Recently, your VP of Membership, Loraine Huchler and I were discussing the most-oft question posed by members, "What's the Value Proposition?"  Both she and I wince a bit when we hear the question as it seems to reduce to a simple sound byte the rich, complex tapestry of reasons people join a professional association.  Communities are more than sound bytes and a simple ROI on dues.

Education, affiliation with like-minded professional management consultants, collaboration, business growth, skills development, advancing the profession, mentoring, and giving back are a few of the myriad of benefits other members find in membership.  These are some of the qualifiable benefits; quantifiable ones will follow in a successive blog.

Loraine commented to me, "New chapter membership chairs will sometimes ask me, "Tell me the most important things that they should be doing in their new role?"  She added,"There is no algorithm for the vision and leadership required to craft relationships of trust and sustain a community of IMC USA members." 

Let's remind ourselves about the vision and leadership roles of IMC USA:

VISION -- Start with our tagline: "Setting the Standard for Excellence and Ethics in Management Consulting - since 1968.  We see ourselves as the community of professional management consultants -- sole practitioners, principals in firms, and professionals in small, mid- and large firms.  All management consultants.  We are the keeper of the standards, the code of ethics (see http://www.imcusa.org/?page=ETHICSCODE) and certification of management consultants.

LEADERSHIP -- "Of course," adds Loraine, "every chapter membership chair has a role and a set of responsibilities to manage the membership process.  But simply 'doing their job' does not make them a leader."  To paraphrase an old aphorism, "Going to a chapter meeting no more makes you a professional management consultant than going into a garage makes you a car."  Simply put, leaders lead; they extend themselves and sometime get uncomfortable as they work to engage every member of our community.  But, that's what leadership is about.

As September begins (it is, after all, Labor Day as I write this), both Loraine and I invite you to connect, or reconnect, with the rich community that is IMC USA.  Try something new:

• Register and come to Confab October 22 -25 (see http://www.confabusa.org/)
• Attend a chapter meeting in your geographical area (see http://www.imcusa.org/?page=CHAPTERPREVIEW
• Ask to join your chapter leadership group
  
• Take a course from The Academy (see http://www.imcusa.org/?page=PDACADEMY)
• Volunteer to mentor a 'newbie'
  
• Listen to one of the interviews at Consultapalooza (see http://www.imcusa.org/?page=CONSULTAPALOOZA)
• Join and participate in one of our website groups (see http://www.imcusa.org/?page=COMMPRACT)
• Start your own virtual community on our site
• Apply for your certification (see http://www.imcusa.org/?page=CERTHOW)
  
• And so forth.

The rewards for doing so enrich your professionalism, your skills and your competencies.  Participation in our community is the fastest way to get value from your membership.

Tell Loraine, or me, your thoughts by responding to this blog.

My best wishes for a great Labor Day.

David