The Golden Key
A newsletter for chapter advisors, chapter officers, and regional officers.

Communication:The Key to Motivation

Sandra Mahl, 2003-04 International Vice President for Division I
A business administration major, she attends North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio.

Ask officers what their biggest challenge is and most will reply, “Motivating members to become actively involved in Phi Theta Kappa events.” One of your first challenges to motivating members is communication. It is difficult for members to be involved if they do not know what the chapter is doing.

Providing members with the information they need is the first obstacle we must overcome to get them involved. Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters provides the programs, and each region and chapter provides the activities, but it is our duty as officers to ensure that our members are constantly reminded of upcoming events.

We have these communication tools to keep every member informed:

• Email: With distribution lists of everyone that you need to communicate with, it takes very little time to compose a newsletter or other correspondence and send it to hundreds of members at once.
  
  
• The Phi Theta Kappa website: Members can access www.ptk.org for information needed to implement all international programs. Are members aware that the site includes Chapter and Regional Officer Conference Centers, and a Phi Theta Kappa Forum for all members as well?
  
  
• Regional and Chapter websites: These websites contain more specific information about regional and local activities. Are they updated as frequently as is necessary to reflect the most current activities, and are you reminding members to visit them often?
  
  
• Golden Key News Briefs: Members who have supplied an email address to Phi Theta Kappa receive weekly Golden Key News Briefs, which are also posted on the website.
  
  
• Campus posters: The new “Good as Gold” posters should be prominently displayed around campus in anticipation of the upcoming event, especially where the greatest student traffic is concentrated. Include the what, when, where, and why of your activities on these posters.
  
  
• Snail Mail: Although not ideal for a large amount of correspondence, the postal system is merely another avenue to ensure that the proper information reaches members.

Keep in mind that utilizing these tools can only be effective if your mailing list includes all members. Update your list frequently to ensure that it includes all those members that should be receiving the information.

The second obstacle we must overcome is getting our members to understand the benefits of active membership. We must ensure that our activities are as organized and as efficient as possible. We must show our members how excited we are about being involved and taking part in Phi Theta Kappa activities, so that they will want to be involved in the excitement too.

Tips to increase participation:

• Get involved: Expose your members to as many community and campus events as possible. Being involved in activities alongside community and campus leaders will demonstrate the degree in which Phi Theta Kappa activities and programs are making a difference in the world.
  
  
• Refrain from busy work: Phi Theta Kappa members lead busy lives, which makes it imperative that the activities we choose to engage in are substantial. Concentrate on those activities that are the most beneficial to your members, campus and community.
  
  
• Create ownership: Make each member feel that his or her input is valued. Make a special effort to involve those members who may seem reluctant to voice input and to ensure that every member feels welcome.
  
  
• Be flexible: Alternate meeting times throughout the year to ensure every member will have the opportunity to attend.
  
  
• Create excitement: Show how excited you are about being involved. As leaders, our members are watching you to see how dedicated you are to Phi Theta Kappa. They will gauge the value of active membership based on the current active members.
  
  
• Show your Phi Theta Kappa pride: Ask members to wear their Phi Theta Kappa shirts to class on the same day. Perhaps seeing the Phi Theta Kappa shirt will elicit questions from those members who have yet to get involved.

One of the greatest challenges we, as leaders, encounter is how best to communicate the benefits that Phi Theta Kappa offers members who are active. Getting the right information to the right members at the right time is the trick to exposing the Phi Theta Kappa experience to those who have yet to discover the benefits of active membership.

Contact Sandra at sandra.mahl@ptk.org.

Copyright 1996-2003 by Phi Theta Kappa, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The name, logo and various titles have been registered with the U.S. Patent Office.

This page last modified -- Friday, 14-Nov-2003 11:00:28 CST (cwe)