President-Elect

General: The president-elect shall assume the duties of the president in the president’s absence.

Suggested Duties: Maintain the bylaws and standing rules; maintain, update, and distribute the Officer, Director, and Committee Guidelines; and handle all questions relating to ethical matters in accordance with standing rules and/or serve as the NALS liaison.

Congratulations! You’ve just been installed as the number two volunteer leader in your association. The next 12 months will fly by and it will be your turn to assume the role of president. If you want to hit the ground running, start thinking about the decisions you will need to make before you are installed.

12 months and counting … Pledge to work closely with the current president. Establish yourself as a team player, offering to assist however and whenever you can. Make it clear that you wish to use this year to learn what you need to know. Reiterate your commitment to the continuity of the association.

Begin an annotated journal of the year. Keep track of ideas you have during the cycle of the year to help you plan the meetings you will run in the future. It will give you an idea of how you’ll need to plan your time and attention next year. Use different symbols or colors to indicate items you wish to repeat, ideas you wish to expand, and members and potential leaders whom you wish to tap.

11 months and counting … Make sure you have copies of the annual budget and Strategic Plan of the association, as well as key documents that help you understand how the association operates. Observe everything that is going on. Journal it!

10 months and counting … Think about how the association is or isn’t fulfilling its mission and goals. How can you build on the past to create the future? What works? What doesn’t? What needs to be or can be improved? What are some possible new initiatives that might excite the membership, raise the association’s visibility, increase revenue, or decrease costs? Plan to test these ideas by proposing them throughout the year for reaction and input by other leaders, and members. Journal it!

9 months and counting … Review your association’s quarterly financial report to become more familiar with the budget. Look at the bottom line figures. Talk to whomever it takes to understand the association finances (let the president know ahead of time). Doing this early in the year will help you think about the resources that will or will not be available for the projects you are proposing.

8 months and counting … Review the Strategic Plan, thinking about how your administration will take the next step. Start thinking about the committees and task forces you will want to have in place next year to move the association forward. Talk to past leaders. Seek their advice. As you think about existing committees and task forces, consider eliminating any for which a real purpose no longer exists. If this requires bylaw changes, talk to the president about how to proceed. Are you keeping your journal up to date?

7 months and counting … Begin thinking about whom you want to appoint to chair next year’s committees and task forces. Talk to as many leaders, officers, and members as you can to solicit input as you develop your list of possibilities. Make sure you know the association precedence for selecting and approving committee and task force chairs.

Establish a matrix of criteria for volunteer leadership to help you make your selection decisions. Look for diversity both geographically and culturally. Find a mix of persons with knowledge about the profession, experience in the association, external contacts, etc. Be as inclusive as possible, bringing in many perspectives and styles.

6 months and counting … Talk to the president about setting up monthly discussions to ensure continuity between presidents. Narrow your list of potential committee and task force leaders. Discuss your choices with the current president. Talk to your candidates about the position, its purpose, what you are seeking in leadership, and the time commitment the position will entail.

Ask candidates how they will work with you to appoint members to their work groups. Get a feel for how they will “expand the net” to involve new voices and experienced leaders in their teams. Remember–you are modeling the behavior you wish them to follow!

5 months and counting … Choose your committee and task force chairs. Ask them to generate lists of possible members. Make sure they have the Strategic Plan and budget so they have the proper tools to plan their role in your administration.

Find the registration information for the upcoming NALS Professional Development Conference and make arrangements to attend. Learning the ropes with your NALS peers will be time and money well spent.

4 months and counting … Ask incoming leadership team members to speak with the volunteers they will succeed. These interactions will give each person a good sense of what is being accomplished this year and what needs to be accomplished next.

Explain the budget process to the incoming leadership team. Ask them to develop budget needs for their committee. Use your association’s Strategic Plan as a guide and review this year’s progress. Discuss and articulate your goals and objectives to team members so they can work within the priorities you establish.

3 months and counting … Finalize the budget that will support your year’s plan of work. Make sure you are realistic with the association’s resources—money as well as volunteer time!

Encourage your leadership team to develop their committees and task forces.

Ask leaders to get commitments within the next month from their top candidates so a list can be prepared for distribution at the annual meeting.

2 months and counting … Develop the calendar for the association’s publications. Include deadlines for articles you must submit or solicit other members to write. Maybe you want to start writing that first column. By now, you will have developed your goals and objectives for the coming year, which will be the key components for the message you wish to convey to the membership. And it’s not too early to start working on your installation speech since your annual meeting will soon be here! Start planning the agenda for your first board meeting. The outgoing president and your journal should be very helpful in this process. Contact board members whom you wish to play a role in the meeting to solicit their input and to guide them.

March and counting ... Attend NALS Professional Development Conference and network with NALS leaders. They are always willing to share so much!

One month and counting ... Try to spend some quality time with the president, seeking advice from someone who is about to conclude an administration. Hopefully, she is your best mentor and it is up to you to be sure the relationship continues. Be as supportive as possible, compliment her on a job well done, and seek her continued support.

Practice your installation speech. Highlight key words and practice speaking them naturally. Let someone videotape your practice so you can see how you appear before others.

Review your first board meeting agenda with the outgoing president and incoming president-elect and anticipate the discussions around the agenda items. Ensure you have all the appropriate materials.

Day ONE! Congratulations. You’re prepared. Because of your planning, you can now hit the ground running! Have a great year.

Adapted from: You’re Next in Line for the Top by Gale S. Wood, CAE, published in Association Management, Special Issue, January 1999.