Gene Klodzen
09-10-2001, 12:40 AM
Announcing: The NAWCC Idea Bank
Council has approved the NAWCC Idea Bank, and I have accepted the challenge of implementing it.
What is an Idea Bank? An Idea Bank is a simple report, such as a table or spreadsheet, that documents members' ideas and suggestions that might help improve the Association.
The Association relies heavily on the membership to provide knowledge for dissemination to its members. A perfect example is the Bulletin. Our members create the articles that educate other members. Our members often have good ideas and suggestions for improving the way the Association runs, and for providing better benefits and services to the membership. In the past, some of those ideas got lost; as a result, council and national committees never got the opportunity to evaluate them.
An Idea Bank provides a place to capture those ideas so they aren't lost. The purpose of the Idea Bank is to allow members to offer management ideas that will improve the NAWCC and member satisfaction. It allows members to build upon one another's ideas. The Idea Bank puts ideas in front of council and national committees which helps them decide which ones provide the best benefits to the Association and its members. It allows members to know where ideas stand and who to contact to offer support, suggestions, and funding. Finally, it helps to keep ideas moving or as a minimum, cataloged in case some are put on hold.
The Idea Bank is not a place to dump ideas where the authors of those ideas are insincere about them or are just looking for a place to unload grievances. Ideas must be constructive. Consider the following general philosophy:
1. There are no "dumb" ideas. However, some ideas are definitely better than others. To get a few really good ideas, we often need to hear and review many.
2. It is important for the author to continue to be involved in the idea throughout the proposal, justification and implementation processes. To suggest an idea and walk away from it with the expectation that someone else will pick up the ball and run with it is sure to lead to disappointment. The author needs to keep his or her hands in the initiative, contributing, reviewing, and ensuring that the vision becomes reality.
3. Members need to understand that not all ideas will be pursued. This should not be taken as a personal insult. In many cases, the probability that an idea will be pursued is directly proportional to its benefits, or the effort that the author makes in selling the benefits of the idea and getting management and other members to support it.
Inserting Ideas into the Idea Bank:
We want your ideas for improving the Association! Send them to me, Frank Del Greco, in written form via postal mail or email. I will be happy to discuss ideas over the phone prior to submission, but all submissions need to be in writing. Email is preferred, as I will have less retyping to do.
There is value in discussing ideas prior to submission with other members, chapters, on the Members' Forum, and through other means to improve the idea and address potential pitfalls.
Submissions should contain the following information. Note that the author need not be a single person; it could be a group of members or a whole chapter.
a. Author's name, membership number, telephone number, and email address (if available);
b. A short description (less than two lines, if possible) of the idea. This will serve as the title that goes into the Idea Bank;
c. A couple of paragraphs (or more) providing more detail about the idea. Include, if known, potential benefits, costs, pitfalls, etc.
Send your ideas to:
Frank Del Greco
13730 Braeburn Lane
Novelty OH 44072
or fdelgreco@aol.com
I will maintain a copy of the Idea Bank in PDF form on my ftp site so that any member may view it. (Eventually, I'll get a link on the NAWCC web site.) I will provide the Idea Bank in two forms: one will contain only the list of ideas (a small file); the other will also contain the accompanying detailed write-ups (a larger file). The links are:
http://members.aol.com/NAWCCIB/list.pdf for the list of ideas. http://members.aol.com/NAWCCIB/full.pdf for the list along with write-ups.
Processing of Ideas:
Ideas are processed in the following manner:
1. The idea is sent to the Idea Bank administrator.
2. Periodically, the Idea Bank administrator sends any new ideas and associated write-ups received to the NAWCC president for an initial review.
3. The president takes a look at the ideas and write-ups and issues an initial reaction for each one: "Yes," "No," or "Hold." A "Yes" simply means that the idea sounds plausible and we ought to look at it reasonably soon. It does not guarantee that we are going to implement it. A "No" means that the idea is too nebulous at this time, or we definitely don't have the money, or perhaps there is another project in the works that gets the same thing done. Sometimes the author just needs to clarify the idea to change this into a "Yes." A "Hold" means that, although the idea sounds plausible, this is the wrong time to implement it - but we might want to in the future. This "president's OK" is simply an indication to the author and members whether the idea, in its present state, is likely to get the support of council. The president may wish to confer with the author, members of council, or committee chairs before issuing the initial reaction. The president sends this information back to the Idea Bank administrator who updates the Idea Bank with the new ideas and the president's reactions.
4. A "Yes" is a sign to the author that the idea ought to be pursued. The author should start working on a formal proposal that lays out the idea: the vision, objectives, benefits, costs, proposed funding, implementation plan, maintenance plan, etc. This is essentially the background document that a council member needs to submit with his or her motion to council. The president may assign the idea to a council member, a national or ad-hoc committee, or even the Executive Director. The assigned person acts as the project champion and works with the author and/or committee to create that proposal. Creation could take a week or six months, depending upon the complexity of the idea, how much research needs to be done, whether the idea needs private funding, etc. A council member will eventually take the proposal to council for a vote, if appropriate. (Note that not all ideas need to go to council for approval prior to implementation.)
5. The council member submits the proposal and motion to council and gets it approved.
6. The idea obtains funding and the implementation process begins. The author will probably be involved in the implementation process as well.
7. Once implemented, the author is asked to do a formal critique.
8. The idea is marked "Done" in the Idea Bank.
Note that forward-thinking members may contact a council or committee member, or the Executive Director, for support and may even obtain funding prior to submitting the idea. That speeds everything along. The more homework done up front, the faster ideas can become reality.
The Idea Bank currently contains several ideas suggested since approval at the July 2001 council meeting. It is ready to accept additional ideas. As time permits, I will begin to load ideas that have been suggested in the past, where records exist.
Best regards,
Frank Del Greco FNAWCC
Director
mailto: fdelgreco@aol.com
Council has approved the NAWCC Idea Bank, and I have accepted the challenge of implementing it.
What is an Idea Bank? An Idea Bank is a simple report, such as a table or spreadsheet, that documents members' ideas and suggestions that might help improve the Association.
The Association relies heavily on the membership to provide knowledge for dissemination to its members. A perfect example is the Bulletin. Our members create the articles that educate other members. Our members often have good ideas and suggestions for improving the way the Association runs, and for providing better benefits and services to the membership. In the past, some of those ideas got lost; as a result, council and national committees never got the opportunity to evaluate them.
An Idea Bank provides a place to capture those ideas so they aren't lost. The purpose of the Idea Bank is to allow members to offer management ideas that will improve the NAWCC and member satisfaction. It allows members to build upon one another's ideas. The Idea Bank puts ideas in front of council and national committees which helps them decide which ones provide the best benefits to the Association and its members. It allows members to know where ideas stand and who to contact to offer support, suggestions, and funding. Finally, it helps to keep ideas moving or as a minimum, cataloged in case some are put on hold.
The Idea Bank is not a place to dump ideas where the authors of those ideas are insincere about them or are just looking for a place to unload grievances. Ideas must be constructive. Consider the following general philosophy:
1. There are no "dumb" ideas. However, some ideas are definitely better than others. To get a few really good ideas, we often need to hear and review many.
2. It is important for the author to continue to be involved in the idea throughout the proposal, justification and implementation processes. To suggest an idea and walk away from it with the expectation that someone else will pick up the ball and run with it is sure to lead to disappointment. The author needs to keep his or her hands in the initiative, contributing, reviewing, and ensuring that the vision becomes reality.
3. Members need to understand that not all ideas will be pursued. This should not be taken as a personal insult. In many cases, the probability that an idea will be pursued is directly proportional to its benefits, or the effort that the author makes in selling the benefits of the idea and getting management and other members to support it.
Inserting Ideas into the Idea Bank:
We want your ideas for improving the Association! Send them to me, Frank Del Greco, in written form via postal mail or email. I will be happy to discuss ideas over the phone prior to submission, but all submissions need to be in writing. Email is preferred, as I will have less retyping to do.
There is value in discussing ideas prior to submission with other members, chapters, on the Members' Forum, and through other means to improve the idea and address potential pitfalls.
Submissions should contain the following information. Note that the author need not be a single person; it could be a group of members or a whole chapter.
a. Author's name, membership number, telephone number, and email address (if available);
b. A short description (less than two lines, if possible) of the idea. This will serve as the title that goes into the Idea Bank;
c. A couple of paragraphs (or more) providing more detail about the idea. Include, if known, potential benefits, costs, pitfalls, etc.
Send your ideas to:
Frank Del Greco
13730 Braeburn Lane
Novelty OH 44072
or fdelgreco@aol.com
I will maintain a copy of the Idea Bank in PDF form on my ftp site so that any member may view it. (Eventually, I'll get a link on the NAWCC web site.) I will provide the Idea Bank in two forms: one will contain only the list of ideas (a small file); the other will also contain the accompanying detailed write-ups (a larger file). The links are:
http://members.aol.com/NAWCCIB/list.pdf for the list of ideas. http://members.aol.com/NAWCCIB/full.pdf for the list along with write-ups.
Processing of Ideas:
Ideas are processed in the following manner:
1. The idea is sent to the Idea Bank administrator.
2. Periodically, the Idea Bank administrator sends any new ideas and associated write-ups received to the NAWCC president for an initial review.
3. The president takes a look at the ideas and write-ups and issues an initial reaction for each one: "Yes," "No," or "Hold." A "Yes" simply means that the idea sounds plausible and we ought to look at it reasonably soon. It does not guarantee that we are going to implement it. A "No" means that the idea is too nebulous at this time, or we definitely don't have the money, or perhaps there is another project in the works that gets the same thing done. Sometimes the author just needs to clarify the idea to change this into a "Yes." A "Hold" means that, although the idea sounds plausible, this is the wrong time to implement it - but we might want to in the future. This "president's OK" is simply an indication to the author and members whether the idea, in its present state, is likely to get the support of council. The president may wish to confer with the author, members of council, or committee chairs before issuing the initial reaction. The president sends this information back to the Idea Bank administrator who updates the Idea Bank with the new ideas and the president's reactions.
4. A "Yes" is a sign to the author that the idea ought to be pursued. The author should start working on a formal proposal that lays out the idea: the vision, objectives, benefits, costs, proposed funding, implementation plan, maintenance plan, etc. This is essentially the background document that a council member needs to submit with his or her motion to council. The president may assign the idea to a council member, a national or ad-hoc committee, or even the Executive Director. The assigned person acts as the project champion and works with the author and/or committee to create that proposal. Creation could take a week or six months, depending upon the complexity of the idea, how much research needs to be done, whether the idea needs private funding, etc. A council member will eventually take the proposal to council for a vote, if appropriate. (Note that not all ideas need to go to council for approval prior to implementation.)
5. The council member submits the proposal and motion to council and gets it approved.
6. The idea obtains funding and the implementation process begins. The author will probably be involved in the implementation process as well.
7. Once implemented, the author is asked to do a formal critique.
8. The idea is marked "Done" in the Idea Bank.
Note that forward-thinking members may contact a council or committee member, or the Executive Director, for support and may even obtain funding prior to submitting the idea. That speeds everything along. The more homework done up front, the faster ideas can become reality.
The Idea Bank currently contains several ideas suggested since approval at the July 2001 council meeting. It is ready to accept additional ideas. As time permits, I will begin to load ideas that have been suggested in the past, where records exist.
Best regards,
Frank Del Greco FNAWCC
Director
mailto: fdelgreco@aol.com