When it comes to communication, we live in an unprecedented time. Never before have there been so many media outlets vying for our attention. Today’s media “noise” has created a distracted audience that has little tolerance for lengthy and unclear messages.

This environment creates significant implications for your booster club as well. When communicating internally, you must be clear, to the point, and right on time or else your members will ignore you. When communicating externally, you’ve got to compete with other extracurricular programs in your school and community just to be heard. Therefore, well-written communications are vital to your booster club’s livelihood.

The secretary is a booster club’s chief communicator, and holds one of the most influential roles in the organization. Effective communicators are hard to come by, so you must be intentional in recruiting the right person for the role.

Here are nine attributes of a highly effective booster club secretary:

1. Exceptional written communication skills. An effective written communicator is proficient in spelling and grammar. His writing is clear and succinct, represents the organization professionally and positively, and appeals to a wide audience.
2. Attention to detail. The majority of your communications will have a specific call to action. An effective communicator creates thorough and accurate messages, and ensures that all relevant information is passed along.
3. Competent in the use of electronic technology. In this digital age, competency with word processing software and the ability to publish in PDF format is a must. Additionally, an effective electronic communicator understands email basics and is capable of managing multiple distribution lists. She also navigates websites and uploads and downloads files and data.
4. Thorough understanding of the organization’s activities. This is really a prerequisite. Some of the best communications stem from personal experience. Therefore, an effective communications leader participates in all of the organization’s major activities and encourages others to participate as well.
5. Enthusiasm for the extracurricular program. Enthusiasm for the extracurricular program provides a solid foundation for captivating internal and external communications.
6. Interpersonal skills. An effective communications leader collaborates with parents and the executive team to help accomplish the organization’s goals. She quickly resolves conflicts and works to prevent factions and cliques from forming.
7. Organizational skills. Your communications’ timing is as important as its content. You need a leader who plans and organizes his work for maximum productivity and efficiency. An effective planner brings order to situations, solves problems, and eliminates chaos.
8. Self-starting mindset. Seek out a communications leader who is disciplined and driven to follow plans through completion. A self-starter takes initiative and seldom has to be reminded to complete assigned tasks.
9. Commitment to attend all meetings. A dedicated communications leader makes meeting attendance a priority. She is trustworthy and follows through on her obligation to attend meetings and perform all duties of the role.

A thriving booster club understands the impact of compelling communications. Recruit by these attributes to select a secretary who will help your organization to be heard in a noisy world.

To learn even more about effective communications strategies for your booster club, check out my book, The Booster Leader: 35 Leadership Essentials for a Thriving Booster Organization. The Booster Leader is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.

Question: What attributes do you look for when recruiting a secretary for your booster club? You can leave a comment by clicking here.