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By Deborah Silvi, Houston chapter
I recently talked with Linda Oestreich, who is a Region 5 director-sponsor candidate, about her thoughts on chapter issues and how she might help with these issues if she becomes the next Region 5 director-sponsor.
Deborah: Thinking about the many different types of chapters we have in the region and their diverse needs, what services or processes should the Society be providing to chapter leaders; and how could you as director-sponsor help?
Linda: The Society has a lot of good processes and services in place, but sometimes chapter leaders don't know about them. For example, the Society offers help with hotel and vendor contract negotiations for major events such as regional conferences, yet many chapters jump into negotiations on their own without asking for help.. I don't think the problem is really with missing services or processes; instead, it's more a matter of chapter leaders not being aware of everything the Society offers. Much of this is because chapter leaders change from year to year and chapters seldom practice succession training.
Director-sponsors should know what's going on the region, be in touch with chapter presidents, and continually remind chapter leaders about the different resources the Society provides.
Deborah: What is your role in meeting chapter member needs in general?
Linda: It's not really possible for the director-sponsor to have contact with each individual member in a region, so it comes back to serving chapter leaders and listening to what they say about their membership needs. The director-sponsor must answer phone calls and emails and meet members during periodic chapter visits. The director-sponsor role is to take the needs of the membership to the board of directors and champion those needs into solutions. The organizational structure of STC is an inverted pyramid, the 20,000 plus membership is at the top! All STC leaders, no matter at what level, report to the general membership—those members are the true bosses of the Society.
Deborah: A lot of chapters today are being affected by the economic slowdown and company layoffs. Do you have any ideas about how chapters or the Society can address these issues for their members?
Linda: I've been in technical communication for a long time and have experienced many economic changes. Chapters can do a number of things to help their members, they can plan programs that support job searches, develop and maintain an active, online job bank, or host a share-the-knowledge seminar about career development and employment issues. STC is a good place to be in times of economic slowdown. It shouldn't be the first place people think about dropping out of.
Deborah: Any special thoughts or ideas for student chapters?
Linda: Student chapters are often at the mercy of their sponsoring academic institution. I have taught at several colleges that have technical writing programs and I know that many students juggle jobs and school. They seldom are interested in adding professional organization responsibilities to their load. So, it becomes our job as chapter leaders to get the word to them about the value of joining STC. Director sponsors should keep in touch with the student chapter sponsors and plan events that appeal to students. Students need to know that STC can help them find work, be better at that work, and establish networks that will help them long after they have received their degrees.
Deborah: What do you think are the most important qualities that a director-sponsor should possess?
Linda: A director-sponsor needs to be a good listener, a good communicator, and a good champion for their region. Good director-sponsors never ignore a problem, they work it until it's fixed. They return phone calls and they make sure the chapter leaders in their region know that they are always available. Successfully meeting all those qualities takes time and patience and a lot of learning. It's one of the reasons director-sponsors serve their regions for 3 years. It takes time to make a difference.