For all of us, life as we know it has changed beyond all recognition in a matter of days and weeks.

Coronavirus has changed daily life for everyone in the UK. We have all been making adjustments to our professional and personal lives. Changes that, for many of us, would have been unthinkable just a short time ago.

And yet, with this uninvited change comes opportunity. For individuals, suddenly faced with an abundance of time, the opportunity to complete unfinished accreditation applications or identify other goals becomes appealing. This coupled with time to reflect on future direction and ambition can be a powerful motivator to action.

For those of us managing membership organisations, it is a good time for us to reflect upon how we look to support members in an effort to aid them in their commitment to their professional development. In these times, small interactions, speedy responses and access to relevant information can make all the difference to future member retention.

Here are our tips:

  • The national lockdown has enabled many busy individuals to begin or return to application for Chartership or other accreditations with one eye on their future career prospects. It is important to make this easy for them. Are the forms accessible? Are they online? The online systems that support our Dot-The-Eye Professional Development activity make this straightforward. Members gain access via their society websites with all data being safely stored between their updates.
  • Mentoring certainly can continue, however all mentors and mentees must ensure they follow current Government advice and seek to meet remotely, making the most of email, phone calls or the many free online meeting facilities such as Skype, FaceTime and Zoom. Make this easy for members with clear signposting from your website. Dot-The-Eye always include quick links to mentor support as part of our application systems. This way individual’s needs can be met directly with relevant expertise. We hear that MemberWise is soon to announce a Mentoring programme for the Membership Sector (via MemberWise Connect) and fully support this great idea.
  • Many Membership organisations are increasing the number and frequency of online webinars offered to members. Advertise these on your website and send regular updates via social media and emailers to members to increase engagement.
  • Encourage members to spend the time recording and planning continuing professional development (CPD) activity. A well thought out holistic approach to this is beneficial both to any professional accreditation applications and future workplace planning once it recommences.
  • Develop your organisation’s networking and group opportunities to include online services. With online conferencing tools such as Zoom, WhatsApp and Skype it is possible to run and share and record sessions remotely.
  • Encourage members to take the opportunity to explore opportunities for personal development by starting one of over 900 free open University Courses. These may, quite legitimately, feed into an individual’s ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) records.
  • Finally, and most importantly, use all your social media and communication channels to reach out to your members and let them know they are not alone in their isolation. Humans are social creatures and thrive on interaction.

Dot-The-Eye is an Association Management Company (AMC), that has a proven track record in successfully supporting small to medium sized associations, societies and institutions in their core business whilst also giving them the opportunity to diversify by managing services that may be unique to their organisations.

Lynn Davis
Lynn DavisManager, Dot-The-Eye