Board Perspective
Small Changes, Big Rewards
It’s hard to believe, but at AIHce in Indianapolis I will have been on the Board
for one year! Some have likened the
first-year experience to drinking from
a fire hose. While I’ve sometimes felt
overwhelmed, I’ve also acquired valuable
knowledge and experience in these short
twelve months. I’ve been challenged by
well-educated peers, I’ve gotten to know
some individuals I might not have met
otherwise and I’ve acquired skills that
I can apply to my paying job. As I approach my one-year anniversary on the
Board, I’d like to share a few thoughts
that will serve me well not only during
the rest of my term but throughout my
career.
Make It Personal
Each of us chooses to become involved
with AIHA for primarily one of three reasons: to network, to learn or to give back.
Whatever your motivations for getting
involved, you want to feel welcomed. As
an introvert, I’m encouraged by invitations to participate or by welcoming
smiles from group members. I enjoy attending our local section meetings because, after 30 years, I know many of the
participants, and at the meetings I can
learn what they’re working on and how
their families are doing. In other words,
having a personal stake in my volunteer
work has made it more meaningful.
This year, after reflecting on the rea-
sons members get involved, as well as
my personal experiences at local sec-
tion meetings, I decided that I would
invite one new person as my guest to
each local section meeting. I try to find
out what their interests are and how at-
tending might be of value to them. This
small time commitment could lead to
big rewards—imagine how much positive
energy and strength we could generate
for AIHA if half our members personally
invited just one person to each event.
Divide and Conquer
Leadership Workshop is an annual event
that helps AIHA volunteers develop
leadership skills. One suggestion at last
year’s Workshop was to divide volunteer
tasks into smaller time commitments.
Having a personal
stake in my
volunteer work
has made it more
meaningful.
I’ve used this concept at work and in
my volunteer role. We often have new
projects that seem daunting; however,
if each member of the team takes on
smaller tasks, the project moves forward
and no longer feels difficult. For example, I’ve found that inviting one guest to
a meeting is a more palatable task than
focusing on an overall goal of increasing
attendance or membership.
In the volunteer realm, new local
section members may hesitate to com-
mit to serving as an officer, but perhaps
they’re willing to make nametags or be a
greeter at a meeting. These smaller roles
reduce the burden on the current officer
and allow new members to contribute.
This “divide and conquer” approach can
help us use smaller building blocks or
take shorter steps to achieve our goals
at work, at home and in our volunteer
commitments.
Welcome Change
Like many organizations, AIHA has
looked inward during the past few years
and made changes to be more competitive. At home and at work, we’re all
challenged by changes not within our
control. However, we can control how
we respond to those changes. A natural
response for many of us is to put our
heads down and work harder. Yet for
most of us, that won’t be a long-term
solution.
To make time for my Board activities,
I made some changes at work and at
home. It was difficult on both fronts, but
the changes have been positive, and I
wouldn’t have made them without my
Board commitment. As you approach job
assignments, local section meetings and
the upcoming conference, think about
how you can make it personal, divide
and conquer and welcome change. You,
your peers and your profession will all
benefit.
Dianne Grote Adams, CIH, CSP, CPEA, is president
of Safex, Inc. in Westerville, Ohio, a past chair of
AIHA’s Local Section Council, and a member of the
AIHA Board of Directors. She can be reached at
(614) 890-0800 or dgroteadams@safex.us.
