By Jaime Barnhart, CMP, CAE Jaime is the chapter’s executive director and responsible for implementing the organization’s mission and goals, and managing its staff. She has worked in non-profits/associations in the D.C. Metro area for over 16 years focusing on program management, events and trade shows, and marketing. She joined WMCCAI as the events manager in 2015. Jaime earned the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) in 2007 and earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) certification in 2019.
CASE STUDY IN CHANGE:
The Chapter Goes Remote
T
TRANSITION. PIVOT. ADAPT. SHIFT.
hese words have become common verbs in our daily language, especially when it comes to how we work. Just a few months ago, the chapter office was bustling with staff, committee leaders, volunteers, and delivery workers in high planning mode for 2020 Conference & Expo. Within days of that event ending, we knew something was on the horizon that would lead to change – and evolution, to bring the conference theme back. We had no idea what amount of transition it would be. But we were ready – more ready that I realized in fact.
via email blast and the creation of a resource page for all things related to the coronavirus pandemic in the country. In those messages, the goal was to ensure members that the chapter business will continue uninterrupted and to inform the membership how to contact the staff now that the office was closed. Don’t forget the building and other office vendors. Our chapter office is located in a office building park. Communicating the timeline and plan to the building landlord ensured that their onsite staff could keep an eye on our space in our absence and we were able to discontinue daily cleaning visits
Once the decision was made to close the chapter office, the move was quick – the first priority was the health and safety of the members who visit the office and the staff that work there. A move from a physical organization to a remote organization goes beyond the location of where the staff will work. It encompasses communication strategies, work materials and equipment, technology needs, and human relations.
and deliveries to the space. Letting the door security company know that the office will be empty is essential – if they see activity on the door access that is not consistent with a closed office, it may be the only way you know others are in your space.
Communications
Work Materials and Equipment
The first thing we did was notify chapter leaders of the change to a remote office. Notifying the entire membership was handled
In a very fast timeline, a review of what each staff member needed at home to execute their job duties was performed. We are lucky
16 | QUORUM
in that as long as we have internet, a computer and a phone, our chapter can manage the general operations and programs. When moving staff out of the office, it’s important to make sure that they have the appropriate equipment to do their job – and that can vary based on job description. Many of our materials are housed on the server so that made the transition easier – no need to pack up boxes of files and paperwork.
Technology The chapter office spent much of 2019 implementing new technologies – we upgraded the member database and installed a new phone system. No longer are we tied to the old traditional hardwired phone line; our phones are portable out of the chapter office, caller can access the appropriate staff easily using the dial by department menu, and we can update our outgoing message quickly. The member database moved from the physical server to the cloud – we can access it anywhere! Those upgrades were key to the ease of moving the chapter remote quickly. The basic fundamentals of our work – method to connect w it h m e mb e r s
