If I hear one more chapter say, “We sent out a survey to find the best time for our monthly meeting, and then nobody came,” I may actually scream. The good news is that just as I am nearing that boiling point, a much-needed voice of reason entered the conversation.
In his recent piece, Scheduling – one of the hardest community challenges?, Fabian Pfortmüller gets to the heart of why so many groups stall out before they ever build momentum — hint: it’s scheduling — and offers advice on how they can get over that scheduling cliff.
First, I admit that I’m a great fan of Fabian and his thinking around building better communities. Perhaps that’s why this piece is really resonating with me. I encourage you to read the full post, but before you do, here are a few of his points that really jumped out to me:
- A consistent rhythm of touchpoints is crucial, but many groups never get over the scheduling cliff and, as a result, never develop momentum or consistency.
- The biggest risk of scheduling is it drains the energy of the volunteer leadership.
- The fewer time choices you offer are usually better. If the proposed time truly does not work, suggest one alternative. The goal is not to find the perfect date; it is to build momentum through a stable rhythm.
So what is my advice to chapter leaders? Stop trying to figure out the perfect time; instead, start thinking about the right content, the right channel, and the right rhythm.
Do this and just maybe you’ll get over that scheduling cliff.
*Submitted by Peggy Hoffman