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Division 31 Resources
Being an Effective President-Elect/President
and SPTPA Board Member
Jeffrey E.
Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
Past-President of
the
Maryland
Psychological Association (1996-97)
March 2006
When thinking about what makes one an effective SPTPA
leader a number of things come to mind.
Some come from my own personal experience, some from watching others
(learning what to do and what not to do), and from the mentoring I’ve received
over the years as I’ve served in a wide range of leadership roles both within
MPA and APA.
Pay Your Dues
Keep in mind that no one starts at the top.
To really learn your organization, to develop all the skills needed to be
an effective leader (see points made below), and to develop a strong base of
support among the association’s members, other governance members, and staff
you will need to start small and work your way up.
I don’t recommend running for President without having served in
several other roles in the association first.
The more you know about your association and issues impacting the
profession of psychology, and the more you develop in the areas outlined below,
the better job you should be able to do as a President or Board member.
Watch Others
Use your observational skills.
See how the organization works, see who gets things done and who
doesn’t, see who the movers and shakers are, be on the lookout for good role
models and possible mentors. Observe
the dynamics of the Board, the office, and the organization in general.
Start taking notes (at least mental ones) on all this.
It will all be very important to you as you proceed through leadership
positions.
Get Mentored
When you’ve spotted association leaders who seem like
good role models and who seem to know a lot and have a lot to offer seek them
out as mentors. Don’t wait to be
asked and don’t be shy about this. Ask
for help, take a more experienced or senior colleague out to lunch, develop an
e-mail correspondence, and utilize their guidance and input.
There are leaders in your association who have much to offer.
They just have to be asked.
Develop Your Base of
Support
Start networking early.
Keep track of good people who you may want to appoint to positions later.
Develop relationships with as many colleagues as possible so you’ll
have individuals to call on when needed later whether it be for support of an
initiative or to work on a project or initiative.
Calls from a stranger don’t work nearly as well as from a friend or
colleague. Good leaders develop
relationships with a wide range of colleagues and are good friends to them.
Keep in mind that friendships go both ways.
Get in the habit of supporting and helping others.
They’ll be much more likely to be there for you when needed later on.
Also, be visible. Articles in
your association’s newsletter, providing workshops and presentations to
colleagues and to the public, an active and helpful presence on the
association’s listserv, and keeping in contact with colleagues is of great
help. Be a positive force in your
association; help others to develop solutions to problems rather than focusing
on why we have problems and how terrible or bleak things are.
Get Political
"Just because you do not take an interest in politics
doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." -- Pericles (495-429
BC).
Much of what we do is about politics and advocacy
activities. Avoidance of politics is
doing ourselves and our association a disservice.
Make educating yourself about legislative and regulatory issues a top
priority. Speak to your
association’s lobbyists, attend legislative briefings, support your
association’s PAC and legislative fund, join the Association for the
Advancement of Psychology (AAP) (visit www.aapnet.org),
speak to legislators, attend legislative hearings and if possible give testimony
on issues relevant to our profession, write letters to the editor of your local
newspapers on health care issues of importance to the public, and understand
that so much of what we do is impacted by the political process.
To think otherwise or to avoid active involvement in political and
advocacy activities is just foolish. This
is an important area where having a good mentor is key.
There’s much to learn about involvement in the political process but
help is available and it is easily learned.
And, again, lead by example. Why
should your members get involved and make donations to support advocacy
activities if the leaders of their professional association don’t?
You should make direct requests of others to participate in
advocacy activities. Direct contacts
with individual members and making specific requests of them are very important.
Also, educating members on the importance of advocacy is key.
Help members to understand how crucial this is for their personal success
and for the success of our profession as well as the impact on those we serve.
While no one likes asking others for money and asking members to give
some of their hard-earned money to yet another cause is difficult, this is an
essential leadership activity for SPTPA leaders.
We must each see active advocacy work as a basic element of our
professional identities and our roles as leaders.
Develop relationships with your local legislators.
Don’t wait until you want their help on an issue to go to them.
Develop an ongoing relationship and offer to provide information or
assistance on health care issues. While
this may seem scary at first you’ll likely be amazed with how easy this is,
how glad they are to meet with you, and how much you know and have to offer.
Send brief articles of relevance or e-mail them relevant updates.
Offer to help at election time and actively be a supporter (with time
and/or money). That’s how to have
political access. Don’t
underestimate the value and impact of an ongoing relationship and the little
updates on issues of importance to you.
Learn How to be a
Leader
Good leaders are born and made.
Leadership skills can be learned, practiced, refined, and honed.
Emulate those you see who appear to be good leaders.
Get feedback from those whose opinions you trust and work to utilize the
feedback sincerely. Good leaders
care about others and others can tell that it is genuine and not an act.
They are organized, efficient, and hard working individuals who are
trustworthy, treat others with respect, and know how to bring out the best in
others. They instill in others their
enthusiasm, commitment, and dedication in a manner that motivates and energizes
others to work hard for the association. They
are constantly learning, focus on the little details as well as the big picture,
and are practical doers who are also creative thinkers.
They know their strengths and weaknesses, work to develop and improve in
areas of weakness, and seek help from others with more expertise.
They don’t try to do it all themselves but rather see their primary
role as that of a leader of others. They
take care of their people and always keep the lines of communication open.
They set high standards for themselves and others, but aren’t
unreasonable in their expectations of others or set standards that can’t be
achieved. They are always prepared
for meetings and it is easy to see all the thought and work that went into
preparing for a Board or Committee meeting.
They don’t waste others’ valuable time, don’t waste the
association’s limited resources, and never abuse their power or the trust
others have put in them by electing them to their governance position.
Effective leaders are open to feedback and actively seek it.
They know what they don’t know and surround themselves with smart and
talented people to depend on for assistance.
Keep in mind that you are the President (or any other
leadership position) for all your association’s members.
If you are an independent practitioner keep in mind your obligation to
university faculty, researchers, those in public service, and other members.
While you may focus mostly on practice issues (especially since most of
your association’s members may be practitioners) keep in mind the larger
picture of our profession and the value of working to advance the entire
profession. You are everyone’s
president.
Effective leaders have a good sense of humor (some to a
greater extent than others) and they know how to make hard work fun.
Meetings don’t need to be a series of dry, boring reports and updates.
Anything that can be done before the meeting should be.
Anything that can be done by e-mail should be.
Anything that can be done by conference call should be.
Leaders lead. Be
out in front on issues; even the tough ones.
Don’t leave it for others to do the uncomfortable or difficult tasks.
Also, keep in mind the following: you can please some of the people most
of the time, most of the people some of the time, but you can’t ever seem to
please some people, ever. There will
always be some who disagree with you or have a complaint.
A few vocal members with complaints can seem like a major problem, but
just keep in mind the numbers involved and your objective of doing the greatest
good for the largest number possible. It
is important to respond directly, respectfully, and honestly, keeping in mind
that pleasing everyone is not your job. And,
perhaps more importantly, it is not possible.
But, don’t marginalize or disregard these people.
Their views are important and every member is important.
Make them feel this way but don’t give in to the pressure to try to
please everyone. It’s important to
take everyone and every viewpoint seriously but we need to help them keep in
mind how a democratic process works. A
few disgruntled members do not necessarily represent the entire membership.
Elected officers are elected to make decisions based on receiving input from the
members and based on their best judgment.
Also, for important issues it may be helpful to survey the
membership. For example, if 90% of
the membership of your association is in favor of pursuing prescriptive
authority for appropriately trained psychologists your association will move
forward on this initiative and put its resources into it.
That doesn’t mean the association must lose the membership of the 10%
not in favor of the initiative. This
happens with lots of issues. Communicating
with them directly, taking their views and concerns seriously, explaining the
decision-making process, and helping them to understand the larger picture that
the issue fits in should all be helpful. Also,
getting them involved in association activities and projects so they can be
assured of having an impact on the direction the association takes is a good
strategy as well.
Be a Role Model
As Ghandi said, be the change you want to see in the world.
Be dependable, reliable, do what you say you’re doing to do and do it
when you say you will, don’t make promises you can’t keep, don’t think you
have to do everything yourself, value, appreciate, and recognize the work others
do, and be a good communicator. As a
leader of your association others are watching and they’re looking to you for
direction. Don’t be scared or
overwhelmed by the responsibility of your position; rather, see it as a bully
pulpit from which you can do good and help advance our profession.
Since others are paying attention to what you say and do you should see
this as a great opportunity to do good things for your members, your
association, the profession, and the public we serve.
Be a Good
Communicator
Let others know what you’re doing and what the
association is doing. Most members
have only limited actual contact with the association such as through a
newsletter that only comes out bi-monthly and through discussions on the
listserv (if they’re part of the minority you participate on listservs).
It’s important to be active on the association’s listserv and to be
seen as an active presence there. Respond
to inquiries on the listserv, and to e-mails in general, in a timely manner.
Don’t let the energy die and don’t give the impression of not being
invested in issues impacting the association and the profession.
Remember that the contacts with you (electronic or otherwise) may be
members’ primary contacts with the association.
The impact may be significant. Reinforce
positive ideas and behaviors of others with your attention to them and your
positive responses to them. Keep the
energy going; don’t let it drop by inaction.
If you’re President, keep in mind that while you’re totally in the
loop with all that’s going on in the association members of your Board are
not. Don’t assume that others know
all you do. Be sure to keep others
informed. It’s easy for Board
members to feel disconnected from the big picture.
You can also develop a monthly e-mail newsgram that’s
sent to all members via an announcement-only, or broadcast, listserv.
Members don’t respond to these communications but it’s a great way to
communicate with them. These can be
sent to all members. Let them know
what’s going on in the association and the profession.
Share new that they can use, relevant new research findings, practice
tips, links to useful sites, and the like. For
examples that I’m happy to allow anyone borrow and use please see the e-mail
newsgram I wrote as Division 42 President in 2005 at http://www.division42.org/MembersArea/inTouch/InTouchArchives.htm
Be a Mentor/Create
and Maintain the Pipeline
Each association leader is responsible for bring along the
next generation of leaders. Effective
leaders are constantly training their replacements.
Engage in active outreach, help others to feel welcome, and mentor them
professionally. Developing and
nurturing your association’s leadership pipeline is an essential aspect of
each leader’s role. Who are the
possibilities for President of the association over the next four or five years?
Which committee members might become a good committee chair in a year or
two? Which committee chairs hold promise to become Board members?
And, perhaps most importantly, what are you doing to mentor, nurture,
groom, and encourage these people? It’s
all a part of helping to make or develop leaders.
Keep in mind your long term obligation to the association and the
profession. Taking the mentoring
role to heart will have a long lasting impact and will go far to leave the
association in better shape than when you arrived in your leadership role.
Hopefully you were mentored and you’re just passing it along.
But, even if not, it’s time to start that sequence.
The time for this is now.
Learn the Structure
of Your Organization and How to Work Within It
They say that knowledge is power.
That is very true when working in complex organizations.
It is vital that leaders understand the structure of their association
and just how it functions. Know who
is responsible for what. Learn the
roles and duties of each staff member, Board, Committee, and Task Force.
Learn the organization’s procedures and how work gets done.
Know the timelines for different activities and projects such as
newsletter submission deadlines, which duties are staff obligations, and which
are assigned to volunteer leaders. Know
the ‘chain of command’ and which Committees report to which Boards, and so
on. It is also important to
understand the budget process for the association, how funds are requested for
projects, what the current financial condition of the association is, and what
the outlook is financially. If you
are a Board Chair, which Committees fall under your responsibility?
What is the mission of your Board and how does this fit in with the
overall mission of the association? What
are the terms for all your Board and Committee members and whose responsibility
is it to find new members? When are
meetings held, what reports must be filed and with whom, and what staff support
is available? Don’t assume that
you can task staff members with assignments.
This must be cleared by the association’s Executive Officer and
typically s/he will decide just what staff can do.
Again, know the appropriate protocol for dealing with staff.
Small requests for assistance may seem very reasonable, but if staff
members are receiving ten different small requests for assistance in addition to
their regular duties something (or someone) is going to fall apart.
Get to Know the
SPTPA Staff and Utilize them Effectively and Appropriately
All of the above being said, staff members can be
invaluable resources to help you accomplish your mission as a leader.
Presidents should work closely with the Executive Officer.
All others should include the President in their contacts with the
Executive Officer to keep her/him in the loop and to avoid duplication of
efforts and to prevent working at cross purposes.
Again, don’t go directly to staff members tasking them with duties
(simple as they may seem). Go
through the Executive Officer and keep the President in the loop as well.
If you have a problem or conflict with a staff member speak with the
President if you are a Board member and speak with the Executive Officer if you
are the President. Don’t try to
take staff concerns into your own hands.
Take care of your staff members and they’ll take care of
you. They typically are hard working
individuals who do much behind the scenes to support the work of the association
with not a tremendous amount of compensation.
Be sure to help them feel valued and appreciated through raises, bonuses,
and other monetary means as well as through recognition such as certificates of
appreciation at the annual convention or other similar means.
Learn How to Get
Motions Passed
When I first became a Board member, Sue Brown, my first
Executive Officer, taught me valuable lessons on how to get an item passed by
our Board of Directors. This
training has served me well through the years in MPA, in APA Divisions, and on
APA’s Council of Representatives. Here’s
Sue Brown’s advice: Never bring up a motion at a meeting for a vote the first
time you’re raising the issue. Before
anything comes to a vote there is much work to be done first.
Board members need to be educated about issues and need to be guided
about their importance over time. Votes
need to be lined up in advance and potential questions and concerns need to be
anticipated and addressed in advance of bringing up the issue formally at a
Board meeting. First, discuss the
issue informally with colleagues; get input and advice from your Executive
Officer, and discuss it with your Executive Committee.
Then, bring it up as an informational item at a Board meeting.
Be sure to state the rationale behind the motion, why its passage is
important, and how it will help advance the mission and objectives of the
association and the interests of its members.
Listen attentively to Board members’ ideas, questions, and concerns.
Give the issue more thought, consult with colleagues, the Executive
Committee, and the Executive Officer. Then,
when you are ready, put a motion on the agenda for a Board meeting as a New
Business item. Present the item
formally, seek additional input, and present your motion.
Request that Board members discuss and consider the item and request that
it be put for a vote at the next meeting. In
the interim, work behind the scenes to secure votes from other Board members
(remember building your support base?). Then,
the item will be voted on at the next Board meeting.
When the motion is read be sure to restate the rationale behind the
motion, why its passage is important, and how it will help advance the mission
and objectives of the association and the interests of its members.
I understand that this seems like a long and
labor-intensive process but it really works great. I’m
not guaranteeing that every motion you present will pass, but this will help
maximize the chances of this occurring. Also,
you may not choose to use this method every time.
There will be occasions where quick action is needed or when it is clear
that a consensus of the Board already exists.
None-the-less, this method is good to keep in mind and is a good process
to model for those new to governance whom you mentor.
Learn Parliamentary
Procedure and How to Use It
This is of absolutely vital importance for all Board
members. Parliamentary procedure helps ensure meetings that are run smoothly and
fairly, it helps ensure that the rights of the minority are respected, that all
views are heard, and that no one can monopolize or hijack a meeting or its
agenda. Knowledge of, and facility
with, parliamentary procedure also enables you to have more power and influence
in Board meetings. You have the
ability to get things done that might not otherwise be possible.
For example, you will know when specific motions are or are not in order
and how to be sure motions you want considered are.
You will also be able to use parliamentary procedure to assist other
Board members to exercise their rights; something that will be appreciated.
Parliamentary procedure is especially important when contentious issues
are being addressed and when there are concerns that votes or procedures may be
challenged by those unhappy with the outcome of a vote.
To help you learn parliamentary procedure see the Abridged
Guidelines for Parliamentary Procedures that I drafted, available on the
website of APA’s Division 31 at http://www.apa.org/divisions/div31/resources.htm
.
Join APA’s
Division 31
If you are not a member of APA’s Division 31, State,
Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs, you should join
now at http://www.apa.org/divisions/div31/membership.htm
. Membership in Division 31 will
prove to be a great resource for you (remember about not reinventing the
wheel?). It will put you in touch
with leaders from all other SPTPAs, provide you with a valuable mentoring
program for SPTPA leaders, and provide you with many other valuable resources.
Visit their website now and explore it.
Also, involvement in Division 31 is a great way for SPTPA leaders to
develop their leadership skills and to become involved in SPTPA issues on a
national level.
Don’t Avoid the
Big Fights
Dare to tilt at wind mills.
Get parity in your state, obtain prescriptive authority, change the laws
and rules impacting the managed care industry, get licensure at the receipt of
the doctoral degree. Everything
doesn’t happen overnight. Take on
the big ones, taking a long term view. Don’t
worry what you’ll have achieved by the end of your presidential year.
You just might start something that takes several years to see through,
but that has a bigger and more lasting impact than something that could be
completed in a short period of time. Don’t
listen when others say “it can’t be done” because, it can.
Margaret Meade said “"Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only
thing that ever has." That’s
who we are, so develop a plan, roll up your sleeves, and get to work!
Pay Attention to the
Little Things
"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make
a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over
time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." --Marion
Wright Edelman
Being an effective leader involves being a creative, idea
person, as well as a moderately meticulous
(read: compulsive) detail person (Anyone who knows me is laughing right now!)
Little details are important. Minutes
need to be kept for each Board and Committee meeting.
Who will record them, where will they be kept, to whom will they be
disseminated, by whom, and when? Is
everything in on time for the agenda for the next Board meeting?
Has everyone been invited and confirmed?
Have you made sure everyone’s agenda materials were sent out on time
for them to have time to read them before the meeting?
Is the food ordered? Is there
enough seating? (typically staff take care of much of this, but you should be
sure of who is responsible for what). Have
the minutes from the last meeting been sent to everyone for their review in
advance of the next meeting? Where
there any tasks or duties delegated at the last meeting that you need to
follow-up on? Who will be giving
reports at the next meeting, do they know this, and have they submitted a
written report in advance by the deadline you’ve given?
Are you paying attention to the budget? (Where are you on income and
expenses at this point in the year? Do
you need to make any adjustments?) Have
you thanked volunteer colleagues for their efforts?
You get the idea.
Have a strategic
plan
It’s a good idea to have a Board orientation meeting or
retreat before the start of each new year. There
are new Board members with differing amounts of experience in the
association’s governance. A review
of the mission and structure of the association will be helpful along with
discussing plans for the year and making preparations for moving your agenda
forward. It’s important for Board
members to understand their fiduciary responsibilities to the association, who
may speak on behalf of the association, who may use the association’s
stationery, who may assign tasks to staff members, who may sign checks or make
investment decisions, what each person’s duties are, and the like.
Multiyear issues such as legislative issues, membership recruitment and
retention, communication with the membership, and the like can be addressed.
Using this time for brainstorming and generating creative ideas before
the start of your year as President is a great idea.
Being sure all the work everyone does over the coming year fits with the
strategic plan is important. It’s
crucial that Boards and Committees are not working at cross purposes and that
all those volunteer hours are put to the best use possible.
Use Your Year as
President-Elect to Actively Prepare for Your Year as President
If you’ve waited until the Board retreat/orientation
session to get started you’re already a year behind schedule.
Use your year as President-Elect to develop your initiatives and agenda.
If you will have any Presidential Initiatives they will take time to
develop. By using your year as
President-Elect effectively you be able to ‘hit the ground running’ when
your term as President begins. There
is a lot of preparation that goes into a successful presidential year.
Use this time effectively. It
goes by fast. Use it to get to know
the association better by attending Board and Committee meetings, see what’s
being done effectively and what is not, see which important issues aren’t
being addressed or that need more focus and attention.
Then, begin brainstorming with colleagues and solicit creative ideas for
how to approach these issues. Confer
with leaders from other SPTPAs to see what they’re doing and what’s worked
and not worked for them. Use
Division 31 and the APA State Leadership Conference for these purposes.
Also, contact information for all SPTPA officers and staff are included
in the book Making APA Work for You,
which is available from the APA Practice Organization’s State Advocacy Office.
Dan Abrahamson is the head of this office.
He’s a great resource as well. I’ve
always found it helpful to contact people like Dan and say “I’m thinking of
doing this. What do you think of
that? Have others tried this?
Are there other ways you know of to do this?
Are there any problems you know of that might impact this?”
I also strongly suggest utilizing your Executive Officer in this way.
Keep in mind that your association’s Past President should be available
for guidance and support as well. But,
basically, the point is that you’re not alone in this process.
There are numerous resources available to you.
You just need to know what they are and actively utilize them.
And, as has been emphasized, advance preparation is very important.
Everything takes longer than you think it will and nothing goes exactly
according to plan. So, getting
started as early as possible, getting assistance and input from others, learning
from others’ experiences, and being flexible are each important.
Know About and
Utilize Available Resources Locally and Nationally
Definitely don’t waste your time and energy reinventing
the wheel. Steal from other SPTPAs.
Share what you’re doing with others and learn what they’ve done.
There’s no need to start from scratch.
Also, learn from others’ experiences/mistakes.
Work smarter, not harder. See
above. You have limited time and
energy. Be sure to use them both as
effectively and efficiently as possible. And,
as is mentioned above, call the State Advocacy Office or other APA staff for
help and for answers if you have any questions.
Regardless of what you’re dealing with there are others who have been
through this before. Use them.
Respect Others at
All Times and Create an Open Environment
You must create an environment where all Board members feel
welcomed and appreciated, and where all Board members feel comfortable sharing
their views and ideas. As President,
see your role in leading Board meetings as setting this tone of respect,
openness, and appreciation. Candid,
open discussions of issues is of vital importance.
If Board members feel they can’t share their ideas, opinions, or views
because they fear being ‘shot down’ or not taken seriously, much will be
lost.
Board members must feel valued for their contributions and
appreciated. They’re all
volunteers too!
Celebrate Diversity
Help create a community within your association where all
members feel welcomed and valued at all levels of the association from
general membership through the highest levels of governance.
Diversity and sensitivity training experiences are valuable for Board
members. It is difficult to imagine
what your association is missing out on until you experience the richness of the
emotional investment and contributions of all.
Take a look around you at the next Board meeting, at the association’s
committee meetings, and at your annual convention.
Are you really meeting the needs of all your members are have you helped
to create a welcoming environment. Remember
that leadership begins at the top; that’s you!
Be a Good Manager
There’s a lot going on in your SPTPA and it’s a lot to
keep track of. Develop a tracking
system early so you will be able to follow all that’s going on.
Otherwise, it’s likely that several things will fall through the cracks
as the year goes by. This will help
you keep track of all motions passed that are action items (someone needs to
follow-up on them to make sure they are implemented) as well as to be aware of
all that is going on in each of the Boards, Committees, and Task Forces.
Be a Good Manager
Part 2: Learn to Delegate
It’s absolutely impossible to do it all yourself.
And even if you could, you’d be missing out on the valuable
perspectives others have, the different world views and experiences they have,
and all that they have to offer. Again,
see yourself as a leader and a manager. Others
(who are paying their dues or who were coerced into helping :- )
) are there to help. They
just don’t always know it. Good
leaders help others understand their roles and how they fit into the big picture
of the Association and its work, delegate tasks appropriately (small,
time-limited tasks tend to be better at first), provide sufficient oversight and
support, appreciate and recognize their contributions, and help mentor them to
take on bigger and better things.
See Your Board and
Committee Members as Valuable Resources … and Use Them!
As an incoming President, when thinking of appointments to
make consider the demands and skill sets needed for success in each position.
Also, try to have a group of Board members with a wide range of diverse
skills and areas of knowledge, experience, and expertise.
Don’t just select your friends. Be
sure to select the best people you can get.
Then, with appropriate involvement and oversight on your part, turn them
loose. Encourage them to creatively
do their jobs and don’t micromanage them.
Do all you can to support them in their roles, keep in regular contact
with them, and be sure they feel valued and appreciated.
Don’t let a month go by where you haven’t had some contact with each
Board and Committee Chair. This
doesn’t necessarily have to be them submitting a report on their activities.
It can be a brief phone call or a series of e-mails to check in and touch
base. They need to know that you
care and are invested in what they’re doing and that you value the mission of
their Board or Committee. In your
role as manager, put them to work, monitor their progress, and encourage their
best efforts on behalf of the association and its members.
Consider Every
Experience a Learning Experience
Develop a bit of a thick skin.
Don’t take it personally when others don’t share your views and agree
with your ideas. You’re there to
lead, not to tell everyone what will happen next and await their rubber stamp.
When you make a mistake acknowledge it quickly and openly, don’t blame
anyone else (even if others share responsibility), see how you can learn from
it, and start the process of moving forward.
Don’t take it personally if other Board members don’t vote for one of
your initiatives or don’t agree with positions you take.
It’s nothing personal. People
hold different views. We can try to
educate and inform them; try to influence their views and opinions; but people
have different views and beliefs. How
we work together toward our shared goals is the key.
Having everyone agree with us on everything is not.
Act, Don’t Just
React. When You React, Don’t Be
Impulsive
This really fits with having a strategic plan, knowing the
mission of the association, and having an agenda and presidential initiatives
for your year as President. You
don’t want to spend your year as President just reacting to all the little
challenges, difficulties, and issues that arise.
While there’ll be plenty of this to respond to, you should have a sense
of the direction you want to move the association.
Where is the association right now and where do you want it to be at the
end of the year? Hopefully, you will
be taking it forward to a better place. Just
treading water and staying in one place is not the goal.
Don’t worry about not screwing up.
Focus your energies and efforts on doing the best job you can.
The year will go fast, so you should try to enjoy it and do the best you
can with your presidential year.
When decisions need to be made keep in mind that there
aren’t many decisions that need to be made right at that moment.
Seek input from your Executive Committee, your Board, and your Executive
Officer. If it appears to even
possibly be a legal issue be sure the association’s legal counsel is
consulted. If it is a financial
matter be sure your Finance Chair and Treasurer are involved in the discussion.
As a leader you don’t need to have all the answers or know exactly what
to do in every situation. But, you
do need to lead, to seek input from appropriate individuals, do adequate
research before making decisions, and to be sure you are acting in good faith in
a manner consistent with the association’s mission, bylaws, and policies.
Keep an Eye on the
Money and Be a Good Steward
I learned early that I have lots of good ideas but that
they each typically cost money. Good
ideas that don’t cost anything to do are a lot harder to come by.
It’s important to keep in mind that everything we do has financial
implications and that we can’t do all we might want.
Work closely with your Treasurer, Finance Chair, and Executive Officer to
develop the proposed budget for your presidential year.
Start by looking at all fixed expenses (rent, phone, salaries, printing
and postage for newsletter, etc.), look at all you want to do, and then look at
projected income based on recent trends. Then,
let the fun begin. You’ll need to
either cut back on spending or increase income.
Typically, increasing membership is the best way to increase income.
Good luck. You’ll need
creative ideas for doing this. It
also helps if you have something of value that prospective members will want.
Learning ways of helping them to realize that membership in your
association is in their best interest is important as well.
Again, get help from Division 31, APA, and other SPTPA leaders.
There are a lot of creative ideas out there.
Also, consider creative non-dues revenue sources such as products members
may purchase, CE activities, and more.
Be sure the association’s investments (if there are any)
are monitored and that adjustments are made in light of the association’s
needs. It is important to be sure
investment policies are in place and that they are followed.
Know who should have the ability to sign checks, move funds from one
account to another, and that all signature cards are signed prior to the
beginning of each year. Be sure
everything that is done is consistent with the association’s mission and
policies. Keep in mind your
fiduciary responsibility to the association and its members.
Concluding Remarks
By now you’re probably asking yourself “What the heck
does this guy know and why should I listen to him?”
Beats me, but I do hope that this guide is helpful anyway.
At a minimum, I hope it will serve as a good place to start as you begin
your work in SPTPA leadership or as you enter a new and more challenging role in
your SPTPA. I’ve shared much of
what I’ve learned over the past 15-plus years.
But, don’t just listen to me; seek out information and input form
others as well and be sure to seek out good mentors.
I wish you much success and enjoyment in your new role.
You’re doing a great service for our profession, other psychologists,
and for those we serve. Our
professional associations are fueled by volunteer leaders.
It’s often challenging and difficult work, but its lots of fun, you get
to work with a great group of colleagues, you get to help advance your
profession and really make a difference, and you develop wonderful relationships
and new friendships that you will enjoy for years to come.
Thanks for agreeing to volunteer. You
won’t regret it.
Jeff Barnett is a past president of the Maryland
Psychological Association as well as APA’s Division 31 (State, Provincial, and
Territorial Psychological Association Affairs) and Division 42 (Psychologists in
Independent Practice). He has also
served for six years on APA’s governing body, the Council of Representatives,
representing the Maryland Psychological Association.
He has served in a wide range of other leadership positions to include
serving as Chair or APA’s Board of Convention Affairs and on the Board of
Trustees of the Association for the Advancement of Psychology.
He’s had the privilege of working with two outstanding Executive
Officers, Sue Brown and Judy DeVito, as well as a number of other great mentors
and role models to include such great leaders as Bob Brown, Dorothy Cantor, Jean
Carter, Pat DeLeon, and Carol Goodheart and close and valued relationships with
many colleagues that have made all this a great experience.
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