We had a planning meeting in our church this weekend. This meeting was unlike any others that our church has held in my lifetime. It was a meeting to discuss the future of our congregation. Due to a variety of issues that I won’t discuss in this article, several members of the church have been questioning the viability of the church. We ended up having a very productive discussion, because, in part, everyone participated in a heartfelt and meaningful way.
This meeting served as a reminder to me of the old saying that the ‘sum of the parts is greater than the whole’. It is typical in our church, as with many of the boards and organizations that we all serve, that a few folks usually do much of the speaking, and sometimes another small group of folks do the majority of the work. I’ll note here that our church is organized similarly to many other boards / organizations in that it has a constitution, bylaws and is led by the congregation, not a pre-defined set of leaders. I notice the trend on nearly every board that I serve. One or two people are the most vocal in the group, and a few rarely speak at all, with others fitting in somewhere in the middle. Likewise, the work of the organization seems to consistently be spread disproportionately, with a few people serving on most committees and doing the bulk of the work, while others do not serve on any committees and/or do very little work to support the group.
Back to the meeting at my church… it was different… not just for the topic that we were discussing, but because of how we participated. Those of us who are among the typically more vocal category decided on our own and independently that we were not going to be the first ones to speak. The meeting started, and there was silence. And more silence. And a little more silence. Finally, one of the members who is typically quiet during meetings said something… and then another, and another. Finally, after the conversation was going, some of the typically more vocal folks started speaking. What resulted was a meeting that we all walked away from feeling confident that all voices were heard and that we were on more of a consensus path than in a long time.
How often are we working with our consulting clients and have a similar dynamic? One or two very vocal family members will dominate the discussion, while another one or two sit silently. It is often our job to call out the silent ones and draw out their opinions, while at the same time trying to keep the more vocal ones quiet long enough to listen. Taking our clients to that next level, where the naturally vocal ones voluntarily stay quiet and the natural quiet ones are more vocal, should be a goal for all of us as we work with our clients, and likewise as we serve on boards and committees.
I am also reminded of ASAC and the organizational structure that we have in place. We depend on all members to contribute a little bit of time towards the administration and work of the organization. If all members are not willing to serve on a committee, attend a board meeting or other activity, then the burden falls on a smaller group. Again, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, when all of the parts are present. If you are not currently serving on a committee, reach out to Jean Merry (evp@agconsultants.org) to see what openings we have. If you are currently serving on a committee or on the board of directors, please mark the dates of the meetings on your calendar and make a point to attend. Finally, ALL members should mark the dates of November 3-5, 2024, on their calendars and plan to attend the 2024 ASAC Annual Conference in Ft. Myers, Florida. We have an excellent program in the works, including some intentional networking time. I look forward to seeing you in person in Ft. Myers and virtually on a committee or board meeting soon.
Standing Committees:
Membership – Ron Rabou - raboufarms@gmail.com
Nominating – Pete Weisenberger - pete.weis0956@gmail.com
By-Laws – Abigail Byerly - majerus@snowymountaindevelopment.com
Ethics and Grievance – Ethan Robertson - ethan.robertson@farmcrediteast.com
Continuing Education – Scott Mickey - smickey@clemson.edu
Annual Meeting – David Mielnicki - david.mielnicki@nmrk.com
Finance – Keith Raynor - keith@trpsumner.com
Ad Hoc Committees
Marketing and Promotion – Chair Needed
Strategic Alliance – Norm Brown - norm@fbssystems.com
Keith Dickinson
President
