5 Tips to Help Make Your Networking Organization Amazing
By Lisa Marie Platske
Are you thinking about starting an organization but don’t know what to do first? Or are you already the director of a group looking to expand your membership? If you’re interested in experiencing long-term growth and sustainability, apply these five principles to make your group excellent.

1. Leadership List. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Regardless of our talents or skill set, one person cannot do it all. The first step to creating or re-building any organization is to establish a strong board of directors. Recruit, volunteer, solicit or even beg for help. Getting a capable group of people together on your board is a must, and the aptitudes of each board member need to match the list of responsibilities dictated by his position.

2. Enthusiasm, Excitement and Extraordinary Events. An enthusiastic board produces excitement for the organization. Each meeting should be crafted as a must-attend event. Often times, women write meetings in their calendar and attend if nothing better comes up. Doing something different every time ensures that your meeting is the one that won’t be missed.

3. Ask! Determine what your membership wants by asking. Answering the following questions is important: Why did they join? What do they expect to get from the group? How will they measure their expectations? Create many venues to solicit information - e-surveys, written questionnaires and verbal solicitation - to ensure the needs of your members are being met.

4. What’s In It For Me? People want to know. Spell out the specific benefits of being a member at every meeting. Give members countless opportunities to highlight their businesses and network with others.

5. Make necessary changes. Too often, organizations become mired in “we’ve always done it that way” thinking. If something isn’t working, be flexible enough to make the necessary changes that will keep your membership interested.