June 9, 2023
Respect, a Humble Brag and an Inside Look
This blog runs primarily on visual story telling. It’s hard to provide compelling stories when all the work on your behalf has been done over the phone and emails and sidebar visits. But this week I did find something I thought was worth a story. Every time I went up front here at the MDA office, I noticed this growing stack of items, and I heard many deliberate conversations. Both centered around our upcoming Connect4Success conference in two weeks. It’s close to go time, and we have to figure out all the essentials to bring so we can transform Margaritaville into a successful and enjoyable gathering for all who attend. This includes nametags, signage, gifts, tents, projectors, CE packets and more. Discussions focus on how to be wise with our budget, how to be efficient with our service and how to make it fun and positive for our members. There are myriads of details as you can imagine.
In my years at the MDA, one of the things I’m most proud of is our member events. Whatever they are, from BOT meetings to Food for Thought lunches to big conferences, they are well prepared and delivered. Association work is a different animal. I have mad respect for my colleagues’ unique skills in organization, preparation, presentation and execution. But just as equally, I admire their emotional investment in the work. They care about members and they have longevity because we have great members. Does everything always go right? No. Is the occasional awkward interaction surface? Of course. That’s just life. But my scattered experience over many different states, work settings and events, tell me we have it pretty good here at the MDA. It starts at the top and it is evident in each person. Shout out to Vicki, Stacey, Melissa, Margie, Mandy, Denise and Halie. These talented women crank out good work in our little corner of the world.
Ok, hopefully you agree with this based on your experience. If you’ve yet to taste it, join us at Connect4Success. It’s not too late (online registration closes next weekend; after that you’ll have to do so on site).
The Week Ahead
Most of the activity centers around the upcoming House of Delegates which occurs at the end of the C4S event. This is the first time in my tenure that it hasn’t been in November. Plus we have a staff meeting and some other activities that should yield some photos that are more interesting than a pile of items.
Quote of the Week
“High performing teams of employees who go the extra mile understand the purpose of their roles.” – Gianluca Bregoli
