Officials may complain about the number of meetings, the perceived lack of group involvement, the quality of the training, the uniform requirements or even the location and menu items of the end-of-the-season social. Yet there are really only two major hot buttons for the majority of officials. The first is anything having to do with money. The second is the quantity and quality of their assignments.
Every association has members who will not always be pleased with one facet or another with the association. That member might be upset with another member, frustrated with assignments or even upset at a perceived lack of respect. There are times when officials feel they’re not being treated fairly or are otherwise unhappy with their chapter. Those people tend to come together in groups or cliques and organize dissenting opinions. That’s why it’s so important to deal with a member’s complaints and have an “open door” policy with the board to deal with such. Here are some suggestions for instituting a member complaint policy.
Step 1 — The board must be accessible to its membership. That time can be before or after meetings or possibly separately scheduled appointments. The member needs to know that the board member, instructional chair or president is aware of the concern and will deal with the complaint. Communicate that message to the membership on a regular basis and consider incorporating a formal policy into your membership bylaws. Not all complaints demand a response or change of action, but all complaints need to be listened to and addressed through action or non-action.
Step 2 — Set aside time for questions, comments and concerns from the membership during meetings. Any complaint that is personal in nature should be dealt with in a one-on-one setting. For example, a member concerned about his or her game assignments would deal with the board or assigner on a one-on-one basis. The assigner has to be willing to answer questions from members about assignments, and do so without becoming defensive or angry. The principle of openness applies at many levels in the association. Complaints about dues are commonplace among officials. Ultimately though, the principle of openness usually minimizes any dissension.
Step 3 — For any complaint that has a legal ramification, consult an attorney. It’s best to be safe and receive professional guidance.
Step 4 — Don’t overpromise. If a member has a legitimate complaint, put in attainable steps to rectify the problem. If the dues structure is unfair to a newer official, that problem can’t be solved or changed overnight. Let the member know when and how the issue will attempt to be resolved. And if there isn’t an immediate solution or resolution on the horizon, take such a complaint to the membership for further discussion. Give the individual making such a complaint an opportunity to address his or her concerns in a forum that shows the association is serious about rectifying the issue.
Step 5 — Leave ample time in the schedule for everyone to talk and be heard about what they want to talk about. If it’s a 15-minute time frame, monitor it closely and stick to the time allotted.
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