RTI VICE PRESIDENT

from RTI Legacy Magazine - 5 -June / July - 2022

TASTE THE WORLD

RTI VICE PRESIDENT

A LONG-TERM PLAN – A MUST FOR ALL ASSOCIATIONS

By Mr JAYANT AGRAWAL, Round Table International Vice President, 2021-2022

OUR MOTTO OF "Adopt, Adapt, Improve" drives the dynamism that is Tabling. Regular leadership change helps meet our members' growing aspirations but also brings challenges and obstacles. Members sometimes have a feeling of disconnect as tenure and leadership change. To create certainty and continuity across these leadership changes, RTI has a 3-year, continuously updated plan. This long-term plan can be a valuable tool for the Associations as well.

A proper plan can help to serve as a clear picture of where we want to be and how we want to be. It will help in prioritizing goals and monitoring the progress towards them. All Tables have specific common objectives, irrespective of geographical boundaries or cultural differences. Giving sustainability and continuity at the floor level can help produce effective results in a bottom-up organization like ours.

The goals mentioned in the long-term plan must be supported by the strategies, measurement criteria and drivers of the same. Some integral components of a long-term plan are mentioned below:

GROWTH

Round Table is an age and gender-specific organization. Membership numbers are always a critical aspect for any Association or a Table. Every Association should have goals to grow membership, along with strategies, guidelines, training, branding, and growth initiatives. It can be measured in regular time intervals per the Association's size with Area/Table strength.

BRANDING/MARKETING

Every Association focus on branding and marketing tools using social media options. Associations need to have a plan concerning the target audience, the reach, the correct tools to meet them, and the goal of the branding efforts. The positioning of the "Round Table" brand should be a key area. Apart from external reach, it can be an effective tool to communicate to the existing members about activities and events, driving involvement. Having a proper branding guideline for Association can be an effective way for the long-term accomplishment of the objectives.

COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES/ PROJECTS Most of our Associations are involved in long-term projects or community service activities. A concrete plan derived for them can be helpful. Having proper specific challenging goals for projects can also help in planning to source and obtain charity funds from different corporates. A good plan for community service and projects can also help Associations position themselves locally as impactful service partner.

TABLER.WORLD

Tabler.World is the central admin platform of RTI, and most Associations are already on board with this. The platform has regular new developments and getting more robust, user-friendly and adaptive. Goals and related strategies highlighting ways to engage the members more and get them more interactive with the platform are key.

INTERNAL PROCESS

In different facets of Tabling, maturity and growth happen with time. Internal processes improve over time and must be reviewed regularly. Associations should work on getting the legal structure, own constitution, rules and required guidelines in place. Time-specific goals and measurements are essential as they are linked to quality tabling and sustainability.

FELLOWSHIPS AND OTHER INITIATIVES

"Service Through Fellowship" is something that has always driven Tabling for many. It is a platform to enjoy, have fun and create bonds with people beyond geographical boundaries. Associations can think of having goals for conducting fellowship events. It needs to be incorporated into these plans to give such initiatives a sustainable approach and perpetual

returns.

The ultimate success and failure of the plan depend on careful monitoring, evaluation, and regular updates. All the steps are interlinked, and failure at one can lead to the fall of the whole objective. It should be the priority of any board once an Association adopts a long-term planning model.

Finally, I will leave you with a quote showing the importance of planning.