communication department

Volume XX Number 9

March 2006 (partial)

LCR Poised to Assume Sponsorship in May

By Ed Rutkowski, Editor, Tieline

Created to provide support and sponsorship to STC's communities, the Leadership Community Resource (LCR) will debut its pilot program in May 2006, one year ahead of schedule. The LCR's assumption of the sponsorship role represents a significant change in the way STC supports its volunteer leaders. Judy Glick-Smith, the current LCR manager, and De Murr, the leader of the LCR's Processes Team, recently spoke with me about the origins and structure of the LCR and shared details about how the LCR will fulfill its sponsorship responsibilities.

Origins and Structure

The roots of the LCR go back to 2003, when the board began its Transformation initiative. At that time, the consistency and effectiveness of the support provided to STC communities was an area of concern. Officially, chapters relied on their regional directors for sponsorship. But not all directors were equally skilled as sponsors, and the time required to be an effective sponsor kept some directors from serving in roles more suited to their abilities. Also problematic was the lack of uniform expectations—each director filled the sponsorship role as he or she saw fit—and the absence of support for special interest groups. After much deliberation, the board agreed that all communities needed more consistent support and approved a change to the STC Bylaws that removed the sponsorship role from the directors. The LCR was created to take over that role.

The first priority for Judy Glick-Smith, a fellow, former director, and past Society president who agreed to become the LCR's manager, was to find capable assistants. She enlisted Doug Woestendiek, a senior member and former assistant to the president for technology; Mike Murray, a senior member with experience on community administrative councils; and Murr, an STC fellow who has served extensively at both the community and Society levels, to recruit volunteers and form the committees necessary for the LCR to provide effective support for all communities. The LCR leadership quickly recruited more than fifty volunteers.

During her year as manager of the LCR, Glick-Smith has relied on her closest assistants to lead the LCR's three teams. The People Team, headed by Murray, is responsible for identifying and training mentors. The first significant portion of that training will occur at Leadership Day on Sunday, May 7, the opening day of STC's 53rd Annual Conference in Las Vegas. The People Team will roll out additional training throughout the year. Murr's Processes Team is writing the guidelines that will govern the LCR's operations and is currently looking for volunteers to help revise STC's Chapter Handbook (contact Elizabeth Bailey). Among the projects undertaken by Woestendiek's Technology Team is the creation of an LCR Web page, which will feature a sign-up form for mentors and leadership resources for community leaders.

At its recent meeting in Atlanta, STC's board of directors approved a change to the STC Bylaws that grants standing committee status to the LCR. This action weaves the LCR into the fabric of Society governance. The LCR will report to the board through STC's executive director, a unique arrangement that will encourage cooperation between the LCR and the STC office. The communities affairs committee, comprising one third-year director, one second-year director, and one first-year director, will oversee the LCR.

The Mechanics of Sponsorship

So how will sponsorship work under the LCR? Starting in May 2006, community leaders who need assistance in any and all matters related to governing a community will have two options for alerting the LCR: They can either contact the STC office (which will notify the LCR) or submit an online form. The LCR will assign a mentor based on the community's stated needs and the mentor's qualifications. For example, a community that needs help filling out its financial report will be put in touch with a mentor who has served as a community treasurer. Communities that want to resolve an internal conflict among volunteers, add a members-only section to their Web sites, or organize a regional conference will be assigned mentors with relevant experience. Also, the LCR's "triage" committee is prepared to assist communities that are experiencing critical problems, such as an acute shortage of money or officers.

The success of the LCR will depend on its mentors. Anyone interested in mentoring is encouraged to attend Leadership Day. After the conference, all senior STC members will be e-mailed information about how to declare their interest in mentoring. According to Murr, the primary qualification for mentors is "to be passionate about the field of technical communication and the success of STC as the primary organization supporting the field. Additional requirements are experience in leading and managing community, regional, or Society-level activities. Anyone who has served in multiple roles within a community has experiences that can help other STC leaders."

The Near Future

The early rollout allows the LCR to take over sponsorship of communities in STC's regions 2 and 3, whose directors will reach the end of their terms in May. (Because of changes to STC's Bylaws, incoming directors will represent the Society at large and not a particular region.) However, the LCR will be available for all communities, both geographic and virtual—not only those in regions 2 and 3.

By May 2007, the LCR will have an official selection process in place that will help identify qualified mentors. Until then, those interested in mentoring will be asked to indicate areas where they feel qualified to help community leaders.

For more information on the LCR, please read the status update posted at www.stc.org/transformation/article16.pdf. Please direct questions about the LCR to Judy Glick-Smith at judy@glicksmithgroup.com.