Today we bring you another episode of Exec Direct, postings by STC Executive Director Susan Burton. Exec Direct presents a more personal, informal, and direct discussion with Susan Burton on a variety of topics, STC-related and not.
In my last blog entry I wrote about how STC is similar to other associations. This posting is on how STC is different than other associations.
The first and most notable difference is that STC members’ writing skills are, well, just plain better. Better does not even begin to describe the difference. The STC membership’s collective degree of expertise is exponentially superior to members of other associations where I have worked.
STC members are intellectually curious, which makes them interesting people. They demonstrate an outstanding facility with words, concepts, and ideas. They exhibit a high degree of competence regarding correct grammar and punctuation.
This high level of skill may not be surprising to you based on what STC members do for a living, but I found it astonishing and a bit intimidating. There are a number of members in STC whose writing outstrips my own—and I tested in the top 1 percent in the SAT exams in writing communication. I have wondered more than once how high STC members must have scored! (In fact, I suspect some of them could have written the exam!)
The second difference is the degree to which STC members are process-oriented compared to outcome-oriented. Members of trade associations, especially CEOs of corporations, are outcome-oriented, hands down. At one trade association where I was the chief staff executive, the board set very broad objectives and gave me total latitude on how I would get the job down. They were completely indifferent to the process. As any STC member can tell you, sometimes the process itself is part of the outcome. But when I would try to explain how different approaches might have different results, they were not interested.
STC members, on the other hand, tend to be the exact opposite. Process sometimes seems to be the purpose. I greatly appreciate those who serve in leadership roles, whether with the Society, on the board or committees, or in community positions, since another difference with STC is that our members tend to be harder working than volunteers in other associations where I have worked. But there have been a few instances when I have questioned if the group has lost sight of the goals and the deadline because there is so much discussion on what the process should be.
I do need to clarify, however, that this is not always true. In fact, this year in particular, the STC Board has had to deal with some very hard and difficult choices and they have done so with grace, courage, and decisiveness.
And lest I be misunderstood: I want to be clear that either approach—an overemphasis on results or an overemphasis on process—is ultimately ineffective. There has to be a sense of balance.
The third difference is STC members overall are far more comfortable with and knowledgeable about the tools of technology than other memberships. An overwhelming majority of STC members have email addresses—this contrasts sharply with some associations that have given up asking for email addresses. Also, a large percentage of STC members join or renew online—again, not true in many associations. But despite the STC membership being ahead in general, there is there is also a much wider variance within STC membership on aptitudes and interests. Some members are early adopters, learn new tools with ease, and love the new social media vehicles. Others know how to use one or two tools very well but do not want to have to learn one more thing and vehemently hate being asked to participate in social media. This variance is one of biggest strategic challenges STC faces.
That’s it for now. What other differences do you see?