Question for Michelle

Hi Michelle! Quick question: with your gap Analysis, will you be willing to completely restructure Alumnae Chapters so that the transition of members who want to be active in those chapters isn't as much of a shock? (By this I lean the Schick that comes from being in a structured and fully formal chapter to something more relaxed/casual that currently exists with Alum Chaptets)

Reposting from the GroupMe as this question was asked on there as well

Hi! Thank you so much for your question
Yes, I’d be willing to! That is a valid gap you bring up, and I’ll be taking note of it. I want to collaborate with the ARCs, Alumnae Chapters, and alumnae overall to help identify obvious, and not so obvious gaps where the NAA could improve, and the one you bring up is definitely an oversight that I’d love to investigate and help develop a structure that addresses it. Thank you for bringing that up and shining a light on it

Hi Michelle,

While I appreciate your answer to the GroupMe question. I am still curious as to the how. How would you help identify the gaps, do you have a structured idea in place?

What are the gaps you feel the NAA could improve?

Thank you so much for expanding on your question!

I do have an idea in place, though I do want to make it clear that it is also malleable as I expect this gap analysis to be a collaborative effort and I am open to suggestions and alterations of this idea from alumnae input.

There are many methods that can be utilized for gap analysis with the SWOT analysis being the most popular one; however, I feel that is more for a risk assessment tool and won't really be indicative of the NAA's areas of improvements. So, I would like to explore other methods such as the McKinsey 7S Framework and the Nadler-Tushman model as both of those require us to define all of the NAA's current practices/processes and helps us identify where the misalignment is coming from in reaching our goals and expanding the NAA. My intention is to start the gap analysis during our F2F meeting with the elected ARCs and VPAA and then open up the space to the Alumnae Chapters and the general alumnae population to also provide their input in the analysis. I foresee this being done virtually through meetings and open discussion.

I'd also like to establish an individualized communication plan with each region and their ARC as I also know that the needs and challenges vary depending on the area, which contributes to our gaps. By committing to these plans, I plan for the NAA to make note of each suggestion and collect information to ensure each region's needs are taken into account when re-evaluating current NAA practices.

Once data collection is completed from both the gap analysis workshops and the individual communication with each region, I will collaborate with the NAA to create a list of actionable goals and a breakdown of tasks on how to achieve each goal for the year that would be on the division to complete. Additionally, I'd like to add an extra layer of accountability on the NAA and make this list of goals and steps as well as goal progress tracking in real-time available to all alumnae, possibly through a project management software such as ClickUp to increase transparency between alumnae and the NAA.

Lastly, I have identified some shortcomings through my three years in the NAA, but I also acknowledge that my list is not exhaustive and will probably grow after gathering input from alumnae:

• Majority of KDChi national support currently comes from the collegiate membership (ie. financial, participation, proposals, etc.), which is great but that is not a sustainable model in the long run. In order for KDChi to grow in our contributions to society, increase our longevity, and continue providing advocacy for our collegiate members, the support is going to have to eventually transition to it coming from mostly our alumnae members. This endeavor falls on the NAA to start investigating.
  
• The current volunteer structure & expectations for Alumnae Chapters are organized in a "one size, fits all" manner. Alumnae Chapters all vary in size, goals, productivity, and availability. There needs to be a balanced structure developed that remains flexible for the working professional members that make up our Alumnae Chapters, but still holds accountability when needed to establish a culture of high, reasonable expectations and willingness to participate within our Alumnae.
  
• There needs to be more opportunities for involvement that align with the interests of our alumnae. NAA General Meetings have usually had professional development workshops which is great, but there is also room to grow & explore in providing our alumnae space for fun opportunities that would allow them to decompress from their daily professional lives.
  
• In order for alumnae to engage, they need to feel needed and appreciated. The NAA has done yearly NAA gifts in the past as well as the NAA Getaway, which are great for the time being. However, there needs to be more exploration on opportunities for the NAA to continue to build an environment of appreciation.
  

Thank you for taking the time to read. Please let me know if there are any other questions!