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Let’s break down David Murray’s IABC town hall commentary, shall we?
By swilson | February 15, 2013
I was there, at Leadership Institute. And I am not on the international board right now. I am not just a long-time member, but a very, very long-time volunteer. Which is frankly more than I can say about many of the individuals writing snarky missives about IABC. Even David Murray refers to himself as an “IABC watcher” in his recent “coverage” of the town hall at LI – why don’t you try giving more of yourself David?
I came to LI after many years away because I’m being asked to expand my role on the Southern Region Board, a role I am happy to take on for the good of members, many of whom I call friends.
I found the experience of the town hall to be very positive. The leadership gave open and frank feedback to questions, acknowledged shortcomings and gave me confidence for the future. Unless you are engaged in the association as a volunteer, how can you possibly have a full grasp of the challenges? And how could you appreciate the time other volunteers give to move the organization in a different direction? Let’s face it, most of the IABC experience happens at the chapter level thanks to great local volunteers. But to get the full experience, you have to jump in with heart in hand.
I know how hard change is because I was on the receiving end of the arrows when I and the other US district directors at the time proposed changing the US map to a region structure. Change in IABC is very hard.
Let’s take a closer look at some of David’s commentary.
“…growing unrest…”: Much of this is stirred by a small group, several of whom are not members and nearly all of whom do not volunteer. They fuel the fire with negative commentary rather than constructive, useful solutions.
“…{Kerby’s} shambling style…”: As a former improv artist, Kerby brings a comic and sometimes sarcastic tone I appreciate. This isn’t brain surgery, it’s communication. This type of personal attack is not ok.
“…high failure rates…Russia…”: The high ABC failure rates are global, not specific to those areas. The discussion about areas outside North America and Europe actually focused on needing a different certification approach because the profession is very immature in these areas. My client work in Africa this past 18 months has proven that out for me personally. Moreover, as an ABC mentor, I can confirm how frustrating it is to wait 4, even 6 months for results, and then get marginal comments back. This is due to a lack of qualified evaluators. I want to thank those who have offered constructive concern and suggestions for the program.
“…people…were divorced from the…volunteers…”: Chris was speaking the truth. I quit volunteering at the international level years ago because of the clubby atmosphere among volunteers and the downright antagonistic attitude of staff. Chris is up against a big challenge in this area.
“…Nobody knows anything about IABC…”: Ok, maybe this was a little over stated, but in large part I think Chris is again speaking the truth. I am always amazed how many people I run into who’ve never heard of IABC. I take that as my evangelizing cue. He’s also correct about many organizations not recognizing the bottom-line value of communication. We’ve been talking about that for years, and it hasn’t improved much. Chris also is correct about his lack of accreditation not hurting his career. It won’t hurt you to not have it, but how much can it help you if you do? IABC has never quantified this. Being accredited never helped me much until I became a consultant.
“…It’s kind of difficult to call up everybody…lapsing…”: Communicating with lapsed members should be the responsibility of local/regional volunteers. If the lapsing member was a member of a chapter, that chapter needs to be on point. They get the reports and know who is lapsing. This is not something that should be the responsibility of international staff. The non-renewal rate is a reflection of the economy and a historic mindset that the employer must pay for the value I personally get from IABC. We need to change that member mindset and get chapters engaged in driving renewals. Chapter leaders at LI engaged in productive discussion about how to curb the trend.
In summary, I believe there is a small – and not so merry – band of individuals sabotaging the change effort with negative attacks. I’m sad because I used to count some of them as friends.
As I challenged those present at LI, I’ll challenge those in my broader community to contribute positive and constructive feedback and solutions. Change was overdue, but it won’t come easy. If you don’t believe in IABC, then get out of the conversation. If you do believe and are excited to make positive change happen, then step up, volunteer and give voice to your positive ideas.
It’s too easy to sit on the sidelines and throw arrows into the collective – much easier than being part of the collective in a participatory, positive and giving way. I choose the latter.
Topics: IABC, leadership | 4 Comments »
February 15th, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Stacy:
Thanks for the perspective from an attendee. For our colleagues who weren’t able to attend the town hall session, it can be viewed in its entirety at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGtha2E7ixY&feature=youtu.be.
Kerby Meyers
February 15th, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Stacy,
As a former IABC member who has watched this issue from the outside and occasionally commented on it, I respectfully disagree with several of your assertions.
This is a time when IABC needs to hear from everyone who has a vested interest in its survival and success. Because IABC has often touted itself as a leader in the profession, that includes industry journalists and commentators like David and former members like me. An organization can’t claim the mantle of industry leadership and then not expect criticism when it screws up (and there is little debate over the fact that IABC screwed up in its handling of staff layoffs and subsequent soul-searching discussions).
What gives me the right to criticize IABC if I’m no longer a member? Nearly 25 years as an active member, two terms as a chapter president, one term as a district director and three years on the Executive Board, including one on the Executive Committee, and being a former ABC, that’s what. I mention these things not in a haughty way, but to make the point that I feel IABC has let me down, and many others like me. Many of us have invested countless hours of our time and energy to an association that just can’t seem to get it right, and then when challenged about that fact, becomes defensive and engages in behaviors that are antithetical to what it has always preached.
If IABC is truly interested in changing — and I question whether it is — then it would invite its critics like David Murray and former members/leaders to the discussion to find out why they left.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Thanks for your comments Robert. Note that I didn’t say non-members can’t provide feedback. I did say that the feedback needs to be constructive. I also believe that to provide terrific constructive feedback, one needs some context. Context that comes with being a member and volunteering.
It’s fine to question whether the organization is interested in change, and it’s true that some past efforts haven’t been on target. I don’t disagree at all. But, the push to change is real. We need a bit of faith, a lot of positive dialogue and a respect for those who give their time, today and in the past.
I’m sorry you feel IABC let you down.
February 17th, 2013 at 9:56 am
Stacy:
We’re not friends anymore because I criticized IABC’s utterly and in some cases comically ham-handed approach to communicating what is the biggest change in the history of the association? That strikes me as strange.
Stranger, though, is your and other IABC leaders’ repeated implications or outright charges that I ought to stop criticizing the association and start working from within and making change.
You’re PR people, for Chrissakes. You should understand that there is (still) a role for journalism these days. Is that what you tell a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, who reports and comments on your client’s failures? To stop casting stones from without, and join the team?
(Yours is an old instinct, and a cynical one. Lyndon Johnson once tried to bring a critic into his administration because he’d “rather have him pissing out of the tent than pissing in.”)
Good luck in the IABC “collective.” I hope you do good work, and I intend to watch respectfully (and as quietly as I can) to see that you do.
And when the time comes, I’ll report exactly what I see. As I always did–back when we were friends–and as I will, as long as I think the association is important enough to the profession to deserve my vigilance.
David