Lifeboat to Chapter Survival

1
Lifeboat to Chapter Survival

• School Nutrition Association
• National Leadership Conference
• LaCosta Resort, Carlsbad, California
• April, 2009

2
School Nutrition Connection

• Who feeds generations of Americas children?
• Who makes sure hungry children are fed at school?
• Who protects the CN Programs and funding?
• Who works to see we have quality school nutrition
  programs?
• Who builds strong networks of SNP personnel?

3
We Do!

• Local chapters and the people who provide
  leadership
• State associations and their leaders
• School Nutrition Association and their leadership
• It takes all 3 levels to be successful

4
Local Chapters Make It Happen

• Members join their local chapters
• Strong chapters build strong networks
• Members retain membership largely based on their
  local chapter performance
• Members make friends, gain confidence, learn new
  skills, and have fun through participation in
  their local chapters

5
State Associations

• Provide support and training for local chapters
  and state members
• Provide direction on state school nutrition
  policy
• Advocate on behalf of school nutrition
• Build bridges with important allies

6
School Nutrition Association

• National voice of child nutrition
• Promote school nutrition programs/personnel
• Educate the various publics
• Advocate on behalf of CN Programs
• Congress (Legislation)
• Administration (Regulation)
• Primary source of information on school nutrition

7
SNA (continued)

• Set standards
• Keys to Excellence
• Certification and Credentialing
• Provide professional development and training
• Provide many types of services to members
• Build a strong, national network to work on
  behalf of children

8
Better Together

• You are the key

9
Leadership Is a Gift To You

• An opportunity to make a difference

10
Set Your Goals High

• Make members feel important
• Make members feel good
• Make members want to participate
• Have fun
• Grow the association
• Expand horizons

11
You Hold the Key

• How?
• Have a strategy/make a plan/have a vision
• Be a leader facilitator
• Empower others
• Recognize those who work
• Keep focused
• Communicate often
• Celebrate!

12
Four Elements of Strategy

• Strategic issue motive to act
• Desired outcome targets
• Guiding principles parameters
• Actions steps to be taken

13
Chapter Leader Traits
(This is what got you into this position)

• Surgency - sociable, gregarious, energetic, and
  assertive
• Agreeableness cooperative, compassionate, and
  good-natured
• Conscientiousness organized, prepared,
  reliable, and hard-working
• Emotional stability - calm, steady, and confident
• Intellect - intelligence combined with the
  ability to solve problems and make timely
  decisions

14
Empowering Others

• Have a good, positive attitude
• Model the behavior you want
• Delegate
• Listen
• Inspire/Energize
• Challenge
• Be flexible
• Be creative
• Have fun!

15
Recognize Those Who Work

• Thank you notes
• At meetings, in public
• In newsletters
• Through awards and other prize type mechanisms
• By referring others to them as experts

16
Stay Focused

• Agenda stay on time
• Remember your mission
• Know the by-laws
• Have job descriptions
• Hold people accountable

17
Essential Agenda Attributes

• Allocate time estimates to each item
• Have a header to address the topic
• Have a descriptor to define the outcome
• List a responsible party to lead each discussion
• Have the agenda organized by categories
• End on a high note

18
Run an Effective Meeting

• Start on time (3 min. tolerance per hour of
  session time)
• Introductions (until there is absolute name
  recognition)
• Get agreement on the duration of the meeting
  stop time
• Seek agreement to extend time allocations, using
  installments, if needed
• Recognize speakers in an orderly manner
• In long discussions, keep interjecting the core
  issue or decision that is on the table/agenda
• Have a timekeeper (periodic reminders of time
  remaining and agenda progress)
• Finish strong in conflict meetings, put the
  Board values back on the table and seek
  confirmation

19
Communicate Often

• E-mail
• Mail
• Newsletters
• Magazines
• Flyers
• Meetings

20
Have FUN!

• People who have fun are more likely to come back
• Adds interest
• Enhances knowledge
• Makes meeting more bearable

21
Sharing Chapter Successes Ideas

• What do you have cooking?