In so many aspects of our lives we don't realise the benefits of being part of a group - whether simply one in a crowd or a member of an association. This point was brought home to me this week. While crossing the street at one of the busiest intersections in Brisbane, I snagged the heel of my shoe and fell ingloriously to the tarmac landing surrounded by my shoes, the entire contents of my handbag and a fair portion of my pride. As several nice young people came to my rescue several things occured to me ...
- There was no way I could escape with dignity intact.
- I needed some urgent chiropractic care ... and a new pair of shoes. Not necessarily in that order.
- You don't notice the people around you until you need them.
Therein is the strength of associations. The majority of members don't notice their association membership until they need it. It simply sits in the background. When things go wrong, or when they need a little help, a member should be able to seek support from their association. That safety net is a huge benefit of being a member - but also one of the hardest to convey.
I'd love to hear your ideas on how to convey this benefit. I will give
two free movie tickets to whomever can provide the best story about how to effectively convey the safety net benefit of membership before the 15th of October, 2009. Tell your story via adding a comment below (to enter the draw please either put your details on the blog or email me separately).
Here's how not to do it!
ReplyDeleteMy partner recently resigned from his union - after 25 years of membership he wrote a nice letter saying due to tightened finances he could no longer afford it. He received a really rude letter starting off - you will no longer receive x,y,z etc, followed by a final paragraph that said you could talk with someone if you like.
But here at ASVO we encourage networking as we realise that this is one of the best safety nets we can provide. We offer a one year sabbatical to members who have lost their jobs. There's no hoops to jump through - they just advise us and we adjust their membership status. Members continue to get all benefits and when they regain employment - they rejoin full membership. This enables our members to stay in touch with the industry which is one of the best ways to find new work.