How do you feel about Change?
Are you one of those people that say I don’t mind change as long as I have control of what that change will be? Or maybe you don’t say that, but you might be thinking it, right? Associations are changing faster now than ever. Let’s face it; we have to if we want to remain relevant in today’s world. So let me ask you, are you a positive force in your association, are you willing to support new initiatives even if sometimes they fail or offer an alternate view rather than your own? Or are you one of the, “I told you so members, the nay Sayers?” Which do you want to be? Sometimes it is simply a mindset that we need to be aware of to open our minds to new possibilities, new opportunities and new developments.
Decisions sometimes have to be made quickly and we all try to make the best and fairest decisions possible. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we wish we could get a do over. Do you support and encourage your leaders at all levels even when you don’t agree 100% of the time? Do you allow them room to grow and change as needed, understanding failures? To grow we must be willing to try new things, to reach new markets, find new ways; we even must be willing to potentially fail to grow. Because if we aren’t willing to change along with the world around us, and position ourselves to be relevant in our marketplaces, then the alternative is that we become irrelevant and obsolete.
Sometimes we have to be willing to give up control, the control of how things change. It can be scary I know, but we have to trust and support the leaders we elected. We have to also realize that to succeed there will be failures as well. Be a motivator even in failures, look at the positive side of issues, help with the adjustments needed, and move on. We all have a voice and we should share our thoughts, our concerns, our comments, even our ideas. However, remember the audience in which you share those comments, and give your leadership as well as members with new and different ideas the respect they deserve. Don’t be a squasher; instead be a motivator. If you feel compelled to share the down side to an idea or opportunity, then make sure you are looking for the upside and sharing that as well. Open your mind to possibilities you might not understand and be willing to try.
We want to engage NALS members as well as potential members in vital conversations about what they want from membership in NALS. What do you want the future of NALS to look like; do you have ideas, thoughts, or goals? We want to be responsive to new ideas and new ways of doing things. You are important to us, relationships are important to us, and your thoughts and comments are important to us as well. So please, as you see questions posted throughout the year ahead, take the time to respond. And if you have something to say, you don’t have to wait for the question. Let us know, we want to hear from you. This blog should be interactive, engage, and let us hear from you.
Decisions sometimes have to be made quickly and we all try to make the best and fairest decisions possible. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we wish we could get a do over. Do you support and encourage your leaders at all levels even when you don’t agree 100% of the time? Do you allow them room to grow and change as needed, understanding failures? To grow we must be willing to try new things, to reach new markets, find new ways; we even must be willing to potentially fail to grow. Because if we aren’t willing to change along with the world around us, and position ourselves to be relevant in our marketplaces, then the alternative is that we become irrelevant and obsolete.
Sometimes we have to be willing to give up control, the control of how things change. It can be scary I know, but we have to trust and support the leaders we elected. We have to also realize that to succeed there will be failures as well. Be a motivator even in failures, look at the positive side of issues, help with the adjustments needed, and move on. We all have a voice and we should share our thoughts, our concerns, our comments, even our ideas. However, remember the audience in which you share those comments, and give your leadership as well as members with new and different ideas the respect they deserve. Don’t be a squasher; instead be a motivator. If you feel compelled to share the down side to an idea or opportunity, then make sure you are looking for the upside and sharing that as well. Open your mind to possibilities you might not understand and be willing to try.
We want to engage NALS members as well as potential members in vital conversations about what they want from membership in NALS. What do you want the future of NALS to look like; do you have ideas, thoughts, or goals? We want to be responsive to new ideas and new ways of doing things. You are important to us, relationships are important to us, and your thoughts and comments are important to us as well. So please, as you see questions posted throughout the year ahead, take the time to respond. And if you have something to say, you don’t have to wait for the question. Let us know, we want to hear from you. This blog should be interactive, engage, and let us hear from you.
posted by Tammy Hailey, CAE at
3:04 PM
4 Comments:
Things certainly are changing! Take a look at the NALS Community (http://nalsnet.ning.com) or our groups on LinkedIn and Facebook to see some of the new ways we are engaging members. There are links on the home page.
You can also follow NALS on twitter @NALStweet and @LawMagazine. It is easier than ever to stay engaged with NALS. Let us hear some of your comments on other ways you would like to see.
If nothing ever changed, we wouldn't be where we are today. For some, we might want to make a change. Change is good. Change is healthy whether the result is good or bad. Granted changes are scary, but we will never know until we try. If the result of the change is negative, at least we have learned something from it. In fact, most times, it turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. Think about it! At least everyone of us has had that experience. Even the best people and companies in this nation became successful from their failures. Change has long been a fearful thing for humans and at the same time, it is our most divine opportunity. Opportunities are knocking, we need to recognize and seize it. That is what our leaders do for us, they must recognize and seize opportunities to better the association and its members. Our support fuels their motivation and energizes them to do better and more which transfers to us. After all, who wants to follow a dormant leader. Our leaders cannot please everyone, but they do have everyone's best interest at heart. Without taking that step to make a change, one will never know what the result would have been. We do not want to be "wishers" (I wish I did this...). We want to be "doers" (Yes, I (we) did it).
Change in itself is the opportunity. If we don't like something, change it. How can we change it? We become the solution, not the problem. Become a leader on the board and/or assist on a committee on any level of the association. If we can't change it, change the way we think about it. In other words, change our ATTITUDE. Once that is accomplished, the opportunities will be endless. Opportunities that were always there, but with an open-mind and acceptable attitude, we can now see it.
We must all take a step forward with a positive attitude then we will see that we have already made a CHANGE, hopefully, for the better. Recognize and Seize the Opportunity – Change!
The profession is changing, too!
This month (September 21), the Honorable John M. Facciola, Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, issued the first digitally signed judicial order in U.S. history. Can the day be very far away when courts will not accept any paper filings?
The ABA recently published an article on hiring and working with Virtual Assistants. What is a VA, you ask? The article definition: A virtual assistant (VA) is a person that works off-site and assists with a variety of tasks like revising documents, making travel arrangements, updating your Web site, creating newsletters, etc. Virtual assistants work with attorneys who want to make the most of their billable hours. They offer a wide-range of on- and off-site administrative services.
With our profession changing, we not only must adapt; we also must participate in THINKING BIG and changing NALS at all levels so it remains relevant. We have to seek younger leaders, and embrace and support our tri-level leaders who have bold ideas and who do things differently. Our keynote speaker in Tulsa last March encouraged traditionalists and baby boomers to recognize this as an opportunity to learn from and with Gen Ys! Younger members who have grown up with iPods and are participating on Internet sites that will soon overtake Twitter and Facebook (sites you and I haven’t heard of yet) can teach us so much if we are open to their ideas and creativity. Follow their blogs. Take advantage of the many ways you can interact with all your NALS leaders.
As pohaku said, it is all about attitude! We can allow them to lead; we can support their successes and failures; let’s do it and see where we and our association can go (and grow)!
An awesome, timely post! I've felt the brunt of making change myself but I'm not going to give up on "converting" people to those changes.
Post a Comment
<< Home