ISPI VISION

ISPI is the primary source of information, education, and advocacy for human performance technology.

ISPI MISSION

ISPI is dedicated to improving human performance in a systematic and reproducible ways.

Starting an ISPI Chapter

Area or local chapters promoting the vision and mission of the International Society for Performance Improvement have been operating around the world for many years. In the last few years, the traditional ISPI local chapter has begun to take on a "new" look as their members take advantage of the technological advances of our societies.

My experience with ISPI chapters for the last 6 years has been with the local and "traditional" ISPI chapter format. The following suggestions are intended to provide a path, and identify the steps to making an ISPI chapter a reality for your local professional network.

Identify Your Local Professionals

Who in your area is interested in promoting the vision and mission of ISPI?

1. Contact ISPI headquarters to acquire names of local ISPI members or patrons.
1. Contact the training or HPT groups of local businesses or corporations to identify an interest among the professionals in your areas of expertise - instructional design/technology, training management, computer-based design, organizational development, etc.
1. Schedule a series of meetings for these professionals as an orientation to ISPI.
1. Query the attendees at these meetings. Determine what the needs are for potential ISPI members in your area. Why would they want to continue to meet as a recognized body of professionals?

Find the Common Goal

It is more important when starting your chapter to have a common goal than to have large numbers of interested people. ISPI provides a strong foundation to help area chapters promote human performance technology.

1. Summarize the needs assessment from the attendees at your orientation meetings.
2. Align your goals with the ISPI vision and mission. This will strengthen your opportunities to reach out to more and more professionals.
3. Keep it simple and generalized as you start.

Determine the Chapter’s Structure

You will attract new members when it is easy for area professionals to become chapter members and identify with your chapter’s goals. The structure for meeting content, location, time and dates does not have to be elaborate, but it must provide a consistency to the membership. The information you have gathered in your needs assessment is sound; trust the data and work with it for a year knowing that you will make the necessary adjustments at the end of that period.

1. Determine when and where you will meet. Will it be once a month for 12 months, or every other month, or on a school year schedule? Will you meet during the day or in the evenings? Will it be in the same location or will you rotate meeting sites dependent upon sponsors?
2. Determine the meeting’s structure and content. Will you have a speaker(s)? Will you do chapter business? Will there be networking opportunities? How long will the meeting last?

Provide a Continuing Service

VALUE - It is possibly the one word that is key for any successful organization. Is there a value in being a member of your chapter? Will your chapter communicate in a variety of ways? How will you let your membership know the value and role your chapter provides for their professional development?

It is important that the effort to provide a continuing service evolve as your chapter grows. All of the following services are rarely evident in most first year chapters. What can you do best the first year by using the talents of your members? Focus on the best service you can provide and build on this service in future years. Make any endeavor the first year the best you can and plan for how additional services will follow.

1. Chapter Meetings/Presentations/Workshops - Identify from your needs assessment the topics or issues that have relevancy for your membership. Will you need to accommodate a variety of meeting formats throughout the year to meet the membership needs?
2. Publicize your chapter and your value. This can be done through a newsletter, web site, bulletins, or periodic announcements.
3. Publish a membership directory. Let your members know the great company they keep.

Plan for Growth

You will organize a chapter expecting growth. Plan for it.

I have been an ISPI chapter member because I feel like I belong with the other chapter members. They have become good friends and we share a common work ethic and philosophy. More important, I believe, as they do, performance improvement for an individual, group or an organization is exciting! It is great to be a part of that shift toward performance improvement.

1. Identify the incentives for membership recruitment and growth.
1. Schedule the first celebration (meeting) and let everyone know you are on to a new shared venture.
1. Have fun and show the enthusiasm! It will bring them back.

Be serious with a smile about this one. Opportunities for creativity abound here!

There are many people in ISPI who are eager to help any interested group in getting an ISPI chapter in place. ISPI is currently partnered with about 54 chapters, both Charter and Forming. The Chapter Partnership Committee (CPC), chaired by Mark Laurin (Mark.Laurin@Den.Galileo.com), is always ready to answer your questions and provide the latest information on getting your area chapter started.

ISPI has made it easier in the last two years to establish a "Forming Chapter." You only need two ISPI members - one designated to be the President of your chapter and another ISPI member who will serve on the local chapter’s executive board. Contact Ellen Bodalski (ellen@ispi.org) of ISPI with your interest in starting an area chapter. Ellen will provide you additional information and the partnership agreement to be completed and filed with ISPI.