Structural view of CRUTECH Alumni and the need to allow for all members participation

...A FINE TUNE FOR THE INCOMING NATIONAL PRESIDENT.

By Prince Charles Ekanem.

If you look closely at the current structure of CRUTECH ALUMNI, it does not allow for all members to participate. Remember that this is an alumni association, an association of professional engineers, accountants, scientists, researchers that are already in the workforce contributing to the country’s economy. You would like to involve them as much as possible in the development of the association!

However, if we continue to have a structure that shows positions for the Executive and Chapter Committee membership only, majority of the alumni will not feel inspired to take up those roles unless they have been in a number of boards/sub committees already and are comfortable performing those executive roles!

So if our aim is to grow membership and retain them, we need to redo our structure to be engaging to all those members that we want to recruit. We would like them to see where they fit in the structure. We would also like them to know that they are an integral part of team and that their contribution is significant to the growth of the association.

When you have a structure that is engaging, that is able to involve new graduates as well as alumni members that are mid way into their career, then you have a structure that represents the type of membership it has.

Note that Coming up with a benefits package is not that simple! What are your value propositions? What pains are you trying to relieve from your members? What do you bring to the table that they can gain from? Some of the benefits that you have listed may not necessarily be appealing to them but you can validate these by handing out a survey during your membership drive to find out the interest areas as well as pain points of each of your members; and how you can provide for them. Your surveys can be done via Survey Monkey or Google Forms. Where internet connectivity is a problem, you can distribute it when members attend your events or campaigns. Knowing what your members are interested in or where the passion lies can help you engage them productively!

Like I stated above, members are more engaged if it is in something that they are passionate about. Creating affinity groups for such topics like "new and emerging technology”, "artificial intelligence”, "community development projects", "automation" or "e-commerce" (Apologies to Victor Agbor) he understands better, can get members discussing areas of interest and even developing new ideas to tackle present challenges. This is indeed a great strategy for retaining members and engaging new members.

Some handful of Alumni I know are doing exceedingly well in e-commerce, the likes of Victor Agbor, Sunny Skippo Nchu,  Patricia Okoi, just recently Otiko Tony JP and many others I may not know.

Whosoever emerges the President can engage this men and women of valour to the benefits of other members.  Symposium, workshops and Seminars can be organize by this people, fully sponsored by the Alumni Association for the benefit of her Members.