Earlier this year, I was asked to speak at the CII’s Network Conference on the subject of Making yourself Memorable. This was because the audience was largely made up of incoming presidents who were keen to make their mark during their term. As well as sharing the 7 principles I also wanted to showcase some good practice – what have other memorable presidents been doing successfully?
So, as part of my research I asked to speak to a number of presidents who were doing sterling work in this area. And therefore I thought it would be useful to share my findings.
Getting younger people involved in the Institute
Institute of Sussex’s 20/20 programme has been pioneering approaches – and seen a huge upturn in younger members. Mark Longford and his team are driving this initiative and very happy to share his strategy with other institutes.
Some institutes have asked their local employers to send their young high performers to the President’s dinner – they are given that place for free – and this then allows them to start building contacts within the industry.
Linked In – is seen as the most appropriate social media channel to use for CII – some institutes set up their own group. It can also be used to write testimonials so that everyone can see what good work they are doing on the Council.
Increasing Event Attendance
Making sure that when emails with event invitations go out – they also contain the info about the forthcoming 3 events.
Positioning the local institute
It can be helpful to position the CII as a way to develop skills that may not be offered by employers. Therefore some institutes had held meetings with local employers to see what skills gaps they have – with a view to the CII being able to plug those gaps.
Team work
Some institutes created a team which consists of the President, their deputy and the deputy’s deputy to develop a 3 year plan so that there a much longer time frame in which to make an impact. It is also crucial that all the council or committee members have a role to play so that they are engaged.
President’s dinner
Some Presidents decide to hold it at the start of their term so that they set out their stall – possibly more useful than reflecting on what has been achieved as more people can potentially help you achieve your objectives.
What might you do to make yourself memorable during your term?