WHAT gives me great joy during this pandemic is my day-to-day interaction with my only granddaughter, now four-and-a-half years old. Here’s what a typical day with her and how it applies to associations in terms of member engagement:
1. Morning hug. Upon waking up at around 9:00 a.m., she would first look for me and greet me with a morning hug. I initiated this ritual when she was two years old and I liken this to what associations can do or have been doing in welcoming or meeting their members: a handshake, a fist bump or whatever form of gesture their cultures allow. This boosts personal relationship and camaraderie with members.
2. Play time. Next on schedule would be play time such as, molding clay dough, doing jigsaw puzzles, sketching doodles, watercolor painting or watching videos for kids. These activities help to stimulate creativity in her. Associations do also gamification activities in their events to break the ice or to energize discussions.
3. School hour. After taking her bath, I drive her to a nearby prep school where she attends in-person classes with same-age kids for an hour, twice a week, where they learn basic things and, as she says, “to have fun.” As I pick her up from school, she shows me a “two-star stamp” on her wrist which means “very good.” Part of the value proposition that associations provide their members are basic learning as well as certificate programs to help them improve capabilities and take pride in their work.
4. Drive-through reward. As a prize for her “very good” achievement in school, we will treat her to a drive-through restaurant for a sundae, fries, nuggets or doughnuts. Rewarding and recognizing the work of association volunteers, staff and the board make relationship-building with key stakeholders meaningful and long-lasting.
5. Storytelling. After lunch, it’s nap time with storytelling. For some reason, she likes dinosaur stories and classics like “Pinocchio,” “The Ugly Duckling” and “Snow White,” which I have already memorized as I repeatedly read these to her. Storytelling is also an effective tool for associations to use in communicating relevance, knowledge and advocacy, among others.
6. Outdoor fun. Two hours of nap is what usually re-energizes her to go outdoors afterward. This could be biking, scooter trolleying or going to a playground for slides, see-saw and swing rides. Associations organize outdoor activities for bonding, teambuilding and simply hanging out with members.
7. Dinner and occasional sleepover. Coming to the end of the day, the whole family dines together for supper, with the granddaughter dominating the conversation. Sometimes she decides to sleep over with us and so I have to repeat my bedtime storytelling drill.
My “babysitting” chore is obviously not 24×7 and I still have my own “the wifey and me” times. Associations are quite the same: they tend and serve routinely their members as though they are their children practically each day of the week. So wouldn’t the approach to membership engagement be child-like thinking?
Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” The PCAAE is holding its Associations Summit 10 (AS10) on November 23 and 24, 2022. E-mail: bobby@pcaae.org.