As I finish my ninth week as executive director at DallasHR, I couldn’t be more excited about
joining this amazing organization and experiencing the way this new journey has kicked off. I’ve
already had the pleasure of meeting many of our dedicated volunteer leaders and many
additional members at several of our events these past two months…and I look forward to
meeting the rest of our amazing volunteers and members.
Every now and then, I will share some thoughts I hope you find useful, insights from my own
experience. Today, I am addressing the value of membership organizations – a topic that, given
my professional background, seems to continually pop up for me when talking with members.
From my perspective, it really comes down to your engagement and how much time you invest
that makes the real difference. Members who put in time and energy tend to see more value
and get more of a “return" – regardless of whether your goal is to grow your relationship
network, gain more knowledge through education and best practice sharing, or to support your
professional development through volunteering. Recently, I likened it to an analogy of a
gym membership.
You pay a membership fee to both DallasHR and your health club; however, if you’re going to
improve your health – physical or professional, you must engage and be an active participant.
We all have great intentions when joining either type of organization; but, the onus is on us
personally to engage and get value from the membership. Would you expect your health/body
to improve if you never actually stepped into the gym you joined to work out? It’s the same with
professional associations. At DallasHR, we are committed to making sure the "equipment" or
offerings we provide, help engage every member – in whatever area you desire.
A thought to ponder: How are you engaging in your professional health?