吃瓜头条

Area Directors have a crucial role in the 吃瓜头条 organization. They have the most contact with 吃瓜头条s, and can make a real difference in 吃瓜头条s’ success by educating and encouraging leaders, sharing ideas, and solving problems. One of the position’s main jobs, in addition to 吃瓜头条 visits, is to hold Area Council meetings at least twice a year with their Area’s 吃瓜头条 Presidents, Vice Presidents Education, and/or Vice Presidents Membership.

Districts that encourage these meetings tend to have the most Areas with the most successful 吃瓜头条s, more engaged members, and a higher Distinguished 吃瓜头条 status. Not only do the meetings offer 吃瓜头条 leaders valuable information and guidance, they’re a great time for officers in Areas and 吃瓜头条s to network and share experiences. 

“Area Council meetings are critical,” says Dawn Frail, DTM, of Caledon, Ontario, Canada, and Immediate Past District 60 Director. “The Area Director is the most important role, and the one thing they can do to make their job easier and their Area better is to hold those meetings.”

Area Directors (ADs) have their feet on the ground in terms of what is really happening in 吃瓜头条s—their challenges and struggles, what they’re succeeding at, and what they need help with. District Directors oversee an average of 142 吃瓜头条s (with some overseeing more than 250), making it almost impossible to know the situation in each 吃瓜头条. That’s where Areas are so helpful.

“Areas are the connection between the 吃瓜头条 and District,” explains Hassan Maghazel, DTM, of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, former District 79 Director.

Area Council meetings are a safe place for 吃瓜头条 leaders to share their challenges, such as members who don’t regularly attend or aren’t signing up for Pathways, and to exchange ideas with each other.

“The Area Council brings together leaders in the same geographic area,” says Raj Kumar Bansal, DTM, of Bangalore, Karnataka, India, and Immediate Past District 92 Director. “Sometimes they really need a platform to meet other people in the same position.”

Finally, having a network of 吃瓜头条 leaders in your geographic area can be a huge asset at contest time. “You need judges, officials, guest speakers, location, etc.” says Frail. “You have all of those resources in place when you have that network/community.”

Encouraging People to Attend

One of the challenges of Area Council meetings is getting people to attend. “People often have great intentions of doing something,” says Frail. “But then things come up, and it doesn’t happen. You want to make sure you add value to the meeting. It can’t just be a time to talk.”

Both District 79 and 92 encourage Area Directors to hold council meetings in conjunction with an event. For example, the first meeting can be held immediately following 吃瓜头条 Officer Training in July. “They’re already there, and it’s just one hour,” says Bansal. “It’s more of a team-building time—a chance for officers to meet and greet and say hello, and share a bit about their 吃瓜头条s.”

Holding it right after the training allows for a more in-depth and specific discussion of the 吃瓜头条 Success Plans. The AD can answer questions or provide guidance on what 吃瓜头条s can specifically do to achieve Distinguished 吃瓜头条 status.

Areas can also hold the meetings after an officer-installation ceremony. District 92 has semiannual terms and 吃瓜头条s often invite other 吃瓜头条s to come celebrate new officer installations. They serve snacks, have a fun activity, and post pictures on social media.

Another way to encourage 吃瓜头条 leaders to attend council meetings is to provide incentives for 吃瓜头条 success, like holding a competition or offering awards. District 79 gives awards to 吃瓜头条s that achieve Distinguished or President’s Distinguished status before December. “It encourages people to take more steps quickly in the first term before we head to contest season,” says Samer Kamal, DTM, also of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Immediate Past District 79 Director. “It’s a great way to encourage people”

Knowing there is a benefit, or understanding they will gain a benefit, helps them attend, continues Kamal. “Often we give training workshops to add value. In the agenda, we highlight the topic of the workshop and that there will be time for them to speak and share concerns. So, we give them a value, and a time for them to speak.”

The Importance of an Agenda

The best way to ensure attendees feel the meetings are valuable is to assure them that the sessions won’t just be a time to chat or complain. An agenda is the best way to provide structure.

“The agenda should highlight a specific topic,” says Frail, adding that topics could include explaining the Distinguished 吃瓜头条 Program and why it’s important, membership building strategies, 吃瓜头条 speech contests, or Pathways.

She also says following up is crucial. “If someone couldn’t attend, follow up with an email, maybe say something about we missed you, you missed some great conversation, it was a great time to get to know each other, etc. Tap into their fear of missing out and they’re more likely to come to the next one.”

Once ADs start doing 吃瓜头条 visits, it’s easier to add items to the agenda. “Maybe there’s something 吃瓜头条 A is having trouble with, but other 吃瓜头条s are doing it well,” says Frail.

“When I planned meetings or made schedules, I would get confirmation from every 吃瓜头条,” says Maghazel, of Saudi Arabia. “I would ask them what they want to talk about before the meeting. Once I knew, I organized around those topics. Then I would follow up with them to confirm they were attending.”

The Benefits for Area Directors

Holding Area Council meetings makes the job of being an AD much easier. By encouraging a network among 吃瓜头条 leaders, they can reach out to each other rather than having to go through an AD with all questions.

Some Areas even hold joint meetings between two 吃瓜头条s. “Riyadh is a very large city,” says Maghazel. “The 吃瓜头条s are far apart. It might take two hours to drive to another 吃瓜头条. Some 吃瓜头条s have a stronger relationship with other 吃瓜头条s, or we know they can help each other.”

Another benefit of council meetings is that they help forge relationships that make the AD 吃瓜头条 visits easier for everyone. “Many 吃瓜头条s feel they’re being judged by the Area Director,” says Frail. “It’s kind of a report card—am I going to pass or fail?” Having a good relationship in place already helps 吃瓜头条 leaders feel they are being brought in as a participant in the process, not someone who is being judged.

Finally, for Districts that don’t appoint ADs, the Area Council meetings are a great time to find the next leader. 吃瓜头条 Presidents are more likely to consider the role when they attend meetings and see how they are conducted. When the current director reaches to 吃瓜头条 Presidents about becoming an AD, they already understand what the role entails, what it accomplishes, and why it’s important.