Association Spotlight There are many ways to develop our leadership skills and one of the most effective is to join an excellent association that knows how to help you get where you want to go. In this issue, we’re taking a look at NMA - the Leadership Development Organization and how it is ready to work with you to bring out the leader in you.
by LAURIE WILHELM RealizingLeadership.com
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NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
“The company may own your job, but you own your career.” That was one of my big take-away quotes from a conversation I had recently with Steve Bailey, President of NMA. In fact, this quote was his take-away from someone who said it to him years earlier. Quotes this true stick with you. Let’s face it. No one cares as much about your career and your success as you do. What better way to show you care than to develop and grow yourself? The tricky part is knowing how to best go about it. It’s no easy task and it’s common to become Here’s my favourite definition overwhelmed by the vast array distinguishing between the two of books, courses, seminars, [manager and leader]: a manager conferences, and webinars all keeps the organization on track vying for your hard-earned and the leader lays new track. professional development dollars. Well, that means to me that some Enter NMA.
days you have to do both because you can’t be so forward thinking that the wheels come off the bus and the same token, while you’re keeping the wheels on the bus you have to make sure you have the right vehicle and it’s going to the right place.
NMA’s tagline describes itself as the leadership development association, recognizing the complementary relationship between management and leadership excellence. “Both ~ Steve Bailey, CM leadership skills and management President, NMA skills comprise a workplace necessity,” Steve explains, “and depending on where an organization is in its life cycle and where people are in their business and professional cycles, at any one point in time they might need to focus on their management skills and other times they may need to focus on their leadership skills.” Issue 26
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NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
NMA quashes the cookie-cutter approach to professional learning and growth organizations. Steve sums it up saying, “There’s really no one else out there doing what we’re doing. There are plenty of entities that are teaching leadership, there are plenty of organisations that are promoting it and have great conferences and workshops. We’re really the only professional association that goes into companies and communities and provides that unique chapter content. If you really want to get to the value proposition that’s where most of the value lies is the ability to deliver leadership training through our chapter-based federation of chapters.” Let me fill you in on the details. NMA is a not-for-profit association dedicated to creating managerial excellence through professional growth and leadership development. Through Chapter meetings, it provides training Unfortunately a lot of people products, tools and techniques, are missing out on it. I’ve been resources and content as well with NMA for twelve years and as opportunities to inspire I’ve gained a lot and I continue outstanding leadership that to gain a lot. I always tell people cultivates highly productive that NMA is a kind of “the best workplaces in areas including kept secret.” manufacturing, state and local ~ Kiran Dambala, PMP, CM government offices, health care/ NMA 2014 National Chair hospitals, high tech, aerospace, and defense. Other industries that would also benefit greatly from NMA’s involvement include banking and finance, insurance as well as telecommunications and pharmaceutical companies, to name only a few. One of the features of NMA is its ability to work with employees to create and develop a Chapter within their respective companies. Employees who realize it’s not up to their company to do all their
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professional training can contact NMA and together, they, with the support of at least one company executive, can establish an inhouse NMA Chapter. Given that many HR training and development programs have been unfortunate casualties of budget cuts, an ongoing employee-run NMA Chapter that works in conjunction with HR, the company, and meets the needs of its members can achieve the coveted win-win-win outcome.
NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
NMA is a true ‘leadership lab’ that provides members with opportunities to lead in various chapter officer and director positions. I have witnessed many individuals ‘blossom’ in these roles that help them get noticed by executives in their company, that resulted in promotions and new opportunities for these experienced leaders. ~ Gary Waits, CM; United Space Alliance (Retired), Houston, TX
As Steve Menke, CM, former NMA National Chairman and NMA member since 1986, says, “NMA fills the needs of the 75% of employees who would never be a formal leader or manager at his or her company. NMA helps them to gain those leadership skills and interpersonal skills to lead other endeavours and gives them the ability to be a leader at work or outside of work.” Issue 26
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NMA Chapters can also be established in communities or you can join the national organization as an individual member so having a sponsoring company isn’t a requirement. Here’s an overview of some of NMA memberships: NMA Membership at a Glance* Company Chapter
Community Chapter
Individual Membership
Members are company or organization employees and the chapter focuses not only on individual skill development, but also partners with the parent organization to assist in achieving business goals, both long-term and short term. NMA chapters work alongside the companies’ HRD/training and developing staff to support ongoing HR initiatives.
Members participate in a regional Chapter where people come from a variety of businesses, industries, and governmental agencies/bodies in the community. While members do not all work for the same organization, they do bring their shared interests and mutual challenges to the table. They then collectively decide upon Chapter programming and other activities that cut across all the businesses and help develop managers and leaders in those organizations.
NMA’s Individual Membership Program serves professionals who do not work for organizations that have a Company Chapter or who do not live close to a Community Chapter. This category of membership comprises working women and men across a broad range of business and industry as well as professional speakers, seminar leaders, consultants, and academicians.
Company Chapters determine their own membership eligibility requirements and most company Chapters are open to all employees. Many permit sub-contractors, credit unions, and other business partners to participate as well.
Community Chapters determine their own membership eligibility requirements.
All Chapter and individual members have full rights and privileges and may serve on the NMA Board of Directors if interested. All regional and national educational programs, group discussion and self-study courses, workshops, webinars, affinity programs, and any other member benefits are open to all members including the association newsletters, discounts, access to certification programs, and social media communications and participation. All Chapter members belong to the national organization. *Tap here for a listing of all NMA memberships and for more information.
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NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
Member Renée Stewart, PhD (2014-2015 National Professional Development Chair and a member of the Savannah River Chapter, Aitken South Carolina) states that NMA “...provides you with either the tools or the information that you need for [a particular] time in your life. This organization, which I’ve been with since the late 1990’s, has, because of its flexibility, continuously provided the avenues for me to grow and learn. It’s a partnership, if you will, that you are investing in and the organization invests back into you so it has had longevity for me personally. It’s tailored and that’s the reason people can become life-long members.”
With that in mind, both Renée and Steve pointed out some of the many benefits of NMA membership. I’ve summarized them in the table on the following page.
Being a computer programmer in a non‐leadership role, opportunities for listening to discussions surrounding leadership development are always of great value for me. I cannot express enough of how NMA has grown me professionally in exponential ways that would never have occurred during my day‐to‐day work activities. Many of my close NMA friends can testify to my growth from NMA. It is truly a great association and I am very proud to be a part of it! ~ Tracy L. Welch, Senior Analyst WCM Delivery Support Service, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
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NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
Benefits as a Member of a NMA Chapter Expand your skill sets.
Members have access to high quality leadership and management development programs. Chapters offer member-organized educational sessions based on the needs and requirements of Chapter members and NMA provides leading-edge, proprietary courses and webinars, some of which can be applied to accreditation for the Certified Manager Certification. Programs* include: Foundations of Management, FaciliSkills, and Building Virtual Teams.
Direct input to the programming of the Chapter.
Each Chapter is tailored to the needs of its members. Programs reflect the necessary skills and knowledge to advance as exceptional managers and leaders. Members can put forward desired topics, ideas and areas of learning which they can develop and share with the membership.
Learn from the expertise and experiences of others as well as share your own.
Within each Chapter resides a wealth of knowledge and expertise and members benefit from sharing these experiences one another. Chapters can provide a platform for experienced members to present their knowledge and areas of expertise through various educational formats. Topics can include, for example, project management, communication, HR, coaching or essential soft skills building.
Ongoing learning at regular meetings.
Attending NMA Chapter meetings on a regular basis provides ongoing learning opportunities. Chapters can program guest speakers, presentations from department heads, discuss case studies and showcase best practices. Meetings provide a forum to discuss current issues and learn how others may have resolved situations that others now face. In addition, members find support, connection and opportunities to “pick one another’s brain” by sharing experiences and knowledge through informal, face-to-face conversations and discussions.
*Additional costs are associated above regular membership fees.
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When considering which skills development programs to enrol in, Menke notes that “All those courses are neutral based. They do not focus on a company. They focus on general leadership skills and management skills that could be used at any company.” In this way, he explains, “People can take real-world experiences or company experiences and then take theory and put it to practical use by molding it to the needs of today.” Armed with a degree in engineering and a MBA, Kiran Dambala, PMP, CM (2014 National Chair and member of the Lockheed Martin Leadership Association in Fort Worth) adds how NMA further augmented his skills with the Certified Manager Certification. “Just going through the course work for that, I could take these principles back to work and apply them. Some were supervisory skills, some were soft skills such as communicating during difficult situations - all that came in very handy.” Dambala also completed the Project Manager Professional (PMP) Certification which at the time wasn’t offered by NMA. Through his involvement as Chair and NMA’s dedication to offer members necessary and relevant programs, the Association now offers members PMP Certification Training. Issue 26
NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
Member benefits are even greater when you choose to step up and become actively involved in the running of your chapter. As Jessica Carlson, a seven-year member and Past President of the City of Orange Chapter, knows first-hand: “As a board member, that allows you to express yourself in ways that you don’t normally get to at regular work. I took the position for Vice President and it was the best decision I ever made. Then [the following year], as President, you’re working a lot on your social skills and we were working closely with department heads which, in my regular job, I would never have had that opportunity. As President, now all of a sudden you bypass all those chains of command and get right to the top people so that was huge for me. “Plus, by running meetings, you have all of the department heads sitting right there listening to what you have to say. Career wise, those department heads are making decisions about vacancies in their department and who they are going to for things. It gives me an opportunity to get my name out to those people and meet them. NMA has allowed so many opportunities to me that, in my regular capacity - and I love the job that I do wouldn’t have been there otherwise.”
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NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
Take a look at some of these unique benefits that NMA members have access to by participating within their Chapter and the National organization: Benefits as a Member of a NMA Chapter Practice your leadership and management skills by participating on a Chapter board or committee.
Experience can only be acquired by doing. Practice your newly obtained NMA management and leadership knowledge by participating on Chapter and national boards and committees. These provide you with real-life leadership experiences by collaborating with others and testing your abilities to coach and motivate in a safe and supportive learning environment. NMA participation exposes you to opportunities that may not be available to you in your present professional position.
Lead educational sessions.
Sharing your knowledge shows you as an expert in your field. Teaching other Chapter members builds their knowledge base while allowing you to showcase your expertise and demonstrate your professional skills by presenting, teaching and coaching in in-meeting educational sessions.
Attend conferences.
NMA produces three conferences every year: the National Annual Conference, the East Leadership Development Conference and the West Leadership Development Conference. Members can take advantage of the variety of professional growth sessions, learning from their peers’ hands-on experiences, introductions into new areas of leadership study, and significant networking opportunities.
Kiran affirms that “It’s an excellent place to develop and practice leadership skills and more importantly, we also get to demonstrate our leadership skills to a lot of the executive management within the company. So there was an added benefit there coupled with networking and mentorship opportunities. Through the Chapter, I found some really good mentors and over time, I’ve become a mentor to several young employees. The variety of benefits truly impressed me.”
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NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
Then, there are benefits for members, who belong to company-based Chapters, which can directly impact their regular work life: Benefits for Members who Belong to a Company NMA Chapter Exposure to senior and executive staff.
As a requirement, all company-based NMA Chapters must have the active support of at least one company executive. This engagement with, for example, a company vice-president, establishes Chapter visibility among other senior executives. Those members who choose to actively participate and who excel in Chapter responsibilities are more likely to be known and recognized by senior staff. Also, being seen as an employee who voluntarily seeks opportunities to develop his or her management and leadership capabilities is more likely to be viewed as a higher valued employee than one who doesn't pursue skills development. Like Jessica said, "People are going to see you, notice you and they're going to remember you when there are things you need to happen within your actual job."
Be seen as an expert within company.
NMA Chapter meetings offer members the opportunity to educate others in their area of expertise. By sharing your knowledge with your colleagues, you can establish yourself as an expert and the ‘go-to’ person in your area of the company.
Meet people from all areas of the company.
Often, we know only those who have a direct impact on our jobs. At Chapter meetings, members get to know their colleagues and peers in other areas of the company and can establish and build relationships that would have otherwise not occurred in day-to-day activities. Having established relationships outside of the regular work environment is particularly beneficial when projects and initiatives require interdepartmental collaboration. In addition, connecting with other colleague members can increase the engagement in the company through a heightened sense of belonging and with the objective of becoming better managers and leaders within the company.
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NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
Investing in Your Career I bet you’re wondering what kind of financial toll NMA membership is going to take so let’s look at the numbers. As you’ve read in the previous pages, you can benefit tremendously from being a NMA member so naturally, it should be no surprise that the cost should reflect benefit. Well, - surprise! - it doesn’t. While there’s no definitive answer because each individual Chapter sets its respective memberships dues, I can give you a ballpark figure. At the time of writing, NMA suggests that new Chapters charge somewhere in the neighbourhood of $2 per member per week. This amount covers the dues to the Chapter and the $48 annual dues to the national NMA office. In total, that would be only $104 per year to be a member in NMA. That’s less than $9* per month. Crazy.
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a couple lattes
less than one movie ticket (popcorn not included)
A one-month membership in NMA is equivalent to*
one lunch at most restaurants
1/5 of many monthly gym memberships
*US dollars, per month basis, and comparisons are for illustrative purposes, not definitive costs. Keep in mind that these are membership dues and do not include program costs. However, being a non-profit, NMA keeps program costs down. Tap here for more information.
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Being a member of NMA is remarkably affordable - and that’s an understatement. It’s likely that most of us spend more on two lattes per month than we would on a membership in a month. When we look at the cost of membership this way, it’s easy to see that we can invest in our professional growth, and therefore our careers, without coming close to breaking the bank.
NMA - the Leadership Development Organization
I love NMA. The conferences we get to go to, the annual conference especially, they’re so revitalizing from a leadership perspective and then you bring that back into your regular job. It’s refreshing. ~ Jessica Carlson Past President, City of Orange
Now, you may be wondering if there’s a Chapter in your area. NMA provides a list of existing Chapters, so simply tap here to check. Just note that not all the Chapters listed on the website are community Chapters - they may be company Chapters and as such, they are for company employees only. If you don’t find a Chapter in your location, don’t fret! You can establish your own Chapter in your company or local area. Read on... Establishing a Chapter in Your Company or Community To facilitate the creation of a Chapter, the short answer is: Everybody can be a leader Call Steve. But before you do, whether you’re sweeping the I suggest that you first acquaint floors or whether you’re in the yourself with NMA by going corner office that’s being swept. through its detailed website. Everybody can have a good idea, Familiarize yourself with its everybody can offer perspective, offerings, programs, conferences, everybody can step forward and opportunities...and then call lead from no matter where you sit Steve. For those readers not or stand in a company. located in the United States, ~ Steve Bailey, CM NMA Chapters can be established President, NMA in other countries, so you can get involved too. Issue 26
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PROGRAMS OFFERED BY NMA Tap here to see more.
NMA Foundations of Management Course It’s no secret that the work world continues to change at an incredible pace. Studies prove that individual and team performance drive results. Today’s managers are part of an integrated and highly functioning team and they simply have to be good leaders as well. Managers need skills to plan, organize, direct, and control the work of others. Leaders need skills to create a vision and impassion employees to work together to achieve that vision. This course focuses on building that firm foundation to develop the skill sets needed for effective managers and leaders. Foundations of Management is all about understanding the competencies and attributes of a well-rounded manager and leader. It’s about preparedness. It’s about being ready for the challenges, changes and the contemporary application of management principles that continually drive and define success in today’s workplace. Taken from NMA website. Tap here for additional information.
NMA Building Virtual Teams Course The success of a virtual team cannot be on the shoulders of one person - the facilitator. Being a virtual team, the team has to work together by being responsible, accountable, active participants for the success of team. This proprietary NMA course reveals and sets up the team to be cohesive, coherent, and effective by uncovering the realities and challenges of virtual teams. Learn how to build relationships between virtual team members, overcome isolation and detachment, apply effective communications techniques, clarify roles and rules of engagement, accountability, conflict resolution, and team evaluation. Taken from NMA website. Tap here for additional information.
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Take some time to think about how you and the company you Leadership is not going away work for or the community in and we need better leaders across which you live could benefit the board so the more Chapters from a NMA Chapter. No matter that we have that are promoting where you are in your career or leaders and leadership skills what role you hold in a company, that just can’t be a bad thing! investing in your leadership and ~ Jessica Carlson management development gives Past President, City of Orange you the knowledge, insight and experience to make a significant difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. Start today and keep moving forward in support of your leadership success. RL
Connect with NMA Website: NMA1.org LinkedIn: NMA Facebook: NMAtheLeader Twitter: NMAleaders
Laurie Wilhelm is the Editor of Realizing Leadership magazine. Published monthly and delivered exclusively by app on select mobile devices, Realizing Leadership is dedicated to providing readers with timely, relevant and useful articles Issue 26
that can have a direct impact on their leadership development. For more information, tap here: RealizingLeadership.com. Connect with Laurie and Realizing Leadership on Twitter @Realize_Leaders and on Facebook: RealizingLeadership.
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