In many ways, leading a booster club is like running a small business. With an entrepreneurial spirit, the booster president casts a vision for the organization’s future. From this vision, goals are developed for the midterm.
Photo by Katelyn Caldwell
Planning for the midterm is vital to a booster club’s sustained success. The process of midterm planning compels you to anticipate longer range needs that may not be evident through the organization’s day-to-day operations. By its nature, booster leadership may create a short-term mindset. With volunteers serving one to two year terms, it may be easy for them to assume the attitude to “keep the lights on” until they rotate out.
Let’s look at what’s important in creating a midterm plan for your booster club.
Cast a Vision
Vision is the ability to look beyond today’s current condition and see something better in the future. Vision for the future is not something mysterious that comes to you in a dream. Rather, it is intentionally developed by carefully considering many factors that are vital to your organization’s health. Here are five considerations when developing your vision:
1. What is important to the instructor? What are her dreams for the program? How can the booster club help make those dreams a reality? What new technology and trends does she see on the horizon for the sport or field of study? How will that impact the program’s success in the midterm?
2. What is necessary to maintain operations? Evaluate the age and condition of your equipment, uniforms, and facilities. What is the expected life of these assets? How long will it take to raise the funds to repair or replace them?
3. What are your opportunities for improvement? Do a little brainstorming. Think big! Imagine what you would do if you weren’t bound by money and time. Is there an unmet need that has been written off because of a perceived inability to address it? Is there an opportunity to build the organization’s reputation within the community?
4. What are other programs doing? What are the very best programs doing? Look beyond your immediate area and evaluate programs at the state and national level. It is easier than you would imagine to benchmark other organizations these days. You can learn so much through an evening of web surfing. Most organizations list their leaders’ contact information on their websites. A few emails sent to the right individuals may help you identify ways to take your booster club to the “next level.”
5. What ideas do other officers and leaders have? Remember, they have a vested interest in the program just like you, and they see many different aspects of the organization. What needs or opportunities do they see from their vantage point?
As you’ve seen from these considerations, your midterm plan may not immediately impact the club during your tenure of leadership. However, your vision and planning for the future will help your booster club thrive throughout the midterm.
The Booster Leader
If you are ready to make your vision a reality for your booster club, you’ll need a resource to guide you along the way. My book, The Booster Leader, 35 Leadership Essentials for a Thriving Booster Organization, is just that resource. The Booster Leader consists of…
- Thirty-five proven leadership essentials that are quick and easy to implement
- Eighteen inspirational stories that bring the leadership essentials to life
- A twenty-nine point checklist to help you identify risks that may jeopardize your organization if not properly addressed (and the answers to help you resolve every issue!)
Now is the time to start leading your own thriving booster organization. In The Booster Leader, I show you exactly how to do it!
Question: What are your midterm goals for your booster club? You can leave a comment by clicking here.