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Journals by EmailMuch has been said about the problem the Society for Technical Communication has found itself in, including on blogs, Twitter, and email listservs. (If you’d like to see some posts about it, Sarah O’Keefe has provided a list.) I’ve deliberately kept quiet here until I had some semblance of perspective to offer.
But I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe this is a crisis STC needed—an impetus to get us all thinking together about how to improve the model, how to offer more direct benefits to the members.
We’re past the point where talking about what previous officers did is going to help. I bought a house about two years ago and still am not happy with some of the ways the previous owners did things or left things for us, but my wife has pointed out that it’s our house, so we need to deal with it. Yes, previous staff and officers at the main office made detrimental decisions, but going over that can do only one positive thing: to show us how not to do it. Once that lesson is learned, it’s time to move on.
The Dilemma: Return on Investment
A significant part of the quandary here is that STC offers certain benefits, but many people want to see more tangible benefits. An existing benefit is networking; people have found jobs and gotten contracts because of people they met through STC. This is not true of everyone, and I’m sure for some it’s not for lack of trying. Some want to see benefits come more directly out of the dues they pay. The quandary comes in the fact that people are going to want these benefits now, particularly because of an impending dues increase. But right now, STC needs to get out of the shortfall, where the board will then be in a better position to reevaluate programs and revenue sources—in short, to get STC on surer financial footing and offering more benefits to members.
So, in effect, there’s a bit of a gamble here, folks. If you’re an STC member and you want to see more direct benefits, you’ll need to see in what ways you can help STC survive 2009. Fortunately, STC has indicated that they plan to release periodic progress reports that let us know how they’re doing in reducing the shortfall. But now is the time to step forward and offer your input. Your voice will be heard.
One of tech comm’s current challenges is showing value to employers. It’s ironic that STC finds itself trying to demonstrate value, not just to the world, but to many of its members. Thus, many members find themselves trying to justify both their jobs and their STC membership.
The Value in Communities
Being a chapter president, I have realized that a lot of the responsibility for providing direct benefits to members falls on the chapters and special interest groups (SIGs); as the STC bylaws state, “Communities are a signficant way that STC provides value to its members.” I think there’s a disconnect between this statement and the whole money issue. The STC site quotes a bunch of people who talk about how much the networking has benefited them. For a lot of people, this networking happens on a chapter level.
I admit that for me, the most value comes out of participating in the chapter. Some of the main benefits STC names are the salary survey and the job bank. But those help us only when we’re looking for a job or negotiating pay. And I would guess that many of us aren’t doing those things most of the time. (Though right now, there are probably many more doing this than eighteen months ago.) Other benefits, like webinars and the yearly conference, cost money beyond annual dues.
A video by Carolyn Kelley Klinger and Mary Fletcher Jones illustrates my point by discussing the value of belonging to the Washington, DC chapter, while glossing over membership in the overall organization.
I think one of the answers to STC’s mission to prove its value to its members is to enable the communities to do more. I sincerely hope that STC won’t cut off the pass-through funds to the chapters that come from member dues.
How about an Idea?
Few people like someone who criticizes yet doesn’t step forward with solutions. Though my intent isn’t to criticize, I still would like to pitch an idea of the way STC could assist the communities in providing more benefits.
There has been a little discussion on the presidents’ listserv about having more local or regional conferences. I think these could have more strength and benefit if the STC offices pitch in. STC has contracted with certain hotels for the next few summits, but after that, they could go to having the international conference every other year. On the off years, they could help organize and execute a few regional conferences around the world. This means that out of every four years, a given chapter has perhaps two or three STC conferences to participate in: one or two summits and a regional conference.
I see regional conferences as having a few benefits. First, they would be closer to the members, so they could be cheaper and easier to reach. It would be more affordable for employers to send members within the state/province or to the neighboring state/province.
Second, the organizing committee could find smaller venues that cost less to rent, saving STC, the communities, and the members money.
Third, it may be more feasible for smaller, local vendors to participate in local conferences, in addition to the larger vendors’ participation. This could gain STC more sponsors and allies.
Fourth, STC and the local communities who participate could divide the revenue from the conference. If STC is trying to reduce its financial reliance on the yearly conference, perhaps going to every other year won’t hurt the pocketbook. And multiple conferences in the off year potentially means more money for STC.
Note that I’ve never run a conference and am not intimately familiar with what goes into it. So I’m making a few guesses here for the sake of getting an idea out where it can be scrutinized. But I think that the main STC office (with people like Lloyd Tucker) could provide valuable oversight for regional conferences, increasing their success.
I understand that the yearly summit provides a location for the business meeting and other society-level events. So maybe having them only every other year won’t work. Or maybe on the off years, these activities can be virtual.
I realize that my ideas focus on chapters and geography, and they kind of leave out the SIGs. But I’m a chapter president, so I think in those terms. Perhaps there are some ways to adapt or take advantage of these ideas for the SIGs.
Change Is Coming
It is impressive that STC is over 50 years old. But though I don’t agree with everything Seth Godin said in Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, I think of his assertion that age can be a detriment to rather than a strength of an organization. This argument is based on some organizations’ reluctance to step into the future, innovate, and change. If STC wants to survive long term, we are going to have to make some big changes. And I admit that I’m one of those people whose initial reaction is to resist substantial change.
I see it as a step in the right direction and a willingness to change that has caused STC leadership to ask for ideas. And the response has come. If you have ideas, please send them to stc(at)stc(dot)org. (Or if you’re an STC member, contact Bill Swallow through his site, techcommdood.com, and ask for an invitation to join the Ning STC Ideas group.) The board is listening and will develop a plan based on the input they receive. Time will show what the final effect of this collaboration is, but I believe STC can come out of this a much stronger, more beneficial, and more influential organization than before.
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5 Comments to 'STC: Help the Communities Provide Value'
July 1, 2009
Regional conferences? What about having *Regions* — groups of chapters that had some collegial relationship.
When we had Regions, we had Director-Sponsors: individuals who each served as a mentor to a group of chapters; they were elected by vote of members in the region (and thus probably better known by those members) and served as a communication conduit between The Powers That Be and the local group.
I think this “federation” idea had merit. If STC is to have local chapters at all, I feel it should have a layer between them and the Board & Office to nurture and interpret.
These Director-Sponsors were ALSO board members. Perhaps that made it too big a job. But why not bring back regional sponsors? Is the LCD performing the role of nurture and interpretation?
The last two attempts at a regional conference in what had been Region 8 were …less than successful. One chapter that was set to host such an RC has since (apparently) dissolved.
Or has the Internet obsoleted chapters and regions?
July 1, 2009
Why not have a virtual chapter?
July 7, 2009
Virtual chapters exist: they’re called SIGs.
I was dismayed that we lost director-sponsors. Had no say in it. Don’t see them coming back.
Cheers,
Sean
July 8, 2009
@Sean, STC members can sign up for Bill Swallow’s STC Ideas site as mentioned in the post. I posted this idea there, and people have discussed it. Apparently some chapters are still successfully pulling off regional conferences.
I’m too young in the organization to know about director-sponsors, so forgive me if I’m wary of introducing another level of administration. I think that may complicate things.
@All, I think there’s merit to geographical groups, AKA chapters. Social media hasn’t totally replaced physical sociality. People still like to connect and interact face-to-face. I’d rather get together with chapter members sometimes than always be connecting by text or just voice. I would be extremely disappointed to see geographical chapters go away.
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