Relationships are the key to Optimist Club growth

For months, maybe years, I have been espousing the need for true engagement between Optimist International leaders and Optimist Club members.  For me, there seems to be a disconnect between what the clubs want and what the international office is willing or able to provide. The result: Optimist Clubs are entrepreneurial; they do what is needed in their club and community at any given time within their own framework and knowledge-base.

Is this a good or bad thing? Well, as the saying goes that I so dislike, it is what it is. It is neither good or bad for the successful Optimist Club that is able to serve their community year-after-year. But can the same be said for the club who is burnt out and not so successful? Are they at risk for terminating their service in their community?

Or how does that affect the organization known as Optimist International? What is their investment in a locally-driven project? What is their ownership? What is their involvement or what should it be? 

This is the discussion that I believe needs to be had between the organization and its internal customers. Optimist Clubs and their members pay to be a part of Optimist International; therefore, they need to discuss: 

• What do they receive for that payment? 
• Is the perceived value the same for all communities? If not, why not? 
• What, if anything, is missing from the menu of services? 
• If there is something missing, how would the missing ingredient be used to advance the reach of Optimist Clubs in your community and the world? 

I believe there is a lot of power in asking the right questions, but I also believe there is power in answering them. According to recent global study, one in three executives say they are often unable to find the right people to provide them information. One can only wonder how the employees and customers must feel if that is the case. 

So with 3,000 Optimist Clubs, representing 90,000 Optimist Club members, research would suggest that we need to ask everyone. We also need to apply appropriate filters to assess the relevancy of the answers received. We need to digest and report those answers, generate new questions and establish an ongoing dialog with those who are interested in participating using established social media tools. We need for the Optimist International organization to be approachable and transparent. 

An observant reader might ask, who is "we?" You guessed it; "we" is you and me. We make up the Optimist Clubs that are Optimist International; not only the staff and leaders. We need to be involved. 

Optimist Club growth does not happen because of advertising, surveys or blog posts. It happen because people are engaged with one another. Never forget, relationships matter.  What we say to each other makes a difference. What we don't say, even more.