A good place to work: how to get, keep, and support a committed staff.

A Good PLACE TO WORK

How to get, keep, and support a committed staff.

What makes an association a good place to work? Is it the overall environment? Plenty of resources? Recognition? Or communication? Most staff members would say all of the above and more. But how exactly do successful associations implement these ideas?

To find out, Association Management asked CEOs, human resource managers, and other association managers what makes their associations good places to work. Their answer range from the pragmatic to the philosophical, from perks to policies, from the specific to the general. Some are more applicable to small associations, and some could be implemented only in larger associations. Together they add up to a wealth of ideas on ways to nurture a productive and committed staff.

One caveat: Don't lose sight of basic principles, says Mike Losey, president of the Society for Human Resources Management, Arlington, Virginia. "The best way to attract and retain staff and get a full measure of commitment is to give them rewarding work." The key to giving rewarding work, he says, is to provide the basics: good planning, communication, and support.

So keeping the basics in mind, consider the following ideas.

Have regular gatherings of the entire staff. Whether they are parties, business meetings, or a combination, such gatherings improve communication and help foster a team feeling, according to several associations. The Chemical Manufacturers Association, Washington, D.C., holds a spring party to celebrate all staff birthdays, a summer picnic, a Halloween party with costumes, and a winter holiday party. "Our parties were instituted in recognition of the fact that we work on a team concept," says Robert Roland, CMA president. "They increase bonding, and they are an important way to enhance the social environment."

ASAE also holds five or six all-staff assemblies a year, for the purposes of both communication and socialization. The assemblies are used to make announcements, welcome new employees, and recognize achievements, as well as celebrate birthdays. Staff members who have turned down other job opportunities in order to stay at ASAE cite the atmosphere of camaraderie as a reason for staying, says Cheryl Jackson, manager of personnel services.

Don't skip smaller staff meetings. No matter how small your staff, regular meetings are essential, emphasizes James J. Krack, CAE, executive director of the American Boarding Kennels Association, Colorado Springs, Colorado. With three full-time and four part-time employees, lots of informal communication also goes on at ABKA, says Krack. "But when we don't have staff meetings, people ask for them. We can see the difference they make in our effectiveness."

Design special communication efforts for special needs. The North Carolina Hospital Association, Cary, recently moved into a new building. The move, initiated and organized by President C. Edward McCauley, CAE, involved not only new offices but a new telephone system, computer network, security system, recycling arrangement, and mail and photocopy procedures. The transition went smoothly, says Vice President Jim Hauge, thanks to a full day of orientation for each employee. "In any move, there is a mixture of excitement and trepidation," says Hauge. "The thorough orientation brought everyone's anxiety levels down substantially."

Make data bases accessible to everyone. Data base files should be open to everyone, advises Bruce Belrose, CAE, executive vice president of the Florida Retail Federation, Tallahassee. FRF has an open-files policy for certain categories of information, such as membership data and official correspondence. "When there's a choice, always default in favor of giving information," says Belrose. "To the greatest degree possible, everyone should have access to all the information that everyone else has."

Teach staff to work with the association's electronic information systems. This corollary to the above is also emphasized by FRF, which makes sure everyone knows how to access and use the organization's data base and word processing systems. Behind this policy is a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of working with information.

"We don't hire people only for their skills," explains the federation's Belrose. "We want the ability to work with information, recognize opportunities, and learn new ways to cope with problems and turn them into strategic advantages."

Have a plan and make sure all staff know where they fit in. This accomplishes two things, says Losey, of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). If employees understand the organization's objectives and how they are expected to contribute to them, they are more likely to buy into those objectives. Second, a good plan helps prevent turf wars.

It's important to get staff input into both long-range and short-range plans, emphasizes John Plymyer, CAE, executive director of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants, Bellevue. "The majority of our staff people are asked for input," says Plymyer.

Run an efficient operation. "One of the biggest reasons for people hating their jobs is that things aren't working," says Losey, of SHRM. "Have you ever typed on a typewriter when the "e" always sticks? We keep leaning on the employee for higher levels of productivity. But what can the employee do when the computers don't work?" Losey emphasizes that it's management's responsibility to make sure they do work. "People really want to get their jobs done," he says.

Stay tuned to staff roles. Executives say this is especially important in a small association where roles are changed and interchanged frequently. "People have to pitch in on a variety of tasks in a small association," says Joanne Angle, executive director of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Bethesda, Maryland. The pitfall, she says, is that a staff member's primary task can be overtaken by the ad hoc jobs he or she takes on. If this happens, the primary task--and that employee--can suffer.

Smile often and speak softly. In other words, set a positive tone, advises Belrose, of the Florida Retail Federation. Because the tone of an organization is established by the top manager, you have to be conscious of your own attitude, he says. "Whatever mood you walk in with is the mood the office will have for the day."

Include staff in decisions that affect them. When CMA decided to refurnish its offices, management appointed a staff committee to recommend the kind of furniture to purchase. As a result, desk modules were designed according to the specifications of the people who would be using them. The committee also decided on the kinds of chairs and storage cabinets that would meet their needs. "Now, when people come to work," says CMA's Roland, "they say how much they like their work stations. Nobody has complaints."

Create committees that cross department lines. At CMA, major issues are handled by a team of representatives from various departments. "We create matrix teams," explains Roland. "For example, if there's legislation that needs our attention, we'll create a team that may include people from the legal department, from federal relations, from communications, and as likely as not from state relations, too. They create the strategic and tactical plans." Roland sees the matrix management concept as a form of job enrichment. "It opens up possibilities for lateral transfers and promotions," he says. "It gives people an opportunity to grow."

Institute a committee to consider and voice staff concerns. A staff operating committee meets regularly at the Million Dollar Round Table, Park Ridge, Illinois. Composed of staff members below the executive level, the committee can consider complaints, generate ideas, suggest new programs. "When something needs attention, they bring it up," says David Gilcrest, director of finance and administration.

Don't insist on the chain of command when it comes to generating new ideas, adds Krack, from the American Boarding Kennels Association. "Consider all ideas, no matter whose they are, and recognize the people who originated them."

Introduce new staff members to board members. This is a good way to help staff people feel part of the organization, says Plymyer, of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. This association also publishes articles about new employees, including photographs, in the newsletter that goes to members.

Take a long-term view of professional development. Have a 20-year perspective on staff development, advises FRF's Belrose. He stresses the importance of preparing younger staff members to take on senior positions so that when those positions become open, they can be filled with experienced people who know the association. This is not only good for the organization as a whole, he points out; it also is good for individual staff members' morale and growth.

"My responsibility is to teach, train, and coach the people who work with me to do their job better and to do pieces of my job," explains Belrose. "At the same time, I'm learning, addressing new issues, so the organization is always growing."

Don't monopolize the decision-making role. "Let your staff make the smaller decisions," advises Belrose, from the Florida Retail Federation. For example, when a letter needs to be written, the manager should decide on the content, but a staff member can decide on the wording, "even if it's not exactly what you would have done."

Offer a bonus plan. This doesn't have to be as expensive as it sounds. As the ABKA's Krack explains, "We structure salaries so that 25 percent of total compensation comes in the form of quarterly bonuses, based on accomplishment of specific goals. The bonuses are never in question for the most part. But this gives us a regular opportunity to acknowledge achievement and, if necessary, work on problem areas." The association's bonus plan has been in existence for about five years, he says.

Show people the dollar value of their benefits. ASAE gives all staff members annual statements that show the cash value of the benefits they receive: insurance, leave, and retirement. This policy appears to work; employees who have chosen to stay at ASAE mention the benefits as one of the reasons, says ASAE's Jackson.

Pay cash for money-saving ideas. The Million Dollar Round Table rewards staff who come up with ways to save money by giving them 10 percent of what is saved in a year as a result of their suggestions. The mechanisms through which ideas are submitted--a form and a box in which to deposit them--encourage participation in this program.

Distribute an internal newsletter. It's called the Bureau Drawer at the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (SFCVB), and it's put together and distributed every two weeks by secretarial staff from each of the bureau's four divisions. With both work and social news, this newsletter is a good way to keep internal communication lines open.

Celebrate birthdays. Several associations have variations on the traditional staff birthday parties. At the Million Dollar Round Table, for example, the CEO or other senior executive takes staff members out to lunch. Birthdays are paid holidays at SFCVB.

Maintain a pleasant physical environment. Physical surroundings make a big difference in how people feel about their jobs, says Roland, of CMA. "We paint offices frequently, we use color, we encourage flowers and pictures, we have a strict maintenance schedule." And few at CMA have an interior office. "If staff members do, they get a glass wall that looks out on a corridor with a window."

Recognize small as well as large victories. The Million Dollar Round Table recognizes special efforts and ideas with a "Nifty Fifty," a $50 bill. Achievement is recognized in many associations, such as CMA, through certificates. And ASAE recognizes an "employee of the month." CMA also recognizes staff achievements in its publications, including those that go to members.

Start a suggestion box. The old-fashioned suggestion box, where employees can deposit their anonymous complaints, comments, and ideas, works well as a communication tool for the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. John Yee, vice president for finance and administration, responds to all suggestions either through electronic mail or at staff meetings.

Give maternity leave--to new fathers. CMA allows new fathers some time at home with wives and newborns.

"We know their minds are going to be on their families at this time," says Roland. "This is one of the ways we try to create a total environment that supports employees."

Caroline McNeil is a free-lance writer and editorial consultant in Reston, Virginia.