I’m turning over a new leaf. Appropriate for Spring, don’t you think? I will be blogging at least once a month here on THE LANDING. It’s been so long since I have talked with you here, I can’t even begin to catch up on all we’ve been doing so I’m beginning with what is most time sensitive.
First, if you have any interest in serving on a NAR committee…need to know it right away! Our CEO sent out a link to fill out info for us to endorse you (click here). And of course you need to go on the NAR website to submit your requests as well (click here). We will be meeting with NAR leaders next week in DC at MidYear.
Secondly, if you didn’t make it to our St Louis meetings, you missed out on an historic event at Kiener Plaza when we rallied with state and local elected leaders to promote and protect any Missourian’s dream of owning real property. This was the result of our Political Outreach Output Group’s work in January to begin the idea which was then approved by the Advocacy Mission Committee and the Executive Committee. Then through amazing organization and commitment your Missouri REALTOR volunteer members and staff pulled it off in just 99 days!
Next, we held our second business meeting of the year in St Louis (the Rally was a part of that). This was just the second meeting since we launched the new governance structure called O2. The Output Groups had lively meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. I want to stop here and remind you of something really important. YOU CAN BE A PART OF ANY OUTPUT GROUP with the exception of two forms groups. Look at the business meeting schedule and decide which ones you want to check out. Just as with our former committee structure, there are time conflicts so you have to choose. But, you are no longer “slotted” in a rigid committee and you are now able to be involved in what you care about. The same holds true for joining Output Group communities on THE LANDING.
You know when we approved this new way of doing things, we discussed several things. This approach requires you to be involved somehow. Maybe not face to face in meetings but by raising your hand…letting the leader of the Output Group know you want to be involved…and contributing thoughts and ideas through whatever channel you can…THE LANDING, email, phone calls, webinars. This approach opens the door for more member input (through involvement) so your thoughts, opinions and ideas can see the light of day. It spreads the leadership and decision making responsibility out to more members and empowers Mission Committees and Output Groups with funds and an atmosphere to take a chance on a new idea.
Speaking of taking a chance, this new approach requires a sea change in our culture. We can no longer afford to wait until we have a perfect plan for something. We cannot wait for the next face to face meeting to move something along. We can fail and learn. No one’s head is on the chopping block! We must embrace creativity and do the best planning we can in the least time to get things done. Some things, like the Rally, needed to move on…and did. It was either do it when we did or wait a year. This is the critical year to show lawmakers how serious we are about bringing our “game” up a notch when it comes to protecting home ownership. This is the year we are under the most serious attacks about the mortgage interest deduction being removed or weakened and when there are repeated attempts to find ways to get more tax dollars out of real estate. Our Association has to be ready and nimble enough to handle the environment we now live and work in. It is not okay to sit in meetings, raise your hand to vote; and produce nothing that brings value to members…even the ones that do nothing but pay their dues. If we can produce just one thing that touches a member in a positive and helpful way then we are a success. I know I am preaching to “the choir” since most of you reading this have been deeply involved for a very long time. You and I have given and given of our time and energies for decades in some of our cases. And we have done a lot of very good and important things. However, things and times change and we needed more than the old governance allowed us to do and you and I have to do it.
So now congratulations if you read this far! I applaud your endurance and your commitment. As always, let me know your opinions/ideas/thoughts. Just message me here on THE LANDING.
-Sharon