Rotary Visioning

Sarah J. Ball

D1130 Visioning Champion

Welcome to this session introducing Club Visioning to the Clubs in Rotary in London, District 1130.

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Pulling in the same directionwith a common destination in mind…

This is what Visioning is all about…getting people to pull in the same direction and move forward together…

The team in the picture have planned…

They know where they want to be and they are sharing the efforts of getting there.

The fact that no one is looking where they are going makes me a bit nervous – but maybe they are just so well planned they know where they are going and they trust each other?

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Visioning…

Is:• A structured process to

help members develop a plan for the future of their Club

• A way to move Clubs up the ‘vibrancy scale’

• An ongoing process• American…in origin

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Is not:• Just about getting new

members• Something you will be told

to do by District or the DG• A quick fix

Here we are looking at what Visioning is and what it is not.

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What is a vibrant Club?

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Before I tell you a bit more about Visioning what is Club fitness anyway? Any offers?

The Rotary definition of an Effective Club is one that:

- Sustains and Increases Membership

- Implements Successful Service Projects

- Supports The Rotary Foundation

- Develops Leaders Beyond the Club Level

...but for me it’s more than that. To me an Effective Rotary Club is one where:

- I enter the weekly (or fortnightly) meetings with a spring in my step. Turning up is not a hassle on a wet Wednesday or when Chelsea or Spurs or Arsenal or Fulham or Palace or Brentford (did I get everyone’s team?) are playing.

- The meetings are fun.

- I get to talk to interesting, like-minded and fun people

- We’re clear about what we want to do as a group and we get stuck in.

- Together we do projects which make a difference in our community and across the world

- Together we change people’s lives...including our own.

- That’s a fit Rotary Club...and one to which I’d like to belong.

Does that sound like your Club?

If you say an unhesitating and resounding “yes” then fantastic...please see me afterwards - I want to share your secrets and come and visit you.

If the answer is “sort of”, “on a good day” or “not since 1978” then please take a moment to think what you are going to do differently to help your Club get fit.

PAUSE

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We’ve made a start in D1130

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Here are what some other Clubs have said about the process:

“After this meeting, we were more unified and had a more complete picture of not only who we are but also who we want to be in the future. Instantly, club members are talking about how we can achieve the goals we unilaterally decided on. I highly recommend this process for every club!”

“This evening initiated changes that will affect Rochester Rotary II forever. We are truly on a new adventure, with a fresh sense of excitement and possibility.”

In District 9800 Australia Two clubs that thought they would have to close decide to do Club Visioning and have turned things around so the clubs are getting stronger.

...and a member of the first Club in District 1130 to start on the Visioning journey said with a slightly awed tone “If we can do this, it’ll be transformational.” He realised it wasn’t going to be easy...but the difference it could make.

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The Visioning process

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VisionVision

Long Range PlanLong Range Plan

Actions & ProgramsActions & Programs

Solid organisations employ these steps to an effective action plan…

The visioning exercise that we would have represented today had there been time, would have started the cycle toward a long range plan that your club which could put into practice for a number of years.

The clarity that will come from this process will provide the alignment within your club of activities and direction promoting membership strength in retention and growth equaling a stronger club.

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The benefits

Through the Visioning process you’ll gain

• An action plan and annual goals

• Clarity for Club members on “what we stand for”

• A “vision” to recruit and retain to

• Continuity in projects/decision making

• Confirm your relevance to the community

• Larger/stronger field of club leaders

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These are the benefits that you can look forward to if you commit to visioning.

The are not guaranteed, but with a clear and agreed plan in a club, they are much more likely than in a club that has not done the process.

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Questions?

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At this stage a number of questions were put by Rotarians in the seminar room.

There were also a number of favourable statements from the Club that had participated in the exercise.

You need consensus in the club that the members want to do the process. You cannot proceed if some members refuse to participate. However, discussing it to see what their concerns are is all part of the preparation.

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Next steps

• Discuss in your Club whether you want to get

involved in Visioning

• Get commitment from current and future leaders

• Appoint a Club Visioning Champion who will

coordinate the process for your Club

• Invite the District Team in

• Get Visioning…

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Start with talking to each other about it and discussing whether or not your club wants to get involved.

You may find it helpful to get a member of the Club Visioning team along to talk about the process and answer questions before your club decides.

Get commitment from the current and the future leaders in the Club – visioning is wasted if the club is only commited to the process for one year!

Appoint someone to lead the project in the Club – this job will last across Rotary years.

Invite the team in to the club.

And get visioning ...

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“Rotary is not an organization for retrospection. It is rather one whose worth and purpose lie in future activity rather than past performance.”

- Paul Harris

Founder of Rotary International

Paul Harris in the early 1900’s said, “Rotary is not an organization for retrospection. It is rather one whose worth and purpose lie in future activity rather than past performance.”

How do we ensure that future activity and success…through planning, focus and the enthusiasm of members.