I believe our association should be leading the way, not pulling up the rear, in applying this new technology.

IABC provides networking and information for members; nowhere in its charter does it state that IABC must be on the leading edge of technology. It can’t fund that!

I was there, in the room, when the Exec Board prioritized its goals back in 1994 or thereabouts. The Internet – a Web site – was #17 of 17 on the final list. I thought Shel was going to have a coronary. And I was upset at the time too.

Yet, in hindsight, IABC got into the game right about the time it was appropriate. IABC is a large organization, and it has to apply its resources to meet a multitude of needs. This hit home for me when I was chair – when I witnessed how so much gets done with such scant resources. In addition to the technophiles, there are another hundred constituencies all lobbying for their pet interests. It’s a balancing act. And IABC always jumps into the game just in time when the majority of members support an issue.

Truth be told, IABC has been surveying members and tweaking things for quite some time. There’s been a virtual re-engineering since 2000, and now I see that round two is underway in the form of myriad new initiatives, restructurings and a published strategic plan. Times are good. Tons of volunteer review went into every step, so when you yell at IABC, be sure to save some special words for those volunteers who signed off.

What does interest me are your personal needs that are unmet by IABC. Every leader, past and present, knows that retention and participation of veteran communicators has been an issue for decades. This remains a valid area for exploration.

So, at the end of an overly long treatise, all I can say is that there are more constructive and effective methods of bringing about change in IABC than by criticizing the association in blogs. Bring solutions.

C’mon Robert, aren’t you going to miss us when you move on? Think of all the meals at Monica’s – used to be Eduardo’s – that you will miss.

/cp

PS Sorry to Poulsen you. I wrote this while commuting!

a misspelling of a simple word, at that. It’s a metaphor for what our beloved IABC has become.

How poetic. A misspelling by any other name would still be only a misspelling.

Your passion for IABC is well known, but I think there are more effective ways to create change. What I sense is that you feel powerless… there is no mechanism within IABC for you to air your concerns. That could be a valid issue.

I also wonder how much the association is being pulled between the needs of the consultants versus those in organizational settings? Maybe it’s time for IABC to consider communities of interest again. Another association has “sections.”

Let’s face it - in IABC - we consultants are a growing minority. Gwen Young and Mado Reid identified that a while back. Maybe it’s time for more programming on that front.

As for the role of chair, trust me when I say it’s a thankless position. You work your day job, and then you work for IABC. Now you are expected to keep up with the bloggers. At this rate, we might as well just shoot future chairs to put them out of their misery.

While you and Kilgore share a perception about its ceremonial role, the actual job is far more mundane and largely administrative. IABC selects people who can lead the Executive Board effectively. It’s not about being the top communicator on the world.

Maybe we can start a reality TV show to address this dream. “David, you would have been a great chair, but now you’re reviled because you misspelled a word. And your blog was pitchy. Kiss the last decade-plus you gave in volunteer service goodbye.”

I’ve always been chapter-centric. Write up your dream list of supports that you think IABC should be providing to chapters and pass it along. I have to think that an association which stages an annual meeting exclusively for chapter leaders might be hearing from current officers directly.

I will concede this though: I would love to see IABC fund more staff to directly supervise and mentor chapter leaders, as well as pre-package programs. We’ve made headway in these areas, with templates and other supports, but volunteer time-famine appears to be an ongoing issue. From what I observe, the administrative aspect of running a chapter is a challenge for many.

(continued…)

You’re vocal because you can be… because the technology enables it. If every IABC member ranted about their personal whims and held the association accountable (SATISFY MY NEEDS! SATISFY ME!), then the association, staff and volunteer leadership team would become overloaded and melt down.

I see conference topics about e-mail overload. Heck, I already have BLOG OVERLOAD, and most of it is pseudo-intellectual opinion posing as “the last word” on every topic.

B.L.O.G. = Bullies Lob Opinions Gratuitously

IABC’s membership is diverse. Most of the bloggers seem to be male consultants. What does a female working in a corporation in Malaysia need from her association? All the bloggers share similar viewpoints, and it would appear to be a minority view at that.

Most of the working members of IABC don’t have time to keep up with the relentless saga of “The IABC Blog Monologues.”

What this indicates to me is that there might be a real unmet need – the need for an IABC community devoted to the techno elite. I’m all in favor of a virtual chapter where you could all wiki, and podcast, and out-Geek each other all day long.

(continued…)

I’d like to clarify a few things that I believe are misleading in your post:

A blog is indeed casual. As I understand it, that’s one of the innate characteristics of a blog, which is like an online journal that the world can see and comment on. I don’t expect every blog to be perfectly written and polished. I do, however, have high expectations of an association that represents my profession — a profession that requires one to be able to write in complete sentences and spell correctly, or at least proofread what they’ve written. I just find it incredibly ironic that David’s final blog would include a misspelling in the headline — and a misspelling of a simple word, at that. It’s a metaphor for what our beloved IABC has become.

Nobody’s perfect. I’ve misspelled words in my career and I’m sure I will do so again. But I’m not representing thousands of communication professionals around the world.

As for being one of a tiny group of miscreants, I can’t speak for why others don’t feel strongly enough about the direction of IABC to speak publicly and loudly about it. I’ve chosen to be a public critic for several reasons, none of which include a delusion of self-importance. I love IABC for the opportunities it has given me over the course of my career. I’ve gladly volunteered my time, energy and money to support it — not for pats on the back or congratulations, but because I believe it’s important to give back. I have many friends, including you, Charles, whom I’ve met through IABC. But I deeply feel it is headed in the wrong direction and that assessment is grounded not only in my own experience but in the experiences of many other members with whom I’ve worked over the years. I don’t pretend to represent 12,000 people, but I do believe more than a handful share my views. As someone who has served at every level of IABC, I believe I have a responsibility to speak up when I see things happening that are bad for the association I’ve loved and supported for 17 years.

I don’t want to smear Mr. Kistle. But I do expect him — and other volunteer leaders and staff — to represent IABC and our profession better than they have. You don’t get to be chairman and then get a free ride; you know that. It carries a lot of responsibility. But there is also the potential for a chairman to have great influence. It’s a trade-off.

I do not believe chapters are dead. I do, however, believe they are in danger of dying because of neglect from IABC. I assert that IABC doesn’t do enough to support chapters — perhaps even to help them redefine their roles in the 21st century — partly because chapters compete with the international organization in some ways. I believe the new governance model does not include enough of a chapter voice and I believe the strategic plan falls short in providing specific chapter support.

I don’t have a blog, I’m not sure I even understand the concept yet. But I do believe they will be as ubiquitous in 10 years as the Internet is today. Thinking back to 1995, quite a few communicators weren’t sure what to make of the Internet. I believe our association should be leading the way, not pulling up the rear, in applying this new technology.

And why complain so loudly? Why bark rather than whimper or even lie silently? Because the whimpering and lying silently do not work. Anybody who knows me — including you, Charles — knows this kind of rant is out of character for me. I’m much more comfortable smiling and just being a “nice guy.” But this latest episode was the last straw for me, as I’m sure it was for many IABC members. That’s why I’m not renewing my membership at the end of this month — and at that time, I will refrain from sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong because I can’t fight with my siblings if I’m not a member of the family.

I believe the new IABC blog is a big step in the right direction. I’ve already told Warren so, publicly and privately. I’m looking forward to rejoining IABC one of these days when I believe it provides a better value.

In the meantime, this is a time for candor. I hope this blog provides it.

In all fairness, Shel misspelled a word in a comment to the post “Welcome to the IABC Café.” Are you going to attack him too? Are you going to spout and pontificate that he fails the entire techno community… that he embarrasses IABC and you personally? How self important!

Get a grip. I’m a techno evangelist who thinks the technophiles have lost their minds. You guys rant about petty stuff, parse other people’s words and split hairs… a tiny, vocal group of miscreants if you ask me. In a group of 12,000+, you represent about a dozen people - yet you generalize association wide. That’s cyber b.s., IMHO.

Truth be told, I think you guys just want to smear Mr. Kistle.

I was at IABC Fort Worth the other day, meeting with a packed room for a lunch event. How analog, I know. No one there thought chapters were dead, as has been suggested by you lot. Maybe it’s a few of you bloggers who have moved on into the the digital world. Heck, of the assembled group in Texas, not a single person had heard of a blog.

So what are you going to do, Shinbach ‘em? Tell them they are failed communicators? Berate and scorn?

I’m sick of all the high and mighty, self important bloggers. The role of the early adopters is to educate and inform, not insult. The current pack of blogging attack dogs are probably turning off more people than they are converting. That’s my generalization, but I don’t see too many new voices chiming in with you. You’d probably pounce all over them anyway.

Now I am going to thumb my nose at you: here’s a misspelled wird.

/cp

Update: The blog posting I’ve been calling for finally was published on the IABC Chairman’s Blog April 2. It’s a cautionary tale for corporate blogs, and a candid admission that blogging

I agree that blogging isn’t for everyone, and I understand your frustration with the criticisms (including mine) you faced. I hope you didn’t feel I was trying to make a personal attack.

I just felt there should be some recognition that if a communications leader like IABC takes on something like this, the results should be something we can defend. For a while there, the blog was a case study in what not to do.

This latest posting, which tells it like it is, gives chairpersons and CEOs some insight into the ordeals of being on the hot seat for your organization. I appreciate your candour. And believe it or not, I appreciate the fact you tried a blog, even if it turned out not to be your thing.

Best wishes,
Eric

You have had a rough ride over this blog, and that’s a fact. I’ve been one of the rough riders, as you know. Oh, if only you’d been more candid and open at the beginning!

While I’m not sure I’d agree with you that you need to have ‘blogging in your veins’ - it’s just another communication channel, after all - in addition to those four points you outline, I’d add setting the right expectation. Readers do like to know what they can expect from a blog, especially one that’s penned by the chairman of our professional association. Otherwise they’ll set their own expectations and talk about them - and that’s a set up for all sorts of difficulties. You know what they say about the word ‘assume.’

One other thing about a blog that’s to do with its successful development is its personality. Or, rather, the personality of its author. This Chair blog may well ‘belong’ to IABC and members, as you say. What will help make it a great place to listen and engage will be a sense of its personality, which will stem in large part from its author.

In any event, onwards and upwards!