances and Business section of the ASIEs, Section Q:

Each National Special Interest Group (SIG) that produces a newsletter shall provide the National Office with a copy of its newsletter, electronically or via regular mail. The SIG should email the newsletter as prescribed by the National Office. If the SIG is unable to email the newsletter, the SIG shall be funded at 70 cents per printed issue mailed to the National Office upon request. 2004-089 03-Jul-2004 (last amended 05-Oct-13 by 2013-033g)

By March 23

• Prep & send spring Editors’ Letter.

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

• Dig into (and improve) security issues for outward-facing websites.

 

By April 23:

• Find a collection of volunteers who would be willing to create and maintain websites for LGs who can’t do it on their own.

• Energize and facilitate LGs’ use of social media.

• Develop and facilitate LG communications beyond uploaded PDFs of newsletters.

• Facilitate creation and maintenance of websites for LGs that don’t have any.

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

By May 23: 

 • Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

• Investigate LG web security and electronic voting issues and solutions.

By June 23:

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

• Investigate printing discounts if we centralize newsletter printing and distribution in some fashion.

By July 23:

• Editors’ Zoom call.

• Webmasters’ Zoom call.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.