BHAGs

 So, what is a BHAG?  It stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  Have you ever had one of those?  They say that 'If your goals don't scare you, they aren't big enough.'  And this one - 'When you want something as bad as you want to breathe, then you will succeed.'

Do you personally have any BHAGS?  The reason I ask is people become part of BNI to generate referrals in order to make more money and grow their business.  Why, so they can buy that larger home for their family, travel more and take their family on dream vacations, save money for their children for college, have more free time to spend with their families or play golf or whatever their hobbies and interests might be.

Typically people think about their goals at the beginning of a new year or when they start a new job or new business or most anything they start new.  As of October 1st, we started a new term with BNI.  Many of you started a new Leadership position in your BNI Chapter.  I bring this up because now is the time that the new chapter Leadership Teams sets their goals.  So, what would you like to see for goals for your chapter?  Why do I ask?  Because whatever the goals are for your chapter, has an impact on your success.  Is your chapter setting goals and implementing mechanisms and strategies to help their members meet their BHAGs?  Setting and having goals is like having a roadmap with a designated destination in mind.  Without goals, you're just wandering around with no intentions of getting anywhere.  

Chapter Members depend on their Leadership Team to set the Vision, Mission, and Goals for their Chapter.  Every business has these and your BNI Chapter should be no different.  The Vision, Mission, Goals, and Mechanisms are what keeps a BNI Chapter moving forward.  It's the roadmap to help chapter members get more referrals, get more revenue, and grow their business.  Does your chapter have a vision, mission, and goals?  Are they announced periodically at your meeting and compared to the actuals?  Are they entered in BNIConnect so members can view?  Ask your Leadership Team what your Chapter's Goals are.  

For the most part, successful motivated members want to be part of a successful motivated chapter.  They want to be a part of a team that also values their worth. If members don't perceive they are valued or getting the value of their membership, they will leave.  Members need to know what the goals and strategies are for the chapter and why they will help them be successful.  Members need to understand WIIFM (what's in it for me). If members don't understand why inviting visitors will help them get more business, then they are not going to put forth the effort to invite.  So when a chapter LT sets their goals for their chapter, they need to also have a clear plan in place to roll out the goals to the chapter members and explain how the chapter goals are going to help each member increase their bottom line.

Why is all of this important?  For a BNI Chapter to be successful it needs their Leadership Team to set a clear vision, mission, goals, and mechanisms.  Depending on how the chapter is currently doing, depends on where the chapter focus will be.  Sometimes chapters just need to get back to the basics and do a re-boot.  Start from scratch as if all the members were brand new.  For the Leadership Team, I would advise looking at your chapter as if you were the new coach.  Is your team struggling?  Are they on-hold, waiting to go back to in-person meetings?  Or on fire?  It doesn't matter if you're meeting in person or on Zoom, the basics of BNI are still the same.  And if the basic principles of BNI are implemented and followed, you will have successful members as well as a successful chapter.  It is up to the Leaders of the chapter to set the tone, be the role models, and LEAD their members to success. Leaders are expected set the Goals, design the mechanisms, and implement the plan that will help members be successful.

If you or your chapter need help and support, reach out to your Support Director Consultant.

Here are some additional resources:

Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be - Jack Canfield

Vince Lombardi Got it Right - Dr. Misner

Is Your Chapter on Fire, On Hold, or in a Hole -  Dr. Misner

Leadership Team Vision & Goals - BNI University

Goals Training - BNI University

And join the Facebook Group - Notably Green

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leader board for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.  Also, be sure and report your CEUs, 1 hour = 1 CEU.

Let me know if you have any questions and how I can be of help.  

 

To Your Success,

 

Annette Mason

Area Director Consultant

Leaky Bucket, Pilots, and Leadership Teams

                                  

So, what on earth does a leaky bucket, pilots, and Leadership Teams have in common you ask.  Here is a short video by Dr. Miser who explains - 

In the video, Dr. Misner talks about the Leaky Bucket theory of education and training.  I relate it to the game 'Telephone.'  Have you ever played that game?  Where you tell one person something and they, in turn, tell the next person and it goes through about 5 or 6 people and the story that the last person conveys is nowhere close to the original story.  That's why BNI has yearly as well as on-going training.  For one, things change.  Two, it is to ensure that everyone on the Leadership Team is doing all their duties and nothing is slipping through the cracks.  The 'leaky bucket happens when information/training is passed down from one Leadership Team to the next and some important key elements get left out.  Maybe not intentionally, but it happens.  

"As a leader, you can never stop investing in your own growth. There will never come a day when you know enough, have experienced enough, or have seen enough to get you through the challenges every leader faces."  ~ John Maxwell

Don't you want to be part of a team that is well trained and a high performing team?  Your Leadership Team is the pilot, co-pilot, navigation team, etc. for your chapter.  You depend on them to lead you in the right direction, therefore you want them to be trained and taught the right way to do things.  I wouldn't think, as a business person, you would want to be lead or coached by someone who was not trained in their position.  And BNI tenure is not a replacement for Leadership Training.  One of the Core Values in BNI besides Life Long Learning is Traditions and Innovation.  Things change and it's important that BNI Leadership Teams keep up with the changes and learn new and better ways of doing things.

There is one more Leadership Summit, Wednesday, Sept. 23rd.  Click here to register to attend.

Chapter Members also depend on their Leadership Team to set the Vision, Mission, and Goals for their Chapter.  Every business has these and your BNI Chapter should be no different.  The Vision, Mission, Goals, and Mechanisms are what keeps a BNI Chapter moving forward.  It's the roadmap to help chapter members get more referrals, get more revenue, and grow their business.  Does your chapter have a vision, mission, and goals?  Are they announced periodically at your meeting and compared to the actuals?  Ask your Leadership Team what your Chapter's Goals are.  

Why is all of this important?  For a BNI Chapter to be successful it needs a well trained motivated Leadership Team with a clear vision, mission, goals, and mechanisms.  It doesn't matter if you're meeting in person or on Zoom, the basics of BNI are still the same.  And if the basic principles of BNI are implemented and followed, you will have successful members as well as a successful chapter.

If you or your chapter need help and support, reach out to your Support Director.

Here are some additional resources:

 Leaky Bucket Syndrome - Dr. Misner

Why Everyone Should go to Leadership Training - Dr. Misner

Why do I have to go to Leadership Training Again? - Dr. Misner

Leadership Team Vision & Goals - BNI University

Goals Training - BNI University

For previous articles refer to my Notably Green Blog.

And join the Facebook Group - Notably Green

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leader board for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.  Also, be sure and report your CEUs, 1 hour = 1 CEU.

Let me know if you have any questions and how I can be of help.  

 

To Your Success,

 

Annette Mason

Area Director Consultant

Are You a Leader or a Follower?

Being An Effective Follower Can 

Make You A Better Leader

Many years ago during in my career, when I first started interviewing people for sales positions, I was given a list of suggested questions to ask applicants.  One of those questions was, 'Do you consider yourself to be a Leader or a Follower?'  Nine times out of 10, I would first get a puzzled look as they thought of how to answer.  Over the years that question has stuck with me, as it is somewhat of a trick question, and I received a lot of interesting answers.

While contemplating how I was going to explain this concept and searching for graphics to add to this piece, I came across an amazing article that sums up this question.  I invite you to read it - 'From the Balcony.'  It explains it far better than I can.

As we start the process for Leadership Team selections, that question comes to mind.  Why?  Because within a chapter there are many members with different skill sets. To make a chapter successful it takes having the right people with the right skill sets being placed in the position where they can use their skill set to the best advantage.  Moreover, if that person likes what they are doing, they'll do a better job.

I believe for chapters to be successful all members need to do their share, be involved, and contribute beyond just showing up for the meeting each week.  By each member being involved and contributing, many hands make light work and everyone shares in the success of the chapter.

We are all busy, but if we are going to be part of something and want to be part of a successful organization, we have to be more than a name on a membership roster.

I bring this up now because most chapters will be polling their members soon to ask who do they think would be good in which Leadership roles in their Chapter and asking members which roles they feel they would like to be considered for.  If you want to be more involved and see changes made in your Chapter, then step up and ask to be considered.  Where can you put your skillset to good use?

Here are some additional resources:

Leadership Transition - Dr. Misner

Host Leadership - Dr. Misner

Dog Sled Leadership - Dr. Misner

Leadership - Opportunity or Obligation - Hazel Walker

Create Impact on the Leadership Team - Hazel Walker

Overview Leadership Change Over - Hazel Walker

For previous articles refer to my Notably Green Blog.

And join the Facebook Group - Notably Green

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leader board for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.  Also, be sure and report your CEUs, 1 hour = 1 CEU.

Let me know if you have any questions and how I can be of help.  

 

To Your Success,

 

Leadership

This time of year the new incoming Leadership Team is getting prepared to take on their new positions as of October 1st.  There is BNI University online training as well as their attendance at one of the BNI Regional Summits.

So what does it mean to be a leader in BNI?  It means that the member has made the decision to step up and serve his or her chapter beyond that of just being a member.  This gives the member an opportunity to build their credibility within their chapter as well as the BNI community.  Often times members who make this commitment are tenured members, but then again it can be a newer member who is looking to be more involved.  Either way, BNI provides the training, mentoring, and guidance for each member to learn what they need to carry out their role and responsibilities successfully.

One of the most valued aspect of BNI is the training that is provided.  In Podcast #214, Dr. Misner asks the question, 'Would you want to fly in a plane with a person who had not been to pilot training?'  Yes, I realize that BNI training is not quite as critical as a pilot's training, however we do want our leaders trained in the best practices of their position.  

Many times I hear, well I've been with BNI for a number of years, why do I have to go thru this training?  Because things change.  BNI is always working to improve and to provide better ways of doing things.  And BNI wants everyone to be the best at their position as possible and for them to know what resources they have at their disposable to do their jobs successfully.  After all, most people are expected to take additional training in his/her given business to stay up to date with their field.  

The Leaders in a BNI Chapter set the tone and the pace of the Chapter.  If they are positive and working towards the good and goals of the chapter, then the members also want to be a part of that.  Speaking of Goals, now is the time the Leadership Team set the Goals for their upcoming term.  Where do you want to see your chapter a year from now?  What do you want your legacy to be?  How do you plan to achieve your goals?  Success just doesn't happen by accident, it takes creating a vision, establishing goals, and creating activities (mechanisms) to achieve those goals.

Keys to a Successful Year in Leadership:

1. Get Everyone on the Team Trained - Online and Live Summit

2.  Create a Chapter Vision and Set Chapter Goals

3.  Set Expectations - Share the Vision and Goals with Chapter

4.  Track Progress and adjust as needed

5.  Provide ongoing Recognition and Celebrate Success

Your Support Team is here to help you, i.e. Your Director Consultant, Area Director, Senior Director, and Executive Directors.  If you or your chapter need help or have questions, reach out.

Here are some additional resources:

Why Leadership Training

Host Leadership

5 Dysfunctions of a Team

8 Rules for World Class Leadership

Dog Sled Leadership

Behaviors and Credibility

For previous articles on Leadership refer to my Notably Green Blog.

And join the Facebook Group - Notably Green

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leader board for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.  Also, be sure and report your CEUs, 1 hour = 1 CEU.

Let me know if you have any questions and how I can be of help.  

 

To Your Success,

 

Is Your Chapter On Fire, On Hold, or In a Hole?

From September 2018

    

On October 1st each chapter will welcome a new Leadership and Support Team.  By then they will have completed their training, set their goals, and mechanisms to achieve their goals for their upcoming term.  Their goals will be the things they want to accomplish for the upcoming year.  The mechanisms will be how they will  accomplish those goals.

I like to ask each new incoming Leadership Team, how do you want to be remembered a year from now?  What do you want to accomplish?  Where is your chapter now and where do you want it to be a year from now?  What do you want your legacy to be?  Set your Chapter's goals accordingly?

 

Support Team Members and Chapter Members need to consider these questions also and determine how they need to contribute to the overall goals of the chapter.

So where is your chapter now?  In Dr. Misner's podcast #480 - 'Is Your Chapter On Fire, On Hold, or In a Hole?,' he describes these stages.  (Below is a summary of the podcast.  I recommend listening or reading it in it's entirety). 

On Fire

These chapters are energized, goal-oriented, and thriving. They're generating a lot of referrals with a high value. They're the biggest groups-or on their way to being it. Members of the leadership team attend all the required trainings, and more. BNI members in these chapters have completed their BNI Connect profiles and pass referrals every week. They conduct effective one-to-ones. And they have fun together.  The majority of the members have a green or yellow for their Power of One Report.

On Hold

These chapters are still generating referrals and revenue, but they're just going through the motions. They do the minimum and get average results. Sometimes these groups have been on fire in the past, but became complacent and started to slide. They've often given up on growth, and don't follow all the suggestions of their regional directors and the BNI policies.

In a Hole

These chapters are struggling with attendance. They're not holding members accountable. They have difficulty retaining members. These chapters focus on problems rather than solutions. They don't follow the agenda and policies of BNI very well, and they often regard their regional director as an outsider rather than a resource.

Where does your group stand right now? If your group is on fire, congratulations. That's how BNI is supposed to be. If your group is on hold, it's not that hard to transition to being on fire. Even if you're in a hole, you can break out of that, as long as the leadership team and the membership are committed to change.

The key to improvement is being very honest with yourself, recognizing where you are, and want to make improvements to be more successful and productive. 

Why settle for mediocrity when excellence is an option?  Excellence is an option in all BNI chapters all around the world. 

It was Jim Collins in Good to Great who said, "What is the enemy of good?" People would say, well, bad. That is not the answer.  The question is "What is the enemy of great?" and most people answer "bad". The answer to what is the enemy of great is good. Not bad. Good is the enemy of great.

You have heard people say it. "That is good enough." "That will work." Oftentimes, and certainly in BNI, good is the enemy of great. On hold is often good, but on fire is great.

One way to determine which stage your chapter is in, is have all of the members complete the 'Rate Your Chapter worksheet which can be downloaded from this link.  This is a great assessment tool.  Ask your members to be very honest with their answers.  Evaluate the ratings and take action accordingly moving forward.  Build your goals to take your chapter from good to GREAT!!

I will close with some quotes for Leadership Teams, Support Team Members, as well as all Chapter Members. 

 

The Leadership team sets the tone for the chapter.  

As quoted by Mark Kay Ash - 'The speed of the Leader is the speed of the Team.'  

Charles Lauer - 'Leaders don't force people to follow, they invite them on a journey.'

Leaders are developers, team builders, imaginers, cultural caretakers, roadblock removers and inspirers.  Their success depends on enabling the success of others.

The Entire Team is important.

T.E.A.M. Definition - 'Together Each Achieves More.'

Henry Ford said 'Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.'

Mother Teresa - 'I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot, but together we can do great things.'

So what contributions are you making to the success of Your team/to the chapter?  There are many tasks that need to be done.  Talk to your Leadership Team as to your skill set and what you can do to contribute.  By becoming more involved, you increase you Visibility which increases your Creditability.

Here are some additional resources:

Understanding Chapter Lifecycles

#475 A Path to Business Leadership

#396 Host Leadership

Tips for being a stronger Leader

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leaderboard for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.

Leadership - Getting the Right Team in Place

From June 2018

 

This time of year Chapters are in the process of selecting the Leadership Team for the new term which begins October 1st.  Your chapter may have asked you for your input as to who do you think should serve in certain positions (and/or may have asked you to serve.)  This also gives you the opportunity to write your name in for a position in which you would like to serve.

So why should you serve in a leadership position?  

- More visibility in that serving in a leadership role gets you in front of your fellow chapter members as well as the visitors

- Build credibility - by serving in a leadership role and carrying out the responsibilities, you are building your credibility with your fellow chapter members.

- Leads to Profitability - One member recently gave a testimonial that she received 51 referrals last year and she attributed it to her serving in a leadership role.

So now is the time to let your current Leadership Team know you are willing to serve.  Which positions do you think you could be the most effective?

In Podcast #357, Dr. Misner and his guests discuss the Secrets to Great Leadership Teams.

Here are some key points from the podcast - 

• The speed and tone of the leadership team affect the speed and tone of the chapter.
• It's that way in any business. It is that way in any organization. Chapters that just rock, almost always have a leadership team that is really on top things, highly engaged. They are, in fact, leaders.
• Accountability is the key to successful chapters.
• Accountability is important and focusing on those metrics is what makes a chapter successful. Predictors of success include looking at the metrics of a chapter. It is one of the reasons why so as much information is put into BNI Connect, our online program, as possible. How is the attendance? How many referrals are being passed? What is the thank you for closed business?  Then, focusing on that accountability with the leadership team is really key. That means you have to have discussions people about how they are doing. 
• Leadership teams are the key to accountability.
• They are the keys to accountability and the way they do it can make a big difference in the culture of the chapter.  There has to be rules. You can't run a sports match without having rules. You can't run a network effectively without having rules, unless you just want to make it a social club. There has to be rules.  There need to be discussions that are positive and supportive.  So you have got to hold people accountable, but you have to do it in a caring way. Leadership teams who get that down really work.

People who make good leadership team members make good leaders in general. Serving on your BNI chapter's leadership team develops your abilities as a leader-and it will also bring you more business, because it increases your professional credibility.

So perhaps you think you don't have the skill set for a particular position?  That's OK.  If you are committed to helping to build a better chapter, let your current Leadership Team that you are willing to serve.  BNI will provide the training.

 

Here are some additional resources:

Secrets of Great Leadership Teams #357

 Dog Sled Leadership #351

A Path to Leadership #475  

Principles of Team Transition

From August 2017

We are approaching the time of the year for Leadership Transition.  In order to have a smooth seamless transition the out-going LT/Support Team needs to 'hand the baton' to the in-coming LT/Support Team.

By this time all the Leadership and Support positions should be selected.  Now what's next?

In order for a smooth transition : 

• Make sure every member who has committed to be part of the LT/Support teams is committed to going to Fall LT Training, know the dates, and has put it on their calendar.  Review Podcast #494
• Make sure every member receives their LT/Support Manual ASAP by having them sign the pre-approval LT or Support Agreement forms and returning them to BNI.
• Have the Out-going LT/Support Team members meet with their in-coming LT/Support Team counterparts for training and exchange of information, duties, etc. Review Podcast #510 prior to Fall LT Training.
• The LT needs to meet prior to the August LT Roundtable to work on completing the Chapter Support plan and Goal Setting.
• The In-Coming LT, i.e. President, VP, and Secretary/Treasurer needs to attend the August RT together, if at all possible.  Bring with them their completed Chapter Success Plan, Goals, and Mechanisms.
• All of those Chapter Members who have stepped up into a Leadership or Support Team role attends Fall Leadership Training (going all together, if at all possible).
• Oct. 1st - The New Leadership takes over.

Training Dates, Times, & Locations:

Monday, Sept. 18, 12:30 - 6PM 

Mansour Center 

995 Roswell Street NE 

Marietta, GA 30060

Wednesday, Sept. 27th, 12:30 - 6PM 

Buford Community Center
2200 Buford Hwy NE
Buford, GA 30518 

 Please let me know if you have any questions and/or how else I may be of help. 

 

 Be sure and check out the training section for some new webinars, in particular Monday Morning Mugs.  Cathy Barbieri, BNI Atlanta Executive Director, leads these webinar every Monday Morning with insightful ways to get the most from your BNI membership.  This is specifically for BNI members & guests held each Monday at 8:30 a.m. to get better results from networking -- regardless of if you join or not! 

What Dog Sled Teams Can Teach Us About Leadership

From August 2016

By Dr. Ivan Misner

  My wife and I had the opportunity to experience a dog-sled excursion while visiting the Ice Hotel in Sweden last year. While waiting to get onto the sleds and take off across the frozen river, we observed a very interesting behavior exhibited by the lead dogs in each dog team.

Virtually all of the dogs in the pack were leaping and straining against their harnesses, barking, yipping, howling, and generally making quite a ruckus. However, Beth and I noticed that the lead pair quietly sat still, keeping a close eye on the mushers. There may have been the occasional woof from one of the lead dogs, but overall they were on full alert, silent, and attentive, waiting for the signal that it was time to move.

I sat there for many minutes watching and marveling at this dynamic. It struck me that this was a great metaphor for leadership in general. The lead dogs were observing and mostly silent despite the fact that all around them the rest of the pack was constantly barking, pulling, and straining on the lines.

The lead pair in each team had a single-minded focus: wait for the signal so that they could lead the pack out onto the trail.

Great leaders often do something similar. In business sometimes people get excited about something or another and begin to strain and pull, noisily expressing their desire to move in a certain direction or take a specific action, NOW. Sometimes they do it very aggressively.

However, a good leader remains alert and attentive, not overreacting to the chaos around them. They wait for the right time and the right cue to move forward.

They are ready to lead the team in the right direction for optimum success.

Good leaders respect the process and provide trustworthy leadership in the work environment. They know the right time to move ahead and the right time to sit tight. They know the difference, because they, or someone they trust, have been over these trails many times before. The team may get excited, anxious, or even become demanding, yet still these strong leaders remain steady and calm.

We noticed another thing on that sled ride. When the lead dogs stood up and prepared to respond to the musher's cue to run, the rest of the pack got quiet and settled down. They knew it was time to get to business. They were ready to pull in the same direction.

When a team is pulling in the same direction, following a strong and calm leader, who is observing the cues from others or their own experience, the path of the team will be true and sound.

It struck me that this metaphor is perfect for BNI. Although any leader may "bark" from time to time, it is the strong, calm, and confident leader that is best at getting a team to follow.

Soon it will be time to renew Leadership Teams in BNI. Look for leaders who know the process (or are willing to be trained) - who will be strong, confident, and calm in leading your group to success. The quality of the Leadership Team often determines the quality of the group.

Act as if.....

Act As If......   

Your Key to Success

From October 2013.

October starts a New Year with our BNI Chapters. New Officers, new vision, new goals, etc. Last month I wrote about 'Your Ticket to Success,' which had to do with creating a vision, goals, etc. for the Chapter. This month I want to take it one step further....'Acting as if,' which I believe is the key to Success. I know this technique will work because it has worked for me in the past.

For a description of how to apply this technique, I suggest reading this blog post -http://www.creativepathtogrowth.com/the-path-to-success-act-as-if  by Sherry Collier. She describes the technique for the individual and for a business. This same technique can be applied to a BNI Chapter.

How you say? First the Chapter has to be very specific about what it wants their Chapter to 'look like' in a future state, say a year from now. Does it want to double, triple in size? With committed members contributing to the success of the Chapter? If so, then 'paint the picture' to the Chapter. With the help of the members, write the Chapter's Vision/Mission statement as if you have already achieved that level of success. Post it so that visitors and potential members who attend your meetings can see it. Read it at every meeting.

If your Chapter is small and/or has new members that can't quite grasp what a 30/40 member Successful Chapter would look/act like, then go on a field trip and visit one. You want to see/feel their energy, their commitment, their organization, etc. Encourage Chapter members to have one on ones with members of a 30/40 member Chapter. The dynamics are very different from a small Chapter.

Other ways to Act As If:

-        Recruit new members. What open seats are you trying to fill? Who in the community is viewed as successful in their industry? Go talk with them. Invite them to your meeting. If they aren't interested in submitting an application, ask who would they recommend in their industry.

-        Interview prospective new members. Make sure they are going to be a good fit for your Chapter, not just a warm body. Make sure they understand the commitment of BNI. Make sure they have a Givers Gain philosophy. Make sure they will work to help the Chapter as a whole be successful

-        Define their industry classification. Within industries there can be several different sub categories, i.e. insurance, health & wellness, etc. Make sure when the new member is accepted that their industry classification is defined, so there will be room for growth within that industry category. You do not want industry 'hogs' in your Chapter, because that doesn't leave room for growth. Plus in the long run if the member tries to represent to much, the other members get confused as to what they really do and have problems referring to them.

-        Ensure new members are successful. This is where the Mentor Coordinator comes in. From the time the new member is sworn in, the MC should have an initial meeting with them, go over the basics of BNI, assign them a Mentor, get them signed up for Member Success Training, be available to answer their questions, offer constructive feedback, and check in with them periodically their first 90 days to ensure they are on the right track.

-        Hold members accountable. If members are not adhering to the guidelines of BNI, then the BNI outlined action steps should be followed. If members aren't held accountable, then they assume what they are doing is acceptable. For example, a large Chapter has a waiting list of prospective members, so if a current member is lax in any areas, the BNI guidelines are followed to the letter, so that if the lax member does not adhere to the BNI guidelines, then their seat is opened.

-        Take responsibility. This applies to every member in the Chapter. Every member needs to have the commitment to work to make the Chapter successful. Not sitting on the sidelines wanting someone else to do the work for them. I love the quote...'If it's to be, it's up to me.'   Step up and take responsibility. Get involved and be a part of your Chapter's Success.

-        Run the Chapter like a business. BNI is a business, a successful business. It has a system, a system that works. Follow the system, it works.

So what is your vision for your Chapter? Can you close your eyes and see it? If you can, then go work with your fellow committed Chapter members and make it happen!