Stacy Merrill Surla [email_address] A Room of Our Own Starting IA Locals and Bringing IA to Work IA Summit March 25, 2006

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Point of this Session Help you create IA-friendly environments Concepts and strategies for starting IA local groups and fostering IA at work Introduction

Help you create IA-friendly environments

Concepts and strategies for starting IA local groups and fostering IA at work

Archetypal Situations Accidental Evangelist IA is a mystery to your boss; work holds little scope for IA practice Lone Wolf In EVERY social setting "I'm an IA" is a conversation stopper Young Hero You've brought IA to work and play and wonder what's next Quick Guide

Accidental Evangelist

IA is a mystery to your boss; work holds little scope for IA practice

Lone Wolf

In EVERY social setting "I'm an IA" is a conversation stopper

Young Hero

You've brought IA to work and play and wonder what's next

Useful Domains Project Management Planning Evangelism Organizational Value Volunteer Leadership Service Volunteerism Party Planning Networking IA Spa Quick Guide

Project Management

Planning

Evangelism

Organizational Value

Volunteer Leadership

Service

Volunteerism

Party Planning

Networking

IA Spa

Accidental Evangelist What do you need? A platform for doing your job Higher ground: a basecamp or even a handhold Your model can be enterpreneurship Successes tied to company goals Quick Guide

What do you need?

A platform for doing your job

Higher ground: a basecamp or even a handhold

Your model can be enterpreneurship

Successes tied to company goals

Accidental Evangelist How do you get it? Look throughout your company to see where you can add IA value Network, gain allies, and make contributions freely Get some wins for the boss OR tuck accomplishments / lessons learned into your portfolio and get hired where they'll appreciate you Caveat: you'll have to demonstrate your value there, too Quick Guide

How do you get it?

Look throughout your company to see where you can add IA value

Network, gain allies, and make contributions freely

Get some wins for the boss

OR tuck accomplishments / lessons learned into your portfolio and get hired where they'll appreciate you

Caveat: you'll have to demonstrate your value there, too

Lone Wolf What do you need? A place to go where everybody knows you’re an IA Learn, share, be wise, be the neophyte... The IA Summit all year around Quick Guide

What do you need?

A place to go where everybody knows you’re an IA

Learn, share, be wise, be the neophyte...

The IA Summit all year around

Lone Wolf How do you get it? Start a local IA group Try the easiest things Repeat the things that work Involve everyone who wants to take part Quick Guide

How do you get it?

Start a local IA group

Try the easiest things

Repeat the things that work

Involve everyone who wants to take part

Young Hero What should you be doing? Up the ante in Leadership, Service, and Party Planning Replicate your successes; then give it all away Link what you do to a larger matrix Speak at conferences Support IAI Local Groups Contribute your wisdom to other, related associations Quick Guide

What should you be doing?

Up the ante in Leadership, Service, and Party Planning

Replicate your successes; then give it all away

Link what you do to a larger matrix

Speak at conferences

Support IAI Local Groups

Contribute your wisdom to other,

related associations

Challenges and Opportunities IA at Work and IA Locals There are differences… However, approaches with IA locals also apply at work Challenges/Opportunities

IA at Work and IA Locals

There are differences…

However, approaches with

IA locals also apply at work

IA at Work – Challenges Dangers It's your job so you're on the line You might fail People might think you're stupid Difficulties Other ways of doing things are entrenched Pockets of resistance are distributed (this can also be a point of leverage) It can be very lonely Challenges/Opportunities

Dangers

It's your job so you're on the line

You might fail

People might think you're stupid

Difficulties

Other ways of doing things are entrenched

Pockets of resistance are distributed (this can also be a point of leverage)

It can be very lonely

IA at Work – Opportunities It's practice You will always have to sell IA to somebody - boss, clients, prospective bosses and clients You make a big impact Your company Your clients' projects Individuals who are attracted to your approach Your career Challenges/Opportunities

It's practice

You will always have to sell IA to somebody - boss, clients, prospective bosses and clients

You make a big impact

Your company

Your clients' projects

Individuals who are attracted to your approach

Your career

Local Groups – Challenges Disincentives You could fail to gather interest People might think you're stupid It's homework or unpaid overtime - it takes time from the rest of your life Knowledge gaps Where do you start? How does a volunteer group work? Overdoing? Underdoing? How to keep up momentum? Challenges/Opportunities

Disincentives

You could fail to gather interest

People might think you're stupid

It's homework or unpaid overtime - it takes time from the rest of your life

Knowledge gaps

Where do you start? How does a volunteer group work?

Overdoing? Underdoing?

How to keep up momentum?

Local Groups – Opportunities Spa Incredibly refreshing Validating You can have adult conversations Strengthens your sinews Good for you Challenges/Opportunities

Spa

Incredibly refreshing

Validating

You can have adult conversations

Strengthens your sinews

Good for you

Local Groups – Opportunities Not your job Work is the fuel, but you're freed from your work setting Start with certain axioms granted – so can focus on the interesting things Tap into a knowledge base and solve work problems It's good for your career Communal good You increase the endowment for your daughters and sons Challenges/Opportunities

Not your job

Work is the fuel, but you're freed from your work setting

Start with certain axioms granted – so can focus on the interesting things

Tap into a knowledge base and solve work problems

It's good for your career

Communal good

You increase the endowment for your daughters and sons

How To: IA at Work Philosophical approach Sell IA and further your career Resource List I refer you to other Summit sessions Selling IA - Getting Execs to say Yes, Samantha Starmer IA and Business track sessions See Resource List at end How To: IA at Work

Philosophical approach

Sell IA and further your career

Resource List

I refer you to other Summit sessions

Selling IA - Getting Execs to say Yes, Samantha Starmer

IA and Business track sessions

See Resource List at end

How To: Local Groups IA local approaches and lessons learned will also apply at work, and vice versa How To: Local Groups

IA local approaches and lessons learned will also apply at work, and vice versa

Philosophical Approach Spa Think of the Spa when organizing your group and planning activities. Everything should be refreshing, fun, meaningful, and good for you. How To: Local Groups

Spa

Think of the Spa when organizing your group and planning activities.

Everything should be refreshing, fun, meaningful, and good for you.

Practical Matters It's volunteering Read at least one book about organizing volunteers It's an organization Keep in mind you're creating an enduring non-profit organization How To: Local Groups

It's volunteering

Read at least one book about organizing volunteers

It's an organization

Keep in mind you're creating an enduring non-profit organization

Practical Matters It's largely party planning Keep things as simple as possible, but no simpler Repeat whatever works best Involve everybody who wants in Up the ante when you get good at it Replicate your successes Give it away Support IAI Local Groups Work with related associations Declare victory and celebrate How To: Local Groups

It's largely party planning

Keep things as simple as possible, but no simpler

Repeat whatever works best

Involve everybody who wants in

Up the ante when you get good at it

Replicate your successes

Give it away

Support IAI Local Groups

Work with related associations

Declare victory and celebrate

Events Face to Face Meetups Little or no agenda (dinner, cocktail/coffee hour) Easy agenda (book group) Planning meetings (events, activities, infrastructure) Presentations Deliverables fair Event redux Guest speakers (grab them when they’re in town) How To: Local Groups

Face to Face Meetups

Little or no agenda (dinner, cocktail/coffee hour)

Easy agenda (book group)

Planning meetings (events, activities, infrastructure)

Presentations

Deliverables fair

Event redux

Guest speakers (grab them when they’re in town)

Logistics Find good locations and reuse them Bookstores Coffee shops (particularly alternative ones) Public libraries Schools with related programs Your company Your abode How To: Local Groups

Find good locations and reuse them

Bookstores

Coffee shops (particularly alternative ones)

Public libraries

Schools with related programs

Your company

Your abode

Logistics "Good locations" means: Enough room for the number of people and the activity Right ambiance (e.g. for talking, socializing, sharing documentation, listening, etc) Centrally located, with good parking How To: Local Groups

"Good locations" means:

Enough room for the number of people and the activity

Right ambiance (e.g. for talking, socializing, sharing documentation, listening, etc)

Centrally located, with good parking

Logistics Reach people Start a list Announcements only, or discussion? Start a website How do maintain? (Blog?) How To: Local Groups

Reach people

Start a list

Announcements only, or discussion?

Start a website

How do maintain? (Blog?)

Logistics Get people involved Events Dan Brown: "We'll support flamenco dancing if an IA wants to organize it" Planning Maintenance Give them real ownership How To: Local Groups

Get people involved

Events

Dan Brown: "We'll support flamenco

dancing if an IA wants to organize it"

Planning

Maintenance

Give them real ownership

IA-do (The Way of IA) The secret is "service" Keep going Get people involved Be willing to give it away How To: Local Groups

The secret is "service"

Keep going

Get people involved

Be willing to give it away

Resources – IA at Work A Foray across Boundaries: Applying IA to Business Strategy and Planning Richard Dalton, Rob Weening, www.iasummit.org/2005/finalpapers/104_Presentation.ppt Selling IA: Getting Execs to say Yes Samantha Starmer, www.iasummit.org/2006/conferencedescrip.htm#138 2006 IA Summit Business & IA Track (see 2006 IA Summit Proceedings) Resources

A Foray across Boundaries: Applying IA to Business Strategy and Planning

Richard Dalton, Rob Weening, www.iasummit.org/2005/finalpapers/104_Presentation.ppt

Selling IA: Getting Execs to say Yes

Samantha Starmer, www.iasummit.org/2006/conferencedescrip.htm#138

2006 IA Summit Business & IA Track

(see 2006 IA Summit Proceedings)

Resources – Local Groups The Volunteer Recruitment Book Susan J. Ellis When Everyone's a Volunteer Ivan H. Sceier Yahoo Groups http://groups.yahoo.com/ Google Groups http://groups.google.com/ IAI Local Groups www.iainstitute.org/localgroups DCIA Local Group www.dc-ia.com Resources

The Volunteer Recruitment Book Susan J. Ellis

When Everyone's a Volunteer Ivan H. Sceier

Yahoo Groups http://groups.yahoo.com/

Google Groups http://groups.google.com/

IAI Local Groups www.iainstitute.org/localgroups

DCIA Local Group www.dc-ia.com

Resources – Project Management Project Management http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management The Art of Project Management Scott Berkun www.scottberkun.com/books/artofpm Resources

Project Management http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management

The Art of Project Management Scott Berkun www.scottberkun.com/books/artofpm

Stacy Merrill Surla [email_address]