As a leader of an association, you must be aware of what is happening within the membership. That is particularly vital if you sense some unrest between members or between the membership and the association leadership. Recognizing that dissension exists within the association is the most difficult part of the entire process. There are several actions that will help you recognize possible dissension.
Be aware. During meetings and social events, make a conscious effort to be aware of points of conflict between members or among the membership toward the association leadership. The opportunities to see, hear and feel the tension is often not during the formal meeting but during the casual time before and after meetings when small groups are formed and war stories are shared.
Be open and listen. The best way to discover issues is to try and make the association’s leadership as open and available as possible. That openness can’t be dictated but must be developed and nurtured. The development is accomplished by listening and respecting membership complaints, suggestions and critiques. It is important you make sure the member who is making the complaint or suggestion feels it is taken seriously, discussed by the appropriate people and a decision made. Even if the decision is not what the member had hoped for, you can still build their trust by keeping them informed of the process and how the decision was reached.
Find a conduit. Another means for discovery is to utilize a leadership member who is a respected and trusted member of the association that can act as the conduit to the board for suggestions, complaints and identification of problem areas.
Once dissension is recognized, the association leadership needs to decide if it is something that requires their attention and determine the most effective way to approach the issue.
Pick your battles. Have a screening process that separates issues you want and need to deal with from those that are just background noise. Your criteria for what to deal with should center around the level of disruption and problems the dissension causes to the entire association membership. If the issue is isolated between two individuals, let them sort it out. If it grows to a point where the two individuals make a tense environment for the association during meetings and other events, deal with it. If the dissension is directed at the association leadership (e.g., difference in opinion on association initiatives, training, assignments), you must first determine if the issue is an isolated problem or a symptom of a more pervasive issue.
Face to face. The simplest, effective and direct method to resolve dissension between individuals or between a group and the association is to meet face to face and work it out. Here is where you can capitalize on the officiating skills you have developed over the years. Use the same tools you use during a game situation to deal with player dissension to make sure the face-to-face encounter does not degrade to a more explosive situation. Stay calm. Speak softly. Stay on course. Do not take comments and issues personally. Take the higher ground when things get petty and emotional. Make sure everyone is aware the purpose of the meeting is to resolve issues that are causing problems to the entire association membership.
Use an ambassador. Sometimes the dissension is too emotionally charged to risk a face-to-face meeting in the initial attempts to resolve the problem. Often, a neutral ambassador can act as the in-between for the two feuding parties. The ambassador should be a respected, mutually trusted person who has nothing to gain or lose from the resolution of the problem. Obviously, the person must have the proper skills to communicate the problems and issues uncovered from one side to the other. Critical to the success of the process, is the absolute need to maintain discretion when working between the two parties. The ultimate goal of the ambassador should be to get the two groups or individuals to a face-to-face meeting to finish the resolution in a mature, adult manner.
Now that you have done all the work to identify and resolve a problem, don’t stop there. Review the process and the resolution. Determine what worked and what did not work. Develop a current best approach. If appropriate, share the process and resolution with the membership-at-large. Take full advantage of all the effort and learnings.
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